Capture Redress and Horizon Shortfall Schemes: Chair of Independent Panel and Independent Reviewer A
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)
On 29 November, I launched the Capture redress scheme to provide payments to postmasters who suffered as a result of the Capture software.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the Government are appointing Judge Carol Taylor CBE as the chair of the independent panel for the Capture redress scheme. Her role is to oversee appeals and governance across the panel’s decisions. All appeals will be assessed by the chair, who will serve as the independent reviewer. Judge Taylor will assess whether the grounds for appeal have been satisfied. She will also determine whether the eligibility decision or award should be amended or remain unchanged.
Judge Taylor is a former regional employment judge with over 30 years of judicial experience. She has a distinguished career in employment law and substantial expertise in discrimination and compensation matters and is a champion of diversity. Her expertise will ensure that postmasters are treated fairly and in line with the scheme principles throughout the process.
I am also pleased to announce that the Government are appointing the right hon. Lord Carnwath as the independent reviewer for Horizon shortfall scheme appeals. His role is to act as a final arbiter for appeals claims, to assess whether the assessment of the appeal is substantially inconsistent with the guidance and principles and/or reflects a manifest error, procedural irregularity or a substantive error of principle. Alongside Lord Carnwarth’s appointment we have also published on www.gov.uk the names of the individuals who will make up the HSS appeals independent panel.
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Ministerial Correction
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Chris McDonald)
The Minister for Digital Economy (Baroness Lloyd of Effra CBE) has today made the following statement.
The Government’s answer to written question HL985, published on 8 October 2024, included the following paragraph:
“UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UKSR1 and UKSR2. These have an initial period of 15 years with the contract period of UKSR1 ending in 2026 and UKSR2 ending in 2027.”
That paragraph contained errors, so I am correcting the record today. The paragraph should have read as follows:
“UK Seabed Resources Limited has two International Seabed Authority exploration contracts, UK1 and UK2. These have an initial period of 15 years with the contract period of UK1 ending in 2028 and UK2 ending in 2031”.
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BBC Charter Review: Terms of Reference and Green Paper
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The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)
The Government have today published the terms of reference and the Green Paper consultation for the BBC charter review, formally launching the review.
The BBC is an institution like no other. For over 100 years it has been at the heart of our national life and a light on the hill for people across the world. This charter will formally set the terms of the BBC for the future, with a clear ambition to set the BBC on a path to thrive until well into the latter half of this century.
Our vision is for a BBC that is trusted, loved and belongs to us all, providing those shared spaces and places that have become so rare and so precious in recent decades. Sustainably funded, with a strong presence in every nation and region so that all of us can see ourselves reflected in our national story. A broadcaster known for its unique strengths, from the highest-quality children’s programmes to impartial and trusted news and documentaries, the world over.
The review will focus on the following areas, which are set out in the objectives in the terms of reference and the Green Paper:
Trust, independence and accountability are central to the BBC’s future, to how it operates and to how it engages with audiences. The BBC must remain independent, genuinely accountable to the public it serves, and, critically, it must continue to command public trust.
To ensure that the BBC remains a trusted institution, it must also follow the highest editorial standards. This is how the BBC provides the facts necessary for civilised debate and a foundation of shared national understanding. It must continue the World Service’s vital work in providing trusted and truthful news internationally, and delivering on its role as a UK soft power asset promoting British values abroad.
The BBC needs to also reflect the whole of the UK. People, right across our nation, must be able to access content that genuinely reflects their lives, their communities, and their contributions. This means the BBC must commission, produce and distribute stories that are truly rooted in diverse UK experiences and promote British stories and creativity to the world.
This charter review will ensure that the BBC continues to remain an engine of growth driving good jobs, skills and creativity across every region and nation of the UK and a leader in technologies that provide public value.
Finally, we have to ensure that the BBC is funded in a way that is sustainable for the long term, providing the BBC with the funding it needs to continue to deliver a vital public service, while also being fair for audiences.
The consultation will be open for 12 weeks. Following this, the Government will bring forward a White Paper next year ahead of tabling a new charter, which Parliament will have the chance to debate. The new charter must come into force by 1 January 2028.
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Arts Council England: Independent Review
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
Today, the right hon. Baroness Hodge of Barking DBE is publishing her independent review of Arts Council England.
