NewzIntel.com

Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Older Persons’ Day pop-up events hailed as “a major success”

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    More than 300 people attended a series of pop-up events in St Albans District to celebrate Older Persons’ Day.

    St Albans City and District Council organised the drop-in events, called Flourishing Lives, along with partner organisations to highlight the contribution older people make to our community.

    Council officers were on hand to explain a range of services including housing and the welfare benefits that older people may be entitled to.

    Herfordshire Police, Citizens Advice, Communities 1st, Age UK and other groups which work with older people were present. 

    Information on issues such as crime prevention and the location of warm spaces during cold spells was given out.

    There were also opportunities to socialise over a cup of tea, provided by St Albans Old People’s Trust, at the four events in St Albans, Wheathampstead, London Colney and Redbourn.

    The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated around the world every year in early October and is followed by weeks of special events.

    Councillor Sarwar Shamsher, Lead for Inclusion, said:

    I am delighted to say that these pop-up events were well attended and a major success.

    It was a great example of partnership working as we teamed up with other organisations to make our older people aware of the services and opportunities available to them.

    As a Council, we are committed to ensuring older people can lead fulfilling lives and not become socially isolated.

    These free events have brought hundreds of people together and have helped them discover how they can participate in a range of social and fun activities, including art and keep-fit clubs.

    Photos: scenes from the Older Persons’ Day events including, 2nd from top, Deputy Mayor, Cllr Jenni Murray, far right, talking to Herts Police at the Redbourn event. 

    Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council: 01727-919533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Women’s bodies were inspected by witch-finders to uncover unusual growths of blemishes. T. H. Matteson/ Wikimedia Commons

    Throughout accounts of 17th-century witch trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable proof of witchcraft. The belief was that the devil branded witches’ bodies with symbolic, material marks – such as unusual growths or blemishes. This led to routine bodily inspections in witch trials. The discovery of such marks was thought to be strong medical and scientific evidence of witchcraft and frequently sealed the victim’s fate.

    Here are just some of the anatomical features that historically would have been used to label someone a witch:

    Are you a woman?

    While men were occasionally accused of witchcraft, historical witch hunts overwhelmingly targeted women – particularly women who led an independent lifestyle (such as widows and spinsters) or who were outspoken and didn’t conform to societal norms. Historians estimate that more than 75% of those accused of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries were female.

    Religious teachings at the time reinforced the idea that women were morally weaker and therefore more susceptible to temptation and sin.

    By this standard, if you identify as female today, you are one of approximately 3.95 billion potential “witches”.

    How old are you?

    Age was another factor in witch trials. Older women, especially those past childbearing age, were frequently suspected of witchcraft – particularly if they were a widow, owned property or lived alone.

    Records suggest that more than half of those accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563-1736 were over 40 years old. At this time, the average life expectancy was around 32 years of age.

    Today, with around 1.4 billion women globally over 40, many more might have found themselves under similar suspicion by historical standards.

    Do you have an extra nipple?

    The “witch’s teat” was a common trait witch-hunters used to identify someone as being a witch. This extra nipple was thought to be used by witches to nurse so-called demonic familiars – often imagined to be small animals or imps. Witch-hunters would examine the chest or torso for any irregularity and classify it as a witch’s teat.

    In reality, supernumerary nipples (or polythelia) are benign. These form during early embryonic development and in some people do not fully disappear.

    Another feature sometimes mistaken for a supernumerary teat was the clitoris. Historical accounts suggest that women were sometimes convicted based on the size of this body part. Pamphlets from the time, which describe the process of identifying a “witches’ teat,” often mention a small protrusion located near a woman’s “fundament” or “privy place” – euphemisms for a woman’s genitals.

    It’s estimated that around 5% of the world’s population have at least one extra nipple. They appear more often on the left-hand side of the chest and are more common in men. Harry Styles, who has openly discussed having four nipples, would perhaps have been far less inclined to

    – ref. Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century – https://theconversation.com/moles-birthmarks-and-red-hair-the-anatomical-features-used-to-accuse-women-of-witchcraft-in-the-17th-century-240621

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Christmas and New Year courts and tribunals opening times 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Details of courts and tribunals opening times over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

    Our courts and tribunals will temporarily close on various dates over the Christmas period.

    The closure dates for this year are:

    • Wednesday 25 December 2024
    • Thursday 26 December 2024
    • Friday 27 December 2024
    • Wednesday 1 January 2025

    Some magistrates’ courts will be open on 26 December 2024 and 1 January 2025, but for remand hearings only.

    On Friday 27 December 2024, only County and Family Courts, Crown Courts, the High Court, Court of Appeal (Royal Courts of Justice and Rolls Building) and some tribunals will be closed. Magistrates’ courts and our Scotland tribunal offices will open on this day. In Scotland, our tribunal offices will also be closed on Thursday 2 January 2025.

    Hearings that take place over the Christmas period may take place in person, or via video or telephone. Your hearing notice will confirm this.

    Some smaller satellite courts/hearing venues may also be closed outside of these arrangements. To check or for more information, please contact the relevant court or tribunal directly.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Castlegate to have temporary safer surface

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Part of the Castlegate is to have a temporary surface installed in the next few weeks which will ensure the area will be safer.

    The current flagstones would have a significant cost to fully repair– more than £1.5milion – which would then likely need changed anyway due to the major improvement works to link Union Street to the beach area.

    The area is due to have the improvements as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan, which will reinstate the central role of Union Street while establishing stronger linkages north to the beach area via the Castlegate.

    Bearing in mind the forthcoming major improvements and so as to not spend money on a full repair which would then need ripped out, a temporary cost-effective solution is to be installed in the area.

    The temporary cost-effective solution is in the form of compacted road planings which is a waste material generated from the Council’s capital roads resurfacing programme.

    The use of waste planings, delivered directly from other roadworks sites around Aberdeen, will also minimise the carbon cost in line with ACC’s commitment with Net Zero.

    The road planings will be used to create a road surface for vehicular traffic, whilst pedestrian pavements of cassies will be repaired.

    It is acknowledged that while the compacted road planings will not be the most aesthetically-pleasing of surfaces, the works will allow the area to be kept safe whilst minimising expenditure on an area which will soon be redeveloped as part of the CCMP.

    The flagstones, which were laid in the early 1990s, will be retained for potential future use. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Let there be lights

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Sunderland’s countdown to Christmas is about to get underway.

    Preparations for the festive season kick off with the city’s Christmas Switch On in Keel Square on Thursday 21 November.

    A firm favourite in Sunderland’s events calendar, the switch on promises to be a wonderful family event as the city comes together to start the celebrations and officially kick off the festive season.

    The entertainment gets underway from 5.30pm onwards with music to get everyone in the Christmas spirit and cartoon characters doing walkabouts, before Hits Radio’s breakfast show hosts Steve and Karen take to the stage to get the party started from 6pm onwards with a host of festive hits and sparkling entertainment.

    There’ll be competitions aplenty, including the chance to win tickets for this year’s Jack and the Beanstalk panto at the Sunderland Empire and Disney on Ice at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.

    Everyone’s favourite ogre, Shrek will also be putting in a special appearance, followed by panto stars from Jack and the Beanstalk before Santa, the main man himself, takes to the stage to join in the fun and games.

    The Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Allison Chisnall will then be joined by Steve and Karen, SAFC players and panto stars for the grand switch on at 7pm. 

    Councillor Chisnall, said: “Christmas is always such a special time of year. The annual Christmas Switch On marks start of the city’s countdown to the big day and it’s something that families from across Sunderland and beyond really look forward to each year.

    “We’ve got a fantastic programme of entertainment lined up for this year’s event and what better way to start the festive season.”

    To coincide with the Sunderland Christmas Light Switch On, The Fire Station is also launching FireSide, its new, free-to-enter festive marquee experience in front of The Fire Station building. Offering a bar, food and cosy seating areas, this opens at 4pm on Thursday 21 November and runs through December. Visitors coming along to the switch on might also want to take advantage of some of the other fantastic restaurants and bars around Keel Square.

    The launch of Christmas has been organised by Sunderland City Council and supported by Sunderland BID and Hits Radio (formerly Metro Radio) 

    Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID), said: “The Christmas light switch on signals the start of a really important period for businesses in the city centre.  

    “There are so many great venues, wonderful retailers and fabulous events in the city centre that can be visited and enjoyed. We hope to see lots of people join us at the light switch on and then to come back and do their shopping and enjoy the season in the city.”

    To find out more about the Christmas Switch on, visit: https://www.mysunderland.co.uk/christmaslights2024 

    And to find out what else is on in Sunderland during the festive season, visit: https://mysunderland.co.uk/events 

    For information on parking, visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/parking

    For information on the Sunderland Empire panto, visit: www.atgtickets.com/sunderland

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Budget marks first step in plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Millions of people, including families, pensioners, carers and those struggling to find work are set to benefit from Autumn Budget reforms to boost work and tackle poverty.

    • Welfare safety net will be strengthened with a new Fair Repayment Rate, an increase to benefits and an extension of vital crisis support.

    • Carers will also see a boost to the amount they can earn whilst retaining their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance.
    • A £240 million package for the Get Britain Working White Paper will shift department’s focus from welfare to work.

    The first steps in the Work and Pensions Secretary’s plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK were unveiled in the Government Budget yesterday (Wednesday 30 October).  

    As the department shifts its focus from welfare to work, a £240 million package will open up opportunities to millions of people left behind and denied the opportunity to get into work and get on at work.

    These major changes will address spiralling economic inactivity and a record 2.8 million people locked out of work due to long term sickness and are part of the Government’s ambition to reach an 80% employment rate. 

    The Get Britain Working White Paper will develop:

    • A new jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, and get on in their work, by linking jobseekers with employers, with an increased focus on skills and careers;
    • Joined-up work, health and skills plans to tackle economic inactivity and boost employment, led by Mayors and local areas;
    • A new Youth Guarantee so that every young person is given the opportunity to earn or learn.

    Those with caring responsibilities will able to earn more without losing government support, with the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold boosted by £45 a week to £196, benefitting more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30. This is the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance. This is alongside an independent review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments led by Liz Sayce OBE.

    As well as boosting pensions and benefits through annual uprating, a new Fair Repayment Rate will be introduced, reducing Universal Credit deductions. This will mean 1.2 million of the poorest households will benefit by an average of £420 a year.

    £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. This will help struggling families and pensioners facing the greatest financial hardship.   

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall said:

    We promised change, and that is what we will deliver. 

    For too long, millions of people have been denied opportunities to work and build a better life, and too many children are growing up in poverty, harming their life chances and our country’s future.

    This Budget shows the first steps in our plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty in every corner of the country.

    There is still much more to do, but this Budget has shown change has begun.

    Measures announced today will also improve how the department detects and prevents fraud and error, so support is targeted where it is needed most and taxpayers know every pound is spent wisely. These changes are expected to save £7.6 billion by 2029/30.

    The Secretary of State has also concluded her annual review of the State Pension and benefit rates, which will see:

    • A 4.1 percent increase to the basic and new State Pensions due to the Triple Lock commitment – meaning those on the full rate of the new State Pension will now see an increase of over £470 per year.
    • A 1.7 percent increase to Universal Credit and other working-age benefits – worth an average £12.50 per month for a family on Universal Credit.

    Further Information

    • The Get Britain Working White Paper will be published in Autumn and will set out the government’s plans to reform employment support and tackle the root causes of record-high inactivity.
    • Welfare reforms announced at Autumn Budget include:
    • A new Fair Repayment Rate to reduce Universal Credit deductions from 25% to 15%.
    • A £240 million Get Britain Working package
    • An extension of the Household Support Fund
    • Maintaining Discretionary Housing Payments funding.
    • Raising the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by £45 a week
    • Uprating disability benefits and working age benefits including Universal Credit by 1.7% in line with the year to September 2024 Consumer Prices Index figure.
    • Uprating basic and new State Pensions and the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1% in line with the average weekly earnings figure for the year to May to July 2024.
    • Improving fraud, error and debt detection and prevention.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH study demonstrates long-term benefits of weight-loss surgery in young people

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    Media Advisory

    Thursday, October 31, 2024

    Adolescents see a greater remission of type 2 diabetes compared to adults.

    What

    Young people with severe obesity who underwent weight-loss surgery at age 19 or younger continued to see sustained weight loss and resolution of common obesity-related comorbidities 10 years later, according to results from a large clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

    Study participants with an average age of 17 underwent gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy weight-loss surgery. After 10 years, participants sustained an average of 20% reduction in body mass index (BMI), 55% reduction of type 2 diabetes, 57% reduction of hypertension, and 54% reduction of abnormal cholesterol. Both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy had similar results.

    The 55% reduction in type 2 diabetes was much higher than the rates observed in adults after weight-loss surgery (18% at seven years and 12.7% at 12 years) in a recently published NIH-funded study.

    Type 2 diabetes tends to progress more rapidly when it occurs in young people, and these findings demonstrate the greater health benefits and durability of bariatric surgery in youth than would be expected in similarly treated adults.

    The study, known as Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen LABS), was supported by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through grants DK072493, DK072493, DK095710 and NIH’s National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program grants TR000077 and TR000114.

    Data related to these findings are available for request at the NIDDK Central Repository.

    Who

    Voula Osganian, M.D., a pediatric clinical obesity program director at NIDDK is available to comment on this research.

    Reference

    Ryder, Justin et al., Ten-year Outcomes Following Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, [2024] New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2404054

    The NIDDK, part of the NIH, conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see https://www.niddk.nih.gov.

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government takes first steps to fix the foundations and save the NHS

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    More than £3 billion has been set aside to mend crumbling wards and bring NHS technology into the 21st century.

    • Concrete steps to fix the foundations and rebuild Britain’s public services to make them fit for generations to come.
    • More than £2 billion to upgrade NHS technology and £1 billion to deal with massive NHS maintenance backlog.
    • NHS will deliver 2% productivity growth in new commitment.

    New technology and functioning hospitals will be the first priority in the Government’s ambition to modernise the NHS and make it fit for the future. 

    More than £3 billion has been set aside to mend the crumbling wards and bring healthcare tech into the 21st century – to give patients the right care, in the right location, with the right technology. 

    It’s only with this new technology and functioning hospitals that the NHS can begin to reform in earnest – and create a health service that can thrive for generations to come. 

    This is part of the Chancellor’s record-breaking £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day spending and £3.1 billion capital boost for the Department for Health and Social Care from 2023/24 to 2025/26, which will reduce waiting times and rebuild the NHS. 

    Paired with reforms set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, this overdue injection of capital spending will fix the foundations and make the delivery of healthcare more efficient for generations to come. It will move us from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. 

    It comes alongside a commitment to deliver 2% productivity growth to the nation’s healthcare system.

    Prime Minister, Rt Hon Keir Starmer, said:

    We’re fixing the foundations to deliver change – by fixing the NHS and rebuilding Britain, while ensuring working people don’t face higher taxes in their payslips.

    Yesterday’s budget marks a huge step towards that – setting us on the path to make our public services fit for the future.

    This new settlement follows a shocking report by Lord Darzi earlier this year, which laid bare the chronic underinvestment in both facilities and technology that has been stunting the NHS.  

    He concluded the last decade was a “missed opportunity” to prepare the NHS for the future and embrace the technologies that would enable a shift in the model from ‘diagnose and treat’ to ‘predict and prevent’— something he warned about 15 years ago. 

    Yesterday’s budget puts an end to that – with £2 billion set aside to tilt the NHS towards technology and £1 billion to deal with the bulging backlog of maintenance work that has left hospitals on their knees. 

    The investment of more than £2 billion will transform the way NHS staff work as the service looks to harness new technologies to free up their time so they can focus on the care and treatment of patients. 

    The £1 billion will tackle critical repairs and the NHS maintenance backlog which has built up since 2010; something highlighted by Lord Darzi, which has meant the NHS has been left in a ‘critical condition’.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, said: 

    This was a Budget to fix the foundations and deliver change – starting by fixing the NHS.   

