Today, we focus on the serious situation in China.

In Hong Kong, Beijing’s imposition of the National Security Law is a serious breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and directly threatens rights and freedoms.

The National Security Law is being implemented with the apparent intention to eliminate dissent. It allows prosecution of certain cases in mainland China, a jurisdiction where defendants are often held for long periods without charge or access to legal counsel, and where we have concerns about judicial independence, due process, and reports of torture.

Also of grave concern, in Xinjiang, there is compelling evidence – including from the Chinese authorities’ own documents – of systematic human rights violations.

Culture and religion are severely restricted, and we have seen credible reports of forced labour and forced birth control. Staggeringly, up to 1.8 million people have been detained without trial.

Across the country, we also remain seriously concerned about the pressure on media freedom.

Madam President, we call on China to uphold the rights and freedoms in the Joint Declaration, to respect the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary, allow unfettered access to Xinjiang and to release all those who are arbitrarily detained.

Thank you.

St Andrews Motorhomes Limited was incorporated in June 1993 to buy and sell motorhomes in Central Scotland. Christine Helen Galloway (65), from Cupar, Fife, was a director of the company since its incorporation.

The company, however, began to struggle and ceased trading in July 2018, before entering into compulsory liquidation. St Andrews Motorhomes’ insolvency brought the company to the attention of the Insolvency Service, who conducted further enquiries into the company’s activities.

Between May 2017 and July 2018 St Andrews Motorhomes entered into 32 brokerage agreements, buying customers’ motorhomes and caravans, and offering an agreed return when the vehicles were sold to a third party.

Investigators established, however, that in at least 18 of the 32 agreements, Christine Galloway sold the vehicles to a third party for less than the agreed return price in the brokerage agreement.

21 of the agreements were entered into between January 2018 and May 2018. In this period Christine Galloway knew or ought to have known that the company was insolvent and was unable to pay the agreed return to customers.

Further enquiries established that Christine Galloway entered into new brokerage agreements from May 2017 onwards but used customers’ funds to settle historic liabilities resulting from previous agreements. Following a similar pattern, these historic liabilities accrued from Christine Galloway being unable to meet the agreed return price when the vehicles were sold to a third party.

During the liquidation, customers have claimed losses of just over £660,000 in connection with the 32 agreements. The affected customers also no longer own the vehicles as a result of Christine Galloway’s activities.

In her disqualification undertaking, Christine Galloway did not dispute that she failed to act in the best interests of customers by continuing to enter into brokerage agreements with customers guaranteeing a return price for their vehicles which could not be met.

Rob Clarke, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

Christine Galloway showed a lack of regard for her customers. Not only did she cause hundreds of thousands of pounds of losses, she knowingly put her customers at risk by using funds from new agreements to settle agreements with long-standing customers.

Eight years is a significant disqualification and Christine Galloway’s ban should serve as a warning to other directors that they risk being removed from the corporate arena if they do not safeguard their customers.

On 17 August 2020 the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Christine Helen Galloway. Her ban is effective from 7 September 2020 after which she is banned from acting as a director or directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

Christine Helen Galloway is of Cupar, Fife, and her date of birth is November 1954.

St Andrews Motorhomes Ltd Company Registration Number SC144924

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of restrictions.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen of the Prague 5G Security Conference, thank you for the honour to deliver these opening remarks to you today on behalf of the UK Government.

The Prague Security Conference is a prime and unique platform for the world of telecommunications and security, a complicated and sensitive world.

Digital connectivity is an increasingly vital part of our lives – it underpins our economy, our jobs and helps to keep us in touch with one another.

I think everyone in ‘this’ virtual room can agree that this period of global crisis has brought home the crucial importance of a reliable connection, around the world.

But the world needs to look to the future, to be at the forefront of the technology revolution. That means accelerating the development of world-class, next generation digital technology through 5G and full fibre.

5G will transform the way we communicate and the way we live.

But in order to maximise the benefits of these technologies we need to have confidence in the security and resilience of the networks on which they are built, the supply chains on which they depend, and the equipment and services that support them.

Ensuring the security of our networks, for example through vendor risk assessments and by increasing security standards is vital.

I know much of the event yesterday touched on these matters and it is right that we continue to focus on them.

In the UK we will be taking forward our own approaches.

We will shortly introduce the Telecoms Security Bill. This crucial piece of legislation will in time allow us to implement one of the toughest regimes in the world for telecommunications security.

It will give the government and Ofcom new powers to drive up security standards and control the presence of high-risk equipment vendors in our networks and enshrine in law one of the strongest regimes for telecoms security in the world.

The Bill will introduce a new strengthened telecoms security framework, including new telecoms security duties and requirements on operators. These tough new duties and requirements will raise the security bar, and help to ensure operators protect networks against the greatest threats to telecoms security.

And a new national security direction power will require operators to comply with specific controls in relation to individual high risk vendors.

We need to ensure that we increase security standards across the industry as a whole – that means both telecommunications operators and equipment suppliers – whilst also ensuring that we as a government have the powers necessary to manage the national security risks to the networks.

But this isn’t just about security.

And security frameworks alone will not address the real issue at hand – the current lack of effective choice and competition in the telecommunications access market.

The rapidly changing technological base for telecoms provides a unique opportunity for a collective effort to open up the market to greater competition.

With that opportunity in mind, our focus is now on resolving the wider global issue of diversifying the market, working closely and urgently with our allies.

Market failure has brought us to the position we are now in, a market that has consolidated to a handful of scale suppliers.

In the future it is essential that we are never again in the position of having to rely on just a few individual suppliers.

And It is therefore vital that we take collective action to grow the market, and make it more competitive and diverse.

Not only will a more diverse supply chain reduce our respective national dependencies on any individual suppliers – it is also central to driving more competition, innovation and higher security standards in the telecoms supply market.

But we must do this in a way that balances our short term resilience with our longer term vision.

This is why the UK Government is urgently pursuing an ambitious, multifaceted diversification strategy.

The strategy, to be published shortly, will outline our long-term vision for the UK and global telecoms supply market. One with greater diversity and competition amongst suppliers – and with security and resilience an essential requirement.

To do this we need to open up the supply chain – splitting out the lock-in between hardware and software components. We want to see interoperability become the industry default and common global standards set the technical requirements.

We will achieve this by focusing our work on three core elements:

First – securing the supply chains of our critical incumbent suppliers by putting in place measures and mitigations that will protect supply chains and ensure there is no disruption to our networks.

Second – bringing new scale vendors into the UK market by removing barriers to entry, providing commercial incentives and creating large scale opportunities for new vendors to enter the UK market.

And third – addressing the existing structure of the supply market by investing in research and development and building partnerships between operators and vendors that will mean interoperable solutions become the standard across the industry.

And I am encouraged by the progress that industry is making to bring forward the development of technologies such as OpenRAN.

Recently Vodafone announced its first OpenRAN site in the UK, at the Royal Welsh Showground in Powys in rural Wales. This new approach has the ability to make us less dependent on larger incumbent suppliers and find ways to reduce the cost of rolling out mobile coverage, while also increasing resilience.

We are looking at a range of policy levers across each of these strands of work including incentives for operators and vendors to accelerate diversification, investments in research and development and the removal of regulatory barriers where they exist.

And of course we want to make the most of the UK’s vibrant and innovative telecommunications sector and want to work with industry to test, develop and deploy new and emerging technical solutions.

That is why my department is establishing a telecoms diversification taskforce, comprised of industry leaders and technical and academic experts. This taskforce will guide our thinking on how we develop solutions that will drive innovative and sustainable changes across the market.

But achieving our long-term vision for diversification is not something that the UK can achieve alone. This is a global issue.

We believe we all have a shared responsibility to address the current failure in the telecommunications supply market.

It will require a collaborative, coordinated and concerted effort from a range of like-minded international partners – working in lock-step with industry – to overcome the current barriers to diversification.

To that end I would like to state my thanks to those partners who we have already engaged on this important issue. I ask for those conversations to continue, and invite those partners who share our long-term vision to reach out too.

Because we are now at a crunch point. We believe there is a real opportunity to deliver real change to the betterment of the market, but we must act now.

The UK Government is committed to driving this conversation forward and engaging with this global community – our allies – on these pressing issues.

So in closing, I would again like to thank and express my gratitude to all those who are here and for the opportunity to address the conference today.

The matters being discussed here are all shared issues. Similarly, I know that we also share the same objectives – to drive forward digital connectivity, whilst safeguarding our national security interests. And only by working together will we deliver lasting and sustainable solutions.

We shouldn’t underestimate the opportunity we have here today, in Prague, to learn from each other, sharing successes and failures.

It is vitally important that conversations like these, on crucial issues such as these, continue to take place.

I wish you success in the remainder of this conference and look I forward to engaging further on these issues in the near future.

The pioneering partnership between government and the aviation sector to fast-track zero-emission flight has taken its next step forward today (Friday 25 September 2020) with the publication of the group’s members and key aims.

Following the first meeting of the group earlier in the summer, representatives from the UK’s leading aerospace, aviation and technology sectors will work in lockstep with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Aviation Minister Robert Courts and Business Secretary Alok Sharma to drive forward the government’s ambitions for clean aviation.

Industry leaders from Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Shell, along with representatives from some of Britain’s top aviation, tech, non-governmental organisation (NGO) and investor groups, including John Holland-Kaye (Heathrow) and Alex Cruz (IAG), will aim to turbocharge government plans through a laser focus on UK production facilities for sustainable aviation fuels and the acceleration of the design, manufacture and commercial operation of zero-emission aircraft in the UK, helping speed the sector towards a low-carbon future.

Aviation Minister Robert Courts said:

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges faced by modern society, and we know we need to go further and faster if we’re to make businesses sustainable long into the future.

That’s why we’re bringing together government, business and investors to reduce emissions in the aviation sector – through innovative technologies, such as sustainable fuels, hybrid and eventually electric planes, we will build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for all.

The council, which will establish sub-committees to accelerate progress, will focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and delivering clean growth. It will operate in the context of the UK’s wider target for net zero emissions by 2050 – one of the most ambitious targets in the world.

The partnership will leverage the UK’s world-leading aviation sector, which employs 230,000 people in the UK and contributes £33 billion to the UK economy, to effectively tackle emissions while encouraging growth and green innovation. Through this partnership, the UK will go further than ever before in developing the first zero-emission transatlantic passenger aircraft.

The publication of the group’s aims today coincides with the Aviation Minister’s visit to Cranfield to witness the world’s first hydrogen-electric passenger plane flight.

ZeroAvia, a leading innovator in decarbonising commercial aviation, supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, completed the flight at the company’s research and development (R&D) facility in Cranfield, England, with the Piper M-class 6-seat plane completing taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit and landing.

Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi said:

The UK is unrelenting in its commitment to ensuring a cleaner world for future generations by achieving net zero emissions by 2050 – and making air travel greener will be a huge part of this.

This ambitious council will see the government working in tandem with key players from across aviation, aerospace and wider to develop innovations that will catapult aviation to a low-carbon future.

The full list of attendees can be found online, along with the terms of reference..

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined additional government support to provide certainty to businesses and workers impacted by coronavirus across the UK.

Delivering a speech in Parliament, the Chancellor announced a package of measures that will continue to protect jobs and help businesses through the uncertain months ahead as we continue to tackle the spread of the virus. The package includes a new Jobs Support Scheme to protect millions of returning workers, extending the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and 15% VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors, and help for businesses in repaying government-backed loans.

The announcement comes after the Prime Minster set out further measures to combat the spread of the virus over the winter, while preserving the ability to grow the economy.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:

The resurgence of the virus, and the measures we need to take in response, pose a threat to our fragile economic recovery…

Our approach to the next phase of support must be different to that which came before.

The primary goal of our economic policy remains unchanged – to support people’s jobs – but the way we achieve that must evolve.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

As the Prime Minister made clear this week, the struggle against covid is the single biggest crisis the country has faced in decades. The UK Government is focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while doing everything we can to protect the our economy and people’s jobs.

The package announced by the Chancellor today is great news for people and businesses in Scotland. It will help keep people in jobs, extend crucial support to businesses and giving them the certainty they need. It will give businesses and self-employed people the support they need to get through this difficult situation. It comes on top of an extensive package of UK Government support throughout the pandemic, and is very welcome.

The UK Government has put in place unprecedented measures to support all parts of the country during this pandemic. It shows clearly how Scotland benefits from being part of a strong United Kingdom.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the government has taken swift action to save lives, limit the spread of the disease and minimise damage to the economy.

Ministers have introduced one of the most generous and comprehensive economic plans anywhere in the world with over £190 billion of support for people, businesses and public services – including paying the wages of nearly 12 million people, supporting over a million businesses through grants, loans and rates cuts and announcing the Plan for Jobs in July.

The government has been consistently clear that it would keep its support under review to protect jobs and the economy, with today’s action reflecting the evolving circumstances and uncertainty of the months ahead. The package of measures, which applies to all regions and nations of the UK, includes:

Support for workers

A new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from 1 November to protect viable jobs in businesses who are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus.

Under the scheme, which will run for six months and help keep employees attached to the workforce, the government will contribute towards the wages of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to decreased demand.

Employers will continue to pay the wages of staff for the hours they work – but for the hours not worked, the government and the employer will each pay one third of their equivalent salary.

This means employees who can only go back to work on shorter time will still be paid two thirds of the hours for those hours they can’t work.

In order to support only viable jobs, employees must be working at least 33% of their usual hours. The level of grant will be calculated based on employee’s usual salary, capped at £697.92 per month.

The Job Support Scheme will be open to businesses across the UK even if they have not previously used the furlough scheme, with further guidance being published in due course.

It is designed to sit alongside the Jobs Retention Bonus and could be worth over 60% of average wages of workers who have been furloughed – and are kept on until the start of February 2021. Businesses can benefit from both schemes in order to help protect jobs.

In addition, the Government is continuing its support for millions of self-employed individuals by extending the Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grant (SEISS). An initial taxable grant will be provided to those who are currently eligible for SEISS and are continuing to actively trade but face reduced demand due to coronavirus. The initial lump sum will cover three months’ worth of profits for the period from November to the end of January next year. This is worth 20% of average monthly profits, up to a total of £1,875.

An additional second grant, which may be adjusted to respond to changing circumstances, will be available for self-employed individuals to cover the period from February 2021 to the end of April – ensuring our support continues right through to next year. This is in addition to the more than £13 billion of support already provided for over 2.6 million self-employed individuals through the first two stages of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme – one of the most generous in the world.

Tax cuts and deferrals

As part of the package, the government also announced it will extend the temporary 15% VAT cut for the tourism and hospitality sectors to the end of March next year. This will give businesses in the sector – which has been severely impacted by the pandemic – the confidence to maintain staff as they adapt to a new trading environment.

In addition, up to half a million business who deferred their VAT bills will be given more breathing space through the New Payment Scheme, which gives them the option to pay back in smaller instalments. Rather than paying a lump sum in full at the end March next year, they will be able to make 11 smaller interest-free payments during the 2021-22 financial year.

On top of this, around 11 million self-assessment taxpayers will be able to benefit from a separate additional 12-month extension from HMRC on the “Time to Pay” self-service facility, meaning payments deferred from July 2020, and those due in January 2021, will now not need to be paid until January 2022.

Giving businesses flexibility to pay back loans

The burden will be lifted on more than a million businesses who took out a Bounce Back Loan through a new Pay as You Grow flexible repayment system. This will provide flexibility for firms repaying a Bounce Back Loan.

This includes extending the length of the loan from six years to ten, which will cut monthly repayments by nearly half. Interest-only periods of up to six months and payment holidays will also be available to businesses. These measures will further protect jobs by helping businesses recover from the pandemic.

We also intend to give Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders the ability to extend the length of loans from a maximum of six years to ten years if it will help businesses to repay the loan.

In addition, the Chancellor also announced he would be extending applications for the government’s coronavirus loan schemes that are helping over a million businesses until the end of November. As a result, more businesses will now be able to benefit from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund. This change aligns all the end dates of these schemes, ensuring that there is further support in place for those firms who need it.

Investment in public services

At the start of the pandemic, the Chancellor pledged to give the NHS and public services the support needed to respond to coronavirus – and as of today, £68.7 billion of additional funding has been approved by the Treasury, including £24.3 billion since the Summer Economic Update in July.

This funding has helped ensure the procurement of PPE for frontline staff, provided free school meals for children while at home and protected the country’s most vulnerable. In addition, the £12 billion funding to roll-out the Test and Trace programme has played a key role helping to unlock the economy, enabling businesses like restaurants and bars to serve customers again.

As announced earlier this year, the Treasury has also guaranteed the devolved administrations will receive at least £12.7 billion in additional funding. This gives Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the budget certainty to for coronavirus response in the months ahead.