The Government strongly welcome the review and would like to thank Baroness Hodge for her unwavering rigour and dedication over the past 12 months. We also thank the members of Baroness Hodge’s advisory panel, who freely gave their time to share their expertise, and all those who contributed to the review, either by submitting views via the online survey, or through meetings with Baroness Hodge and her team.
This Government are committed to ensuring arts and culture thrive everywhere. Access to arts and culture is not a luxury—it is a necessity. It shapes our communities and enriches our lives. We believe that excellence must be open to everyone, wherever they live and whatever their background. A national Arts Council, connected to the places and people it serves, is essential to making that vision a reality.
The review highlights the strengths of Arts Council England’s work, but it also challenges us to do better. It sets out recommendations to strengthen support for artists, reach communities more effectively and ensure that creativity is accessible to all. The Government will now consider these recommendations, work with Arts Council England to begin the process of ambitious change and respond to the review in the new year.
I will place a copy of the review and a copy of relevant annexes to the review in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2025
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The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
I have today laid before Parliament the 14th armed forces annual covenant report, delivering the statutory duty of the Secretary of State for Defence under the Armed Forces Act 2006.
Since 2011, the armed forces covenant has been a promise by the nation that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families along with the bereaved, should be treated fairly. Its founding principles recognise the unique obligations and sacrifices made by the armed forces community, and that special provision should be given to those who have given the most. The annual report is the primary tool by which the Government is held to account in delivery of the covenant.
The 2025 report covers October 2024 to September 2025 and showcases the extraordinary work that has been achieved throughout the UK in support of our armed forces community. Contributors to the report include several departments from across the Ministry of Defence, alongside wider Government, the devolved Governments and third sector organisations.
Our first of its kind strategic defence review, published in June 2025, introduced 62 recommendations that have been fully accepted, driving significant reforms in structure, accountability, and support for armed forces personnel. Further notable achievements this past year include the largest pay rise in over 20 years, a 35% increase for new recruits, and the reacquisition of more than 36,000 service homes to enhance affordability and quality. Further measures have strengthened fairness and accountability, such as a new tri-service complaints process and the creation of a violence against women and girls taskforce, while the Armed Forces Commissioner Act 2025 will provide independent oversight and a stronger voice for personnel and their families.
We have reinforced our enduring duty of care to the wider armed forces community, military personnel, veterans and their families including the bereaved. The Prime Minister announced our plans for the extension of the armed forces covenant legal duty. This stronger legislation will ensure all Government Departments, and devolved Governments, will be legally required to consider the needs of the armed forces community when making policy or decisions, giving them a meaningful voice and delivering on this Government’s pledge to strengthen support for our armed forces communities.
The past year has been one of delivery and renewal: securing pay, housing, welfare, oversight and long-term investment in our people and capabilities. The work continues, but the direction is clear. Our armed forces and their families make extraordinary sacrifices. In return, they deserve respect, support, and fair treatment.
This report demonstrates our unwavering commitment to that principle and our determination to build a Defence community that is valued, protected, and empowered.
Attachments to the statement can be viewed online at:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-12-16/HCWS1181/
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Reserve Forces External Scrutiny Team Annual Statutory Report 2025
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The Minister for Veterans and People (Louise Sandher-Jones)
Led by Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Lord Peach, the reserve forces and cadets associations external scrutiny team provides an independent assessment on the health of the reserve forces on behalf of the Department. I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the 2025 report, along with a copy of my response to this report. I am most grateful to the team for their work.
Attachments to this statement can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2025-12-16/HCWS1175/
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Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government Interim Update on Progress
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Dr Zubir Ahmed)
I am today updating the House on the Government’s progress in responding to the recommendations of the independent inquiry into the serious issues raised by the appalling actions of David Fuller, including an accompanying interim update published alongside this statement.
The final report of the Fuller inquiry, published on 15 July 2025, set out 75 recommendations to strengthen the security and dignity of people after death across a wide range of settings. The inquiry’s findings were clear: current arrangements for the care of the deceased are partial, piecemeal, and not universally mandated. A dedicated cross-Government programme board was established in July and has met fortnightly since.
At this interim stage solid progress has been made on 54 of the inquiry recommendations.
Eleven are accepted in full and work is already in progress to implement these recommendations—22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 30,31, 32, 33, 34 and 75—covering standards, data and operating procedures in the wider health sector. Implementation highlights include: the publication by the Human Tissue Authority on 1 December of updated guidance to ensure adverse incidents in the anatomy sector are recorded—recommendation 26—with incidents already being reported; agreement by NHS England that data collection on the conveyancing of deceased patients will be rolled out in 2026-27 for the first time—recommendation 31. Further details are included in the interim update publication— https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-inquiry-government-interim-update-on-phase-2-recommendations.