    It’s a service that matters to so many of us and this is us delivering on our promise of change.

    Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 

    We’re on a mission to fix our broken NHS by driving fundamental reform, to bring our analogue health service into the digital age. We will put the latest kit in the hands of NHS staff and use modern technology to give patients real control over their own healthcare. 

    Through our 10-Year Health Plan we will cut waiting lists, reduce waiting times and get the health service delivering for patients and staff once again.

    Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS National Director for Transformation, said:

    The NHS has already made £2 billion of efficiency savings so far this financial year, and the Chancellor’s confirmation of funding for next year will allow us to continue to roll out technology to improve productivity and switch services from analogue to digital.  

    Whether it is critical estates maintenance, cyber security or digitising patient records, the NHS is committed to working with the Government in the coming months to fix the foundations of the health service, while also transforming for the future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Allister savages Government assault on farming families

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement, following the Budget, by TUV MP Jim Allister:-

    “The Labour Government proved, what I suspected, it has no feel or empathy with farmers. Else, it would not have dealt such a brutal blow to the future of family farming through its inheritance tax extinction policy.

    “Farmers are asset rich, because of their land, but, often, cash poor, with it being a struggle to meet the constant monthly bills from fluctuating income. The fact they own 50 or 100 acres isn’t something they can draw on for day-to-day needs. Yet, retaining that 50 or 100 acres for farming into the future is key to the generational survival of the farm.

    “Hence, the reason and logic for the historic agricultural exemption from inheritance tax.

    “Now, alas, this Government is set to raid farming assets by a whacking on inheritance tax upon the death of the current farmer. With limited cash reserves, most family farms, when that point comes, will have no alternative but to sell off land and thereby diminish the viability and productivity of the farm. Food production and security will suffer knock-on effects.

    “The threshold of £1m is of little help at today’s land prices. Acreage as low as 50 or 60 will frequently be caught for inheritance tax.

    “The farmers in North Antrim, as elsewhere, have devoted their lives to building up their farms with the driving motivation to see the land handed on to the next generation. Now this kick in the teeth from uncaring government has rightly left many angry and betrayed.

    “I will, of course, vote against this madness and join vigorously in the campaign to rescue the situation.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Abortion service protection zones in place in England and Wales

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Safe access zones are now in force around abortion clinics in England and Wales to protect women accessing these services.

    Women accessing abortion services will be better protected from harassment or distress as protection zones come into force around abortion clinics, the government has confirmed.

    From today, a 150-metre boundary will be in place around all clinics and hospitals offering abortion services known as a ‘safe access zone’.

    Within these boundaries it is now a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly:

    • influence any person’s decision to access or facilitate abortion services at an abortion clinic
    • obstruct any person from accessing or facilitating abortion services at an abortion clinic
    • cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in connection with a decision to access, provide or facilitate abortion services at an abortion clinic

    Police and prosecutors will consider each case individually based on the evidence. However, this could include:

    • handing out anti-abortion leaflets
    • protesting against abortion rights
    • shouting at individuals attempting to access abortion services

    This could also cover prayer, including:

    • silent prayer
    • holding vigils
    • any behaviour where someone is intentionally trying to – or recklessly acting in a way that might – influence a person accessing the service

    Anyone found guilty of breaking the new laws will face an unlimited fine.

    The Crown Prosecution Service has published guidance today, alongside further information from the College of Policing, setting out how the police and prosecutors should approach enforcing the new offence. While operational decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, this new guidance will ensure there is clarity and consistency across the country.  

    Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said:

    Access to healthcare is a fundamental right. Access to abortion services is a matter of healthcare. I’m confident that the safeguards we have put in place today will have a genuine impact in helping women feel safer and empowered to access the vital services they need.

    Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips said:

    Getting this measure up and running as soon as possible has been one of our priorities and I am proud of everyone involved in getting us here. The idea that any woman is made to feel unsafe or harassed for accessing health services, including abortion clinics, is sickening. This stops today.

    The measure applies to any clinics and private hospitals that are approved under the Abortion Act 1967, and for any NHS hospital that has given notification in the current or previous calendar year that it has carried out abortions. 

    Safe access zones were introduced through the Public Order Act 2023, following a free vote in Parliament that received cross-party support.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kosovo and Serbia must show their commitment to cooperation and dialogue: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UNMIK.

    Location:
    United Nations, New York
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Let me begin by thanking the Special Representative for the work she and her team are doing to promote stability and respect for human rights in Kosovo.

    The UK is a long-standing supporter of Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. We remain committed to supporting an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo.

    We welcome, for example, Kosovo’s efforts to recruit police officers from non-majority communities, and its commitment to tackling Conflict Related Sexual Violence including through its leadership of the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security.

    Yet for many years the absence of a normal relationship between Kosovo and Serbia has negatively impacted the lives of individuals living in both countries and impacted regional stability.

    In recent weeks we’ve seen positive steps towards greater cooperation. This includes easing restrictions on Serbian imports into Kosovo, and the agreement securing Kosovo representation in the Central European Free Trade Agreement. 

    We are, however, concerned that progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue has been faltering. We call upon both parties to reaffirm their commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue and we echo the Secretary-General’s call for greater participation of women in the process.

    It is important that both sides demonstrate the political will and the courage to fully implement existing agreements under the dialogue, including the establishment of an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities.

    At the same time, it is important for all sides to avoid actions which could jeopardise such progress. We urge Kosovo to carefully consider the impact of its decisions on all its citizens including those from non-majority communities and to work with its partners.

    And we urge Serbia to play its part in supporting efforts to ensure justice and accountability for the perpetrators of last year’s shocking attack in Banjska and to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting positive relations in the region.

    I would like to end by expressing the UK’s gratitude to the Special Representative and all Mission staff who have contributed to UNMIK’s work over the last 25 years.

    Promoting dialogue and trust-building between Kosovo’s communities is and remains vital.

    However, it has been over sixteen years since Kosovo’s independence and the situation is unrecognisable from 1999. It is therefore time for this Council to review UNMIK’s role to reflect conditions on the ground.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Three ways the Budget will put more money in working people’s pockets

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    We are raising the living wage, expanding the Help to Save scheme and limiting reductions to Universal Credit awards.

    Working people are the lifeblood of our economy. The government is not increasing the basic, higher or additional rates of Income Tax, National Insurance, or VAT.  

    Here are just some of the measures announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 that will help put more money into your pocket.  

    1. Savings boost from the government for low earners 

    The Help to Save scheme has been extended and widened. The scheme offers lower earners a savings account where they can save a maximum of £50 a month for 4 years and receive a 50% government boost at the end of year 2 and year 4. This helps workers kickstart a lifelong savings habit and offers up to £1,200 over the 4 years.  

    The scheme was due to end in April 2025 but has been extended by 2 years until April 2027. Eligibility for the scheme will widen from April 2025. It will be open to all working Universal Credit claimants earning at least £1 a month.   

    2. Increased National Living Wage  

    In her statement, the Chancellor announced that from 1 April 2025, the National Living Wage will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour for employees aged 21 and over. That’s an increase of 6.7% from 2024.  

    For 18 to 20 year olds, it will increase by £1.40 an hour, to £10.00 an hour. This is the first step towards the government’s plan to remove discriminatory age bands and deliver a genuine living wage that all adults can benefit from. 

    3. Capping how much Universal Credit can be taken for debt repayment 

    The government is creating a new Fair Repayment Rate which caps deductions made through Universal Credit at 15% of the standard allowance. Before this Budget, it was 25%.

    This means approximately 1.2 million households will keep more of their Universal Credit payment each month, with households expected to be better off by an average of over £420 a year.   

    Other financial support available 

    These are just some of the ways the government is protecting working people. The Autumn Budget 2024 also includes further support for pensioners, those in crisis and those struggling most with the cost of essentials. Read the Budget in full to find out more.

    Answer a few questions to find out what support you might be able to get to help with living costs. Check benefits and financial support you can get.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Autumn Budget 2024 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Autumn Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Madam Deputy Speaker…

    [redacted political content]

    This government was given a mandate. 

    To restore stability to our economy… 

    … and to begin a decade of national renewal. 

    To fix the foundations… 

    … and deliver change. 

    Through responsible leadership in the national interest.  

    That is our task.  

    And I know that we can achieve it. 

    My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever.  

    And the prize on offer is immense.  

    As my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister said on Monday – change must be felt. 

    More pounds in people’s pockets.  

    An NHS that is there when you need it.  

    An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all…  

    … because that is the only way to improve living standards.   

    And the only way to drive economic growth… 

    … is to invest, invest, invest.  

    There are no shortcuts. 

    And to deliver that investment… 

    … we must restore economic stability…

    [redacted political content]

    INHERITANCE

    [redacted political content]

    … it is the first Budget in our country’s history to be delivered by a woman.  

    I am deeply proud to be Britain’s first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer.  

    To girls and young women everywhere, I say:  

    Let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and your dreams.  

    And along with the pride that I feel standing here today… 

    … there is also a responsibility… 

    … to pass on a fairer society and a stronger economy to the next  

    generation of women.

    [redacted political content]

    A black hole in the public finances… 

    Public services on their knees…. 

    A decade of low growth. 

    And the worst parliament on record for living standards. 

    Let me begin with the public finances. 

    In July, I exposed a £22bn black hole

    [redacted political content]

    The Treasury’s reserve, set aside for genuine emergencies… 

    … spent three times over… 

    … just three months into the financial year.  

    Today, on top of the detailed document that I have provided to the House in July… 

    … the government is publishing a line by line breakdown of the £22bn black hole that we inherited… 

    It shows hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances… 

    … this year, and into the future too.  

    The Office for Budget Responsibility have published their own review of the circumstances around the Spring Budget forecast.  

    They say that the previous government – and I quote – “did not provide the OBR with all the [available] information to them”… 

    … and – had they known about these “undisclosed spending pressures that have since come to light”… 

    … then their Spring Budget forecast for spending would have been, and I quote again: “materially different”.  

    Let me be clear: that means any comparison between today’s forecast and the OBR’s March forecast is false… 

    … because the party opposite hid the reality of their public spending plans. 

    Yet at the very same budget… 

    … they made another ten billion pounds worth of cuts to National Insurance.

    [redacted political content]

    That’s why today, I can confirm that we will implement in full… 

    … the 10 recommendations from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s review. 

    But, the country has inherited not just broken public finances… 

    … but broken public services too. 

    The British people can see and feel that in their everyday lives. 

    NHS waiting lists at record levels. 

    Children in portacabins as school roofs crumble. 

    Trains that do not arrive. 

    Rivers filled with polluted waste.  

    Prisons overflowing. 

    Crimes which are not investigated… 

    … and criminals who are not punished.  

    That is the country’s inheritance

    Since 2021, there had been no detailed plans for departmental spending set out beyond this year.  

    And [redacted political content] plans relied on a baseline for spending this year which we now know was wrong… 

    … because it did not take into account the £22bn black hole.  

    The previous government also failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise.  

    That includes funding for vital compensation schemes…  

    … for victims of two terrible injustices…

    [redacted political content]

    … the infected blood scandal… 

    … and the Post Office Horizon scandal.  

    The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state… 

    … but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.  

    Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full… 

    … with £11.8bn in this budget. 

    And I am also today setting aside £1.8bn to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal… 

    … redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.

    [redacted political content]

    … and we will restore stability to our country again. 

    The scale and seriousness of the situation that we have inherited cannot be underestimated. 

    Together, the hole in our public finances this year, which recurs every year… 

    … the compensation schemes that they did not fund… 

    … and their failure to assess the scale of the challenges facing our public services… 

    … means this budget raises taxes by £40bn. 

    Any Chancellor standing here today would have to face this reality. 

    And any responsible Chancellor would take action. 

    That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances… 

    … and rebuilding our public services.  

    FISCAL RULES / OBR FORECASTS 

    Economy forecast/growth 

    As a former economist at the Bank of England, I know what it means to respect our economic institutions.  

    I want to put on record my thanks to the Governor of the Bank, Andrew Bailey…  

    … and to the independent Monetary Policy Committee. 

    Today, I can confirm that we will maintain the MPC’s target of two per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. 

    I want to thank James Bowler, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and my team of officials. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank my predecessors as Chancellor of the Exchequer… 

    … for their wise counsel as I have prepared for this Budget.

    [redacted political content]

    Finally, I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team at the Office for Budget Responsibility for their work in preparing today’s economic and fiscal outlook. 

    Let me now take the House through that forecast. 

    The cost of living crisis under the last government stretched household finances to their limit, with inflation hitting a peak of above 11%.  

    Today, the OBR say that CPI inflation will average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, then 2.3% in 2026, 2.1% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028 and 2.0% in 2029.  

    Next, I move on to economic growth.  

    Today’s budget marks an end to short-termism.  

    So I am pleased, that for the first time, the OBR have published not only five year growth forecasts… 

    … but a detailed assessment of the growth impacts of our policies over the next decade, too… 

    … and the new Charter for Budget Responsibility, which I am publishing today, confirms that this will become a permanent feature of our framework. 

    The OBR forecast that real GDP growth will be 1.1% in 2024, 2.0% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, 1.5% in 2027, 1.5% in 2028 and 1.6% in 2029. 

    And the OBR are clear: this Budget will permanently increase the supply capacity of the economy…

    [redacted political content]

    … boosting long-term growth. 

    Every Budget I deliver will be focused on our mission to grow the economy. 

    And underpinning that mission are the seven key pillars of our growth strategy… 

    … developed and delivered alongside business…  

    … all driven forward by our Financial Secretary to the Treasury.   

    First, and most important, is to restore economic stability. That is my focus today. 

    Second, increasing investment and building new infrastructure is vital for productivity, so we are catalysing £70bn of investment through our National Wealth Fund… 

    … and we are transforming our planning rules to get Britain building again. 

    Third, to ensure that all parts of the UK can realise their potential… 

    … we are working with the devolved governments… 

    … and partnering with our Mayors to develop local growth plans.  

    Fourth, to improve employment prospects and skills we are creating Skills England, delivering our plans to Make Work Pay and tackling economic inactivity.  

    Fifth, we are launching our long-term modern industrial strategy and expanding opportunities for our small and medium sized businesses to grow. 

    Sixth, to drive innovation we are protecting record funding for research and development to harness the full potential of the UK’s science base.  

    And finally, to maximise the growth benefits of our clean energy mission, we have confirmed key investments such as Carbon Capture and Storage to create jobs in our industrial heartlands. 

    Our approach is already having an impact. 

    Just two weeks ago – we delivered an International Investment Summit which saw businesses commit £63.5bn of investment into this country… 

    … creating nearly 40,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.

    [redacted political content]

    Economic growth will be our mission for the duration of this parliament.  

    Stability rule 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we set out the fiscal rules that would guide this government. 

    I am confirming those today… 

    Our stability rule… 

    And our investment rule… 

    The “stability rule” means that we will bring the current budget into balance… 

    … so that we do not borrow to fund day to day spending. 

    We will meet this rule in 2029-30, until that becomes the third year of the forecast.  

    From then on, we will balance the current budget in the third year of every budget, held annually each autumn. 

    That will provide a tougher constraint on day to day spending… 

    … so difficult decisions cannot be constantly delayed or deferred.  

    The OBR say that the current budget will be in deficit by £26.2bn in 2025-26 and £5.2bn in 2026-27… 

    … before moving into surplus of £10.9bn in 2027-28, £9.3bn in 2028-29 and £9.9bn in 2029-30… 

    … meeting our stability rule… 

    … two years early.  

    Monthly public sector finances data shows that government borrowing in the first six months of this year… 

    … was already running significantly higher than the OBR’s March forecast. 

    And so the OBR confirmed today, that borrowing in this financial year is now £127bn…

    [redacted political content]

    The increase in the net cash requirement in 24-25 is lower than the increase in borrowing, at £22.3bn higher than the spring forecast.  

    Because of the action that we are taking… 

    … borrowing falls from 4.5% of GDP this year to 2.1% of GDP by the end of the forecast. 

