Passengers arriving into England will be able to reduce mandatory self-isolation by at least a week, as the government launches its new strategy for testing international arrivals.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today (24 November 2020) announced that from 15 December 2020, passengers arriving into England from countries not featured on the government’s travel corridor list will have the option to take a test after 5 days of self-isolation, with a negative result releasing them from the need to isolate.

The move will give passengers the confidence to book international trips in the knowledge that they can return home and isolate for a shorter period if they have received a negative test. With those opting in to the scheme having to book and pay for a coronavirus (COVID-19) test from a private provider on the GOV.UK list, we are ensuring the NHS Test and Trace testing capacity is protected.

Under the ‘Test to release for international travel’ strategy, passengers arriving into England by plane, ferry or train should book their test before they travel; must complete a passenger locator form; and will still need to self-isolate for 5 days before taking a test – rather than taking it at their port of arrival.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said:

We have a plan in place to ensure that our route out of this pandemic is careful and balanced, allowing us to focus on what we can now do to bolster international travel while keeping the public safe.

Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day 5, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic.

The ‘Test to Release’ scheme is announced as the government introduces new financial support for English airports and ground handlers serving them. This support, which will shore up jobs and reinforce local economies, will be available to commercial airports in England. The support will address fixed costs and be equivalent to the business rates liabilities of each business, capped at up to £8 million per site, and subject to certain conditions. This scheme will open in the new year.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:

The aviation industry is vital to our economy – creating jobs and driving growth- which is why we have supported them throughout this crisis through the job retention scheme, loans and tax deferrals.

This new package of support for airports, alongside a new testing regime for international arrivals, will help the sector take off once again as we build back better from the pandemic.

The government has considered the evidence which demonstrates that a test after 5 days of self-isolation provides materially better results than just having a test on arrival, as it allows time for the virus, should it be present, to incubate, helping reduce the risk of a false negative result.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said:

Ensuring that safe travel is possible has been a priority for the Global Travel Taskforce. This test on day 5 of the 14-day self-solation period will identify positive coronavirus cases and allow those who test negative to return to work and see their loved ones while abiding by domestic coronavirus restrictions.

This will be done at the cost of the traveller to protect the capacity of NHS Test and Trace and ensure that any UK resident who has symptoms is able to get a test.

Passengers will be able to book a test from a provider on a GOV.UK list before arriving in England. If they choose to book a test, they will need to state this on their passenger locator form prior to arriving and then go straight into self-isolation at home as usual. If they choose to opt in after arrival, they will need to resubmit their passenger locator form.

They can then take a test on or after day 5 of the isolation period either at home or at a private provider’s testing site, and on receipt of a negative result, can immediately finish self-isolating and return to following domestic rules.

Those choosing not to take a test when arriving from a non-exempt country must continue to follow the current self-isolation requirements (2 weeks).

The testing strategy is one outcome of the government’s Global Travel Taskforce report recently presented to the Prime Minister, which also sets out a pathway to restarting the cruise sector.

The recommendations are based on advice from a consortium of expert representatives from the aviation, maritime, international rail, tourism and hospitality industries to boost international travel for all modes, whilst safeguarding public health in the UK.

The government will also continue to work with international partners and representatives across the transport industries to further build on the recommendations in the report, including exploring pre-departure testing pilots with partner countries on a bilateral basis.

COVID-19 has profoundly changed the nature of international travel. Travellers should always check the latest advice from the FCDO.

Drone deliveries and digital mapping for easy-to-access walking and cycling routes could soon be a reality for people living in rural areas across the UK, following the launch of a call for evidence to help develop the government’s Future of Transport: rural strategy.

The Future of Transport: rural strategy – call for evidence, launched today (24 November 2020) by Transport Minister Rachel Maclean, looks at how the benefits of transport innovation can be enjoyed by everyone, including those living and working in rural areas.

Speaking at the Financial Times’ Future of Mobility conference, the Minister is challenging business and transport groups to help revolutionise travel in the UK’s towns, villages and hard-to-reach areas, making it easier for people to access jobs, education or healthcare.

The call for evidence will examine how to bring services and communities into the 21st century by improving transport reliability and connectivity in people’s everyday lives.

Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said:

This call for evidence will give us a unique opportunity to harness the community spirit of rural areas to understand how innovation in transport can benefit the people and communities that need it most.

Now more than ever, it is important that we use the power of transport to build back greener, and transform how people and goods move around the UK.

The distance between a person’s home and their nearest mass transport hub is often around 5 miles in rural areas, making it a major barrier to accessing public transport and services. The call for evidence looks at how linking different digital platforms together could create a more seamless experience for people, allowing them to plan, book and pay for travel all in one place, and to link journeys over multiple modes.