Forty-three of the inquiry’s recommendations relating to both NHS and local authority mortuaries require further work before they can be implemented. Those include nine recommendations—1 to 9—for the NHS estate, and NHS England continues to assess the recommendations and is working with NHS trusts to develop actions at trust board level. A further 12 of the inquiry’s recommendations —10 to 21—relate to governance, accountability and safeguarding in NHS trusts. Analysis of the logistics and costings of these recommendations is currently being carried out by NHS England. Recommendations 35 to 56 relate to local authority mortuaries, which include 21 HTA licensed mortuaries. MHCLG sought views via the Local Government Association on the state of the estate, and there is an LGA-led roundtable meeting in January. The LGA and HTA are also working together to assess how LA mortuaries’ current practices compare with the inquiry’s recommendations, and existing HTA standards in the post-mortem sector. The HTA has reviewed these recommendations against their own standards and concludes that seven are fully covered by existing HTA standards, and has shared this analysis with the LGA.
There are a further 21 recommendations still under consideration. Seven of these are miscellaneous recommendations—24, 25, 67, 68, 69, 70 and 73—and three are for LAs who contract with third party providers —57, 58 and 59. A roundtable was held in November regarding the role of faith organisations—67 and 68—in the care for the deceased in these settings. Outputs of the roundtable will inform the response to these two recommendations. In addition, the chief coroner has notified all coroners of the inquiry’s conclusions, in response to recommendation 70.
No decisions have been made regarding the 11 recommendations—29, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 71, 72—relating to wider regulation in all settings that care for people after death. We are working closely with the NHS, local authorities, the Human Tissue Authority, the Care Quality Commission, and other partners to explore how we can ensure that robust and consistent standards are in place across all settings. This includes reviewing mortuary access controls, oversight arrangements, contractor vetting, and requirements for training and reporting.
The Government are committed to transparency and accountability as this work progresses. This update demonstrates that work is actively under way to consider and respond to the inquiry’s recommendations, with action already being taken towards implementing 54 of 75 recommendations. Full details of the status of all recommendations are contained in the published update. A full response to the inquiry’s recommendations will be published in summer 2026.
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Government Response to NHS Dentistry Consultation: Quality and Payment Reforms
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The Minister for Care (Stephen Kinnock)
I wish to update the House following the Government’s recent public consultation on quality and payment reforms to the NHS dentistry contract.
Restoring NHS dentistry is one of the Government’s top priorities.
The Government remain committed to fundamental reform of the dental contract by the end of this Parliament, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability. This is our ambition, and it will take time to get right.
We held a public consultation over July and August, on a package of proposals to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams are experiencing. Ensuring payment reflects the support patients require, creating a culture that rewards and improves quality of care, and further embedding the principles of skill mix within NHS delivery are all critical steps to improve access to NHS dental services for those who need it most.
We received over 2,250 responses to the consultation, including from members of the dental sector as well as members of the public. I want to thank those who shared their thoughts and experiences, which have helped us to refine our proposals.
Overall, the response to the consultation was positive and therefore the Government intend to proceed with implementing all the proposed changes, with some adjustments to specific proposals in response to consultation feedback. For example, we have revised and improved the payment structure for the unscheduled and urgent care proposal, to work better for dentists and patients.
The final set of changes are designed to help deliver our mission to build an NHS fit for the future, and are intended to:
secure the manifesto commitment to provide additional urgent dental care appointments by embedding urgent care into the dental contract, supported by increased payments for dentists delivering this care, making it easier for patients to get rapid support for urgent dental needs through the NHS;
introduce new clinical and payment structures specifically designed to provide better care for patients with gum disease or significant decay who require more intensive treatment;
support increased use of cost-effective evidence-based prevention interventions for children, reducing the opportunities for tooth decay;
introduce a new payment for denture modifications, relining and repairs, better supporting providers to manage the costs associated with delivering these treatments;
support a reduction in clinically unnecessary check-ups, helping dentists to focus care on patients with the greatest need and avoiding patients being overtreated, and therefore overcharged for care;
improve care quality by introducing quality improvement activities and funded appraisals, allowing teams to focus on the quality of care they deliver and to evaluate performance; and,
provide support to the profession by extending discretionary support payments and developing a model contract and NHS handbook for dental teams, helping them to feel part of the wider NHS.