    Public sector net borrowing will be £105.6bn in 2025-26, £88.5bn in 2026-27, £72.2bn in 2027-28, £71.9bn in 2028-29 and £70.6bn in 2029-2930. 

    FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS 

    Spending  

    Madam Deputy Speaker, before I come to tax… 

    … it is vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending. 

    In July, to begin delivering, and dealing with our inheritance… 

    … I made £5.5bn of savings this year.  

    Today we are setting a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for all departments to meet next year… 

    … by using technology more effectively and joining up services across government 

    As set out in our manifesto, I will shortly be appointing our Covid Corruption Commissioner, they will lead our work to uncover those companies that used a national emergency to line their own pockets. 

    Because that money belongs in our public services. And taxpayers want that money back.  

    And I can confirm today that David Goldstone has been appointed as the Chair of the new Office for Value for Money…  

    … to help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending. 

    Welfare 

    Today, I am also taking three steps to ensure that welfare spending is more sustainable.  

    First, we inherited [redacted political content] plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment.  

    We will deliver those savings…  

    …as part of our fundamental reforms to the health and disability benefits system that my Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary will bring forward. 

    Second, I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system… 

    … often the work of criminal gangs.  

    We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams.. 

    … using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity…  

    … and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters… 

    … including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt. 

    This package saves £4.3bn a year by the end of the forecast. 

    Third, the government will shortly be publishing the “Get Britain Working” white paper…  

    … tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.  

    … and we will provide £240m for 16 trailblazer projects… 

    … targeted at those who are economically inactive and most at risk of being out of education, employment or training… 

    … to get people into work and reduce the benefits bill.  

    Tax avoidance 

    Before a government could consider any change to a tax rate or threshold… 

    … it must ensure that people pay what they already owe. 

    So we will invest to modernise HMRC’s systems using the very best technology… 

    … and recruit additional HMRC compliance and debt staff. 

    We will clamp down on those umbrella companies who exploit workers… 

    … increase the interest rate on unpaid tax debt to ensure that people pay on time… 

    … and go after promoters of tax avoidance schemes. 

    These measures to reduce the tax gap raise £6.5bn by the end of the forecast… 

    … and I want to thank the Exchequer Secretary for his outstanding work on this agenda. 

    PROTECTING WORKING PEOPLE 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that for working people up and down our country… 

    … family finances are stretched… 

    … and pay checks don’t go as far as they once did. 

    So today, I am taking steps to support people with the cost of living. 

    Cost of living

    [redacted political content]

    As promised in our manifesto, we asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living for the first time.  

    I can confirm that we will accept the Low Pay Commission recommendation to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour… 

    … worth up to £1,400 a year for a full-time worker. 

    And for the first time, we will move towards a single adult rate…  

    … phased in over time…  

    … by initially increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3% as recommended by the Low Pay Commission… 

    … taking it to £10 an hour.

    [redacted political content]

    Second, I have heard representations from colleagues across this house about the Carer’s Allowance… 

    … and the impact of the current policy on carers looking to increase the hours they work… 

    … including from the Honourable member for Shipley, the Honourable member for Scarborough and Whitby and the Rt Hon Member for Kingston and Surbiton, too. 

    Carer’s allowance currently provides up to £81.90 per week to help those with additional caring responsibilities.  

    Today, I can confirm that we are increasing the weekly earnings limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage per week… 

    … the largest increase in Carer’s Allowance since it was introduced in 1976.  

    That means a carer can now earn over £10,000 a year while receiving Carer’s Allowance… 

    … allowing them to increase their hours where they want to… 

    … and keep more of their money. 

    I am also concerned about the cliff-edge in the current system and the issue of overpayments. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has announced an independent review to look at the issue of overpayments, and we will work across this house to develop the right solutions. 

    Third, we will provide £1bn from next year to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials.  

    Fourth, having heard representations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Trussell and others… 

    … to reduce the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month… 

    … by reducing it from 25% to 15% of their standard allowance. 

    This means that 1.2 million of the poorest households will keep more of their award each month… 

    … lifting children out of poverty…  

    … and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, our Plan to Make Work Pay will also protect working people.

    [redacted political content]

    It is right that we protect those who have worked their whole lives.  

    In our manifesto, we promised to transfer the Investment Reserve Fund in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to members… 

    … and I have listened closely to my Honourable Friends for Easington, Doncaster Central, Blaenau Gwent, and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on this issue. 

    Today we are keeping our promise…  

    … so that working people who powered our country receive the fair pension that they are owed. 

    Our manifesto committed to the Triple Lock… 

    … meaning spending on the State Pension is forecast to rise by over £31bn by 2029-30… 

    … to ensure that our pensioners are protected in their retirement.  

    This commitment means that while working age benefits will be uprated in line with CPI, at 1.7%… 

    … the basic and new State Pension… 

    … will be uprated by 4.1% in 2025-26. 

    This means that over 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year… 

    … up to £275 more than if uprated by inflation.  

    The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also rise by 4.1%…  

    … from around £11,400 per year to around £11,850 for a single pensioner.  

    Fuel duty 

    While I have sought to protect working people with measures to reduce the cost of living… 

    … I have had to take some very difficult decisions on tax. 

    I want to set out my approach to fuel duty.  

    Baked into the numbers that I inherited from the previous government… 

    … is an assumption that fuel duty will rise by RPI next year… 

    … and that the temporary 5p cut will be reversed.  

    To retain the 5p cut… 

    … and to freeze fuel duty again… 

    … would cost over £3bn next year.  

    At a time when the fiscal position is so difficult…  

    … I have to be frank with the House that this is a substantial commitment to make. 

    I have concluded… 

    … that in these difficult circumstances… 

    … while the cost of living remains high… 

    … and with a backdrop of global uncertainty… 

    … increasing fuel duty next year… 

    … would be the wrong choice for working people. 

    It would mean fuel duty rising by 7p per litre. 

    So, I have today decided to freeze fuel duty next year… 

    … and I will maintain the existing 5p cut for another year, too. 

    There will be no higher taxes at the petrol pumps next year.

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the last government made cuts of £20bn to employees’ and self-employed national insurance in their final two budgets.

    [redacted political content]

    Because we now know they were based on a forecast which the OBR say would have been “materially different”… 

    … had they known the true extent of the last government’s cover-up.   

    Since July, I have been urged on multiple occasions to reconsider these cuts.  

    To increase the taxes that working people pay and see in their payslips. 

    But I have made an important choice today: 

    To keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto.  

    So I say to working people: 

    I will not increase your National Insurance… 

    …I will not increase your VAT… 

    …And I will not increase your income tax. 

    Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices I make today. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    TAX 

    But any responsible Chancellor would need to take difficult decisions today. 

    To raise the revenues required to fund our public services. 

    And to restore economic stability.  

    So in today’s Budget, I am announcing an increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions.  

    We will increase the rate of Employers’ National Insurance by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, from April 2025.  

    And we will reduce the Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – from £9,100 per year to £5,000.  

    This will raise £25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.  

    I know that this is a difficult choice. 

    I do not take this decision lightly.  

    We are asking business to contribute more… 

    … and I know that there will be impacts of this measure felt beyond businesses, too… 

    … as the OBR have set out today. 

    But in the circumstances that I have inherited, it is the right choice to make.  

    Successful businesses depend on successful schools. 

    Healthy businesses depend on a healthy NHS.  

    And a strong economy depends on strong public finances.

    [redacted political content]

    That is the choice our country faces too.  

    As I make this choice, I know it is particularly important to protect our smallest companies.  

    So having heard representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and others… 

    … I am today increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. 

    This means 865,000 employers won’t pay any National Insurance at all next year… 

    … and over 1 million will pay the same or less than they did previously. 

    This will allow a small business to employ the equivalent of 4 full time workers on the National Living Wage… 

    … without paying any National Insurance on their wages. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me come now to capital gains tax. 

    We need to drive growth, promote entrepreneurship, and support wealth creation… 

    … while raising the revenue required to fund our public services… 

    … and restore our public finances.  

    Today, we will increase the lower rate of Capital Gains Tax from 10% to 18%, and the Higher Rate from 20% to 24%… 

    … while maintaining the rates of capital gains tax on residential property at 18% and 24%, too.  

    This means the UK will still have the lowest Capital Gains Tax rate of any European G7 economy. 

    Alongside these changes to the headline rates of Capital Gains Tax… 

    … we are maintaining the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief at £1m… 

    … to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses.   

    Business Asset Disposal Relief will remain at 10% this year… 

    … before rising to 14% in April 2025… 

    … and 18% from 2026-27… 

    … maintaining a significant gap compared to the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax.  

    Together, the OBR say these measures will raise £2.5bn by the end of the forecast. 

    In a sign of this government’s commitment to supporting growth and entrepreneurship… 

    …we have already extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035… 

    … and we will continue to work with leading entrepreneurs and venture capital firms… 

    … to ensure our policies support a positive environment for entrepreneurship in the UK. 

    Next, inheritance tax. 

    Only 6% of estates will pay inheritance tax this year. 

    I understand the strongly held desire to pass down savings to children and grandchildren. 

    So I am taking a balanced approach in my package today. 

    First, the previous government froze inheritance tax thresholds until 2028. I will extend that freeze for a further two years, until 2030. 

    That means the first £325,000 of any estate can be inherited tax-free… 

    … rising to £500,000 if the estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants…. 

    … and £1m when a tax free allowance is passed to a surviving spouse or civil partner. 

    Second, we will close the loophole created by the previous government… 

    … made even bigger when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished… 

    … by bringing inherited pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027. 

    Finally, we will reform Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.  

    From April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all… 

    … but for assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%. 

    This will ensure we continue to protect small family farms… 

    … and three-quarters of claims will be unaffected by these changes. 

    I can also announce that we will apply a 50% relief, in all circumstances, on inheritance tax for shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and other similar markets… 

    … setting the effective rate of tax at 20%. 

    Taken together, these measures raise over £2bn in the final year of the forecast. 

    Next, I can confirm that the government will renew the Tobacco Duty escalator for the remainder of this Parliament at RPI+2%… 

    … increase duty by a further 10% on hand-rolling tobacco this year… 

    … introduce a flat rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026… 

    … alongside an additional one off- increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking. 

    And we will increase the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to account for inflation since it was introduced… 

    …  as well as increasing the duty in line with CPI each year going forward. 

    These measures will raise nearly £1bn per year by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madame Deputy Speaker, we want to support the take-up of electric vehicles. 

    So I will maintain incentives for electric vehicles in Company Car Tax from 2028… 

    … and increase the differential between fully electric and other vehicles in the first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025. 

    These measures will raise around £400m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker let me update the House on our plans for Air Passenger Duty…

    [redacted political content]

    Air Passenger Duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years… 

    … so we are introducing an adjustment… 

    … meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.  

    But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets…  

    … increasing the rate of Air Passenger Duty by a further 50%.

    [redacted political content]

    These measures will raise over £700m by the end of the forecast period. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, let me turn now to our high street businesses.  

    I know that for them, a major source of concern is business rates.  

    From 2026-27, we intend to introduce two permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties which make up the backbone of high streets across the country… 

    … and it is our intention that is paid for by a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties.

    [redacted political content]

    So I will today provide 40% relief on business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure industry in 2025-26… 

    … up to a cap of £110,000 per business. 

    Alongside this, the small business tax multiplier will be frozen next year.  

    Next, I can confirm that alcohol duty rates on non-draught products will increase in line with RPI from February next year… 

    … but nearly two-thirds of alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are served on draught. 

    So today, instead of uprating these products in line with inflation… 

    … I am cutting draught duty by 1.7%… 

    … which means a penny off a pint in the pub. 

    Alongside the changes I am making today, I am publishing a Corporate Tax Roadmap.. 

    … providing the business certainty called for by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute for Directors. 

    This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 –  for the duration of this parliament…. 

    … while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance… 

    …and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation. 

    Manifesto 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we made a number of commitments to raise funding for our public services.  

    First, I have always said that if you make Britain your home, you should pay your tax here. 

    So today, I can confirm… 

    … we will abolish the non-dom tax regime… 

    … and remove the outdated concept of domicile from the tax system from April 2025. 

    We will introduce a new, residence based scheme… 

    … with internationally competitive arrangements for those coming to the UK on a temporary basis… 

    … while closing the loopholes in the scheme designed by the party opposite. 

    To further encourage investment into the UK, we will also extend the Temporary Repatriation Relief to three years and expand its scope… 

    … bringing billions of pounds of new funds into Britain. 

    The independent Office for Budget Responsibility say that this package of measures will raise £12.7bn over the next five years.  

    Next, the fund management industry provides a vital contribution to our economy… 

    …  but as our manifesto set out, there needs to be a fairer approach to the way carried interest is taxed.  

    So we will increase the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% from April 2025… 

    … and – from April 2026 – we will deliver further reforms to ensure that the specific rules for carried interest are simpler, fairer and better targeted. 

    In our manifesto we committed to reforming stamp duty land tax to raise revenue while supporting those buying their first home.  

    We are increasing the stamp-duty land tax surcharge for second-homes… 

    …known as the “Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings”… 

    … by 2 percentage points, to 5%, which will come into effect from tomorrow.  

    This will support over 130,000 additional transactions from people buying their first home, or moving home over, the next five years. 

    Next, we committed to reform the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas companies. 

    I can confirm today that we will increase the rate of the levy to 38%, which will now expire in March 2030… 

    … and we will remove the 29% investment allowance. 

    To ensure the oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support our energy security… 

    … we will maintain the 100% first year allowances and the decarbonisation allowances too.  

    Finally, 94% of children in the UK attend state schools. 

    To provide the highest quality of support and teaching that they deserve… 

    … we will introduce VAT on private school fees from January 2025… 

    … and we will shortly introduce legislation to remove their business rates relief from April 2025, too.  

    We said in our manifesto that these changes… 

    … alongside our measures to tackle tax avoidance… 

    … would bring in £8.5bn by the final year of the forecast. 

    I can confirm today that they will in fact raise over £9bn… 

    … to support our public services and restore our public finances. 

    That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I have one final decision to take on tax today. 

    The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021… 

    … and then they did so again after the mini-budget. 

    Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.  

    Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances…  

    … and repair our public services.  

    Having considered this issue closely… 

    … I have come to the conclusion… 

    … that extending the threshold freeze… 

    … would hurt working people. 

    It would take more money out of their payslips.

    I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto. 

    So there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.  

    From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again.

    When it comes to choices on tax, this government chooses to protect working people every single time.  

    SPENDING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, these are the choices I have made. 

    To restore economic stability. 

    And to protect working people.  

    The next choice I make is to begin to repair our public services.  

    In recent months, we have conducted the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … to set departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26… 

    … and I want to thank my Right Honourable Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his tireless work with colleagues from across government.  

    Because I have taken difficult decisions on tax today… 

    … I am able to provide an injection of immediate funding over the next two years… 

    … to stabilise and to support our public services.  

    The next phase of the Spending Review will report in late Spring, and I have set the overall envelope today. 

    Day to day spending from 2024-25 onwards will grow by 1.5% in real terms… 

    … and total departmental spending, including capital spending, will grow by 1.7% in real terms. 

    At the election we promised there would be no return to austerity.  

    Today we deliver on that promise. 

    But given the scale of the challenges that are facing our public services… 

    … that means there will still be difficult choices in the next phase of the Spending Review. 

    Just as we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity… 

    … nor can we simply spend our way to better public services.  

    So we will deliver a new approach to public service reform… 

    … using technology to improve public services… 

    … and taking a zero-based approach… 

    … so that taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible…  

    … and so that we focus on delivering our key priorities.  

    Spending Review: Phase 1 

    In the first phase of the Spending Review… 

    … I have prioritised day-to-day funding to deliver on our manifesto commitments. 

    I want every child to have the best start in life… 

    … and the best possible start to the school day, too… 

    … and I know my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary shares my ambition.  

    So I am today tripling investment in breakfast clubs to fund them in thousands of schools.  

