UK Modern Industrial Strategy
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Jonathan Reynolds)
Today the Government have published and laid before Parliament their industrial strategy.
The UK’s modern industrial strategy sets out our 10-year plan to transform business investment, grow the industries of the future, deliver economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets to deliver our plan for change.
The strategy focuses on the high-growth potential sectors that will drive prosperity now and in the future: advanced manufacturing; professional and business services; clean energy; creative industries; digital and technology; financial services; life sciences; and defence. In tandem with the industrial strategy, the Government are today publishing on www.gov.uk sector plans covering the first five of these sectors, with others to follow in the coming months.
The industrial strategy follows on from the publication in November 2024 of our Green Paper entitled “Invest 2035: the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy”. Following publication of the Green Paper, the Government have considered the views of thousands of stakeholders from business, industry, academia, unions, local leaders and the public.
Today’s publication sets out how we will tackle barriers to investment and growth and make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
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Industrial Strategy: Creative Industries Sector Plan
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I am delighted to update the House on the publication of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan. This is a central part of our industrial strategy and our plan for change to drive long-term economic growth across the United Kingdom.
The creative industries are a dynamic growth engine for the UK economy. They contributed 2.4 million jobs and £124 billion in gross value added in 2023 and generate knowledge spillovers that drive innovation and activity across the economy, while our creative clusters boost regional economic growth and create high-quality jobs.
This sector generates substantial economic output with strong potential for continued growth over the coming decades. Data, content, and creative services and experiences are the fastest growing areas of consumption, while new technologies, audience behaviours and international competition are transforming business models. Our world-class creative industries are uniquely placed to capitalise on these opportunities and our long-standing international comparative advantage.
This is why today we are publishing our sector plan that sets out how we will support the sector to grow over the next decade. By 2035, our goal is to make the UK the No. 1 destination for creativity and innovation in the world. We will boost the UK’s position as a global creative superpower and deliver new, high-quality jobs and regional growth.
For too long, the sector has not been given the recognition or backing it deserves. Investments have been seen as too risky, talent has been overlooked and policies and programmes have not reflected the ambition in the sector. Today, we are changing this, announcing £380 million in funding for the sector, including more than doubling my Department’s funding for the creative industries over the next spending review period. This includes £200 million for regions outside London and bespoke regional creative clusters to help businesses grow and talent thrive in every part of the UK; £25 million for new “CreaTech” research and development labs; plus screen, music and video games growth packages totalling up to £135 million.
We will champion the unique role of public service media for both growth and democracy. And we will ensure creators, entrepreneurs and innovators are at the heart of our future economy. In doing so, we will ensure the UK is recognised as the best place in the world to make and invest in film and TV, music, performing and visual arts, video games, advertising and beyond.
We are taking action to back our creators and are committed to ensuring they benefit from technological change. That means a copyright regime that values and protects human creativity, builds trust, and opens the door to innovation across the creative sector. We also need to explore other ways to support the creators to license their content. A new creative content exchange, a trusted marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets could be part of the solution here.
The Government, working together with industry, is making clear choices to back our regions and back talent everywhere. This is just the beginning of a 10-year journey and our commitment to ensure that we maximise the opportunities and tackle the issues that have long held the sector back from reaching its full potential.
A copy of the “Creative Industries Sector Plan” will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Key Policies
Accelerate Innovation-led growth
UK Research and Innovation will lead efforts to significantly increase public funding for the creative industries, including support for commercialisation and tech adoption.
A £100 million investment in an ambitious next wave of creative clusters to accelerate R&D in new sub-sectors and locations across the UK.
A new creative content exchange as a marketplace for selling, buying, licensing and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets.
Growth finance
A significant increase in support from the British Business Bank for the creative industries with debt and equity finance.
A new working group to tackle barriers to IP-backed lending in the creative industries.
An industry-led “single front door” for creative firms to access information on how to unlock private investment, alongside improved Government signposting to resources.
Skilled workforce
Greater flexibility for employers and learners via the new growth and Skills offer, continuing to consider the needs of small businesses.
Deliver a curriculum in England that readies young people for life and work, including in creative subjects and skills, following the independent curriculum and assessment review.
A Government and industry partnership to deliver a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service.
Trade and export
As committed to at the UK-EU Summit in May, we will support travel and cultural exchange, including the activities of touring artists.
UK Export Finance has up to £80 billion in financing capacity to support UK exports for industrial strategy sectors, including the creative industries.
Increase the number of creative trade missions and markets we target, building on traditional markets like the EU and the United States with fast-growing markets such as Asia-Pacific.