The proposed changes are intended to deliver benefits for both patients and the profession and represent a move away from some of the features of the current unit of dental activity payment model, which dental teams have told us is a barrier to delivering NHS care.
The Government will introduce the proposals from April 2026 onwards and the specific timing for the delivery of each proposal will be communicated to the sector in due course.
These changes build on the Government’s wider dental rescue plan, including providing additional urgent dental care appointments and £11 million in 2025-26 for the national supervised toothbrushing programme for three to five-year-olds including over 4 million free toothbrushing products in the most deprived areas to protect children’s teeth, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between the Government and Colgate-Palmolive. In addition, community water fluoridation will be expanded across the north-east of England, to reduce tooth decay and inequalities in dental health.
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Knife Sellers Licensing Consultation
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The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)
As part of the Government’s aim to halve knife crime within a decade, and in line with their manifesto commitment, the previous Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council knife crime lead, to conduct a review of online sales of knives.
The “Independent End-to-End Review of Online Knife Sales”1 was published on 19 February and made a number of recommendations, including the introduction of a registration scheme for sellers and importers of knives. The Government accepted the most important recommendations immediately, and this included legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill for stronger age checks for online sales and delivery of knives, and the reporting by retailers of bulk purchases of knives online. The Government also committed to launching a public consultation to explore whether registration for sellers, in the form of a licensing scheme, should be put in place for anyone selling knives, whether online or offline.
The consultation will launch today, and it will run for a 10-week period, closing on 24 February 2026. A copy of the consultation and related options assessment will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament and published on gov.uk.
1Independent end-to-end review of online knife sales: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-end-to-end-review-of-online-knife-sales
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Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation Report 2024
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The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Shabana Mahmood)
Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of state threats legislation, has prepared a report on the operation of state threats legislation in 2024.
In accordance with part 3 of the National Security Act 2023, I am today laying this report before the House, and copies will be available in the Vote Office. It will also be published on gov.uk.
I am grateful to Mr Hall KC for his report. I will carefully consider its contents and the recommendations he makes and will respond formally in due course.
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Electoral Resilience
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The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)
His Majesty’s Government are today announcing an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review will be led by former permanent secretary Philip Rycroft, and will report both to me as Secretary of State responsible for the administration of elections, and to the Minister of State for Security as the Chair of the Defending Democracy Taskforce. It will be concluded by the end of March 2026.
The review follows the sentencing of Nathan Gill at the Old Bailey on 21 November 2025 under the Bribery Act. This case has revealed the threat our democracy faces today, and has caused deep concern across Parliament.
Mr Gill’s sentence is the longest handed down to a politician in a case like this in our nation’s recent history. At the time his offences were committed, Mr Gill sat as a Member of the European Parliament, and he went on to become a senior leader of a UK party. We should be clear about what his crimes were: An elected politician took bribes to parrot the lines of a hostile state responsible for the death of Dawn Sturgess—a British citizen on British soil. He took the side of those responsible for invading a sovereign European state, and he was prosecuted while Putin’s military targeted the civilian men, women and children of Ukraine. While the work of the police and Crown Prosecution Service in successfully prosecuting this case must be commended, it is right that we now take a step back to look at how we can protect our democracy against such appalling crimes.
The purpose of the review, which is independent of Government and of any political party, is to provide an in-depth assessment of current financial rules and safeguards, and offer recommendations. The detailed terms of reference will be deposited in the House of Commons Library.
The findings of the independent review will build on the Government’s elections strategy and counter political interference and espionage action plan, and inform the elections and democracy Bill that we have pledged to bring forward.
Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published earlier this year, will close loopholes that should have been closed long before we entered office. However, in the time since that strategy was published, events have shown that we need to consider whether our firewall is enough. The independent review will look at this, focusing in particular on the effectiveness of our broader political finance law, on current checks and balances within political regulation for identifying and mitigating foreign interference, and on the rules governing the constitution and regulation of parties, and the Electoral Commission’s enforcement power.
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Planning Reform: Next Phase
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The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)
England remains in the grip of a housing crisis that is both acute and entrenched. The detrimental consequences of this disastrous state of affairs are now all pervasive: a generation locked out of home ownership; 1.3 million people languishing on social housing waiting lists; millions of low-income households forced into unaffordable private rented housing; and more than 170,000 homeless children living in temporary accommodation.
