Became Member: 16th September 2020
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
The Bill would amend the Coinage Act 1971 to enable the Royal Mint to strike commemorative coins of one kilogram or more for the 2012 London Olympics.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd November 2011 and was enacted into law.
Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Government is committed to supporting the Crown Dependencies in deterring and defending against state and non-state threats. Since its creation in 2016, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has supported the Crown Dependencies in building their cyber resilience. The NCSC supports the governments, police and communications service providers of the Crown Dependencies, engaging with them on a regular basis to provide expert advice, guidance, the latest threat assessments and support related to incidents affecting their networks. The governments of the Crown Dependencies also use a range of Active Cyber Defence tools and services provided by the NCSC.
Although a breakdown of costs is not available, examples of support includes:
The NCSC supported and advised on the formation of Cyber Security Incident Response Teams in the Crown Dependencies. Jersey Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) has now been established and is responsible for promoting and improving the cyber resilience across the Island’s critical national infrastructure.
The NCSC have attended events on each of the Crown Dependencies in recent years, presenting at the Isle of Man’s Cyber Isle cyber Conference in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Attendees were informed about the NCSC’s free products and services available to all Crown Dependencies covering public, private and third sectors;
The Governments of the Crown Dependencies, are eligible for and are using NCSC Active Cyber Defence services including Mail Check, Web Check, Early Warning and Protective DNS. These are the same tools used by HMG to help protect our networks.
The Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) adheres to the same principles and rules for defining risk and rigour as set out in the independent Military Medals Review (2012). As per paragraph 12 of the review ‘the idea is that campaign medals should only be awarded where deployed personnel have been exposed to a significant degree of risk to life and limb, and to arduous conditions, in excess of what might be expected as part of normal service duties, whether deployed or in the home base’. There will always be a subjective element of judgement involved when determining what constitutes appropriate risk and rigour, on a case by case basis[1].
The AMSC’s recommendation on the case for retrospective medallic recognition for all those who participated in the British Nuclear Test Programme 1952 - 1991 was not to award a military service medal. This followed the AMSC’s assessment of the evidence provided against the longstanding framework for military medallic recognition. The HD Committee reviewed the conclusions reached by the AMSC and was in agreement that this programme does not meet the criteria of risk and rigour required for a military service medal.
However, despite the decision not to award a military medal, and after considering inputs from other stakeholders, the HD Committee felt that there was a case for alternative recognition outside the remit of AMSC. The service given by the nuclear test veterans - both military and civilian - was significant in providing the UK’s nuclear deterrent during the critical early years of the Cold War.
The HD Committee agreed that an official commemorative medal, which recognised both military and civilian contributors to the nuclear tests, would be most appropriate. This commemorative medal was approved by His Majesty The King.
[1] The full report can be found on GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61398/Medals-Interim-Report-July-12.pdf
The Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) adheres to the same principles and rules for defining risk and rigour as set out in the independent Military Medals Review (2012). As per paragraph 12 of the review ‘the idea is that campaign medals should only be awarded where deployed personnel have been exposed to a significant degree of risk to life and limb, and to arduous conditions, in excess of what might be expected as part of normal service duties, whether deployed or in the home base’. There will always be a subjective element of judgement involved when determining what constitutes appropriate risk and rigour, on a case by case basis[1].
The AMSC’s recommendation on the case for retrospective medallic recognition for all those who participated in the British Nuclear Test Programme 1952 - 1991 was not to award a military service medal. This followed the AMSC’s assessment of the evidence provided against the longstanding framework for military medallic recognition. The HD Committee reviewed the conclusions reached by the AMSC and was in agreement that this programme does not meet the criteria of risk and rigour required for a military service medal.
However, despite the decision not to award a military medal, and after considering inputs from other stakeholders, the HD Committee felt that there was a case for alternative recognition outside the remit of AMSC. The service given by the nuclear test veterans - both military and civilian - was significant in providing the UK’s nuclear deterrent during the critical early years of the Cold War.
The HD Committee agreed that an official commemorative medal, which recognised both military and civilian contributors to the nuclear tests, would be most appropriate. This commemorative medal was approved by His Majesty The King.
[1] The full report can be found on GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61398/Medals-Interim-Report-July-12.pdf
The department has confidence in the value and accuracy of lateral flow tests. The tests are highly specific, with low chances of false positives.
More than 130 types of lateral flow devices (LFDs) have been assessed and over 20,000 evaluations completed. Results indicate that LFDs are effective at detecting COVID-19 in an individual and registering an appropriate positive result, including for the current variants.
The speed and convenience of the tests supports the detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals, who would not otherwise have been tested. LFD tests are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for home use.
The Government has temporarily removed confirmatory PCR testing for Lateral Flow Tests taken at test sites, such as those situated in some workplaces, universities, secondary schools and colleges. This follows advice from Public Health England that, when COVID-19 prevalence rates are high, the performance of lateral flow devices and PCRs are broadly comparable when used at test sites, significantly reducing the need for routine confirmatory testing. In line with clinical advice, confirmatory PCR testing will remain in place, for pupils, students, and staff for whom testing is done at home to reduce the risk of false positives.