    I am increasing the core schools budget by £2.3bn next year… 

    … to support our pledge to hire thousands more teachers into key subjects.   

    So that our young people can develop the skills that they need for the future… 

    … I am providing an additional £300m for further education. 

    And finally, this government is committed to reforming special educational needs provision… 

    … to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and ensure the system is financially sustainable. 

    To support that work, I am today providing a £1bn uplift in funding, a 6% real terms increase from this year.  

    There is no more important job for government than to keep our country safe, and we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review to be published next year. 

    And as set out in our manifesto, we will set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event. 

    Today, I am announcing a total increase to the Ministry of Defence’s Budget of £2.9bn next year… 

    … ensuring the UK comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments…  

    … and providing guaranteed military support to Ukraine of £3bn per year, for as long as it takes. 

    Last week, alongside my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary, I announced, in addition to this, further support to Ukraine – on top of our NATO commitment…  

    … through our £2.26bn contribution to the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration agreement… 

    … repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets. 

    And as we approach Remembrance Sunday…  

    … it is vital that we take time to remember those who have served our country so bravely.  

    So I am today announcing funding to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ day next year… 

    … to honour those who have served at home and abroad. 

    We must also remember those who experienced the atrocities of the Nazi regime first hand.  

    I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust Survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.  

    I am today committing a further £2m to holocaust education next year… 

    … so that charities like the Holocaust Educational Trust, can continue their work to ensure these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future. 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to repair our public services we also need to work alongside our mayors and our local leaders. 

    We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year…  

    … including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services… 

    … with at least £600m in grant funding for social care…  

    … and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping 

    We are today confirming that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year… 

    … giving Mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas. 

    * 

    And to support our local high streets… 

    … we are taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shoplifting we have seen in recent years. 

    We will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the party opposite. 

    And having listened closely to organisations like the British Retail Consortium and USDAW… 

    … I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organised gangs which target retailers… 

     … and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to help stop shoplifting in its tracks.  

    Finally, I am today providing funding to support public services and drive growth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  

    Having discussed the matter with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, and my HFs for Llanelli and Pontypridd… 

    … I am providing a £25m to the Welsh Government next year for the maintenance of coal tips to ensure we keep our communities safe.  

    And to support growth, including in our rural areas, we will proceed with City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland… 

    … in Causeway Coast and Glens; and Mid-South West.

    And we will drive growth in Scotland [redacted political content] including a City and growth Deal in Argyll and Bute.

    This budget provides the devolved governments with the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution… 

    … delivering an additional £3.4 billion for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula… 

    … funding which must now be spent effectively to improve public services in Scotland.  

    This budget also provides £1.7 billion to the Welsh Government… 

    …  and £1.5 billion to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2025-26. 

    I said there would be no return to austerity, and that is the choice I have made today.  

    REBUILDING BRITAIN 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to rebuild our country we need to increase investment. 

    The UK lags behind every other G7 country when it comes to business investment as a share of our economy. 

    That matters.  

    It means the UK has fallen behind in the race for new jobs… 

    … new industries… 

    … and new technology.  

    By restoring economic stability… 

    … and by establishing the National Wealth Fund to catalyse private funding… 

    … we have begun to create the conditions that businesses need to invest.  

    But there is also a significant role for public investment.

    Hospitals without the equipment they need.  

    School buildings not fit for our children.  

    A desperate lack of affordable housing. 

    Economic growth held back at every turn.  

    Under the plans I inherited… 

    … public investment was set to fall from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP.  

    But in Washington last week, the International Monetary Fund were clear:  

    More public investment is badly needed in the UK.  

    So today, having listened to the case made by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney… 

    … former Treasury Minister, Jim O’Neill… 

    … and the former Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell… 

    … among others…  

    … I am confirming our investment rule.  

    As set out in our manifesto, we will target debt falling as a share of the economy. 

    Debt will be defined as Public Sector net Financial Liabilities, or “net financial debt”, for short… 

    … a metric that has been measured by the Office for National Statistics since 2016… 

    … and forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility since that date too. 

    “Net financial debt” recognises that government investment delivers returns for taxpayers…  

    … by counting not just the liabilities on a government’s balance sheet, but the financial assets too. 

    This means that we count the benefits of investment, not just the costs… 

    And we free up our institutions to invest… 

    … just as they do in Germany, France and Japan.  

    Like our stability rule, our investment rule will apply in 2029-2030… 

    … until that becomes the third year of the forecast. 

    From that point onwards, net financial debt will fall in the third year of every forecast. 

    Today, the OBR say that we are already meeting our target two years early… 

    … with “net financial debt” falling by 2027-28…  

    … with £15.7bn of headroom in the final year. 

    So that we drive the right incentives in government investments… 

    … we will introduce four key guardrails to ensure capital spending is good value for money and drives growth in our economy.  

    First, our portfolio of new financial investments will be delivered by expert bodies like the National Wealth Fund which must, by default, earn a rate of return at least as large as that on gilts.  

    Second, we will strengthen the role of institutions to improve infrastructure delivery.  

    Third, we will improve certainty, setting capital budgets for five years and extending them at every spending review every two years. 

    Finally, we will ensure there is greater transparency for capital spending, with robust annual reporting of financial investments… 

    … based on accounts audited by the National Audit Office… 

    … and made available to the Office for Budget Responsibility at every forecast. 

    Taken together with our stability rule… 

    …these fiscal rules will ensure that our public finances are on a firm footing… 

    … while enabling us to invest prudently alongside business. 

    Growth projects  

    The capital plans I now set out… 

    … to drive growth across our country… 

    … and repair the fabric of our nation… 

    … are only possible because of our investment rule.  

    Let me set out those investment plans. 

    Industrial strategy 

    Today we are confirming our plans to capitalise the National Wealth Fund… 

    … to invest in the industries of the future… 

    … from gigafactories, to ports to green hydrogen. 

    Building on these investments, my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary is driving forward our modern industrial strategy… 

    … working with businesses and organisations like Make UK… 

    … to set out the sectors with the biggest growth potential. 

    Today, we are confirming multi-year funding commitments for these areas of our economy, including… 

    … nearly £1bn for the aerospace sector to fund vital research and development, building on our industry in the East Midlands, the South-West and Scotland… 

    … over £2 billion for the automotive sector… 

    …  to support our electric vehicle industry and develop our manufacturing base… 

    … building on our strengths in the North East and the West Midlands… 

    And up to £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. 

    For our world-leading creative industries…  

    … we will legislate to provide additional tax relief for visual effect costs in TV and film… 

    .. and we are providing £25m for the North East Combined Authority… 

    … which they plan to use to remediate the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland… 

    … creating 8,000 new jobs.  

    Research & Development 

    To unlock these growth industries of the future, we will protect government investment in research and development with more than £20bn worth of funding. 

    This includes at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science… 

    …through Research England, other research councils, and the National Academies. 

    We will extend the Innovation Accelerators programme in Glasgow, in Manchester and in the West Midlands.  

    And with over £500m of funding next year, my Right Honourable Friend the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary, will continue to drive progress in improving reliable, fast broadband and mobile coverage across our country, including in rural areas. 

    Housing 

    We committed in our manifesto to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament… 

    … and my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is driving that work forward across government. 

    Today, I am providing over £5bn of government investment to deliver our plans on housing next year. 

    We will increase the Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn…  

    … delivering thousands of new homes.  

    We will provide £3bn of support in guarantees… 

    … to boost the supply of homes and support our small housebuilders. 

    And we will provide investment to renovate sites across our country… 

    … including at Liverpool Central Docks… 

    … where we will deliver 2,000 new homes… 

    … and funding to help Cambridge realise its full growth potential.  

    Alongside this investment, we will put the right policies in place to increase the supply of affordable housing.  

    Having heard representations from local authorities, social housing providers and from Shelter…  

    … I can today confirm that the government will reduce Right to Buy Discounts… 

    … and local authorities will be able to retain the full receipts from any sales of social housing… 

    … to reinvest back into the housing stock, and into new supply.. 

    … so that we give more people a safe, secure and affordable place to live.  

    We will provide stability to social housing providers, with a social housing rent settlement of CPI+1 percent for the next five years.  

    And we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to hire hundreds of new planning officers, to get Britain building again.  

    We will also make progress on our commitment to accelerate the remediation of homes following the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry… 

    … with £1bn of investment to remove dangerous cladding next year.  

    Transport

    Working with my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary, I am changing that.  

    We are today securing the delivery of the Trans-Pennine upgrade to connect York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester…  

    … delivering fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year… 

    … with a further electrification of services between Church Fenton and York by 2026.… 

    … to help grow our economy across the North of England… 

    … with faster and more reliable services.  

    We will deliver East-West Rail to drive growth between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge…  

    … with the first services running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes next year… 

    … and trains between Oxford and Bedford running from 2030.  

    We are delivering railway schemes which improve journeys for people across our country… 

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square…  

    … improving capacity at Manchester Victoria… 

    … and electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary has also set out a plan for how to get a grip of HS2. 

    Today, we are securing delivery of the project between Old Oak Common and Birmingham… 

    … and we are committing the funding required to begin tunnelling work to London Euston station… 

    … This will catalyse private investment into the local area. 

    I am also funding significant improvements to our roads network.  

    For too long, potholes have been an all too visible reminder of our failure to invest as a nation. 

    Today, that changes… 

    … with a £500m increase in road maintenance budgets next year… 

    … more than delivering on our manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes each year. 

    We will provide over £650m of local transport funding to improve connections across our country… 

    … in our towns like Crewe and Grimsby… 

    … and in our villages and rural areas, from Cornwall to Cumbria.

    … we understand how important bus services are for our communities… 

    …so we will extend the cap for a further year, setting it at £3 until December 2025. 

    Finally we will deliver £1.3bn of funding to improve connectivity in our city regions, funding projects like…  

    … the Brierley Hill Metro extension in the West Midlands… 

    … the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram… 

    … and West Yorkshire Mass Transit, including in Bradford and Leeds.  

    Energy 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, to bring new jobs to Britain and drive growth across our country… 

    … we are delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, led by my Right Honourable Friend the Energy Secretary. 

    Earlier this month, we announced a significant multi-year investment between government and business into Carbon Capture and Storage… 

    … creating 4,000 jobs across Merseyside and Teesside. 

    Today, I am providing funding for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales – they will be among the first commercial scale projects anywhere in the world… 

    … including in Bridgend, East Renfrewshire and in Barrow-in-Furness 

    We are kickstarting the Warm Homes Plan by confirming an initial £3.4bn over the next three years… 

    … to transform 350,000 homes… 

    … including a quarter of a million low-income and social homes. 

    And we will establish GB Energy… 

    … providing funding next year to set up GB Energy at its new home in Aberdeen. 

    Overall, we will invest an additional £100bn over the next five years in capital spending… 

    … only possible because of our investment rule.  

    The OBR say today that this will drive growth across our country in the next five years… 

    … and in the longer term increase GDP by up to 1.4%. 

    It will crowd in private investment… 

    … meaning more jobs, and more opportunities… 

    … in every corner of the UK.  

    That is the choice that I have made.  

    To invest in our country… 

    … and to grow our economy. 

    Today, I am setting out two final areas in which investment is so badly needed… 

    … to repair the fabric of our nation. 

    Schools

    [redacted political content]

    … schools roofs are crumbling….  

    … and millions of children are facing the very same backdrop as I did. 

    I will be the Chancellor that changes that.  

    So today, I am providing £6.7bn of capital investment to the Department for Education next year… 

    … a 19% real-terms increase on this year. 

    That includes £1.4bn to rebuild over 500 schools in the greatest need… 

    … including St Helen’s Primary School in Hartlepool, and Mercia Academy in Derby… 

    … and so many more across our country. 

    And we will provide a further £2.1bn to improve school maintenance, £300m more than this year… 

    … ensuring that all our children can learn somewhere safe… 

    … including dealing with RAAC affected schools in the constituencies of my HFs the members for Watford, Stourbridge, Hyndburn, and beyond.   

    Alongside investment in new teachers… 

    … and funding for thousands of new breakfast clubs… 

    … this government is giving our children and young people the opportunities that they deserve.   

    NHS 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, I come to our most cherished public service of all: our NHS.

    [redacted political content]

    In our first week in office, he commissioned an independent report into the state of our health service by Lord Darzi.  

    Its conclusions were damning.  

    While our NHS staff do a remarkable job, and we thank them for it… 

    … it is clear that, that in so many areas… 

    … we are moving in the wrong direction.  

    100,000 infants waited over 6 hours in A&E last year.  

    350,000 people are waiting a year for mental health support. 

    Cancer deaths here are higher than in other countries.  

    It is simply unforgiveable. 

    In the Spring, we will publish a 10 year plan for the NHS… 

    … to deliver a shift from hospital to community… 

    … from analogue to digital… 

    … and from sickness to prevention. 

    Today, we are announcing a downpayment on that plan…  

    …  to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year. 

    These reforms are vital.  

    But we should be honest.  

    The state of the NHS we inherited… 

    … after – and I quote Lord Darzi – “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded” –  

    … means reform must come alongside investment. 

    So today… 

    … because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending… 

    … I can announce… 

    … that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day to-day health budget… 

    … and a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget… 

    … over this year and next year. 

    This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010.  

    Let me set out what this funding is delivering.  

    Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair. 

    So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS.  

    To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year… 

    … we will provide a further £1.5bn… 

    … for new beds in hospitals across the country…  

    … new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests… 

    … and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres … 

    … so that those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible. 

    My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will be announcing the details of his review into the New Hospital Programme in the coming weeks… 

    … and publishing in the new year… 

    … but I can tell the House today… 

    … that work will continue at pace to deliver those seven hospitals affected including… 

    … West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds… 

    … and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.  

    And finally… 

    … because of this record injection of funding… 

    … because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured… 

    … and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS…  

    … we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly… 

    … and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks… 

    … by delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.

    [redacted political content]

    CLOSING 

    Madam Deputy Speaker, the choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country.  

    To restore stability to our public finances. 

    To protect working people. 

    To fix our NHS. 

    And to rebuild Britain.  

    That doesn’t mean these choices are easy. 

    But they are responsible.

    [redacted political content]

    This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.  

    I have made my choices.  

    The responsible choices. 

    To restore stability to our country. 

    To protect working people.  

    More teachers in our schools.  

    More appointments in our NHS.  

    More homes being built.  

    Fixing the foundations of our economy. 

    Investing in our future.  

    Delivering change.  

    Rebuilding Britain.

    We on these benches commend those choices… 

    … and I commend this Statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Celebrate International Games Week with our Games Library | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    International Games Week runs from 7 to 14 November. The week aims to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games.

    Last year, our Library service launched its Games Library during International Games Week, but this year, we want to go bigger and better, hosting a range of events across all our libraries in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. 

    International Games Week events

    Date, time, location and game information for events across the week.
    Date Time Location Game
    Wednesday 6 November 6pm to 8pm  Paddington Library Board Games Bonanza
    Thursday 7 November 3:30pm to 7:30pm Chelsea Library Candela Obscura with William
    Thursday 7 November 4:30pm to 7:30pm Brompton Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Thursday 7 November 4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Thursday 7 November  4:45pm to 6:45pm Church Street Library  Tabletop Games with Michaela 
    Thursday 7 November   5 to 7pm Victoria Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Saturday 9 November  2pm to 4pm Maida Vale Library Role Play Haven D&D 
    Saturday 9 November  3pm to 4pm Kensington Central Library History of Games talk by James Wallis
    Sunday 10 November   1:30pm to 4:30pm  Marylebone Library D&D with Casper 
    Monday 11 November   5pm to 7pm Pimlico Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Monday 11 November   5:30pm to 8pm Westminster Reference Library Sherlock Holmes mystery game with Lucy 
    Tuesday 12 November  5pm to 7pm  North Kensington Library Miniature painting with Everstromn
    Tuesday 12 November 5pm to 7pm St. John’s Wood Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 8m  Paddington Library Role Play Haven D&D
    Tuesday 12 November 6pm to 10pm  Charing Cross Library MTG Commander Night with Bowie
    Wednesday 13 November 5pm to 7pm  Queens Park Library Role Play Haven D&D

    Events taking place in Westminster libraries require registration. You can register to attend on Eventbrite.