Our economy, and the public services we all rely on, are suffering too because, as well as blighting countless lives, the housing crisis is consuming ever-larger amounts of public money in the form of a rapidly rising housing benefit bill, and it is hampering economic growth and productivity by reducing labour mobility and undermining the capacity of our great towns and cities to realise their full economic potential.
The monumental scale of the challenge that this Government inherited demanded a commensurate response. That is why we committed ourselves, unashamedly, to an incredibly stretching house building target of 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in this Parliament. And it is why we acted quickly and boldly to put in place the foundations of a revamped planning system that will facilitate the delivery of high and sustainable rates of house building in the years ahead.
Within three weeks of taking office, we moved to consult on changes to the national planning policy framework, finalising them in December 2024. Among the many changes made in that initial revision to the framework were: the restoration and raising of mandatory housing targets; a new standard method for assessing housing needs aligned to our 1.5 million new homes target; greater support for social and affordable housing provision; a strengthening of policy relating to brownfield land development; a modernised, strategic approach to green belt land designation and release; and enhanced support for key economic sectors and clean energy infrastructure.
In March we introduced our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Bill will speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure, supporting delivery not only of the Government’s 1.5 million new homes target, but of our plan for change milestone of fast-tracking 150 planning decisions on major economic infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament. It will also support delivery of the Government’s clean power 2030 target by ensuring that key clean energy projects are built as quickly as possible. As a result of its swift passage, it is due to receive Royal Assent before the House rises on Thursday.
Over recent months we have carefully considered the extensive feedback we have received on a range of policy propositions, from a brownfield passport to reforming site size thresholds in the planning system. As a result, I am today setting out details of the next phase of this Government’s planning reforms alongside a comprehensive package of support for small and medium-sized house builders.
A revised national planning policy framework
We are today publishing a fuller and more definitive overhaul of the NPPF for consultation. It is the culmination of a sustained effort over the first 17 months of this Parliament to revamp our planning system so that it meets housing need in full and unleashes economic growth, and represents the most significant reform to national planning policy since the original NPPF was introduced more than a decade ago.
This wholly restructured framework maintains and builds on the initial revisions that we made in December last year; includes a range of new measures to support key economic sectors; and incorporates new clear and rules-based national policies for both plan and decision making. These proposals will make the NPPF easier to navigate for communities, local authorities and developers alike.
As a result of the not insignificant risk and uncertainty that such an approach entailed, we have taken the decision not to proceed with statutory national development management policies at this stage. Instead, we have chosen to swiftly realise their benefits through agile national policy changes, while leaving open the possibility of a future transition to statutory NDMPs, should that be required.
The new decision-making policies in the framework published today are therefore designed to make development management more certain, consistent and streamlined; to standardise policies that apply across the whole of England; and to reduce duplication and avoid unjustified local deviation from national policy in local plans. To ensure that these changes make an immediate difference, the Government are proposing that the new national decision-making policies effectively override conflicting policies in local plans from day one.
As part of this overall change to the framework, we are also proposing new policies to boost housing supply and unlock economic growth in the years ahead:
1. A permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development
We want to make clear what forms of development are acceptable in principle in different locations as part of creating a more rules-based approach to development. For urban land, this approach takes forward parts of our “brownfield passports” work and builds on the December 2024 framework update, by making development of suitable land in urban areas acceptable by default. As part of this change, we are also proposing a revised presumption in favour of sustainable development, underpinning the way the new policies direct different forms of development to the most appropriate locations—in effect, applying a permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development.
2. Building homes around stations
We want to establish “in principle” support—a “default yes” —for suitable proposals that develop land around rail stations within existing settlements, and around “well-connected” train stations outside settlements, including on green-belt land. We are also proposing a minimum density of 40 dwellings per hectare around all stations and 50 dwellings per hectare around “well-connected” stations—maximising opportunities for sustainable development, making the most of high levels of connectivity, and improving access to jobs and services.
3. Driving urban and suburban densification
We want to get the most use out of land in urban and suburban areas, including through the redevelopment of corner and other low-density plots, upward extensions and infill development—including within residential curtilages. These changes will support higher density development in sustainable locations, with good access to services. We are also setting clear expectations that authorities should set minimum densities in well-connected locations, including around train stations and town centres, and support an overall increase in density within settlements.