There are currently no plans to introduce a roadworthiness test for vehicles over 40 years old.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to revise the timetable and services operated across the SWR network. The current mainline timetable provides 89% of the number of AM peak seats at Waterloo (0700-0959) compared with the timetable pre-COVID. SWR continue to monitor customer numbers closely and have plans in place to increase the level of capacity or service provision further as passenger demand returns. With current levels of demand, there remains spare socially-distanced capacity into Waterloo in the AM peak. Journey times on the Waterloo-Portsmouth service remain broadly unchanged.
Once HS2 Phase 1 opens, HS2 services will run on dedicated infrastructure between London and the West Midlands, replacing long distance services that currently run on the West Coast Main Line. This will release capacity for additional services, which could include a mixture of commuter, semi-fast, regional and freight trains. No decisions have yet been made as to the train service that will operate on the West Coast Main Line once HS2 opens.
The Department for Transport has appointed West Coast Partnership Development to analyse passenger demand on the route and present options for train service patterns that best allow this demand to be met. The Secretary of State will decide on the preferred option, once it has been subject to consultation, nearer to the time that HS2 opens.
There is no connection between State Pension uprating and taxation.
An individual’s UK State Pension is based on the number of qualifying years on their National Insurance record.
The Government has a clear position, which has remained a consistent policy of successive Governments for around 70 years. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and are uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so; for example in the European Economic Area, or countries where we have a reciprocal social security agreement that allows for State Pension uprating which include the British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and Bermuda. We have no plans to change this policy.
The Government is taking steps to tackle childhood cancer, by improving early diagnosis, delivering more research, and driving progress in genomic medicine.
Improving early diagnosis is essential for children with cancer. The National Health Service is working to deliver the ambition set in its Long Term Plan to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028. This is backed by £2.3 billion funding to transform diagnostic services, with 123 new community diagnostic centres opened, giving millions of patients the chance to access quicker, more convenient checks. In addition, the NHS is expanding direct access to diagnostic scans across all general practitioner (GP) practices, helping GPs recognise cancer symptoms, cutting waiting times and speeding up diagnosis.
Delivering more research is key to understanding the causes of childhood cancer and increasing survival rates. Over the past five years, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has invested £13.9 million on 38 research projects into childhood cancers. In addition, alongside Cancer Research UK, health departments across the United Kingdom are jointly funding a network of 18 Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, collectively investing more than £35 million between 2017 and 2022, driving the discovery, development, and testing of new treatments. This includes the Paediatric Network that the NIHR co-funds with The Little Princess Trust, dedicated to early-phase research on childhood cancers.
Ensuring all children with cancer get access to ground-breaking genomic medicine is vital. The NHS now offers all children with cancer whole genome sequencing, to enable comprehensive and precise diagnosis and personalised treatments. In July, the Government announced a multi-year partnership agreement with the pharmaceutical giant BioNTech which will accelerate the company's clinical trials in the UK and could provide up to 10,000 patients with personalised cancer immunotherapies by 2030.
In addition, the Department is taking steps to better understand the landscape of childhood cancer with experts, aided by Dame Caroline Dinenage MP.
Through improving diagnosis, encouraging research, and ensuring access to ground-breaking treatment, the Government will continue to take steps to tackle childhood cancer.
Public Health England and Oxford University have estimated the false positive rate among asymptomatic school children is fewer than one in every 1,000 lateral flow tests.
We do not have a breakdown by project category of future spend. Programme allocations are continually reviewed to respond to changing global needs, including humanitarian crises, fluctuations in GNI and other ODA allocation decisions.
We do have information on project category spend for previous calendar years which is published in the statistics on international development. This data is based on calendar year not financial year and covers the whole of HMG. Please see below data based on 2022, the last available calendar year.
2022 | 2022 Total | ||||||||
Row Labels | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Maldives | Nepal | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | |
Administrative costs (non-sector allocable) | £273,832 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £150,105 | £0 | £423,938 |
Advanced technical and managerial training | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£54,390 | £0 | -£2,535 | £0 | £0 | -£56,924 |
Agricultural development | £1,292,411 | £0 | £0 | £47,020 | £0 | £0 | -£1,361,746 | £0 | -£22,316 |
Agricultural policy and administrative management | £0 | £2,809 | £0 | -£152 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£253,566 | -£250,909 |
Agricultural research | £0 | £0 | £0 | £240,948 | £0 | £0 | £7,715 | £0 | £248,663 |
Agricultural services | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£2,274,286 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£2,274,286 |
Anti-corruption organisations and institutions | £2,518,313 | £576,402 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £175,805 | £144,143 | £0 | £3,414,663 |
Basic drinking water supply | £0 | £350,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 | £0 | £0 | £569,574 |
Basic drinking water supply and basic sanitation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £639,497 | -£1,361,746 | £0 | -£722,250 |