    What is the Games Library?

    Library members can borrow a variety of tabletop board games to play at home. Games can be borrowed directly from Kensington Central and Pimlico libraries, or reserved for collection at any branch free of charge.

    Tabletop gaming is a fun and sociable way to spend time with family and friends. It can help young people and adults develop social skills, collaboration, creative thinking, strategic thinking, and more.

    The Games Library has over 150 games available for people to borrow and take home. These include Catan, Ticket to Ride, Azul, and many more. A full list of the games can be found in our online catalogue.

    In Westminster, the Games library is based at Pimlico Library only, while at Kensington and Chelsea, Kensington Central Library. However, library members can reserve games to pick up from any of the Westminster Libraries. Please note that library members must be aged 10 or older to reserve and borrow games. 

    Borrowing a game

    What to know when borrowing a game:

    • games are free of charge to borrow 
    • you can borrow one game at a time  
    • the loan period is three weeks 
    • games can be renewed twice, each time for a further three weeks 
    • any library member aged 11 and over can borrow a game 

    For more information on your local Games Library, contact [email protected]  

    Come along to our weekly game events

    Pimlico Library: Dungeons and Dragons club 

    • every Wednesday 
    • from 4pm to 6pm
    • ages 11 to 16
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: Role-play gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • ages 16 to 25
    • advanced booking is required; please get in touch with the library

    Kensington Central Library: tabletop board gaming 

    • every Thursday 
    • from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
    • for ages 11 and over
    • no booking is required, just drop in

    Other ways to get involved

    • If you’d like to become a games volunteer, please get in touch with [email protected]
    • Would your group enjoy visiting the library to play board games? Please contact the selected libraries above. We can arrange a suitable time and advise on the best games for your group’s needs.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nine in a row for Aberdeen

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Aberdeen City Council’s catering team is celebrating after it was awarded its Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification for the ninth time by adding more local and climate-friendly peas to the school menu.

    The Council, which first received the award for its primary school meals in 2015, and for secondary schools in 2017, now serves more than 13,500 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals across 61 sites every day.

    This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the council’s school catering team, as well as the commitment to scratch cooking and local sourcing. These values are on display through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, a collaboration between Soil Association Scotland and Aberdeen City Council to get locally-grown organic dried split peas into school meals.

    Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, Aberdeen City Council, said: “Good quality food is an important way to nourish and support young people’s health and wellbeing. School meals should be nutritious and contain as much fresh, local and sustainable food as possible. It is testament to the ongoing commitment and hard work of our catering and procurement teams that the Council has received the Food for Life Served Here Bronze award for the ninth year. It is a great achievement and congratulations to everyone involved.

    “Being part of the Give Peas a Chance pilot programme has enabled us to bring more local, organic produce into the menu. This is great for our young people, the local economy and the environment. It has also given catering staff an opportunity to develop new recipes and menus.”

    The 12-month Give Peas a Chance pilot project is opening up a new route to market for this local, organic, nutritious and climate friendly plant protein, allowing pupils to access healthy and sustainable food. It is a partnership between Soil Association Scotland, Aberdeen City Council catering and procurement teams, pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).

    Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Food for Life Scotland, said: “Aberdeen City Council’s ninth year of the Food for Life Served Here award is a huge achievement. It shows that staff are dedicated to providing pupils with a meal that’s healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably produced. We’re proud to be working in partnership with the council to deliver even more good food to Aberdeen City pupils through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, which is a fantastic example of how public procurement can have a positive impact on our food systems. Congratulations to all involved.”

    With an updated menu launched after the October break, pupils can now enjoy pea-based recipes that are part of the council’s new school meals menu, including lemon and pea risotto, sweet potato and pea curry, split pea meatballs with bolognaise sauce, and even a pea-based muffin and cookie.

    The council’s school meals service is certified by the widely respected and independently assessed scheme led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government. The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the economy. This is done by following a set of standards to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

    The Bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75 percent of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients. Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners, additives and all genetically modified ingredients. Catering teams also use free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.

    Photo caption: Councillor Martin Greig receives the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award certificate from Food for Life Scotland’s Partnerships Manager Sarah Gowanlock, at a celebration with the Council’s schools catering team at Culter School. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Mark Walport reappointed as the Royal Society’s Trustee of the British Museum

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport has reappointed Sir Mark Walport as the Royal Society Nominated Trustee for the British Museum for a four year term from 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2028.

    Sir Mark Walport

    Appointed from 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2028.

    Professor Sir Mark Walport is Vice President and Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, Chair of the Kennedy Memorial Trust, and Trustee of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. He is the recently retired founding Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is responsible for the public funding of research and innovation.

    He was previously the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) and Head of the Government Office for Science from 2013 to 2017. Before these, he was Director of the Wellcome Trust, Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London, and Founder Fellow and first Registrar of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

    Mark received a knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours List for services to medical research and was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society in 2011 and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2017.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Trustees of the British Museum are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Mark Walport has not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sugemalimab approved to treat adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer     

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today, 30 October, approved the medicine sugemalimab (Eqjubi) to treat adult patients with a type of lung cancer called ‘non-small cell lung cancer’. 

    Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for around 80 to 85 out of 100 cases. It can be one of three types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma. 

    Sugemalimab is a monoclonal antibody (a type of protein designed to recognise and attach to a specific target in the body). It works by attaching to the target called programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Cancer cells with PD-L1 may switch off some cells of the immune system. By blocking PD-1, sugemalimab stops the cancer switching off immune cells and increases the immune system’s ability to kill cancer cells.  

     Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Enabling safe access to high quality, safe and effective medicines is a key priority for us. 

    We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this new formulation have been met. 

    As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.

    Sugemalimab is given to the patient in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of an experienced doctor. The patient’s doctor will give them sugemalimab through an infusion (drip) into a vein over 60 minutes every 3 weeks.  

    Clinical trials showed that sugemalimab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy was more effective than placebo (a dummy treatment) in patients with Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. The main measure of effectiveness was survival without worsening (progression) of the cancer. Patients who had sugemalimab treatment lived on average 9.0 months without the disease getting worse, compared with 4.9 months for patients who did not receive sugemalimab.  

    During clinical studies, common side effects included a decreased number of red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body, increased blood levels of liver enzymes, sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol, decreased blood levels of calcium, potassium, sodium and thyroid hormone, increased levels of protein in the urine, and numbness, tingling or decreased sensation in part of the body. 

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of sugemalimab under close review.  Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.    

    Notes to editors    

    • The new marketing authorisation was granted on 30 October 2024 to CStone Pharmaceuticals  

    • This product was submitted and approved via a National procedure.  

    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.  

    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.  

    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.  

    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NSF names three new I-Corps Hubs expanding the National Innovation Network across the U.S.

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the addition of three new NSF Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps™) Hubs that will scale the NSF-led National Innovation Network (NIN), accelerating the translation of discoveries into new solutions that benefit society and the economy. Each NSF I-Corps Hub may receive up to $3 million per year for five years and comprises a regional alliance of at least eight universities. Combined with the existing 10 NSF I-Corps Hubs, these 13 NSF I-Corps Hubs presently span 48 states. See the interactive NSF I-Corps Hubs map.

    NSF I-Corps Hubs provide experiential entrepreneurial training to researchers across all fields of science and engineering. I-Corps Hubs form the operational backbone of the NIN, a network of universities, NSF-funded researchers, established entrepreneurs, local and regional entrepreneurial communities, and other federal agencies, that collectively help researchers learn to investigate the commercial potential of fundamental discoveries in science and engineering. The NSF I-Corps Hubs work collaboratively to build and sustain an innovation ecosystem that engages all Americans throughout the U.S.

    “The goal of the I-Corps program is to deploy experiential education to help researchers reduce the time necessary to translate promising ideas from laboratory benches to widespread implementation that in turn impacts economic growth regionally and nationally,” said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “Each regional NSF I-Corps Hub provides training essential in entrepreneurship and customer discovery, leading to new products, startups, and jobs. In effect, we are investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs for our nation.”

    Established in 2011, the NSF I-Corps program is designed to nurture the commercialization of deep technologies, which grow from discoveries in fundamental and use-inspired science and engineering. Since its inception, over 3,600 NSF I-Corps teams have participated in the I-Corps program. The strategic goals of the NSF I-Corps Hubs are technology translation, entrepreneurial training and workforce development, economic impact, and collaboration and inclusion.

    Listed below are the new NSF I-Corps Hubs and partner institutions:

    NSF I-Corps Hub: Northwest region – NSF 2430389

    University of California, Berkeley – Lead 
    Oregon State University 
    University of Alaska Fairbanks 
    University of California, Davis 
    University of California, Irvine 
    University of California, San Francisco 
    University of California, Santa Cruz 
    University of Washington

    NSF I-Corps Hub: Southeast region – NSF 2430380 

    Georgia Tech – Lead 
    Clemson University 
    Morehouse College 
    The University of Alabama 
    University of Central Florida 
    University of Florida 
    University of Miami 
    University of South Florida

    NSF I-Corps Hub: New England region – NSF 2430342  

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Lead 
    Brown University 
    Harvard University 
    Northeastern University 
    Tufts University 
    University of Maine 
    University of Massachusetts Amherst 
    University of New Hampshire

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CoRWM visits Wylfa nuclear power station

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Members met on Anglesey to learn more about the potential new nuclear development at its Closed and Open Plenary meetings.

    A sketch of Wylfa by CoRWM member Stephen Tromans (non-irradiated graphite on paper).

    On 11 and 12 September 2024, CoRWM members met on the beautiful island of Yns Mon (Anglesey) for its Closed and Open Plenary meetings. Some of the hardier members of the Committee were able to swim in the less than tropical waters of Trearddur Bay between working sessions. As well as our regular business, we had an excellent presentation from Sasha Wynn Davies, chair of the Wales Nuclear Forum.  North Wales has a strong nuclear heritage and is part of the “nuclear arc” of Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire and North Wales. The power station at Wylfa was a crucial source of employment on Anglesey and Sasha left us in no doubt that the future economic and social well-being of the island is bound up with potential new nuclear development at that site, whether at gigawatt scale or with small modular reactors, or both.

    After our Open Plenary meeting, we were privileged to visit Wylfa, at the invitation of the site manager Stuart Law. Stuart and the site waste manager Adele Brooksbank gave us an excellent overview of the issues involved in decommissioning and waste management before taking us on an illuminating tour. It was opportune to make the visit for two reasons: first as a helpful complement to our visit to Trawsfynydd last year, another Magnox station, but a very different one; and secondly since the last visit by CoRWM members to Wylfa was in January 2015, almost 10 years ago. Much has happened since then including the consignment of the last batch of Magnox fuel to Sellafield for reprocessing in September 2019. It is greatly to the credit of the site management that defuelling was undertaken and completed so that Sellafield was not kept waiting for the fuel., and moreover that the site was able to reshuffle fuel between reactors to accommodate the earlier delays in Sellafield’s readiness to receive spent fuel. The site has also completed the difficult job of dealing with a number of badly corroded fuel elements affected by a water leak into the dry store in the past.

    This location of Wyla on the north coast of Anglesey was chosen for a nuclear power station because of its geological stability and easy access from the sea for construction materials. The proximity of seawater was important for cooling its twin nuclear reactors, the last and largest of the Magnox type. Construction began in 1963 and the station fed its first electricity into the supply grid in 1971. A high-voltage power line was built across Anglesey to transport the electricity. A considerable portion of the output, up to 255 MW, was consumed by the nearby Anglesey Aluminium smelting plant.

     Wylfa was the last of the ten Magnox power stations to be built and the second constructed with a pre-stressed concrete vessel. Construction began in 1963  at a cost of £740 million and commercial operation commenced in 1971. Its twin reactors and associated turbo-generators had a generating capacity of up to 980 megawatts (electrical) [MW(e)]. It was the largest of the Magnox stations and its massive scale was very apparent on our site tour. Over its life from 1971 to 2015, Wylfa produced 232 TW hours of electricity, a very significant contribution to the UK’s power needs.

    It is proposed to have the site ready for a period of care and maintenance by 2037, which will leave just the reactors and dry store cells. However, critically, achieving that goal will depend on reliable funding. In particular, certainty of funding is necessary because of the long lead in times to projects because of the need to comply with procurement legislation. It was clear that in some cases better, storage facilities are needed for waste, with some wastes having to be stored in makeshift locations. While this is not unsafe, it is certainly sub-optimal in terms of handling and access.  Considerable use was made of asbestos as a cheap building material during construction in the 1960s, and this will present its own challenges in achieving a state of passive safety for the remaining buildings.

    In terms of waste disposal offsite, we were interested to hear of the cessation of shipments to the LLWR at Drigg, in favour of commercial licensed landfills and incinerators. Since 2007, government policy and strategy has sought to divert wastes away from the LLWR where alternative routes are available, as LLWR itself is seen as a valuable national resource and subject to increasing space constraints. Also, the Wylfa environmental permit was varied to allow a wider range of suitable disposal routes. The site will generate about 3,000 tonnes of graphite, currently packed as tightly as possible for a core design, and which once dismantled and packaged for a GDF will have an increased volume of 2.6. This illustrates graphically the future demands on space in a GDF from this particular waste stream.

    Finally we had an interesting visit to the control room for the twin reactors. The enormous size of Wylfa’s cores gave inherent stability against transients, i.e. changes in the coolant system temperature, or pressure, caused by changes in power output, by evening out fluctuations. This will have been beneficial in terms of waste production, and may be a factor to bear in mind with a generation of smaller reactors in the offing. It was also interesting to hear (at least for those of us more technically minded) that some fuel had been in low flux regions of the core for 22 years: this must presumably have been beneficial in terms of spent fuel arisings relative to the 11 outages that will have happened during that time. Also, online refuelling at Wylfa may well have enabled greater fidelity in fuel discharge and hence less spent fuel volume. This does illustrate an important linkage between reactor design and operation and spent fuel generation.

    This useful visit left us with plenty to consider in our ongoing work. We were impressed that Stuart Law had worked at Wylfa for 32 years and his pride in both the history and current phase of the site, together with his intimate knowledge, were apparent. The challenge at Wylfa and of course other Magnox and AGR sites will be maintaining those levels of commitment and practical knowledge as the current generation of management retires.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Labour’s first budget means for wages, businesses, the NHS and plans to grow the economy – experts explain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    For the first time in 14 years, it was a Labour chancellor who delivered the UK budget. And for the first time ever, that chancellor was a woman. But Rachel Reeves faces an almighty task: plugging a £40 billion spending gap in the knowledge that pre-election promises not to raise the main taxes are still fresh in people’s memories.

    Growth was the buzzword of the election campaign – Reeves now had to lay her cards on the table. So here’s what our panel of experts made of the plans:

    More challenges for employers and small businesses

    Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, Associate Professor in Economics, University of East London

    The budget introduces £40 billion in tax hikes and, in some areas, spending cuts that will put pressure on the economy and business in particular. But it also reflects the government’s focus on economic growth, with policies intended to stabilise finances while addressing some of the concerns of small businesses.

    The chancellor has retained her commitment to preserve the rates of income tax, employee national insurance and VAT. But a notable change is the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15%.

    There was also a reduction in the secondary threshold, which is the amount at which the employer starts paying NI on each employee, from £9,100 to £5,000. Altogether this will raise £25 billion annually but will significantly impact many businesses that will now face higher wage bills.

    The national living wage is also rising by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour in April 2025, boosting incomes for about three million workers but again increasing costs for many businesses. These rising taxes and wage increases, alongside incoming employment regulations, will strain businesses, particularly in sectors with high labour demands.

    To offset some of these pressures, the employment allowance, which allows some smaller employers to reduce their NICs, has been raised from £5,000 to £10,500. The chancellor said that over 1 million employers will not see their NICs bill rise as a result.