4. Securing a diverse mix of homes
We want to better support the needs of different groups through the planning system. This includes stronger support for rural social and affordable housing and setting clearer expectations for accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people. It also means providing more flexibility on the unit mix of housing for market sale, where local requirements have been met for the mix of affordable homes.
5. Supporting small and medium sites
We want to make it easier to bring forward small sites, through clear support for the principle of development in different locations, the policies on building more densely in settlements, and strengthened support for mixed tenure development. We are also introducing a category of medium development (see annex C of this consultation document), linked to a range of policy and regulatory easements, to support a more streamlined and proportionate planning system—including exploring further the potential benefits and drawbacks of enabling developers to discharge social and affordable housing requirements through cash contributions in lieu of direct delivery.
6. Streamlining local standards
We want to promote certainty for applicants and speed up local plan production by limiting quantitative standards in development plans to only those specific issues where local variation is justified. We also want to limit duplication of matters that are covered by the building regulations—other than where there is the existing ability to use “optional technical standards”.
7. Boosting local and regional economies
We want to encourage economic growth by giving substantial weight to the benefits of supporting business growth, and to particular areas and sectors—including those named in the industrial strategy, AI growth zones, logistics, town centres and agricultural and rural development. We are also interested in views on whether the town centre sequential test should be removed, in order to allow greater flexibility to respond to changing patterns of demand.
8. Supporting critical and growth minerals
We want to ensure that adequate provision is made for their extraction, recognising their economic importance. In parallel, and in view of the Government’s mission to achieve clean power by 2030, we want to restrict further the extraction of coal.
9. Embedding a vision-led approach to transport
We want to further embed the changes made in December 2024, which signalled the importance of moving away from a “predict and provide” approach to transport planning, which can create unattractive environments dominated by cars.
10. Better addressing climate change
We want to set out how decisions can take a proactive approach to both mitigation and adaptation in relation to climate change, in a way that links to other relevant policies in the draft framework.
11. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment
We want to make a number of changes, including to reflect local nature recovery strategies, to recognise landscape character and conserve and enhance existing natural features, to incorporate swift bricks and to provide guidance on sites of local importance for nature.
12. Taking a more positive approach to the use of heritage assets
We want a clearer and more positive approach that can better support suitable heritage-related development, replacing the current policies that are difficult to navigate.
The framework will also support the implementation of reforms that I set out in the written ministerial statement of 27 November— https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-11-27/hcws1104 —to deliver faster and clearer local plans, preserving their place as the cornerstone of the planning system. New plan-making policies in the NPPF will support the implementation of the new plan-making system by setting out policy on the role, content, preparation and examination of the plans of different types—including supporting the introduction of spatial development strategies across the whole of England to ensure effective planning across local authority boundaries.
The proposed new NPPF will play an integral role in delivering the new homes and essential infrastructure that the country needs and unlocking sustained economic growth. The consultation is an opportunity for everyone to play their part in shaping a planning system that delivers for local communities and the country as a whole.
Development plans will not be required to follow the revised framework until the final version is published, in accordance with the transitional arrangements set out within it. However, local planning authorities preparing plans under the new plan-making system should have regard to the draft framework to help inform the early stages of their production, bearing in mind the framework’s status as a consultation draft.
Support for small and medium-sized house builders
In addition to publishing a fuller and more definitive NPPF for consultation, the Government are acting to support small and medium-sized house builders. As a Government, we are clear that ramping up housing delivery requires us to diversify the house building market. Integral to such diversification is not merely arresting but reversing the decline of SME developers that has taken place over recent decades. Building on the steps we have taken to better support SME house builders to access finance and land, we are today announcing a series of policy and regulatory easements to help them thrive and grow.
In May the Government published a working paper seeking views on a new “medium” threshold for development for sites up to 1 hectare with between 10 and 49 homes—noting that over 80% of such sites are developed by SME builders. Having reflected on the useful feedback we received, we have decided to go further. While the 10 to 49 unit threshold will apply, we propose to increase the size of sites covered by the new medium category to up to 2.5 hectares, thereby increasing the number of SME house builders being supported.
To support development activity on this new category of site, we are proposing to limit information requirements to what is necessary and proportionate. We are also setting a clear expectation that local planning authorities allocate 10% of their housing requirement to sites between 1 and 2.5 hectares, in addition to the existing requirement to do so for sites under 1 hectare, to better support different scales of development.