Basic health care | £707,157 | £250,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £2,994,645 | £387,457 | £0 | £4,339,258 |
Basic life skills for adults | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £258,611 | £0 | £0 | £258,611 |
Basic nutrition | £0 | £712,997 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,770 | £0 | £0 | £727,767 |
Basic sanitation | £0 | £350,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £37,522 | -£2,723,493 | £0 | -£2,335,971 |
Biodiversity | £0 | £22,328 | £0 | £165,389 | £74,068 | £961,707 | £37,573 | £67,842 | £1,328,907 |
Business development services | £0 | £0 | £0 | £96,736 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £96,736 |
Business policy and administration | £0 | £0 | £0 | £565,783 | £0 | £0 | £437,513 | £0 | £1,003,296 |
Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution | £4,130,547 | £1,981,030 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £4,399 | £2,225,242 | £1,355,856 | £9,697,073 |
Communications policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £127,531 | £0 | £44,422 | £0 | £171,953 |
COVID-19 control | £0 | £23,407 | £0 | £802,602 | £0 | £0 | £5,949 | £0 | £831,958 |
Culture | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £61,341 | £0 | £61,341 |
Culture and recreation | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£22,408 | £0 | £0 | £85,158 | £0 | £62,750 |
Decentralisation and support to subnational government | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £138,288 | £2,475,959 | £0 | £0 | £2,614,248 |
Democratic participation and civil society | £250,000 | £1,394,795 | £0 | £0 | £57,419 | £973,571 | £443,327 | £0 | £3,119,111 |
Domestic revenue mobilisation | £0 | -£728,536 | £0 | £193,016 | £0 | £117,203 | £1,059,571 | £0 | £641,254 |
Education and training in water supply and sanitation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £12,737 | £0 | £0 | £12,737 |
Education facilities and training | £0 | £115,830 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,464,741 | £0 | £1,580,571 |
Education policy and administrative management | £0 | £577,278 | £0 | £97,983 | £0 | £0 | £3,077,249 | £0 | £3,752,510 |
Educational research | £0 | £361,000 | £0 | -£266,036 | £0 | £188,423 | £594,639 | £0 | £878,026 |
Elections | £0 | £12,027 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £900 | £0 | £12,927 |
Electric mobility infrastructures | £0 | £0 | £0 | £70,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £70,000 |
Electric power transmission and distribution (centralised grids) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £68,700 | £0 | £173,312 | £0 | £0 | £242,012 |
Emergency food assistance | £128,041,086 | £8,635,594 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £136,676,679 |
Employment creation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£255,005 | £0 | £0 | -£255,005 |
Ending violence against women and girls | £21,461,697 | £1,009,135 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £728,846 | £3,068,578 | £0 | £26,268,255 |
Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£889,376 | £0 | £1,200,806 | £0 | £0 | £311,430 |
Energy policy and administrative management | £0 | £50,553 | £0 | £158,146 | £0 | £368,287 | £0 | £0 | £576,985 |
Energy research | £0 | £0 | £0 | £23,688 | £0 | £147,098 | £0 | £0 | £170,786 |
Energy sector policy, planning and administration | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,479,122 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,479,122 |
Environmental education/training | £0 | £0 | £48,668 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £48,668 |
Environmental policy and administrative management | £635,676 | £6,904,699 | £0 | £24,064,426 | £0 | £4,380,855 | £5,812,804 | £0 | £41,798,459 |
Environmental research | £0 | £120,723 | £0 | £3,082,518 | £0 | £863,732 | £0 | £0 | £4,066,974 |
Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility | £0 | £102,902 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £234,377 | £0 | £0 | £337,279 |
Family planning | £265,080 | £565,862 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £102,500 | £3,660,244 | £0 | £4,593,686 |
Financial policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £507,690 | £0 | £0 | £301,387 | £0 | £809,077 |
Formal sector financial intermediaries | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,665 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,665 |
Health education | £338,898 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,770 | £0 | £0 | £558,668 |
Health personnel development | £0 | £273,503 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £273,503 |
Health policy and administrative management | £0 | £1,760,392 | £0 | £3,122,660 | £0 | £2,298,530 | £343,452 | £0 | £7,525,034 |
Higher education | £911,301 | £649,203 | £172,288 | £2,693,479 | £214,955 | £434,329 | £1,992,063 | £395,690 | £7,463,308 |
Human rights | £0 | £1,775,384 | £0 | £0 | £183,646 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,959,030 |
Immediate post-emergency reconstruction and rehabilitation | £4,081,072 | £2,602,056 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,382,031 | £12 | £0 | £8,065,171 |
Industrial development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £317,516 | £0 | £0 | £317,516 |
Industrial policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,102,394 | £0 | £0 | £1,102,394 |
Infectious disease control | £0 | £344,911 | £0 | £106,589 | £0 | £721,591 | £3,657 | £0 | £1,176,748 |
Informal/semi-formal financial intermediaries | £1,133,493 | £0 | £0 | £65,012 | £0 | £129,305 | £0 | £0 | £1,327,810 |
Information and communication technology (ICT) | £0 | £277,978 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £277,978 |
Legal and judicial development | £0 | £562,328 | £0 | £0 | £207,433 | £219,762 | £1,059,545 | £23,435 | £2,072,502 |
Legislatures and political parties | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £86,128 | £28,936 | £0 | £0 | £115,064 |
Livestock | £1,133,493 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,133,493 |
Low-cost housing | £0 | £0 | £0 | £7,590 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £7,590 |
Material relief assistance and services | £133,863,525 | £7,210,063 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £367,000 | £13,753,266 | £1,840,000 | £157,033,854 |
Media and free flow of information | £0 | £27,380 | £0 | £0 | £85,021 | £201,771 | £0 | £0 | £314,172 |
Medical research | £0 | £349,577 | £0 | £3,227,794 | £0 | £153,028 | £1,625,422 | £0 | £5,355,821 |
Medical services | £0 | £0 | £0 | £19,694 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £19,694 |
