Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“I am delighted to announce four appointments to fill shadow cabinet vacancies. I look forward to working with the strengthened shadow cabinet as we prepare a government in waiting to carry out our manifesto for the many not the few.

“Our party is now on a permanent campaign footing in anticipation of the failure of Theresa May’s attempt to establish a stable administration with the support of the DUP.

“I am therefore appointing Ian Lavery, Co-National Campaign Coordinator, to the additional role of Labour Party Chair to strengthen our campaigning and party organisation, as we prepare to contest a new general election and form the next government.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Co-National Campaign Coordinator – Andrew Gwynne MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland – Lesley Laird MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Owen Smith MP

Shadow Minister for Diverse Communities – Dawn Butler MP

Co-National Campaign Coordinator and Party Chair – Ian Lavery MP

In December last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a record £84.2 million fine on the pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer and a £5.2 million fine on Flynn Pharma after finding that each broke competition law by charging excessive and unfair prices for phenytoin sodium capsules, an anti-epilepsy drug. The CMA also issued directions ordering both companies to reduce their prices, which they have now done.

The decision sets out the evidence gathered by the CMA during its investigation and its reasons for finding that Pfizer and Flynn Pharma infringed competition law.

The decision and fines related to both the prices that Pfizer charged to Flynn Pharma for phenytoin sodium capsules and the prices that Flynn Pharma subsequently charged its customers for the product since September 2012. The CMA found that both companies held a dominant position in their respective markets for the manufacture and supply of phenytoin sodium capsules and each had abused that dominant position by charging excessive and unfair prices.

As a result of Pfizer’s and Flynn Pharma’s price increases, NHS expenditure on phenytoin sodium capsules increased from about £2 million a year in 2012 to about £50 million in 2013. Phenytoin sodium capsules are used in the treatment of epilepsy to prevent and control seizures, and are an important drug for an estimated 48,000 patients in the UK.

The full non-confidential decision and all other information on this investigation are available on the case page.

Pfizer and Flynn Pharma have lodged appeals against the decision with the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The hearing will start on 30 October 2017.

15 Jun 2017

The SNP has been urged to change its mind about keeping secret a damning report into the farmer payments fiasco.

Earlier today, Audit Scotland revealed it would be 2018 “at the earliest” before the Common Agricultural Payments crisis was sorted, and warned of further problems for farmers across the country.

However, the Scottish Government also has its own report into what went wrong, and has again confirmed its intention not to publish it.

Answering a question from Scottish Conservative MSP Finlay Carson, rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing merely said “publishing such detail could compromise the security of the CAP payments IT platform”.

He added that “improvements identified in the report are already underway” and that his officials were working with the company behind the failed IT system.

MSPs on the rural economy and connectivity committee saw parts of the report – carried out by firm Fujitsu – and described it as “highly critical” and “damning”.

Despite that, and the fact Audit Scotland’s own report was made public this morning, the SNP still wants to keep the findings secret.

Scottish Conservative Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson said:

“Quite frankly, this stinks of a cover-up, particularly when Audit Scotland feels able to make public its own report into this fiasco.

“The SNP has presided over a CAP crisis which has seen Scotland’s rural communities starved of hundreds of millions of pounds.

“Now, in another blow to farmers, the SNP has ruled out publishing a report that might help us all get to the bottom of these many issues.

“That is an insult to everyone in Scotland who cares about our rural communities.

“It’s clear the Scottish Government is more concerned with saving face and playing politics than getting down to the job of serving our vital rural communities.”

Below is a parliamentary question from Scottish Conservative MSP Finlay Carson, and the answer from rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing:

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): “To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report by Fujitsu regarding the IT system used to process CAP payments.”

S5O-01046

Fergus Ewing:

“The report from Fujitsu contains sensitive commercial information as well as technical detail which has implications for cyber-security – publishing such detail could compromise the security of the CAP payments IT platform and, at this critical juncture in the payments schedule, I’m sure the member would agree that would not be a desirable outcome.

I can reassure the member that improvements identified in the Report are already underway and that my officials are working with CGI, the main IT supplier, and Fujitsu on an incremental improvement programme to provide longer term sustainability, scalability and flexibility to the CAP payment system.”

Audit Scotland blasted the Scottish Government’s failed CAP payments in a hard-hitting report published this morning:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40274009

When the Fujitsu report was first shown to MSPs, the Scottish Conservatives urged the SNP to publish it in full:
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2017/05/snp-must-publish-secret-report-which-blasts-cap-payment-chaos/

A reminder to submit your annual return for 2016, and information about the 2017 annual return service.

Businesses and researchers can apply for a share of £8 million to work with Chinese partners on agritech solutions in the People’s Republic.