Without compromising building and residents’ safety, we are also using the consultation to ask the necessary technical questions to determine whether to exempt this new “medium” category of development from the building safety levy. And we are exploring further the potential benefits and drawbacks of enabling developers of medium sites to discharge social and affordable housing requirements through cash contributions in lieu of direct delivery.
Finally, having considered carefully the responses to the consultation undertaken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs earlier this year, I can confirm that the Government will exempt smaller developments up to 0.2 hectares from biodiversity net gain, and introduce a suite of other simplified requirements to improve the implementation of biodiversity net gain on small and medium sites that are not exempted. DEFRA will also consult rapidly on an additional targeted exemption for brownfield residential development, testing the definition of land to which it should apply and a range of site sizes up to 2.5 hectares.
Wider funding and support
To ensure the successful implementation of the changes to national planning policy and regulation that we are announcing today, the Government will provide additional funding and support.
We are making £8 million available to local planning authorities to accelerate planning applications for major residential schemes at the post-outline stage. This funding will be targeted at those authorities with high volumes of deliverable applications in this Parliament and those with strong economic growth potential, ensuring that resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact.
£3 million of this funding will be allocated to the Greater London Authority to provide specific support to London boroughs to bolster their planning departments and enable them to implement the emergency measures announced by the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State on 23 October 2025.
These measures build on the announcements set out in the Budget last month, where the Government have committed to spend an extra £48 million to strengthen planning capacity and support the aim to recruit around 1,400 new planning officers this Parliament—substantially exceeding our original commitment to recruit just 300.
We will also provide an extra £5 million to boost the roll-out of the small sites aggregator initiative across Bristol, Sheffield and the London borough of Lewisham, supporting SME builders to deliver much-needed social housing on 60 small brownfield sites that would otherwise remain undeveloped, and attracting private investment to build new social rent homes.
Beyond the planning system, this week we will launch an expression of interest for ambitious local planning authorities to work with us to create pattern books of standardised, high-quality house designs—intended to accelerate the delivery of attractive new homes and make use of artificial intelligence and modern methods of construction.
[HCWS1187]
Sentencing: Murder of Police, Prison or Probation Officers
(1 day, 7 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)
My noble Friend the Minister of State for Justice, Lord Timpson, has today made the following statement:
Today, I am announcing that the Government will table an amendment to the Sentencing Bill to broaden the starting point for sentencing for the murder of a police or prison officer in the course of their duty. It will apply not only where the murder occurs during the officer’s duties, but also where the motivation for the murder is connected to their current or former role.
We will also extend this provision to cover the murder of probation officers in connection with their current or former duties.
This change ensures that the exceptional seriousness of murders—such as that of former prison custody officer Lenny Scott—that are motivated by the vital work of these professionals is fully recognised in our sentencing framework.
Police, prison and probation officers perform unique and often dangerous roles, routinely dealing with high-risk offenders in challenging circumstances. Their work is fundamental to public safety and the rule of law.
By making this amendment, we are reinforcing the principle that murders motivated by a police, prison or probation officer simply doing their job and carrying out their duties strike at the heart of justice, and these murderers must face the most severe sentences available.
This amendment is part of a broader package of amendments that the Government are making ahead of Lords Report stage of the Sentencing Bill, in response to points made by parliamentarians. The Government will write to peers with full details and the amendments will be available online.
[HCWS1182]
Independent Review under Schedule 6A Northern Ireland Act 1998: Government Response
(1 day, 7 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)
Following the Northern Ireland Assembly’s democratic consent motion on the trading arrangements under the Windsor framework, on 9 January 2025 I commissioned Lord Murphy of Torfaen to lead an independent review on those arrangements. I received his final report on 9 July 2025, and I can confirm to the House that the Government have now responded in line with schedule 6A to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. I have placed a copy of this response in the Library of the House.
I was very grateful that Lord Murphy agreed to conduct the independent review, as an experienced former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He has my utmost thanks for the detailed consideration that he has given to these issues, and for the engagement he has conducted, including with the Northern Ireland parties and the relevant civic and business organisations.
The Government’s response reflects their clear aim of ensuring that Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements command the broadest possible confidence among communities. In preparing this response, I have taken into account the views expressed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and in Parliament; and those expressed by other public bodies and stakeholders, including the Independent Monitoring Panel and the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as Intertrade UK and civic organisations with whom the Government have engaged. Given the number of reports that have been published within a six-month period examining similar themes, I have concluded that a single, comprehensive response is the most appropriate and timely way to set out how the Government will be taking action.