    Small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure, where profits have been hit as consumers struggle with the cost of living, will benefit from a 40% business rate relief on properties up to £110,000. Other supportive measures include a continued freeze on fuel duty, which will aid logistics and transport costs. Corporation tax remains fixed at 25%.

    Higher wages for three million, but it could cost more to get the bus to work

    The biggest change for those on low incomes was an increase in the national minimum wage (for 18 to 20-year-olds) of 16.3%, from £8.60 to £10 an hour, and an increase in the national living wage (for employees aged 21 and over) of 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21, from April 2025. This will lead to a pay rise for more than 3 million workers.

    Business associations warn that this will cause job losses, particularly in hospitality and the care sector, where many employees earn the minimum wage. But a large body of research has not found a negative effect of minimum wages on employment.

    There is some evidence that earlier minimum wage rises caused an increase in the number of zero-hours contracts in social care, as firms tried other ways to reduce wages. However, the new employment rights bill introduced earlier in October would limit the use of zero-hours contracts in this scenario.

    The budget could have an indirect effect on pay packets though. The effect of the change to employer NICs will be greater in sectors with more low-paid workers, such as hospitality, and employer associations have warned that it will risk jobs. There is also some evidence that in the long term, firms pass some of these costs on to employees by reducing their wages.

    However, the minimum wage increase will reduce the capacity for firms to reduce wages. And any long-term effect would also be offset by lower income taxes that will come after 2028 when the chancellor has said she will increase the threshold at which people starting paying tax.

    So if wages and profits fall because of increased contributions, then the amount Reeves raises will be lower than expected, because income and corporation tax receipts will be hit.

    Another indirect factor affecting incomes is the cost of getting to work. The fuel duty freeze will continue, but the bus fare cap will increase from £2 to £3. Lower-paid workers and jobseekers are much more likely to use the bus than those with higher incomes, who are more likely to drive, but the cost of bus travel increased much more than the cost of train travel or petrol over the last parliament.

    At the next stop they’re putting up bus fares.
    Mistervlad/Shutterstock

    The fare cap reversed some of this increase, and some evidence shows that it led to more people travelling by bus. But the new £3 cap will only last until the end of 2025, which may be too soon to see much effect.

    A downpayment on growth – but probably not quickly

    Linda Yueh, Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    The chancellor declared that the government will “invest, invest, invest”. This is an important enabler of economic growth.

    But, the country’s creditors need reassuring, so Reeves also announced two new fiscal rules that aim to achieve that balance of allowing the government to borrow to invest (and generate growth), but not to pay for day-to-day spending.

    Specifically, the investment rule permits borrowing to invest and the stability rule requires day-to-day spending to be paid for by taxes. Both rules support the government’s growth aims while trying to reassure the country’s creditors that the borrowing will pay off by generating future growth – and also higher tax receipts with which to repay that borrowing.

    But spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has downgraded the UK’s GDP growth outlook from 2% to 1.8% in 2026, and to 1.5% in 2027 and 2028. The OBR’s forecast of slower growth highlights the impact of the £40 billion of tax increases, which dampens economic activity.

    This underscores the government’s challenge of investing to grow while at the same having to raise taxes to balance the books when it comes to its daily spending. In particular, the OBR’s assessment of slowing growth towards the middle of this parliament raises questions about how long it will take for the investment-fuelled growth to materialise.

    It may be that five years is still too short a period. Many physical investments require planning and those reforms could also take a while. Moreover, getting investment projects under way requires scoping, and private investors will want time to assess before joining the government in energy projects.

    But this budget is certainly a start on a much-needed growth strategy.

    Good news on public investment – emerging industries could benefit

    Phil Tomlinson, Professor of Industrial Strategy, University of Bath

    The key budget change related to the chancellor’s fiscal rules. By redefining how public debt is calculated, Reeves has been able to increase public investment by around £100 billion. The new fiscal rules have gone not as far as some economists have advocated – but they are a welcome step in the right direction.

    Investment was the core focus of the budget. For decades, the UK has suffered from low investment and weak productivity compared to other leading economies. Since 1990, the UK’s investment gap with the average across rich countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been around £35 billion a year – the UK now ranks 28th of 31 OECD countries on business investment. British workers are using outdated kit and so are less productive. This has meant a stagnant economy and lower living standards.

    So, the budget’s plans to boost investment in the UK’s crumbling infrastructure and public services and to support the new industrial strategy are a positive move. The latter should see additional funding to support emerging tech industries, such as artificial intelligence, cyber and clean energy. And this public investment should “crowd in” additional private investment.

    Clean energy boost?
    StudioFI/Shutterstock

    In the long run, these investments should pay for themselves. For instance, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that a sustained increase in public investment of 1% of GDP increases that GDP by 0.5% after five years and more than 2% after ten to 15 years.

    The rise in employer national insurance contributions will increase business’s operating costs, especially those in the care and hospitality sectors. But paradoxically, in the long run, it may encourage some businesses (in sectors where it is feasible) to invest in new labour-saving capital equipment.



    Read more:
    Rachel Reeves is the UK’s first female chancellor. Here’s why that’s so significant

    The NHS gets a cash injection – but it may not go that far

    Karen Bloor, Professor of Health Economics and Policy, University of York

    Amid all the gloomy pre-budget talk of tough choices and economic problems, would the government’s plans to improve the NHS cheer up the country (England, at least)? Not entirely.

    On the plus side, the chancellor promised a generous spending increase of £22.6 billion in the year 2025 to 2026, with £3.1 billion on capital investment. But solving the problems of the NHS is not just about money, and there will be difficult decisions to come.

    Meanwhile, increases in employers’ national insurance contributions, while raising funds, will also have a big impact on the NHS, which employs over 1.5 million people. So the additional spending may be less than it appears.

    The new government has said it has three main priorities for healthcare in England: moving care from hospitals to the community, moving resources from treatment to prevention, and changing systems from analogue to digital. None of these ideas are new, and there are good reasons why they haven’t happened already.

    Expanding primary and community care often does not translate into reduced demand for hospital services – in fact, it can do the opposite, by uncovering previously unmet needs. And successive governments have failed to address long-standing problems in social care, which is crucial to addressing pressures on the NHS. A successful NHS means people living longer, but often with long-term health problems.

    Returns on investment in preventing illness can be substantial, but they vary widely, and can be difficult to achieve. This is particularly true when it comes to interventions needing individual behaviour change, such as increasing exercise or cutting down on alcohol. Even when clearly positive, they take a very long time to generate cost savings.

    And there are other aspects of the chancellor’s plans which could arguably harm public health. Abolition of winter fuel payments for example, could affect the health of older people on low incomes.

    Rising bus fares could affect people’s ability to attend appointments, and the controversial two-child benefit cap, which can affect child health remains in place.

    Finally, while technology should improve the efficiency of services, people need care from people. Capital investment – in scanners, radiotherapy machines and diagnostics – will need to be matched by the cost of the professionals who operate them and interpret their findings.

    More reaction to be published soon.

    Karen Bloor receives funding from the NIHR policy research programme to conduct responsive analysis for the Department of Health and Social Care,

    Phil Tomlinson receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation.

    Rachel Scarfe is a member of the Labour Party.

    Jonquil Lowe, Linda Yueh, and Shampa Roy-Mukherjee do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What Labour’s first budget means for wages, businesses, the NHS and plans to grow the economy – experts explain – https://theconversation.com/what-labours-first-budget-means-for-wages-businesses-the-nhs-and-plans-to-grow-the-economy-experts-explain-242509

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New funding to fix the NHS: here’s how it will be spent

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Chancellor has announced 40,000 more appointments each week to cut NHS waiting lists.

    The NHS needs both investment and reform. As part of the Autumn Budget 2024, the government has allocated our most valued public service an extra £25.7 billion over this year and next. 

    This is the biggest increase in NHS spending since 2010, excluding COVID-19 years. 

    It includes funding to reduce waiting times by supporting the NHS to deliver an extra 40,000 elective appointments a week. Elective appointments are appointments planned in advance, such as knee replacements. 

    Since July, the government has invested an additional £1.8 billion to support this. 

    These extra appointments will help reduce waiting times. This is part of our plan to make sure patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from their referral to getting treatment.  

    The Budget also includes:  

    • £1.5 billion to fund new surgical hubs which will help build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures, and more than 1.25 million additional diagnostic tests (which use CT or MRI scanners) 

    • £70 million to invest in new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment 

    • Over £2 billion for NHS technology and digital improvements to increase productivity and save staff time 

    • Over £600 million increase in local government spending to support social care  

    • £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres 

    Our long-term plans for the NHS  

    Looking beyond this Budget, the government will publish a 10-year health plan for the NHS in spring 2025.  

    This will set out the long-term vision for fixing the NHS.  

    Change NHS: submit your own ideas for how to fix the NHS

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A Budget to fix the foundations and deliver change for Wales

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Chancellor takes long-term decisions to restore stability, rebuild Britain and protect working people across Wales.

    HM Treasury

    • Chancellor takes long-term decisions to restore stability, rebuild Britain and protect working people across Wales.
    • No change to working people’s payslips as employee national insurance and VAT stay the same, but businesses and the wealthiest asked to pay their fair share.
    • Record £21 billion for the Welsh Government in 2025/26 includes £1.7 billion through the Barnett formula.
    • Funding for freeports, City and Growth Deals and coal tips to fire up growth and deliver good jobs across Wales.

    The Chancellor has delivered a Budget to fix the foundations to deliver on the promise of change after a decade and a half of stagnation. She set out plans to rebuild Britain, while ensuring working people across Wales don’t face higher taxes in their payslips. The UK Government was handed a challenging inheritance; £22 billion of unfunded in-year spending pressures, debt at its highest since the 1960s, an unrealistic forecast for departmental spending, and stagnating living standards.

    This Budget takes difficult decisions to restore economic and fiscal stability, so that the UK Government can invest in the economic future of Wales and lay the foundations for growth across the UK as its number one mission.

    The Chancellor announced that the Welsh Government will be provided with a £21 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms in the history of devolution. This includes a £1.7 billion top-up through the Barnett formula, with £1.5 billion for day-to-day spending and £250 million for capital investment.

    Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

    This Budget has delivered for Wales for the first time in a generation.

    The biggest settlement since devolution will provide a record boost to spending for the Welsh Government to support public services like the NHS while thousands of working people across Wales will benefit from today’s increases to their wages.

    Little more than a week after the anniversary of Aberfan disaster it is fitting that we have committed £25m to make coal tips safe. It is testament to the new relationship between the UK and Welsh government, based on cooperation, respect and delivery.

    We will also drive economic growth and support our world-leading Welsh industries with Investment Zones, Freeports and funding for communities across Wales.

    We have prioritised money to support our steel communities, with nearly £100m to support workers and businesses.

    This Budget delivers on what’s important to the people of Wales, and shows the difference we can make when two governments work together for the benefit of all.

    Protecting working people and living standards

    While fixing the inheritance requires tough decisions, the Chancellor has committed to protecting the living standards of working people. The decisions taken by the Chancellor to rebuild public finances enable the UK Government to deliver on its pledge to not increase National Insurance or VAT on working people in Wales, meaning they will not see higher taxes in their payslip.

    • The National Living Wage will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour from April 2025. The 6.7% increase – worth £1,400 a year for a full-time worker – is a significant move towards delivering a genuine living wage.
    • The National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will also see a record rise from £8.60 to £10 an hour.
    • Working people will benefit from these increases, with there estimated to be over 70,000 minimum wage workers in Wales in 2023.
    • The Chancellor has made the decision to protect working people in Wales from being dragged into higher tax brackets by confirming that National Insurance Contributions thresholds will be unfrozen from 2028-29 onwards.
    • The Chancellor is also protecting motorists by freezing fuel duty for one year – a tax cut worth £3 billion, with the temporary 5p cut extended to 22 March 2026. This will benefit an estimated 2.1 million people in Wales, saving the average car driver £59, vans £126 and Heavy Goods Vehicles £1,079 next year.
    • To support Welsh pubs and smaller brewers in Wales, the UK Government is cutting duty on qualifying draught products by 1p, which represent approximately 3 in 5 alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This measure reduces duty bills by over £70 million a year, cutting duty on an average strength pint in a pub by a penny. The relief available to small producers will be updated to help smaller brewers and cidermakers.  
    • Over 600,000 Welsh pensioners will benefit from a 4.1% increase to their new or basic State Pension in April 2025. This is an additional £470 a year for those on the new State Pension and an additional £360 a year for those on the basic State Pension.
    • Households eligible for Pension Credit will get £465 a year more for single pensioners and up to £710 a year more for couples due to a 4.1% increase in the Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee, benefitting 80,000 pensioners in Wales.
    • Around 1.1 million families in in Wales will see their working-age benefits uprated in line with inflation – a £150 gain on average in 2025-26.
    • Reducing the maximum level of debt repayments that can be deducted from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month from 25% to 15% will benefit a Welsh family by over £420 a year on average.
    • The weekly earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance will be increased by £45 a week from April next year, expanding support to more carers in Wales and helping them balance work and caring responsibilities. This is the largest ever increase to the earnings limit and provides certainty for carers with a commitment that the earnings limit will increase with the National Living Wage in the future.

    Rebuilding Britain

    This UK Government will not make a return to austerity and will instead boost investment to rebuild Britain and lay the foundations for growth in Wales. This includes £160 million of targeted funding for the Welsh Government, of which £150 million is in capital investment.

    • The UK Government will deliver £88 million for City and Growth Deals, unlocking growth and investment across Wales.
    • The government also confirms £80 million funding for the Port Talbot / Tata Steel Transition Board, with work already underway to support workers and businesses affected by decarbonisation at Tata Steel.
    • £29 million of funding will be provided to the Welsh Government for the necessary build costs of border facilities in Holyhead and Pembrokeshire.
    • Essential work being undertaken by the Welsh Government to keep disused coal tips maintained and safe will be supported by £25 million of funding in 2025/26.
    • The Budget gives certainty to local leaders and investors, confirming funding for the Investment Zones and Freeports programmes across the UK – including the Celtic Freeport where tax sites will be operational from next month.
    • The Chancellor committed the UK Government to working closely with the Welsh Government on the Industrial Strategy, 10-year infrastructure strategy and the National Wealth Fund – to ensure the benefits of these are felt UK-wide and as part of the relationship reset between governments. These will mobilise billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s world-leading clean energy and growth industries.
    • Under-served parts of Wales will benefit from the rollout of digital infrastructure enabled by over £500 million of UK-wide investment in Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network.
    • A corporate tax roadmap will provide businesses with the stability and certainty they need to make long-term investment decisions and support our growth mission. It confirms our competitive offer, with the lowest Corporate Tax rate in the G7 and generous support for investment and innovation.
    • The UK Government will also proceed with implementing the 45%/40% rates of the theatre, orchestra, museum and galleries tax relief from 1 April 2025 to provide certainty to businesses in Wales’ thriving cultural sector.

    Repairing public finances

    The Chancellor has made clear that, whilst protecting working people with measures to reduce the cost of living, there would be difficult decisions required. The Budget will ask businesses and the wealthiest to pay their fair share while making taxes fairer. This will go directly towards fixing the foundations of the UK economy.