The call for evidence will also look at how the increased popularity of e-bikes, alongside digital-mapping technology and apps, could encourage more active travel in rural communities. This, along with better access to walking and cycling routes, could help open active routes that could otherwise go unknown.

Opportunities for drones to make deliveries in rural or isolated towns and areas are also being explored. Particularly suited to the greater distances in rural areas, drone deliveries could cut down delivery times and help to reduce pollution, allowing rural locations the potential to be a trailblazer for low-carbon deliveries.

Evidence will also be sought on how ‘micromobility’ transport methods – such as e-cargo bikes – could be integrated into rural transport networks, helping drive the changing face of rural economies and making home-based businesses more accessible to markets.

The feasibility of fully automated and passenger services operating in rural areas will also be examined, and small electric aircraft may be able to move goods and people efficiently, particularly in communities.

Today’s announcement comes as the Department for Transport also publishes its response to the Future of Transport regulatory review, which aims to create a more innovative and flexible regulatory framework that better meets the needs of both transport users and innovators.

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill aims to give the government unprecedented new powers to boost the security standards of the UK’s telecoms networks and remove the threat of high risk vendors.

The Bill will strengthen the security framework for technology used in 5G and full fibre networks including the electronic equipment and software at phone mast sites and in telephone exchanges which handle internet traffic and telephone calls.

This will be a significant step to protect the UK from hostile cyber activity by state actors or criminals. Over the past two years the Government has attributed a range of cyber attacks to Russia and China, as well as North Korea and Iranian actors.

The Bill will also provide the Government with new national security powers to issue directions to public telecoms providers in order to manage the risk of high risk vendors. While they are already banned from the most sensitive ‘core’ parts of the network, the Bill will allow the Government to impose controls on telecoms providers’ use of goods, services or facilities supplied by high risk vendors.

Companies which fall short of the new duties or do not follow directions on the use of high risk vendors could face heavy fines of up to ten per cent of turnover or, in the case of a continuing contravention, £100,000 per day. Ofcom will be given the duty of monitoring and assessing the security of telecoms providers.

In July, following advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the government announced new controls on the use of Huawei 5G equipment – including a ban on the purchase of new Huawei equipment from the end of this year and a commitment to remove all Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027. The Bill creates the powers that will allow the government to enshrine those decisions in law and manage risks from other high risk vendors in the future.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

We are investing billions to roll out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country, but the benefits can only be realised if we have full confidence in the security and resilience of our networks.

“This groundbreaking bill will give the UK one of the toughest telecoms security regimes in the world and allow us to take the action necessary to protect our networks.”

Currently, telecoms providers are responsible by law for setting their own security standards in their networks. However, the Telecoms Supply Chain Review concluded by the government last year found providers often have little incentive to adopt the best security practices.

To deliver the revolutionary economic and social benefits of 5G and gigabit-capable broadband connections, the government has decided to strengthen the overarching legal duties on providers of UK public telecoms networks and services as a way of incentivising better security practices.

These duties will be set out in the Bill and will mean telecoms providers will need to take appropriate action to bring in minimum security standards for their networks and services and to limit the damage of any breaches.

The Bill will allow the government to issue specific security requirements that providers will need to follow to meet these duties. These requirements will be set out in secondary legislation, but are likely to involve companies acting to:

• securely design, build and maintain sensitive equipment in the core of providers’ networks which controls how they are managed;
• reduce the risks that equipment supplied by third parties in the telecoms supply chain is unreliable or could be used to facilitate cyber attacks;
• carefully control who has permission to access sensitive core network equipment on site as well as the software that manages networks;
• make sure they are able to carry out security audits and put governance in place to understand the risks facing their public networks and services; and
• keep networks running for customers and free from interference, while ensuring confidential customer data is protected when it is sent between different parts of the network.

New codes of practice will demonstrate how certain providers should comply with their legal obligations. These will be published once the Bill has received Royal Assent.

Telecoms watchdog Ofcom will be given stronger powers to monitor and assess operators’ security, alongside enforcing compliance with the new law. This will include carrying out technical testing, interviewing staff, and entering operators’ premises to view equipment and documents.

Markets across the world have become overly reliant on too few vendors due to a lack of competition in the global telecoms supply chain. The government has been engaging extensively with operators, vendors and governments around the world and will soon publish its 5G Diversification Strategy to address this head-on. The strategy will outline new measures to boost competition and innovation in the telecoms supply chain and reduce dependence on individual suppliers.

NCSC Technical Director Dr Ian Levy said:

The roll-out of 5G and gigabit broadband presents great opportunities for the UK, but as we benefit from these we need to improve security in our national networks and operators need to know what is expected of them.

“We are committed to driving up standards and this bill imposes new telecoms security requirements, which will help operators make better risk management decisions.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Protecting the UK’s telecoms networks has always been the government’s top priority. In January, the government concluded high risk vendors should be excluded from the core and most sensitive parts of the UK’s 5G network, restricted to up to a 35 per cent market share in the access network (subject to an NCSC approved mitigation strategy), which connects devices and equipment to mobile phone masts, by 2023, with the decisions kept under review. Our word-leading cyber security experts were satisfied that with our approach and tough regulatory regime, any risk can be safely managed, but were also clear that further sanctions could require them to change that assessment.
• In July, in response to US sanctions against Huawei, the DCMS Secretary of State announced the complete removal of Huawei equipment from our 5G networks by the end of 2027. Since Huawei first came to the UK in 2003, their presence has been carefully risk-managed. Huawei’s current presence in the UK is subject to detailed formal oversight through the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre since 2010, and the HCSEC Oversight Board, which has reported annually since 2014.
• Examples of the cyber attacks or breaches the Telecoms (Security) Bill will help to guard the UK against include: 1) Espionage attacks on networks which happen because of the poor security of the companies that provide equipment support to telecoms providers. In 2018, the Chinese ‘APT 10’ group attack on global networks, also known as ‘Cloudhopper’, targeted a range of companies, including in aerospace and defence, telecommunications, professional services, utility sectors and many more. It was one of the most significant and widespread cyber intrusions against the UK and allies uncovered to date targeting trade secrets and economies around the world. 2) Networks being remotely disabled because of insecure connections to other networks, which has caused mobile outages in other countries. This happened in 2016 when unusual network traffic was received by Norwegian telecoms provider Telenor, causing an outage which impacted up to three million customers for 18 hours.
• The government will consult with industry on the new framework before secondary legislation is laid in Parliament. The government will launch a public consultation on the codes of practice after the Bill’s passage to ensure those affected can put forward views on which companies should be subject to new technical requirements and how quickly this work should be carried out.
• Ofcom will also be given a new power to direct telecoms providers to take interim steps to address security gaps during the enforcement process and it will take the Codes of Practice into account when carrying out its role.
• The DCMS Secretary of State will have powers to enforce compliance with designated vendor directions, including through fines, and can ask Ofcom to inspect and investigate and provide compliance reports to the government.

The government has set out its next steps towards a green industrial revolution with ambitious plans for the next round of its flagship renewables support scheme.

The fourth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme – to open in late 2021 – will aim to double the capacity of renewable energy compared to the last round and expand the number of technologies supported, with offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, tidal and floating offshore wind projects all eligible to bid.

This will be coupled with a new consultation looking at the supply chain and ways to support more jobs and private investment by increasing the competitiveness of UK manufacturers. It will mean the country can reap the rewards of clean energy following the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution published last week.

Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said:

The UK is a world leader in clean energy, with over a third of our electricity now coming from renewables. That huge achievement is thanks to the government’s Contracts for Difference scheme.

The new plans set out today build on the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan and put us firmly on the path towards building a new, green industrial revolution.

The CfD scheme is the government’s primary method of supporting low-carbon electricity. It encourages investment in renewable energy by providing projects with a stable income, while protecting consumers from paying increased costs when electricity prices are high.

The fourth round aims to increase the capacity of renewable energy from the 5.8GW achieved in the last round to up to 12GW, which could be enough to power 20 million electric cars on the UK’s roads in any year.

Government support to unleash the potential of offshore wind generation has seen the cost of it fall by two thirds in the last 5 years. Given its long-term potential to support the country’s 2050 net zero target, offshore wind projects will compete in their own ‘pot’ in the next auction process rather than against other technologies as they have previously.

Last year’s third round delivered record-low prices and secured enough clean energy to power over 7 million homes. Today’s plans set out changes to the structure of the scheme to build on that success.

Floating offshore wind projects will be able to bid for contracts for the first time, allowing wind farms to be built further away from the shoreline where it is windiest and increasing the UK’s renewable energy capacity even further.

And as announced in March, solar and onshore wind projects will be able to bid for the first time since 2015, coupled with a commitment to update guidance for new onshore wind schemes in England to fully reflect the impacts and benefits to local communities.

Following the first consultation on the fourth CfD round, the government has also announced today (24 November 2020) that a second consultation is being launched on new proposals for the Supply Chain Plan.

The proposals are designed to increase the clarity, ambition and measurability of commitments made by renewable project developers when they bid for contracts in the CfD scheme, and to introduce new measures if they subsequently fail to deliver on those commitments.

Today’s announcement follows last week’s unveiling of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, which outlines an ambitious vision of a low-carbon future for the UK, and will ensure that clean energy continues to play a key role in ending our contribution to climate change entirely by 2050.