Monetary institutions | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£4,122,509 | £0 | £367,746 | £0 | £0 | -£3,754,763 |
Multi-hazard response preparedness | £0 | £3,119,353 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £2,296,059 | -£346,074 | £0 | £5,069,339 |
Multisector aid | £10,000,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £10,000,000 |
Multisector education/training | £179,070 | £2,964,257 | £0 | £10,757,244 | £0 | £1,082,590 | £5,089,541 | £1,148,813 | £21,221,516 |
Participation in international peacekeeping operations | -£26,486,939 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£26,486,939 |
Personnel development for population and reproductive health | £0 | £628,071 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £628,071 |
Population policy and administrative management | £0 | £63,206 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,325 | £159,552 | £0 | £272,083 |
Primary education | £677,795 | £1,749,487 | £0 | £96,754 | £0 | £0 | £1,368,615 | £0 | £3,892,652 |
Privatisation | £4,424 | £0 | £0 | £62,081 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £66,505 |
Public finance management (PFM) | £0 | -£4,128,373 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £820,701 | £1,854,023 | £0 | -£1,453,650 |
Public sector policy and administrative management | £34,999 | £576,042 | £0 | £859,780 | £0 | £789,046 | £91,270 | £0 | £2,351,137 |
Relief co-ordination and support services | £59,853,084 | £2,072,828 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £6,022,939 | £0 | £67,948,851 |
Removal of land mines and explosive remnants of war | £5,000,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £5,000,000 |
Reproductive health care | £1,369,857 | £1,435,386 | £0 | £52,362 | £0 | £490,359 | £1,851,776 | £0 | £5,199,740 |
Research/scientific institutions | £378,625 | £1,287,873 | -£72,577 | £740,328 | £0 | £1,049,080 | £908,916 | £2,760 | £4,295,005 |
Road transport | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 | £0 | £2,256,726 | £1,800 | £0 | £1,121,383 |
Rural development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £202,165 | £0 | £0 | £202,165 |
Security system management and reform | £0 | £43,536 | £0 | £0 | £458,799 | £69,946 | £0 | £0 | £572,281 |
Site preservation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development | £5,530 | £0 | £0 | £1,245,753 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,251,283 |
Social Protection | £0 | £1,351,346 | £0 | £39,879 | £0 | -£345,949 | £226,615 | £0 | £1,271,891 |
Solar energy for centralised grids | £0 | £0 | £0 | £117,792 | £0 | £648,694 | £0 | £0 | £766,486 |
Statistical capacity building | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £353,100 | £0 | £0 | £353,100 |
Teacher training | £0 | £508,061 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £663,698 | £0 | £1,171,759 |
Trade facilitation | £5,530 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £133,722 | £0 | £139,252 |
Trade policy and administrative management | £6,637 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £203,275 | £0 | £209,912 |
Transport policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £69,054 | £0 | £128,892 | £1,200 | £0 | £199,146 |
Tuberculosis control | £0 | £29,991 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £29,991 |
Upper Secondary Education (modified and includes data from 11322) | £338,898 | £897,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £985,293 | £0 | £2,221,190 |
Urban development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £542,146 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £542,146 |
Urban development and management | £0 | £1,050,000 | £0 | £78,000 | £0 | £695,269 | £781,523 | £0 | £2,604,792 |
Vocational training | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £646,527 | £0 | £0 | £646,527 |
Waste management/disposal | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,424 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,424 |
Water resources conservation (including data collection) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 |
Water sector policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £31,842 | £0 | £0 | £31,842 |
Water supply - large systems | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £737,655 | £0 | £0 | £737,655 |
Water supply and sanitation - large systems | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 |
Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions | £0 | £1,800,998 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £59,406 | £1,444,631 | £0 | £3,305,036 |
Grand Total | £352,405,092 | £54,672,670 | £148,379 | £45,728,404 | £1,633,288 | £37,241,408 | £57,842,803 | £4,580,830 | £554,252,874 |
The White Paper on International Development sets out how the UK will target aid where it is most needed and most effective. We will prioritise grant resources to the lowest income countries and communities and aim to spend 50 per cent of our bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). LDCs includes many low-income and lower-middle income countries. They are the least able to finance their development through taxes, borrowing or investment, and most of the world's poorest people live in LDCs which are either fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable to climate change. This focus on LDCs will inform all our ODA spending.
We expect to spend less ODA in contexts where other sources of finance are available and will draw on ODA only as necessary in our partnerships with middle-income countries (MICs). We recognise MICs are a broad and variable group and their status masks pockets of extreme poverty and inequality, as well as acute humanitarian needs. ODA can be used in a targeted way to support their objectives and our shared priorities.
Since 2019 HMG has been working with British Overseas Territories to build cyber resilience. Cyber risk reviews have been completed in six British Overseas Territories (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands) with two more scheduled this financial year. The UK has also established an Overseas Territories cyber community which provides access to expertise and specialist training from the UK.
This Government remains committed to upholding our constitutional responsibilities towards the Overseas Territories. While the commitments in the 2012 White Paper remain relevant, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is leading UK Government Departments in the development of a new Overseas Territories Strategy.