    • The rate of Employers’ National Insurance will increase by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%. The Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – will reduce from £9,100 per year to £5,000 per year.
    • The smallest businesses will be protected as the Employment Allowance will increase to £10,500 from £5,000, allowing Welsh firms to employ four National Living Wage workers full time without paying employer national insurance on their wages.
    • Capital Gains Tax will increase from 10% to 18% for those paying the lower rate, and 20% to 24% for those paying the higher rate.
    • To encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) will remain at 10% this year, before rising to 14% on 6 April 2025 and 18% from 6 April 2026-27.
    • The lifetime limit of BADR will be maintained at £1 million. The lifetime limit of Investors’ Relief will be reduced from £10 million to £1 million.
    • The OBR say changes to CGT will raise over £2.5 billion a year and the UK will continue to have the lowest CGT rate of any European G7 country.
    • Inheritance Tax thresholds will be fixed at their current levels for a further two years until April 2030. More than 90% of estates each year will be outside of its scope. From April 2027 inherited pensions will be subject to Inheritance Tax. This removes a distortion which has led to pensions being used as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth rather than their original purpose to fund retirement.
    • From April 2026, agricultural property relief and business property relief will be reformed. The highest rate of relief will continue at 100% for the first £1 million of combined business and agricultural assets, fully protecting the majority of businesses and farms. It will reduce to 50% after the first £1 million. Reforms will affect the wealthiest 2,000 estates each year. Inheritance Tax reforms in total are predicted by the OBR to raise £2 billion to support stability.
    • From 2026-27 Air Passenger Duty (APD) for short and long-haul flights will increase by 13% to the nearest pound, a partial adjustment to account for previous high inflation. For economy passengers, this means a maximum £2 extra per short haul flight and tickets for children under the age of 16 remain exempt from APD. APD for larger private jets will be increased by a further 50%.

    The Budget also announced a package of measures that disincentivise activities that cause ill health, by:

    • Renewing the tobacco duty escalator which increases all tobacco duty rates by RPI+2% plus an above escalator increase to hand rolling tobacco (totalling RPI+12%).  
    • Introducing a new vaping duty at a flat rate of 22p/ml from October 2026, accompanied by a further one-off increase in tobacco duty to maintain financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking. 
    • To help tackle obesity and other harms caused by high sugar intake, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy will increase to account for inflation since it was last updated in 2018, and the duty will rise in line with inflation every year going forward.
    • The UK Government will also uprate alcohol duty in line with RPI on 1 February 2025, except for most drinks in pubs.

    The UK Government has set out the next steps to deliver its tax manifesto commitments in the July Statement. Having consulted on the final policy details where appropriate, this Budget delivers the UK Government’s manifesto commitments to raise revenue to pay for First Steps, with reforms that are underpinned by fairness, and tackle tax avoidance by:  

    • A new residence-based regime will replace the current non-dom regime from April 2025 and will be designed to attract investment and talent to the UK.
    • Offshore trusts will no longer be able to be used to shelter assets from Inheritance Tax, and there will be transitional arrangement in place for people who have made plans based on current rules.
    • The planned 50% reduction for foreign income in the first year of the new regime will be removed.
    • Reforms to the non-dom regime will raise a total of £12.7 billion according to the OBR.
    • The tax treatment of carried interest will be reformed by first increasing the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% and then, from April 2026, moving to a revised regime – with bespoke rules to reflect the characteristics of the reward.
    • The UK Government will also introduce 20% VAT on education and boarding services provided for a charge by private schools from 1 January 2025.

    The Chancellor also doubled down on fiscal responsibility through two new fiscal rules that put the public finances on a sustainable path and prioritise investment to support long-term growth, and new principles of stability. Spending Reviews will be held every two years, setting plans for at least three years to ensure public services are always planned and improve value for money. 

    One major fiscal event per year will give families and businesses stability and certainty on tax and spending changes, while giving the Welsh Government greater clarity for in its own budget-setting.  A Fiscal Lock will also ensure no future government can sideline the OBR again.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to the news that UKHSA has detected the first case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK, in an individual who’d been on holiday in Africa

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on news that the first case of Clade Ib Mpox has been detected in the UK. 

    Dr Brian Ferguson, Associate Professor of Immunology, University of Cambridge, said:

    “The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced today that it has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK.  This case is from an individual who has recently returned from travelling in countries in Africa where there are currently cases of Clade 1b mpox being found in the community.  This is an unsurprising event and likely will not be the only time this happens in the UK.  It follows discovery of similar imported cases in Germany and Sweden and other countries globally.  The close contacts of this individual are being sought and should be offered testing and vaccines in line with current policy to help reduce the chances of onward transmission.  The UK government recently purchased 150,000 doses of mpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic to help with such efforts, although the longevity of the protection afforded by this vaccine has recently been called into question.  The clade 1b mpox is more virulent than clade 2 virus that caused the outbreak in 2022 and is causing more cases of disease in younger people than the clade 2 virus in Africa.  As such continued surveillance and early diagnosis and treatment is very important to minimise the chances of onward transmission of imported cases.”

    Prof Jonathan Ball, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and Professor of Molecular Virology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:

    “This is not unexpected.  There are active human to human transmission chains of Clade 1b monkeypox infections in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore people coming into close contact with anyone infected is at risk.

    “WHO previously announced the Mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in recognition of its potential for continued and potentially accelerated spread if the global community did not come together in a concerted effort to stamp out the current outbreak.  This was more recently backed up by the announcement yesterday of activation of the Global Health Emergency Corps to strengthen the response.

    “The number of cases reported outside of Africa remains low, but the ability of Clade 1b virus to spread by human to human transmission means that this issue can not be ignored.  It is unlikely that we will see extensive outbreaks in countries with well developed public health and surveillance systems, but it is a reminder that we need to do more to remove health inequalities around the world.”

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

    Declared interests

    Dr Brian Ferguson: “I don’t have any conflicts of interest.”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Budget marks ‘step in right direction’

    Source: Scottish Government

    Finance Secretary responds to UK Autumn Budget.

    Finance Secretary Shona Robison has welcomed additional funding in the Autumn Budget, but said the Scottish Government will still face “enormous cost pressures” despite the measures.

    The Finance Secretary said:

    “We called for increased investment in public services, infrastructure and tackling poverty. This budget is a step in the right direction, but still leaves us facing enormous cost pressures going forwards. The additional funding for this financial year has already been factored into our spending plans.

    “By changing her fiscal rules and increasing investment in infrastructure, the Chancellor has met a core ask of the Scottish Government. But after 14 years of austerity, it’s going to take more than one year to rebuild and recover – we will need to see continued investment over the coming years to reset and reform public services.

    “Indeed, there is a risk that by providing more funding for public services while increasing employer national insurance contributions, the UK Government is giving with one hand while taking away with the other. We estimate that the employer national insurance change could add up to £500 million in costs for the public sector unless it is fully reimbursed – and there is a danger that we won’t get that certainty until after the Scottish budget process for 2025/26 has concluded.

    “With the lingering effects of the cost of living crisis still hitting family finances, it is disappointing that there was no mention of abolishing the two-child limit, which evidence shows would be one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce child poverty. Neither was there mention of funding for the Winter Fuel Payment.

    “As ever, the devil is in the detail, and we will now take the time to assess the full implications of today’s statement. I will be announcing further details as part of the Scottish Budget on 4 December.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: David Goldstone CBE appointed as independent Chair of the Office for Value for Money

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Office for Value for Money will place value for money at the heart of government spending decisions.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced the appointment of David Goldstone as independent Chair of the Office for Value for Money.

    David will advise the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury on decisions for the multi-year Spending Review. This will include conducting an assessment of where and how to root out waste and inefficiency, undertaking value for money studies in specific high-risk areas of cross-departmental spending, and scrutinising investment proposals to ensure they offer value for money. David will also develop recommendations for system reform, underpinning a ruthless focus within government on realising benefits from every pound of public spending.

    David Goldstone, Chair of the Office for Value for Money, said:

    I am honoured to have been appointed by the Chancellor and Chief Secretary to this important role. I look forward to working within government over the coming year to bring renewed focus to ensuring we deliver maximum value for the public in how money is spent.

    Alongside his role as Chair of the Office for Value for Money, David Goldstone is also a Non-Executive Director of the Submarine Delivery Agency, a Non-Executive Director of HS2 Ltd, acting as HM Treasury’s representative on the Board, and a member of the Projects & Programmes Committee of GB Nuclear. Prior to this, David served as Chief Executive of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority since July 2020. He was also a member of the Board of the Major Projects Association from 2022 to 2024. 

    David was previously the Chief Operating Officer of the Ministry of Defence, where he led the Department’s complex multi-billion transformation programme, and represented the Department on the Boards of the military commands. 

    David played a leading role in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  He was responsible for overseeing the Government’s £9.3bn investment for the 2012 Games including the delivery of the Olympic Park venues and infrastructure. As CEO of the London Legacy Development Corporation, David was responsible for the delivery of the East London regeneration legacy, including the development of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding areas. David was also previously Transport for London’s Chief Finance Officer.

    David trained as a CIPFA accountant whilst at the Audit Commission before moving to Price Waterhouse and then spending 12 years in the delivery of locally based investment programmes for Government. He had previously spent two years as a secondary school teacher.  

    Notes to Editors

    • Autumn Budget 2024 announced the formal launch of the Office for Value for Money (OVfM), with the direct ministerial appointment of David Goldstone as the independent Chair of OVfM. As part of his role, David will advise the Chancellor on the multi-year Spending Review. In order to ensure David is in place to perform this role, a Direct Ministerial appointment process was run. The criteria used are set out in the accompanying Terms of Reference.

    • David was appointed Treasury-nominated Non-Executive Director on the board of HS2 on 1st June 2024.

    • The OVfM will be time limited, and David Goldstone will take up the role on a part-time basis for an initial 12 month period, starting on 30 October 2024. The Government will set out its decisions on the future of the Office and other activities to improve value for money in due course.

    • David will be supported by a multidisciplinary team of up to 20 civil servants based in HM Treasury.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three ways for schools to make climate education inclusive for all children

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachael C. Edwards, Senior Research Fellow in Public Health, UCL

    Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock, CC BY-NC-ND

    All young people need to have access to high-quality climate education because, when not overwhelming, emotional engagement with the climate crisis can motivate action.

    We recently surveyed more than 2,400 school students aged 11-14 in England about their views on climate change and sustainability education. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds were less likely to experience negative emotions related to climate change. Children from more advantaged backgrounds were more likely to want to learn about climate change and sustainability, to want to do more to look after the environment and to believe that adults are doing enough to look after the planet.

    The variation in climate literacy and educational opportunities demonstrated through our survey is highly concerning. These inequalities are particularly concerning as children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. But these children’s limited capacity to engage with climate issues is also understandable considering the state of child poverty in the UK and the more immediate challenges they are probably facing.

    Much has been written about young people’s fears about the climate crisis and the associated mental health effects. We know far less about how to introduce these challenging topics to children who are less engaged. How can we reach these young people so they’re not isolated or sent into a panic, but empowered to act? Our research suggests that schools are a critical place to start.



    Read more:
    Ten years to 1.5°C: how climate anxiety is affecting young people around the world – podcast

    In our survey, students of all socio-economic backgrounds told us that they learned about climate change and sustainability in secondary school. Conversely, children from disadvantaged backgrounds were less likely to have learned about these topics in the news and media, from their families and from extracurricular activities.

    These findings are somewhat unsurprising given the algorithms limiting engagement with online content that challenges our existing perspectives. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds also experience many barriers to participating in nature-based activities outside school. These include lack of availability, cultural exclusion and safety concerns.

    A chance for change

    Based on our survey and earlier research (for example, the pioneering work of psychology professor Maria Ojala), we have identified three ways that schools can address inequalities to reach and connect with all children to deliver quality climate and sustainability education.

    First, the education sector should include climate and sustainability learning within a broader range of subjects. Climate change intersects with nearly all aspects of our lives. Therefore, all school subjects offer unique learning opportunities.

    If climate and sustainability education was integrated throughout the formal and informal curriculum, children could learn about the issues as part of the subjects that most interest them.

    A hybrid nature craft tree incorporating nature products, paper leaves, and circuitry.
    Andrea Gauthier, CC BY-NC-ND

    For example, our colleagues at UCL are developing a new type of crafting activity in schools. It involves combining materials from nature and paper circuits which bring nature to life through light. Through integrating nature, technology and art, these hybrid nature crafts align with many subjects and could appeal to children of all ages.

    We must also develop emotionally responsive teaching practices. Building climate awareness is emotionally challenging, particularly for children with little prior knowledge of the issues. It can also be emotionally draining for teachers.

    Time for emotional reflection should be included in lesson plans. Students should be encouraged to share their emotions, be it sadness, anxiety or anger. These are valid and natural responses when learning about climate change.

    Creative practices can encourage emotional engagement with climate learning. For example, arts-based activities and storytelling. Our research found that students felt happier with their life, spent more time outdoors and were more optimistic about the future after taking part in arts-in-nature experiences.

    Schools should also give students opportunities to combat the climate crisis and other environmental issues. This supports their sense of agency which is critical to motivating action. Engaging students in collective action can be particularly effective for empowering them and instilling hope.

    In our survey, one student highlighted the benefits of whole-school projects for climate and sustainability education. She said that “a whole community feels more empowered when they know everyone is working towards a goal and therefore, it helps [us] understand the depth of global warming and the long-term and short-term changes we can make.”

    However, a word of caution. Limiting climate action to activities that don’t challenge existing power structures (through recycling or buying eco-friendly products, for example) does not go far enough. Instead, we advocate for transformative actions that encourage students to critically evaluate the norms and practices around them. This could include partnerships with local organisations, student-driven whole-school approaches and political activism.

    It is essential that schools provide high-quality climate and sustainability education that engages all students and avoids causing disengagement and despair. The strategies we’ve outlined here will help schools do so, thereby equipping the next generation with the skills, knowledge and agency to tackle climate change.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Three ways for schools to make climate education inclusive for all children – https://theconversation.com/three-ways-for-schools-to-make-climate-education-inclusive-for-all-children-242059

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Labour’s first budget means for wages, taxes, business, the NHS and plans to grow the economy – experts explain

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    For the first time in 14 years, it was a Labour chancellor who delivered the UK budget. And for the first time ever, that chancellor was a woman. But Rachel Reeves faces an almighty task: plugging a £40 billion spending gap in the knowledge that pre-election promises not to raise the main taxes are still fresh in people’s memories.

    Growth was the buzzword of the election campaign – Reeves now had to lay her cards on the table. So here’s what our panel of experts made of the plans:

    More challenges for employers and small businesses

    Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, Associate Professor in Economics, University of East London

    The budget introduces £40 billion in tax hikes and, in some areas, spending cuts that will put pressure on the economy and business in particular. But it also reflects the government’s focus on economic growth, with policies intended to stabilise finances while addressing some of the concerns of small businesses.

    The chancellor has retained her commitment to preserve the rates of income tax, employee national insurance and VAT. But a notable change is the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15%.

    There was also a reduction in the secondary threshold, which is the amount at which the employer starts paying NI on each employee, from £9,100 to £5,000. Altogether this will raise £25 billion annually but will significantly impact many businesses that will now face higher wage bills.

    The national living wage is also rising by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour in April 2025, boosting incomes for about three million workers but again increasing costs for many businesses. These rising taxes and wage increases, alongside incoming employment regulations, will strain businesses, particularly in sectors with high labour demands.

    To offset some of these pressures, the employment allowance, which allows some smaller employers to reduce their NICs, has been raised from £5,000 to £10,500. The chancellor said that over 1 million employers will not see their NICs bill rise as a result.

    Small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure, where profits have been hit as consumers struggle with the cost of living, will benefit from a 40% business rate relief on properties up to £110,000. Other supportive measures include a continued freeze on fuel duty, which will aid logistics and transport costs. Corporation tax remains fixed at 25%.

    At the next stop they’re putting up bus fares.
    Mistervlad/Shutterstock

    Higher wages for three million, but it could cost more to get the bus to work

    Rachel Scarfe, Lecturer in Economics, University of Stirling

    The biggest change for those on low incomes was an increase in the national minimum wage (for 18 to 20-year-olds) of 16.3%, from £8.60 to £10 an hour, and an increase in the national living wage (for employees aged 21 and over) of 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21, from April 2025. This will lead to a pay rise for more than 3 million workers.

    Business associations warn that this will cause job losses, particularly in hospitality and the care sector, where many employees earn the minimum wage. But a large body of research has not found a negative effect of minimum wages on employment.

    There is some evidence that earlier minimum wage rises caused an increase in the number of zero-hours contracts in social care, as firms tried other ways to reduce wages. However, the new employment rights bill introduced earlier in October would limit the use of zero-hours contracts in this scenario.