Frontier industries
New £75 million screen, and £30 million video games growth packages over the spending review period to develop and showcase UK screen content and support inward investment.
Up to £10 million per year for a music growth package to support emerging artists, alongside a new industry-led ticket levy on arena gigs to support the grassroots sector.
Co-funding, by Government and private investors including the Walt Disney Company, the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation and Sky, for the expansion of the National Film and Television School.
Taking action to support public service media, including through BBC Charter Review, to ensure a vibrant domestic screen sector and a BBC that continues to act as an engine of Creative Industries growth across the country.
City regions and clusters
The Government have identified 12 creative clusters across the UK where we will work with local leaders and devolved governments to drive growth.
A new £150 million creative places growth fund devolved to six mayoral strategic authorities to deliver tailored investment readiness support.
Champion London as a “creative industries supercluster”, with the Mayor investing over £10 million over the next four years alongside significant investments including East Bank and Smithfield sites.
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London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Emma Reynolds)
Today marks the launch of the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt. The coalition, convened by the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub and funded by the Children’s investment Fund Foundation, will bring together private sector stakeholders and Government to find pragmatic solutions to more sustainable sovereign debt financing in developing economies. This will include progressing work on debt contract innovations for bonds and loans to promote transparency, orderly restructurings and more resilient borrowing. Jose Vinals and I will be co-chairs for the coalition. Jose, who will serve in his personal capacity, will be able to draw on his vast experience in both the public and private sectors, most recently as chairperson of Standard Chartered.
The coalition seeks to provide a more formal avenue to engage with private lenders on issues affecting both bonded and non-bonded lending, in order to develop and implement solutions that will ensure that developing economies can access steady, long-term investment from the private sector.
Recognising that the various industry bodies that represent private lenders are not mandated by their memberships to take forward many issues that arise on the global policy agenda, the London coalition seeks to bring together new collaborations among high-ambition private sector market participants to achieve its mission. It has been pleasing to see such interest from our private sector colleagues thus far.
The coalition’s main priorities include making debt contracts clearer and more transparent, improving the way loan terms respond to natural disasters, and addressing problems with group lending practices. In bringing together a wide range of private sector stakeholders, the coalition will tackle broader co-ordination challenges that often arise when restructuring non-bonded debt, with the aim of delivering better outcomes for both borrowers and lenders.
Encouraging fair and open debt restructuring, alongside more resilient borrowing practices, will enable emerging economies to make meaningful progress towards their climate and development goals. The coalition leverages the UK’s strengths in financial services, helping to reinforce its status as a global hub for development finance and supporting economic activity and investment across the country. Direct investment in emerging markets can also drive UK growth by opening new opportunities for British businesses—particularly in financial services—and strengthening trade relationships with rapidly expanding economies in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.
Tackling international sovereign debt challenges is aligned with the UK Government’s plan for change, driving global financial stability while fuelling economic growth and safeguarding national security. By supporting developing countries in managing their debts more sustainably, the UK helps unlock new opportunities for trade, innovation and investment—benefiting British businesses. This leadership not only opens doors to new markets, but helps prevent the kinds of crises that threaten peace and prosperity worldwide, reinforcing the UK’s standing as a champion of responsible finance and a trusted partner.
Looking ahead, the coalition will continue to work collaboratively to develop practical solutions and drive meaningful reform in how countries manage their debts. To achieve this, it will engage closely with a wide range of stakeholders across the official sector, the private sector and the third sector, ensuring that diverse perspectives are represented.
Through ongoing dialogue and partnership, the coalition aims to deliver tangible progress on sustainable sovereign debt financing and support the broader development and climate ambitions of emerging economies.
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NHS Maternity and Neonatal Services
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting)
I am today announcing that I will be launching a national, independent investigation into maternity and neonatal care.
Although pregnancy and childbirth should be a time of joy, for some people this time can bring anxiety, harm or trauma and, in some cases, profound loss. I have listened to families who shared their experiences of unacceptable care, and they have shared with me the multitude of issues that exist across the system. It is clear that we are not listening as much as we should to women and their partners when they raise concerns—and for some women this is even worse, depending on their skin colour or language. We are not always identifying when things are going wrong in maternity and neonatal units quickly enough, and nor are we tackling these failings at the core. The system as a whole is then not supporting harmed or bereaved families when they rightly seek answers and accountability. Ultimately, we are not providing the care that families deserve. This is not the case across the board as many women receive excellent care. However, it is unacceptable that this is not the experience that all women have. We must urgently reset our approach to maternity and neonatal care.
That is why we are announcing this independent investigation: to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care, and to rapidly put in place solutions to improve maternity safety and quality.
This will be a rapid investigation and will have two core roles. It will conduct urgent reviews, by the end of this year, of up to 10 trusts where there are specific issues. We will work with families and the NHS to develop criteria for selecting trusts.
Secondly, it will undertake a rapid, systemic investigation into maternity and neonatal care in England, reporting by December 2025. This will synthesise the findings and recommendations from all other reviews to recommend one set of national actions to drive the improvements needed to ensure high-quality care and that women are listened to. I will be engaging with families in determining the membership of the investigation team and its terms of reference.
I am also establishing a national maternity and neonatal taskforce, which I will chair. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise, with family and charity representatives. It is imperative that this includes the voices of families who have experienced harm or loss, so I will also be continuing to meet families throughout the year. I will also ensure that membership is representative of those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health.
The recommendations will inform the development of a new, national maternity and neonatal action plan, which we will develop with families. The action plan will lead to rapid improvement of maternity and neonatal quality and safety, and ensure that any families in the future who are harmed or bereaved will get answers about what happened, see that lessons are learnt and that there is accountability where appropriate.
In relation to calls for local reviews, I have informed families that this work will include a review into nine specific cases at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. I am currently discussing with Leeds families the best way to grip the challenges brought to light in that trust by their campaigning, reports in the media, and the latest Care Quality Commission report.
We must also act now to resolve the issues we know exist. Repeated inquiries have identified significant issues across services, from a lack of compassionate care, concerns over safety, and issues in culture and leadership, and there remain stark inequalities faced by women in deprived areas or of black and Asian ethnicity.
This is why, alongside the independent investigation, I am taking immediate measures to start changes so desperately needed. We are introducing measures to hold the system to greater account and improve transparency. The worst-performing trusts will be held to account by the NHS chief executive, to ensure that the necessary improvements are made faster and deeper. This year we will introduce a new early warning system, powered by a real-time data tool, to detect safety issues earlier and allow action to be taken more swiftly to improve outcomes.
To improve safety, we will roll out new best practice standards to tackle the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. We are also taking action to reduce the stark and completely unacceptable inequalities in maternity care. We will deliver an anti-discrimination programme to support trust leadership, ensuring that all families and staff will experience an environment free from discrimination and racism, and benefit ethnic minority mothers. These actions will support our manifesto commitment to set a target to close the black and Asian maternal mortality gap.
Through the investigation, and these immediate actions, I want to challenge and support maternity and neonatal services to provide compassionate, high-quality care to all families at their most vulnerable and life-changing moments.
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Terrorism Legislation: Codes of Practice
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)
On 17 March 2025, the Government initiated a consultation on the codes of practice related to schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 and schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. This consultation proposed several changes aimed at clarifying the use of these powers and the rights and protections of individuals subject to them. Additionally, where appropriate, it suggested additional safeguards to ensure the appropriate use of these powers. The consultation concluded on 27 April 2025.
The consultation process included a public consultation, made available on www.gov.uk, that invited comments from police forces, interest groups and the general public on the proposed changes. It also involved virtual events with frontline police officers who are trained and accredited to use schedules 7 and 3, ensuring that the codes, which detail how these powers should be used, are well understood by those who operate them.
The Government have meticulously reviewed the responses received and have today published their response. A copy of the response to the consultation has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on www.gov.uk.
I am grateful to everyone who participated in this consultation, particularly the frontline officers who attended the Home Office’s events. With the publication of the response, we will proceed to amend the codes through secondary legislation at the next available opportunity.
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Palestine Action: Proscription
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Yvette Cooper)
I have decided to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. A draft proscription order will be laid in Parliament on Monday 30 June. If passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or to invite support for, Palestine Action.
This decision is specific to Palestine Action and does not affect lawful protest groups and other organisations campaigning on issues around Palestine or the middle east.
The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton in the early hours of the morning on Friday 20 June is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action. The UK’s defence enterprise is vital to the nation’s national security and this Government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk. Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the criminal investigation into this attack. It is important that this process is free from interference and that the police are allowed to carry out their important work gathering evidence and working to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Since its inception in 2020, Palestine Action has orchestrated a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action against businesses and institutions, including key national infrastructure and defence firms that provide services and supplies to support Ukraine, NATO, Five Eyes allies and the UK defence enterprise. Its activity has increased in frequency and severity since the start of 2024 and its methods have become more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence. Palestine Action has also broadened its targets from the defence industry to include financial firms, charities, universities and Government buildings. Its activities meet the threshold set out in the statutory tests established under the Terrorism Act 2000. This has been assessed through a robust, evidence-based process, by a wide range of experts from across Government, the police and the security services.
In several attacks, Palestine Action has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government. These include attacks at Thales in Glasgow in 2022; and last year at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol. The seriousness of these attacks includes the extent and nature of damage caused, including to targets affecting UK national security, and the impact on innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence. The extent of damage across these three attacks alone, spreading the length and breadth of the UK, runs into the millions of pounds.
During Palestine Action’s attack against the Thales defence factory in Glasgow in 2022, the group caused over a million pounds-worth of damage, including to parts essential to submarines. The sheriff, in passing custodial sentences for the attackers’ violent crimes, spoke of the panic among staff, who feared for their safety as pyrotechnics and smoke bombs were thrown in the area where they were evacuating. He further recorded the extent of damage to legitimate business activities, which included “matters of nationwide security” and disputed the group’s claims that its actions were non-violent. The attacks at Elbit Systems in Bristol and Instro Precision in Kent remain sub judice. To avoid prejudicing future criminal trials, the Government will not comment on the specifics of these incidents.
Palestine Action has provided practical advice to assist its members with conducting attacks that have resulted in serious damage to property. In late 2023, Palestine Action released “The Underground Manual”. The document encourages the creation of cells; provides practical guidance on how to carry out activity against private companies and Government buildings on behalf of Palestine Action; and provides a link to a website that contains a map of specific targets across the UK. The manual encourages members to undertake operational security measures to protect the covert nature of their activity.
Through its media output, Palestine Action publicises and promotes its attacks involving serious property damage, as well as celebrating the perpetrators.
Palestine Action’s online presence has enabled the organisation to galvanise support, recruit and train members across the UK to take part in criminal activity and raise considerable funds through online donations. The group has a footprint in all 45 policing regions in the UK and has pledged to escalate its campaign.
It is vitally important that those seeking to protest peacefully, including pro-Palestinian groups, those opposing the actions of the Israeli Government, and those demanding changes in the UK’s foreign policy, can continue to do so. The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Should Parliament vote to proscribe, that right will be unaffected.
What it will do is to enable law enforcement to effectively disrupt the escalating actions of this serious group. Only last month, Palestine Action claimed responsibility for an attack against a Jewish-owned business in north London, where the glass front of the building was smashed and the building and floor defaced with red-paint, including the slogan “drop Elbit”. Such incidents do not represent legitimate or peaceful protest. Regardless of whether this incident itself amounts to terrorism, such activity is clearly intimidatory and unacceptable. It is one that has been repeated many times by this organisation, at sites the length and breadth of the UK.
I have considered carefully the nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activity. Proscription represents a legitimate response to the threat posed by Palestine Action. The first duty of Government is to keep our country safe, which is the foundation of our plan for change.
Given significant public concern over recent activities by this group, including the incident in Brize Norton last week, and balancing the relevant considerations, I have decided to confirm this decision to proscribe to the House in advance of laying the relevant order.
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Local Authority Governance
(2 days, 10 hours ago)
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The Minister for Local Government and English Devolution (Jim McMahon)
Today, I am updating Parliament on the Government’s plans to review governance arrangements for local authorities in England. Our goal is to ensure that local communities have the right mechanisms to engage effectively with their councils.
In the English Devolution White Paper, the Government committed to establishing consistent and accountable structures across local government. We are considering which governance models available to local authorities will best support their decision-making processes and will provide more detail on this shortly.
The English Devolution White Paper also committed to creating new opportunities for communities to have a say in the future of their area and to play a part in improving it. To support this, we will review how local authorities can integrate community engagement into their core functions. We are keen to work with the sector to co-design an approach which balances the need for consistent structures with local flexibility.
This programme of reform will create fewer but more empowered councils, frontline councillors and partners working hand in glove with the communities they serve, and support preventative and early intervention approaches, which are critical to the sustainability of local government and in driving better outcomes in the neighbourhoods where local people are invested. Local people will know exactly where to take local problems and solutions, and can work with their frontline councillors to drive visible improvements in the places they are invested in.
When these reforms are implemented, alongside devolution to new regional mayors and strategic authorities, and local government reorganisation, they will ensure that the right powers are in the right places. Locally, they will mean that people across England, regardless of where they live, will be able to take issues or concerns to empowered frontline local councillors. These councillors will have a clear and accountable route to act on them, either through neighbourhood structures or by taking them to the cabinet member responsible for the issue.
Every place will benefit from our agenda to decentralise power from Whitehall to local leaders. People will see the impact in more regular bus services, more affordable housing, and the presence of local champions with regional influence or frontline councillors championing their neighbourhoods.
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