• read the consultation response
• the fourth round will see three ‘pots’ for renewables technologies:
  • Pot 1: Established technologies – including onshore wind and solar PV
  • Pot 2: Less-established technologies – including floating offshore wind, Advanced Conversion Technologies and tidal stream
  • Pot 3: Offshore wind
• former coal-burning power stations that have been converted to biomass generation will be excluded from future CfD rounds
• Contracts for Difference are 15-year private law contracts between renewable electricity generators and the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), a government-owned company that manages CfDs at arm’s length from government
• contracts are awarded in a series of competitive auctions, known as allocation rounds, which have been run every 2 years. In the auction process, the lowest price bids are successful, which drives efficiency and cost reduction
• CfDs give greater certainty and stability of revenues to electricity generators by reducing their exposure to volatile wholesale prices, while protecting consumers from paying for higher costs when electricity prices are high
• the scheme has delivered substantial new investment and helped deliver significant reductions in the costs of capital for some renewable technologies
• the third round of the CfD renewable energy auction delivered record-low prices on enough clean energy to power over 7 million homes
• in the fourth allocation round of CfD, the government’s aim is to support up to double the capacity of renewable energy from levels achieved in the third round, rising from 5.8GW in AR3 to up to 12GW in AR4
• following the conclusion of the third CfD Allocation Round in September 2019, the scheme currently supports 49 renewable electricity projects (73 CfDs) across a range of technologies, totalling around 15.5 GW

Thank you Ambassador Ladeb, for that comprehensive briefing on behalf of the three Committees, and to Ambassador Djani for his stewardship of the 1267 and 1540 Committees. As we all adapt to new working conditions, we greatly appreciate the efforts made to deliver on these critical mandates during this disrupted period.

Madam President, despite COVID, terrorists continue to inspire and perpetrate violence. In Syria, Iraq and beyond, Daesh continues to pose a threat, and recovery from their reign of terror remains a struggle for many.

The United Kingdom is committed to pursuing all available avenues in seeking justice and accountability for those who have fought alongside Daesh, whatever their nationality, through prosecution in the most appropriate jurisdiction. This is often in the region where the crimes took place. Any justice mechanism must respect human rights and the rule of law, as well as ensure fair trials and due process.

To strengthen accountability for terrorist crimes, we continue to work through the 1267 Committee to sanction individuals and groups associated with Daesh and Al-Qaida.

We also strongly support the work of UNITAD and in June, with Nadia Murad, we launched the draft Murad Code to ensure investigation into sexual violence crimes is safe, ethical and effective. There must be no impunity for the use of sexual violence and human trafficking to fund and support terrorism.

The United Kingdom condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We are very concerned about the increased violence perpetrated by right wing terrorists. While we may use different terms to describe the phenomenon, we join like-minded partners in recognising the need to prevent and address the threat.

Since 2016, we have proscribed several right wing terrorist groups, like National Action, Feuerkrieg Division and Sonnenkrieg Division. We are pleased to partner with the United States, Germany and Norway in hosting events bringing together policymakers, researchers and practitioners to increase understanding of the international dimensions of the threat, and emerging responses.

Prevention remains a cornerstone of our approach to counter terrorism. The UK’s Prevent programme seeks to tackle the causes of radicalisation and we have seen a marked increase – from 10 per cent to 24 per cent – in referrals relating to right-wing terrorism.

As more people – especially young people – are staying home and spending time on screens, terrorist groups have increased opportunities to radicalise and recruit online. The United Kingdom is working closely with tech companies, including through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, and with international partners, law enforcement and industry to coordinate our efforts.

Madam Chair, this Council has frequently affirmed that all counterterrorism measures must comply with international human rights obligations. Promoting and protecting human rights, integrating a gender dimension and engaging with civil society partners are critical elements of credible, sustainable and effective counterterrorism.

The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned about the human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. 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. China’s actions are disproportionate, indiscriminate and will be counter-productive from a counterterrorism perspective, as they will exacerbate ethnic tensions.

Madam Chair, fifteen years ago, this Council adopted resolution 1540 to address emerging WMD threats. These persist and, indeed, have evolved. We therefore thank the states who have shared information with this Committee, some for the first time. We look forward to working with partners through the forthcoming Comprehensive Review to ensure that the work of the Committee remains both relevant and practical to addressing these threats.

The UK wishes to take this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to other key elements of the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, which are also critical to maintaining international security, such as the work of the IAEA, OPCW and others.

With the prospect of a vaccine, our thoughts turn to the process of building back better. This should be reflected in our CT efforts, too. In both the Security Council and in the General Assembly, we will have several opportunities to consider the UN’s counterterrorism efforts and the achievements of states and what more needs to be done. In terrorism, we have an enemy that does not rest. We must ensure that the architecture we helped develop remains fit for purpose and that we hold ourselves to the very standards we set out in our resolutions.

Thank you, Madam Chair.