The Inhabited Territories have varying powers and responsibilities devolved to them which are set out in their constitutions. In most Overseas Territories the Governor retains responsibility for external affairs, defence, and internal security. Governors work closely with the elected leaders of the Territories to discharge reserved powers. Each UK government Department has responsibility for supporting the Territories within their areas of competence, including supporting the Governors in exercising reserve powers.
The UK is a leading donor to COVAX, the multilateral mechanism set up to support international co-operation on vaccines. We are donating a smaller quantity to bilateral partners and countries. The main objective of any donation is to promote the economic development and welfare of the recipient country, though we will also seek to strengthen key relationships, in line with the Integrated Review. Decisions are taken on a case by case basis, when vaccines are available to be donated.
The UK has provided £548 million to COVID, which has shipped over 610 million doses to144 participants, including 4.3 million doses to Nepal. As G7 chair the UK also secured commitment to donate 1 billion doses to the developing world by June 2022, including 100 million donated by the UK. The majority of these doses will be donated to COVAX, which remains best-placed to allocate vaccines to where they will be most effective. The UK also funds the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank whose finance has enabled the Government of Nepal to purchase vaccines. This financing together with COVAX supplies can vaccinate 70% of the population of Nepal.
The UK Government is one of the leading donors to Covax, committing £548m to the scheme, which will provide more than a billion vaccines to developing countries including doses for almost a fifth of Nepal's population. The UK has also funded a new £180,000 duplex oxygen generation plant at the Nepal Police Hospital in Kathmandu to help address oxygen shortages to treat COVID19 patients. The UK is also providing £15m of support to international NGOs and the UN to provide shelter, nutrition and other critical needs in Nepal - including cash and voucher assistance to 220,000 vulnerable people's basic needs, nutrition support to 120,000 pregnant and lactating women and infants, 400,000 people with WASH (UNICEF's water, sanitation and hygiene) support, and 210 truckloads of relief supplies to 52 different destinations.
On Friday 28 May, a plane carrying the UK’s donation of 260 ventilators and 2,000 visors arrived in Nepal, in response to an urgent request for medical supplies from the Government of Nepal. Moreover, since the beginning of the pandemic, British Embassy Kathmandu has helped Nepal respond to COVID-19 by reprioritising over £40m of its aid budget. This support has included the construction of an oxygen plant in a Kathmandu hospital; technical advice to local government on managing the impact of COVID-19; water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to support around 300,000 people; safe spaces for women in isolation centres; cash and voucher assistance for the most vulnerable; and nutrition support for pregnant and lactating women.
The UK Government is one of the leading donors to COVAX, committing £548 million to the scheme, which will provide more than a billion vaccines to developing countries including doses for almost a fifth of Nepal's population. The UK has also funded a new £180,000 duplex oxygen generation plant at the Nepal Police Hospital in Kathmandu to help address oxygen shortages to treat COVID19 patients. On 27 May the UK sent a further package of support to Nepal to help the country's fight against coronavirus. This included 260 ventilators and personal protective equipment.
As the Foreign Secretary set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on 21 April, we have prioritised our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world. The Foreign Secretary's statement set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget in the overarching pursuit of poverty reduction. These principles combined with a strategic approach will ensure that every penny we spend, including to Nepal, goes as far as possible and makes a world-leading difference
The details of UK bilateral assistance programmes are set out in FCDO's DevTracker. This provides each project's allocation, the amount spent to date, and the end date for each project. Full budgets per country and a final audited spend for 2020/21 will be published in due course, including in our regular Statistics on International Development website and in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government is one of the leading donors to Covax, committing £548m to the scheme, which will provide more than a billion vaccines to developing countries including doses for almost a fifth of Nepal's population. The UK has also funded a new £180,000 duplex oxygen generation plant at the Nepal Police Hospital in Kathmandu to help address oxygen shortages to treat COVID19 patients. The UK is also providing £15m of support to international NGOs and the UN to provide shelter, nutrition and other critical needs in Nepal - including cash and voucher assistance to 220,000 vulnerable people's basic needs, nutrition support to 120,000 pregnant and lactating women and infants, 400,000 people with WASH (UNICEF's water, sanitation and hygiene) support, and 210 truckloads of relief supplies to 52 different destinations.
On Friday 28 May, a plane carrying the UK’s donation of 260 ventilators and 2,000 visors arrived in Nepal, in response to an urgent request for medical supplies from the Government of Nepal. Moreover, since the beginning of the pandemic, British Embassy Kathmandu has helped Nepal respond to COVID-19 by reprioritising over £40m of its aid budget. This support has included the construction of an oxygen plant in a Kathmandu hospital; technical advice to local government on managing the impact of COVID-19; water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to support around 300,000 people; safe spaces for women in isolation centres; cash and voucher assistance for the most vulnerable; and nutrition support for pregnant and lactating women.
COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to the Crown Dependencies and all of the inhabited Overseas Territories with airports. Arrangements are now being made to deliver the vaccines to Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands. The smaller Overseas Territories will complete their vaccination programmes soon and deliveries to the other Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies continue on a population proportionate basis alongside the domestic roll out in the UK. The Government only publishes data on vaccine administered in the UK, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies are regularly publishing data on their vaccination programmes.
COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to the Crown Dependencies and all of the inhabited Overseas Territories with airports. Arrangements are now being made to deliver the vaccines to Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands. The smaller Overseas Territories will complete their vaccination programmes soon and deliveries to the other Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies continue on a population proportionate basis alongside the domestic roll out in the UK. The Government only publishes data on vaccine administered in the UK, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies are regularly publishing data on their vaccination programmes.
The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.
Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.
The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.
Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.
The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.
Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.
The UK Government has procured COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and is committed to continue to providing a proportionate supply in line with roll out of the vaccine in the UK. The governments of the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are responsible for the coordination of their own vaccination programmes. This includes setting their own frameworks for prioritisation based on demographics and their wider public health strategies. The Crown Dependencies have been supplied vaccine directly by Public Health England: details of their vaccination programmes, including up-to-date statistics on number of doses administered, can be found at gov.im, gov.je and gov.gg.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been coordinating the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to the Overseas Territories with the support of the Department of Health and Social Care, the Vaccines Taskforce, Ministry of Defence and Public Health England. Deliveries to the inhabited Overseas Territories began on 5 January and as of 15 February, the FCDO has organised 16 vaccine deliveries to 10 Overseas Territories to support their individual vaccination programmes for priority groups, with further deliveries scheduled over coming weeks in line with Territories' vaccination plans. Planning is also underway to deliver vaccines to the two outstanding inhabited Territories: Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands.
Public Health England have been providing expert advice to the Overseas Territories on deploying the vaccines. The FCDO have provided support to the Overseas Territories throughout the pandemic, enabling seven islands to begin testing for COVID-19 for the first time, the others to continue testing, ensuring none ran out of Personal Protective Equipment, funding two military deployments and sending medical staff, ventilators and other equipment.
The Political Framework will form the basis of the future treaty, which will finalise the border arrangements for Gibraltar. We have sent the Political Framework to the European Commission so that we can quickly initiate negotiations to develop the Framework into a new treaty. The Political Framework sets out that Gibraltar will continue to operate entry checks as now, in accordance with its immigration rules, and it is without prejudice to British sovereignty over Gibraltar.
The UK, working side by side with the Governments of Gibraltar and Spain, reached agreement on 31 December over a political framework to form the basis of a separate treaty between the UK and the EU regarding Gibraltar. The political framework covers issues of key importance to Gibraltar and the surrounding region, including on border fluidity, and provides a firm basis to safeguard Gibraltar's interests. We have sent this framework to the European Commission in order to initiate negotiations on the treaty.
The Ascension Island Government has raised the following revenue via taxation over the last 5 years: 2015/2016: £5,105,491; 2016/2017: £4,987,011; 2017/2018: £4,870,185; 2018/2019: £4,579,244; 2019/2020: £4,750,558. These funds have primarily been used to provide essential public services on the island. The cessation of the South Atlantic Airbridge in 2017 due to damage on Wideawake Runway has reduced the Ascension Island Government's ability to raise more in tax revenue. The funding available for infrastructure works therefore has been limited. The Ascension Island Government's budget is discussed as part of on-island Council meetings with any expenditure agreed by island Councillors.
A 2017 report identified a wide array infrastructure on Ascension Island which required repair. Eleven infrastructure projects have been identified as priorities and are estimated cost approximately £39 million to fix. In order to address the most urgent repairs, £5 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund was allocated in 2018 for a capital investment programme over three years. Additionally, the runway repair project, which is now underway is jointly funded with the United States at a total cost of $170 million. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with the Ascension Island Government to ensure that there is a clear prioritised plan for infrastructure repair works along with a detailed asset management plan to ensure the island's critical infrastructure is properly maintained.
The precise allocations of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund budget for 2021/2022 are still to be confirmed. A prioritisation exercise of infrastructural work for next year including Ascension Island will be undertaken following confirmation of precise budgets.
One of the primary objectives of the St Helena Airport was to develop the island's tourist industry leading to wider benefits for its economy. Since the commercial air service started in October 2017, tourist arrivals have increased by 52% in 2018 with a further increase of 19% on that in 2019 when compared to average leisure arrivals on the island between 2010 and 2017. Estimated spending by tourists and other visitors contributed around £4 million to the St Helena economy in 2018 and £5 million in 2019. However, because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, no tourists or other non-essential visitors have been able to visit St Helena since March 2020. The outlook for the resumption of tourist travel remains uncertain.
The full impact of air access on the economy will take some years to materialise and there is not yet enough data to assess the impact on other economic sectors. The airport has however brought other benefits such as quicker access to the island and allowed for life saving urgent medical evacuations. The UK Government will continue to work with the St Helena Government to support the island's economic development.
The UK has committed up to £548 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. The UK expects the contribution to support access to COVID-19 vaccines for up to 92 developing countries by contributing to the supply of 1 billion doses in 2021 (subject to vaccines successfully securing stringent regulatory approvals).
FCDO funding agreements with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, set out objectives for UK funding, and are subject to rigorous programme management procedures, including routine financial and results reporting, audits, and annual reviews. For multi-donor funded organisations, including Gavi, the UK is an active participant in governance boards and committees, and works with other donors to set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure strong financial management and reporting.
The Ascension Island Government raises revenue from taxes on island. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has used the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund to address issues with critical infrastructure on the island. The island also receives funding from the UK Government Blue Belt Programme (approximately £390,000 this financial year) to support its Marine Protected Area, which was designated in 2019.