    The budget could have an indirect effect on pay packets though. The effect of the change to employer NICs will be greater in sectors with more low-paid workers, such as hospitality, and employer associations have warned that it will risk jobs. There is also some evidence that in the long term, firms pass some of these costs on to employees by reducing their wages.

    However, the minimum wage increase will reduce the capacity for firms to reduce wages. And any long-term effect would also be offset by lower income taxes that will come after 2028 when the chancellor has said she will increase the threshold at which people starting paying tax.

    So if wages and profits fall because of increased contributions, then the amount Reeves raises will be lower than expected, because income and corporation tax receipts will be hit.

    Another indirect factor affecting incomes is the cost of getting to work. The fuel duty freeze will continue, but the bus fare cap will increase from £2 to £3. Lower-paid workers and jobseekers are much more likely to use the bus than those with higher incomes, who are more likely to drive, but the cost of bus travel increased much more than the cost of train travel or petrol over the last parliament.

    The fare cap reversed some of this increase, and some evidence shows that it led to more people travelling by bus. But the new £3 cap will only last until the end of 2025, which may be too soon to see much effect.

    Second thoughts about that second home?
    Andrew Roland/Shutterstock

    Taxing times for the wealthy

    Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance, The Open University

    As expected, the budget targeted several wealth taxes, including capital gains tax (CGT), which is charged on profits you make when you “dispose of” (sell or give away) an asset. The first slice of such profits (£3,000 in 2024-25) is tax-free. Profit above that is added to your income to determine what rate will apply: a lower rate for profit covered by the basic income tax rate band and a higher rate on anything more.

    Reeves announced that CGT rates on financial assets – things like shares – will immediately increase from 10% to 18% (for the lower rate) and from 18% to 24% (for the higher rate). Financial assets account for around 85% of all disposals within the scope of CGT, but only around 350,000 people a year pay the tax.

    This brings the rates on financial assets into line with residential property, such as a second home. (There is no CGT when you sell or give away your only or main home.) But this still leaves wealth taxed less heavily than income.

    The government says it is committed to tackling the UK’s housing shortage. So to deter multiple home ownership, it has raised stamp duty for people buying a second (or third or fourth) home. Purchases completed will now incur an extra 5% tax (currently 3%) over and above the normal stamp duty rates.

    There were also changes to inheritance tax (IHT). Pension savings left unused at death have in recent years been passed on tax free. But from April 2027, the savings will count as part of the estate and be subject to IHT at a rate of up to 40%.

    The first slice of the estate a person leaves, called the nil-rate band, is IHT-free, and that band has been frozen at £325,000 since 2010. Reeves extended the freeze until April 2030.

    As a result of these changes, the government expects almost 6% of estates to pay IHT this year, up from fewer than 5% in recent years. People in London and the south east are more likely to be IHT-payers, largely due to higher property values in those areas.

    A downpayment on growth – but probably not quickly

    Linda Yueh, Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

    The chancellor declared that the government will “invest, invest, invest”. This is an important enabler of economic growth.

    But, the country’s creditors need reassuring, so Reeves also announced two new fiscal rules that aim to achieve that balance of allowing the government to borrow to invest (and generate growth), but not to pay for day-to-day spending.

    Specifically, the investment rule permits borrowing to invest and the stability rule requires day-to-day spending to be paid for by taxes. Both rules support the government’s growth aims while trying to reassure the country’s creditors that the borrowing will pay off by generating future growth – and also higher tax receipts with which to repay that borrowing.

    But spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has downgraded the UK’s GDP growth outlook from 2% to 1.8% in 2026, and to 1.5% in 2027 and 2028. The OBR’s forecast of slower growth highlights the impact of the £40 billion of tax increases, which dampens economic activity.

    This underscores the government’s challenge of investing to grow while at the same having to raise taxes to balance the books when it comes to its daily spending. In particular, the OBR’s assessment of slowing growth towards the middle of this parliament raises questions about how long it will take for the investment-fuelled growth to materialise.

    It may be that five years is still too short a period. Many physical investments require planning and those reforms could also take a while. Moreover, getting investment projects under way requires scoping, and private investors will want time to assess before joining the government in energy projects.

    But this budget is certainly a start on a much-needed growth strategy.

    Clean energy boost?
    StudioFI/Shutterstock

    Good news on public investment – emerging industries could benefit

    Phil Tomlinson, Professor of Industrial Strategy, University of Bath

    The key budget change related to the chancellor’s fiscal rules. By redefining how public debt is calculated, Reeves has been able to increase public investment by around £100 billion. The new fiscal rules have gone not as far as some economists have advocated – but they are a welcome step in the right direction.

    Investment was the core focus of the budget. For decades, the UK has suffered from low investment and weak productivity compared to other leading economies. Since 1990, the UK’s investment gap with the average across rich countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been around £35 billion a year – the UK now ranks 28th of 31 OECD countries on business investment. British workers are using outdated kit and so are less productive. This has meant a stagnant economy and lower living standards.

    So, the budget’s plans to boost investment in the UK’s crumbling infrastructure and public services and to support the new industrial strategy are a positive move. The latter should see additional funding to support emerging tech industries, such as artificial intelligence, cyber and clean energy. And this public investment should “crowd in” additional private investment.

    In the long run, these investments should pay for themselves. For instance, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that a sustained increase in public investment of 1% of GDP increases that GDP by 0.5% after five years and more than 2% after ten to 15 years.

    The rise in employer national insurance contributions will increase business’s operating costs, especially those in the care and hospitality sectors. But paradoxically, in the long run, it may encourage some businesses (in sectors where it is feasible) to invest in new labour-saving capital equipment.



    Read more:
    Rachel Reeves is the UK’s first female chancellor. Here’s why that’s so significant

    The NHS gets a cash injection – but it may not go that far

    Karen Bloor, Professor of Health Economics and Policy, University of York

    Amid all the gloomy pre-budget talk of tough choices and economic problems, would the government’s plans to improve the NHS cheer up the country (England, at least)? Not entirely.

    On the plus side, the chancellor promised a generous spending increase of £22.6 billion in the year 2025 to 2026, with £3.1 billion on capital investment. But solving the problems of the NHS is not just about money, and there will be difficult decisions to come.

    Meanwhile, increases in employers’ national insurance contributions, while raising funds, will also have a big impact on the NHS, which employs over 1.5 million people. So the additional spending may be less than it appears.

    The new government has said it has three main priorities for healthcare in England: moving care from hospitals to the community, moving resources from treatment to prevention, and changing systems from analogue to digital. None of these ideas are new, and there are good reasons why they haven’t happened already.

    Expanding primary and community care often does not translate into reduced demand for hospital services – in fact, it can do the opposite, by uncovering previously unmet needs. And successive governments have failed to address long-standing problems in social care, which is crucial to addressing pressures on the NHS. A successful NHS means people living longer, but often with long-term health problems.

    Returns on investment in preventing illness can be substantial, but they vary widely, and can be difficult to achieve. This is particularly true when it comes to interventions needing individual behaviour change, such as increasing exercise or cutting down on alcohol. Even when clearly positive, they take a very long time to generate cost savings.

    And there are other aspects of the chancellor’s plans which could arguably harm public health. Abolition of winter fuel payments for example, could affect the health of older people on low incomes.

    Rising bus fares could affect people’s ability to attend appointments, and the controversial two-child benefit cap, which can affect child health remains in place.

    Finally, while technology should improve the efficiency of services, people need care from people. Capital investment – in scanners, radiotherapy machines and diagnostics – will need to be matched by the cost of the professionals who operate them and interpret their findings.

    Karen Bloor receives funding from the NIHR policy research programme to conduct responsive analysis for the Department of Health and Social Care,

    Phil Tomlinson receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation.

    Rachel Scarfe is a member of the Labour Party.

    Jonquil Lowe, Linda Yueh, and Shampa Roy-Mukherjee do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What Labour’s first budget means for wages, taxes, business, the NHS and plans to grow the economy – experts explain – https://theconversation.com/what-labours-first-budget-means-for-wages-taxes-business-the-nhs-and-plans-to-grow-the-economy-experts-explain-242509

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stuart Harrad, Professor of Environmental Chemistry, University of Birmingham

    fast-stock/Shutterstock

    News reports of so-called forever chemicals in drinking water have left people worried about the safety of tap and bottled water. But recent research has shown there are ways to significantly reduce the levels of these harmful chemicals in our water.

    Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide range of synthetic chemicals that are used in many everyday products such as cosmetics, fabrics and food packaging (where they are used to make products resistant to water and grease), as well as in fire-fighting foams.

    Unusually in the chemical universe, the structures of PFAS include groups of atoms within the same molecule that imbue them with both water-hating and water-loving properties. They are also resistant to degradation.

    While this latter characteristic can improve the quality of the products we buy, it also means it is nearly impossible to break these chemicals down once they escape into the environment. Some PFAS chemicals are are also toxic. For example, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been classified as carcinogenic to humans, and has been found to lower immune response to common childhood vaccines.

    PFAS can penetrate human skin and have been found in our drinking water, air, food, and even in human milk.

    Concerns about their safety has led numerous jurisdictions to set limits on levels of some PFAS in drinking water. Nevertheless, many news stories have reported on research finding dangerous levels of PFAS chemicals in drinking water sources in England.



    Read more:
    PFAS forever chemicals found in English drinking water – why are they everywhere and what are the risks?

    With this in mind, my colleagues and I measured concentrations of ten key PFAS in 41 samples of tap water from the West Midlands of the UK and 14 samples from Shenzhen, China. We also measured the same PFAS in 112 samples of bottled water.

    We sampled 87 different brands from 15 countries that we bought either from shops or online in the UK and China. The PFAS we tested included many of those regulated in drinking water as well as some others we have found previously in indoor air and dust.

    Forever chemicals are in our drinking water.
    Shining symbols/Shutterstock

    We compared concentrations of PFAS in plastic and glass bottled water, as well as in sparkling versus still water. In neither case did we find significant differences in concentrations of PFAS. In contrast however, in China we found significantly higher concentrations of PFAS in natural mineral water than in bottled purified water.

    Crucially, while we found PFAS in every sample analysed, the maximum concentration limits set recently by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for some PFAS were only exceeded for PFOA in some samples of tap water from Shenzhen.

    Concentrations of PFAS were lower in bottled water than in tap water from the same locality. This finding is in line with studies conducted in other countries like Spain.

    It may be reassuring to some extent but our study only examined a relatively small number of tap water samples from two municipalities and cannot be taken as representative of the UK or China overall. There is no room for complacency as the USEPA’s target concentration limits for two of the PFAS we measured are zero.

    So, taking note of the lower concentrations we saw in bottled purified water, we examined the effectiveness of boiling and filtration using activated carbon jug filters.

    Boiling in a regular kettle reduced concentrations of all ten of the PFAS we tested. The level of reduction varied between different PFAS though. For PFOA and the three other PFAS that we measured for which there are USEPA concentration limits, concentrations reduced by 11%−14% but were much greater (61%-86%) for the more volatile and non-regulated PFAS we examined that are more easily evaporated.

    Reductions were greater for all the PFAS we tested (81%−96%) when we passed the water through an activated carbon jug filter. Boiling the water after activated carbon filtration, as sometimes happens in China, reduced concentrations a little further to between 81 and 99.6%.

    These results suggest that using a jug water filter can substantially reduce concentrations of some regulated PFAS in our tap water. Boiling water before drinking also reduces PFAS concentrations but is less effective.

    Our findings add to those of a 2024 study in Montreal, which suggested that using a filter fitted to the kitchen tap reduced concentrations of 75 PFAS in tap water.

    Our findings are a small first step towards reducing our exposure to PFAS. But we should not lose sight of the need to reduce and eliminate such forever chemicals. There’s still a lot we don’t understand about these chemicals but what we’ve learned so far shows that some of them present an urgent threat to the health of both humans and wildlife.

    Stuart Harrad has received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland and the European Union.

    – ref. Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them – https://theconversation.com/forever-chemicals-are-in-our-drinking-water-heres-how-to-reduce-them-241645

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK plans to rebuild its crumbling classrooms – but it should take this chance to transform the school environment

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Edgerton, Reader in Psychology, University of the West of Scotland

    Inside Creative House/Shutterstock

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged £1.4 billion to meet a target of rebuilding 50 schools in England a year. The funding boost follows the news of slow progress on the government’s school rebuilding programme. This effort began in 2020 but has been under particular scrutiny since the closure of school buildings made with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in 2023.

    A 2023 report from the National Audit Office estimated that 700,000 students in England are learning in schools that the Department for Education believes require major rebuilding or refurbishment.

    These rebuilding programmes have promised to produce state-of-the-art schools. But I believe that the focus in the UK is still too much on the condition of the building, rather than the approach in countries like Finland where the focus is on the relationship between school design and teaching and learning practice.

    In Scotland, recent figures highlight that 91.7% of school buildings are in a “good/satisfactory” condition, and 92.0% of pupils are now educated in school environments rated as “good/satisfactory” condition. Here, condition refers to the state of the school fabric – such as state of, the appropriateness of the design, and the health-and-safety requirements.

    In the past, researchers have questioned whether there is any need to go beyond this minimum standard and suggested that schools might not need to be any more than adequate.

    I believe there should be higher aspirations for the UK’s school estate. To understand why, we need to think about the role of the school environment. It is much more than simply providing a safe, weatherproof building for teaching children and young people.

    Many studies have shown that teaching and learning activities can be impaired by environmental characteristics such as noise, ventilation, colour and furniture arrangement.

    However, there is disappointingly little research that explores the whole school environment, how it is experienced by students and how it relates to important outcomes, such as exam results.

    There are some notable exceptions. A report on primary schools in England, conducted by researchers from the University of Salford in 2015, showed that well-designed classrooms can boost children’s academic performance in reading, writing and maths.

    A few aspects were of particular importance. They included naturalness (the light, temperature and air quality), individualisation (classrooms with varied floor plan shapes and breakout spaces, along with elements that pupils can personalise such as coat pegs) and stimulation (appropriate levels of complexity in use of colour and wall displays).

    Student experience

    My own research with colleagues on secondary schools in Scotland showed that there were substantial improvements in students’ feelings of security and small improvements in behaviour and motivation for learning in newly built schools.

    We found that these improvements were long lasting and were not due simply to the effect of their novelty. The improvements in feelings of safety and security seem to be linked to features such as more spacious corridors and staircases with natural daylight and good locker facilities.



    Read more:
    School concrete crisis: how Raac has been used well beyond its expiry date

    We also found that how students experience and evaluate their school environment is related to their academic performance. Students with more positive perceptions of their school environment have better academic performance. This is especially true where pupils feel positive about the physical comfort of the social and teaching spaces in the school.

    School rebuilding programmes provide a unique opportunity for educational experts, environmental psychologists and design professionals to collaborate to find out what works and why.

    The need to recognise and learn about the role of school buildings in the education process is only likely to increase as we accommodate more students with additional support needs in mainstream schools and strive to create inclusive schools that respond to needs of neurodiverse students.

    The government’s ambition for school rebuilding should go beyond simply fixing crumbling schools. As well as supporting learning and teaching, schools should provide an environment that encourages young people in their social development and aims to give them the best start in life possible.

    Edward Edgerton received funding from East Dunbartonshire Council for a research project evaluating
    its secondary school rebuilding programme (2006-2010).

    – ref. The UK plans to rebuild its crumbling classrooms – but it should take this chance to transform the school environment – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-plans-to-rebuild-its-crumbling-classrooms-but-it-should-take-this-chance-to-transform-the-school-environment-241838

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Wednesday, October 30, 2024

    Two individuals also pleaded guilty to misbranding N95 masks and conspiracy to commit price gouging

    BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have pleaded guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

    JDM Supply LLC (JDM) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha on March 4, 2025 and JDM on March 25, 2025. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni of Norfolk, Mass, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.  

    In the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not.

    In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. The masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, thus falling below the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.  

    Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.

    The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 
        
    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –