Government re-affirms city status of Gibraltar

Press release

A full, up-to-date list of cities in the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories has been published.

The UK Government will today (Monday 29 August) re-affirm the city status of Gibraltar, as granted by Queen Victoria, confirming its special status in the Realms of Her Majesty the Queen and the family of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

The Government has undertaken detailed research in the National Archives and established that the City of Gibraltar was granted city status by Queen Victoria in 1842 but was omitted from the list of recognised cities. A newly-published record of 81 recognised cities confirms its place among the official list.

This status is testament to the close relationship between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom, 99% of Gibraltarians reaffirmed their commitment to British sovereignty in a referendum of 2002.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

It is excellent to see official recognition given to the City of Gibraltar, a huge accolade to its rich history and dynamism.

This official recognition re-affirms Gibraltar’s special status in the Realms of Her Majesty, and rightly signifies the pride that Gibraltarians feel for their community and their distinctive heritage.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Kit Malthouse said:

The cities in this list are incredibly rich with history and culture, and the local people of those areas are rightly very proud to see their city’s significance put to paper.

I’m hopeful people based in these places, particularly the new cities, can reap the benefits of their home’s increased global standing and that it will attract more inward investment for local businesses.

In the year of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the updated list is being published following the award of eight new grants of city status earlier this year and the award to Southend-on-Sea in honour of Sir David Amess MP.

The full list of recognised cities from the Overseas Territories include Hamilton (Bermuda), Jamestown (Saint Helena) and Stanley (Falkland Islands) which was awarded the status as part of the Platinum Jubilee competition.

The publication will also highlight those cities which have received the honour of Lord Mayoralty or Lord Provostship.

Published 29 August 2022

Baroness Bull CBE appointed Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel for the Cultural Education Plan

Press release

The Cultural Education Plan sets out to ensure all children and young people have access to a diverse range of cultural education and activities

Baroness Bull to draw on her long and successful career in the arts and higher education to convene and chair expert panel which will oversee the development of the new plan
She brings a wide range of expertise, first as a dancer in The Royal Ballet, then as a creative leader at the Royal Opera House and also having served on the boards of the South Bank Centre and Arts Council England

Schools Minister Will Quince and Arts Minster Lord Parkinson have jointly appointed crossbench peer Baroness Bull as the Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel for the upcoming Cultural Education Plan.

The plan was announced in the Schools White Paper, Opportunity for All, in March 2022 and will be published next year. The full panel membership will be announced later this year, and will include school and cultural sector leaders, and other experts in cultural education.

The plan aims to articulate and highlight the importance of high-quality cultural education in schools, promote the social value of cultural and creative education, outline and support career progression pathways, address skills gaps and tackle disparities in opportunity and outcome.

The Government will work closely with Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund on the project.
Baroness Bull has had extensive expertise in the arts, both as a performer in the Royal Ballet, within creative leadership at the Royal Opera House and in governance roles on the boards of the South Bank Centre and Arts Council England. Over the last decade she has also worked in higher education, developing partnerships between the university sector and arts and cultural organisations. She co-chairs the APPG on Creative Diversity.

In addition, Baroness Bull has served on the boards of the South Bank Centre and Arts Council England, was a governor of the BBC, a judge for the 2010 Booker Prize and a member of the governing body of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The Cultural Education Plan Expert Panel members will be appointed in Autumn 2022.

Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel Baroness Bull said:

Every child should have the opportunity to explore their individual and creative potential through high-quality cultural education.

I’m delighted to be appointed to the role and look forward to working with the panel to develop a rich and diverse Cultural Education Plan that will deliver for children right across the country.

Notes

This is a voluntary position and there will be no remuneration for the role.
The expert advisory panel for the Cultural Education Plan will be appointed by the Minister for School Standards and the Minister for Arts.
Baroness Bull is a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, so serves in a non-party political capacity.

Published 29 August 2022

Fuelling a greener future – E10 petrol rolling out in Northern Ireland on 1 November 2022

greener E10 petrol to be rolled out across Northern Ireland from November, with a government campaign launched today to raise awareness
move will align Northern Ireland with Great Britain and could help cut carbon emissions across the UK – equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off UK roads every year
95% of petrol cars are already compatible with E10 petrol, but campaign promotes tool to enable drivers to check if their car can use it

Drivers across Northern Ireland will soon be able to fill up with greener fuel when E10 petrol is rolled out as the new standard grade of petrol from 1 November 2022.

The rollout of E10, which is petrol blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol, will help Northern Ireland to decarbonise transport, as it is greener than existing petrol. Its use across the UK could contribute to cutting transport CO2 emissions in the UK by potentially 750,000 tonnes a year – equivalent to a forest the size of the Isle of Wight capturing carbon every year.

To help raise awareness of the upcoming switch, the UK government is today (29 August 2022) launching an information campaign for motorists in Northern Ireland that will see new fuel pump labels as well as targeted digital, radio and social media advertising.

While 95% of petrol cars will be compatible, the campaign will encourage those who are unsure to check their vehicle can use the fuel using our online compatibility checker tool. This will ask you for information about your car before checking a database highlighting your car’s compatibility.

As well as playing a part in the UK’s ambitions to decarbonise transport and reach its net zero goals, according to industry, the rollout of E10 petrol could support thousands of jobs throughout the supply chain and boost job opportunities across the country.

This is something that Vivergo, a British ethanol producer, has already seen, with 100 new jobs since E10’s introduction in Great Britain and as we work towards decarbonisation, this will hopefully be a sign of more opportunities.

Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said:

We’re determined to cut emissions from all our roads and clean up our air, as we accelerate towards a zero-emission transport future.

Although more and more motorists are driving electric vehicles, there are steps we can take to reduce emissions from the millions of vehicles already on our roads. The small switch to E10 petrol will not only help drivers across the country reduce their environmental impact, but also could create thousands of jobs across the UK.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara said:

The government is committed to supporting the growth of green energy across the UK and the introduction of E10 petrol will help reduce emissions of carbon dioxide on Northern Ireland roads.

The decarbonisation of transport methods has an important part to play in achieving the UK’s net zero goals as well as creating opportunities for growth in our economy.

Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA) said:

Most petrol cars on the road are optimised to run on E10, and it’s very welcome that motorists in Northern Ireland will soon benefit from having access to this greener fuel.

The introduction of E10 will see renewable ethanol in petrol double, from the current petrol blend E5 containing no more than 5% ethanol, further reducing emissions from millions of cars in line with our climate targets.

A small number of older vehicles, including classic cars and some from the early 2000s, will continue to need E5 fuel, which is why supplies of E5 petrol will be maintained in the ‘super’ petrol grade. Motorists are advised to use the E10 compatibility checker to see if their vehicle is compatible.

FCDO Ministerial statement on violence in Tripoli, Libya

Government response

FCDO Minister of State Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon comments on the violence in Tripoli, Libya, on Saturday 27 August.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCDO Minister of State said:

The United Kingdom condemns the violence perpetrated by armed groups in Tripoli on Saturday 27 August. The UK calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to engage in a UN brokered dialogue. The protection of civilians is critical and access must be provided for humanitarian personnel.

There can be no military solution to the ongoing crisis of legitimacy in Libya. It is imperative that all Libyan parties engage with the UN to agree a path towards free, fair and inclusive elections, with support from all international actors. The wishes of the Libyan people must be prioritised ahead of narrow self-interests. The UK stands ready to work with Libyans, the UN and international partners to achieve sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in Libya.

Published 28 August 2022

Consultation to extend NHS pension scheme

The extension would make it easier for skilled professionals returning to the NHS to deliver high-quality care to patients
Move would help to bolster the workforce ahead of winter so the they can continue to bust the Covid backlogs

Retired and partially retired NHS staff could have important NHS pension changes extended to make it easier for them to return to the workforce or to continue supporting the health system over winter, as the government launches a new consultation today.

Ahead of what could be a challenging winter where we expect more people to come forward for checks, these measures will help support and boost the workforce. In this way, we are putting in place preparations that will put the health system in the strongest possible position to tackle the pressures and bust the Covid backlogs.

Since March 2020, certain retire and return rules in the pension scheme have been suspended to allow retired staff to return to work or increase their working commitments without having the payment of their pension benefits suspended.

The measures are currently set to run until 31 October 2022 and the consultation will gather views from the public and stakeholders on whether to extend the measures to 31 March 2023.

This would allow skilled and experienced staff and have stepped up to support the system to continue working for the NHS throughout the potentially challenging upcoming winter period, easing pressures on the system and helping to tackle the Covid backlogs.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

The country is hugely thankful to all the retired staff who returned to support the NHS and the public during the pandemic.

This winter will be challenging too and we are putting in place the necessary preparations to support the NHS while it continues to deliver first-rate care to patients.

As part of this we are now consulting on extending temporary changes to the NHS pension scheme, which have so far allowed highly-skilled retired staff to return to the workforce without having their pension benefits affected.

The NHS pension scheme is one of the best available, providing generous retirement benefits for hardworking staff after a lifetime of service looking after the nation’s health.

The government is committed to growing and supporting the NHS workforce, with over 4,100 more doctors and 9,600 more nurses compared to last year, and remains on track to deliver on the manifesto commitment to have 50,000 more nurses by 2024, with 29,000 more nurses already. The government has also commissioned NHS England to develop a long term workforce plan to recruit and support staff while they deliver high-quality, safe care to patients.

To prepare for winter, the government is working closely with the NHS at pace to prepare for the pressures ahead, including by increasing capacity, boosting NHS 111 and 999 support with at least 4,800 staff working in 111 and 2,500 in 999 call rooms to meet high demand, tackling delayed discharge and using new innovations such as virtual wards by creating the equivalent of at least 7,000 more beds.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England recently set out plans to address winter pressures. He has also launched a taskforce to drive up the recruitment of international staff into critical roles across the system, alongside recruiting and retaining more doctors and nurses, so staff can continue their work of busting the Covid backlogs, having now virtually eliminated waits of over two years as part of the Elective Recovery Plan – backed by record investment.

Background

These measures were originally provided by Section 45 of the Coronavirus Act from March 2020 to March 2022, then until 31 October 2022, they have been continued via temporary amendments to NHS Pension Scheme regulations. The consultation will run until 12 September 2022.