A significant proportion of Ascension's infrastructure needs modernising. In 2018, £5 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund was earmarked over three years to address the very most critical safety issues. The UK Government is working with the Ascension Island Government and stakeholders to ensure that these issues are resolved as the Ascension Island is important to the United Kingdom
This year, the UK has contributed up to £250 million of UK aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop vaccines against emerging epidemic diseases, including COVID-19. We expect this to deliver a portfolio of promising vaccine candidates that take into account the particular contexts, systems, and population needs of people in developing countries, and that people in ODA-eligible countries have access to them as soon as possible.
FCDO-funded programmes are subject to rigorous programme management procedures to monitor progress against expected outcomes, including routine financial and results reporting, audits, and annual reviews. For multi-donor funded organisations, including CEPI, the UK is an active participant in governance boards and committees, and works with other donors to set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure strong financial management and reporting.
The UK has contributed a total of up to £813 million to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. This includes up to £250 million of UK Aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an organisation that is supporting the development and manufacturing scale-up of promising COVID-19 vaccines for global use. The UK has committed up to £548 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, which will support access to COVID-19 vaccines for 92 developing countries by contributing to the supply of 1 billion doses in 2021 (subject to vaccines successfully securing stringent regulatory approvals). The UK has also committed £71 million of non-ODA funds to participate in the COVAX Facility for self-financing countries to secure options to vaccines for UK domestic use.
Up to £40 million has been contributed to the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to support the rapid development of, and access to, treatments for COVID-19. Up to £23 million has been committed to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to drive innovation in the development and delivery of tests to combat major diseases affecting the poorest populations, including COVID-19.
The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator is a coalition of partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Unitaid, the Global Fund, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), and others. The UK is a founding member of the ACT-Accelerator, and provides strategic guidance through representation on the ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council.
The UK funds leading organisations that are committed to delivering the ACT-Accelerator's objectives. The breakdown of these financial contributions is outlined in the Written Answer HL9851. FCDO funding agreements with these partners set out objectives for UK funding, and are subject to rigorous programme management procedures, including routine financial and results reporting, audits, and annual reviews. The UK is an active participant in governance boards and committees for multi-donor funded organisations, including Gavi and CEPI, and works with other donors to set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure strong financial management and reporting.
The breakdown of the UK's financial contribution to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) is outlined in the Written Answer HL9851. This includes up to £548 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, up to £250 million of UK aid to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), up to £40 million to the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, and up to £23 million to the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND).
We have assessed this spend, and the vital work it supports, to be eligible as Official Development Assistance (ODA) under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ODA Directives. In line with these Directives, the primary purpose of the UK's ODA spend in this area is to promote the welfare and economic development of developing countries, and address the problems they face due to COVID-19. This includes ensuring that organisations supported to drive the research and development of effective vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments negotiate access agreements with private sector partners, and prioritise products that are suitable to the contexts, systems, and population needs of people in developing countries. This will be crucial in mitigating the humanitarian and economic crisis they face from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are committed to working with Ghana, other West African countries and our international partners to prepare against the threat of possible future Islamist insurgencies in coastal West Africa. The Prime Minister discussed security in the region with President Akufo-Addo of Ghana at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January. The UK is concerned by the potential emerging threat of terrorism to Ghana and other West African coastal states from extremist groups currently active in the neighbouring Sahel.
The UK is working closely with the Government of Ghana to share knowledge and expertise on regional security. The Ministry of Defence is delivering crisis response training to support Ghana to counter the threat, working both with security agencies in the north of Ghana and the central government in Accra, as well as helping to develop Ghana's military capability with US partners.
The UK welcomes the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement on 3 October 2020. This is an important step towards a comprehensive peace deal to help bring to an end decades of conflict in Sudan. The UK and our Troika partners, the US and Norway, welcomed this progress in a statement on 4 October, calling for all parties to implement this agreement in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. We also called for further engagement to seek an agreement with those groups who have not, thus far, joined peace talks. In this regard, we welcome the agreement of 3 September to re-start negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North. Through the UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, and our officials in Khartoum, we remain in contact with all parties to urge progress towards a lasting peace.
In addition, we are supporting the establishment of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS), which will help in the implementation of the peace agreement and will have a central role for international community support. The UK also delivers programmes that promote long-term stability in conflict-affected areas, support marginalised groups, and encourage reconciliation within conflicted communities. On 25 June, as demonstration of the UK's wider commitment to support Sudan as it transitions to democracy, the Minister for Africa announced £150million in assistance to help reform Sudan's economy, stabilise inflation and provide humanitarian assistance.
As a founding donor, the UK is a strong supporter of the Access for COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. The UK has a seat on the Facilitation Council, provides strategic guidance, and mobilises financial support in its role. The UK has contributed up to £813 million to ACT-Accelerator partners. This includes the Prime Minister's announcement at the United National General Assembly of up to £500 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment to support access to coronavirus vaccines for up to 92 developing countries.
The UK welcomes the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement on 3 October 2020 between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. This is an important step towards a comprehensive peace deal to help bring to an end decades of conflict in Sudan. The UK and our Troika partners, the US and Norway, welcomed this progress in a statement on 4 October calling for all parties to implement this agreement in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. We called for further engagement to seek an agreement with groups who have not, thus far, joined peace talks. Through the UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, and our officials in Khartoum, we remain in contact with all parties to urge progress for the sake of those who have suffered for too long from conflicts in Sudan.
In addition, we are supporting the establishment of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS), which will help in the implementation of the peace agreement and will have a central role for international community support. The UK also delivers programmes that promote long-term stability in conflict-affected areas, support marginalised groups, and encourage reconciliation within conflicted communities. On 25 June, as demonstration of the UK's wider commitment to support Sudan as it transitions to democracy, the Minister for Africa announced £150 million in assistance to help reform Sudan's economy, stabilise inflation and provide humanitarian assistance.
The Government supports NATO's Enlargement process. The UK plays an active role in the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP), a set of initiatives aimed at strengthening Georgia's defence capabilities and developing closer security cooperation and interoperability with NATO Allies. We will continue to provide substantial support, both bilaterally and through NATO. A recent example includes facilitating a NATO-level evaluation of the Georgian Coast Guard on board Royal Navy vessel HMS Dragon.
The Government supports NATO's Enlargement process. The UK played an active role in helping Ukraine achieve Enhanced Opportunity Partner status in June 2020, deepening Ukraine's interoperability with the NATO Alliance. As members of the G7 Ambassadors Group and Ukraine's Defence Reform Advisory Board, the UK continues to provide substantial support to assist Ukraine in pursuing the vital reforms needed to bring the country further in line with Euro-Atlantic standards.
The UK supports Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) Euro-Atlantic trajectory. We welcomed the agreement by the Presidency to submit a tailored 'Reform Programme' to NATO in December 2019, which secured further NATO cooperation and unblocked defence reform. We are encouraging BiH to submit a further Reform Programme for 2020-2021 and to work with NATO - both in Brussels and through the NATO Office in Sarajevo - to draw on best practice. Bilaterally, the UK will continue to build on our strong defence relations and support capacity building and modernisation of the Armed Forces of BiH, including upgrading military training facilities, improving military selection and supporting gender integration. Such reforms will help BiH bring their defence and security sector in line with Euro-Atlantic standards.
In line with the situation in Ukraine, working closely with the Ukrainian Government, as well as our international counterparts, we keep the need for a possible extension of UK sanctuary, beyond March 2025, under consistent review. We are also mindful that permission will start to expire, for the first arrivals under our Ukrainian schemes, from March 2025, and their need for certainty beyond that point to help them to plan ahead, for example if remaining in the UK, entering into rental agreements and living here independently.
The UK Government stands with Ukraine and firmly believes that Ukraine will be safe again. When it’s safe to do so, Ukraine will need the repatriation of its citizens to help recover and rebuild their economy and infrastructure. Our approach therefore has been to provide 36 months sanctuary under our Ukraine visas which are temporary and do not lead to settlement.
It is the government’s intention to increase the minimum income required for British citizens and those settled in the UK (including serving members of HM Armed Forces who are exempt from immigration control and those applying for settlement upon discharge, at the same as their family member) who want their family members to join them. This reinforces that all those who want to work and live here must be able to support themselves, are contributing to the economy, and are not burdening the state.
The fees and policies that apply to the dependants of members of HM Armed Forces are closely aligned with those that apply to the dependants of other British citizens and settled persons under the standard family immigration rules, although they do recognise the unique position of Armed Forces family members.
Until the Immigration Rules are amended the MIR level remains the same. The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the minimum income requirement in due course. Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.
While a British Overseas Territory (BOT) passport holder is not automatically a British Citizen, a person who is both a British citizen and British overseas territories citizen will have the right of abode in the UK, and so will not need to apply for a visa to study here. However, they may need to show that they are a British citizen, and so may wish to apply for a British citizen passport or certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. British overseas citizens who are not also British citizens will need to apply for a visa.
BOT citizens who are not eligible for British citizenship can apply for a student visa online, which requires biometrics to be provided.
Biometric enrolment services for those who hold a BOT passport and who wish to make a UK visa application are available in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, St Helena and, for those in the Sovereign Base areas of Akrotiri or Dhekelia, via Nicosia.
It would not be commercially viable to operate a visa application centre or temporary biometrics enrolment service in the remaining BOTs due to the small volume of customers and/or remote locations of these territories. This may mean travelling to a nearby location.
As part of our Future Borders and Immigration System programme, we continue to roll out digitisation of all our application processes, which in future will minimise the requirement to attend visa application centres.
Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. To comply with the requirement, statements must be:
The injunctive power in the legislation has not been used to date. The Government has committed to strengthening the legislation and our response to the transparency in supply chains consultation, published on 22 September 2020, announced an ambitious package of changes to section 54, including introducing mandatory reporting topics, a single reporting deadline and a central Government-run registry, to enable Government and others to continuously monitor compliance. These measures require primary legislation and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.
In the meantime, we will be asking organisations to start preparing for the new requirements, including by publishing their statements on the new Government-run modern slavery registry, which is due to launch in 2021. The new registry will enhance transparency by making modern slavery statements available in one place for the first time. It will provide greater visibility of the steps organisations are taking to prevent modern slavery in their global supply chains and empower investors, consumers and civil society to scrutinise action and monitor progress.
The Government has also committed to considering enforcement options in line with the development of the Single Enforcement Body for employment rights, led by BEIS.