In particular, the Government are committing to legislation that will better support scrutiny of relevant regulations by the Northern Ireland Assembly and, as part of the measures announced at the Budget, we will be delivering a £16.6 million programme to boost trade within the UK internal market. This funding will, in particular, answer the call from business for an enhanced one stop shop service, and provide a single place for businesses to get guidance on how to trade across the UK and the opportunities for businesses in Northern Ireland to trade across two markets.
The Government are clear about wanting to deliver practical solutions for businesses and traders, on the basis of agreed arrangements with the EU. This has underpinned the Government’s approach in the 12 months since I commissioned the independent review, including in the form of new arrangements for human medicines and freight and parcels. We have taken action where the Assembly has expressed concerns, including to safeguard the supply of certain dental fillings. The Government have also put in place a set of measures to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines from 1 January 2026, and we will continue to monitor those arrangements into the new year.
The response outlines the Government’s continued commitment to work collaboratively with businesses, civil society, the Northern Ireland Executive and our partners in the EU and its member states, across all of these issues as relevant. As we look ahead, we will continue to be guided by our commitment to implementing the Windsor framework in good faith while ensuring the protection of the UK internal market, and will seek to secure a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU from which Northern Ireland’s traders and hauliers benefit.
[HCWS1185]
Investigatory Powers Commissioner Annual Report 2024
(1 day, 7 hours ago)
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The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
I have today laid before both Houses a copy of the annual report of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, the right hon. Sir Brian Leveson. This report covers the activities of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) and the Technology Advisory Panel for 2024.
The Investigatory Powers Commissioner provides independent oversight of the use of investigatory powers, as outlined in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. This oversight includes the inspection and authorisation by judicial commissioners of the use of these powers by over 600 public authorities. This includes the intelligence and security services and law enforcement agencies.
The report is positive about how investigatory powers have been used over this period in accordance with the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 and other legislation. The Investigatory Powers Commissioner acknowledges that there continue to be good levels of compliance in respect of how investigatory powers are being used.
Where the Investigatory Powers Commissioner has identified concerns, our agencies and Departments are working with IPCO to address these. I thank them all for their hard work to protect the UK, at home and abroad.
Now in its seventh year since creation, IPCO continues to provide independent oversight of the use of investigatory powers, providing assurance to both the public and Parliament that privacy safeguards are applied. In March 2024, IPCO merged with its sister organisation, Office for Communications Data Authorisations, to become one organisation, while retaining the IPCO name. I wish to express my sincere thanks to Sir Brian, his team of judicial commissioners, and all the staff at IPCO, for their important work.
Maintaining public trust and confidence in the exercise of investigatory powers is vital for national security and public safety, and a top priority for this Government. This report demonstrates the high quality of oversight over our intelligence and security agencies’ use of the most intrusive powers. I am satisfied that our oversight arrangements are among the strongest and most effective in the world.
In accordance with section 234(6)(b) of the IPA, I wish to notify both Houses that the report contains no material considered too sensitive to be published. Following consultation with relevant Government Departments and agencies, the contents of this open report are not prejudicial to national security or ongoing investigations.
I will be sending a copy of this report to Scottish Ministers, as required under section 234(8) of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA), and I commend this report to the House.
[HCWS1188]
International Maritime Law Changes
(1 day, 7 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Keir Mather)
I am making this statement to introduce updates to maritime legislation as a result of changes to international law, in order to fulfil a commitment to Parliament to make such a statement. The legislation comes into force from 1 January 2026.
Some domestic maritime secondary legislation includes provision for ambulatory reference to give direct effect in UK law to certain amendments to international maritime obligations. This means that where the legislation refers to a requirement of an international instrument, this reference will be ambulatory; in other words, it is a reference to the most up to date version of that requirement. This approach ensures so far as possible that the UK keeps up to date with its international maritime obligations.
Amendments have been made to international maritime instruments which will enter into force in the UK in 2026 by way of ambulatory reference provisions. The amendments are to the international convention for the safety of life at sea (SOLAS), and the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships (MARPOL) and to certain codes made under those conventions, as well as to the international convention on standards of training certification and watchkeeping (STCW). The UK is a signatory to SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW and the amendments have been agreed in the International Maritime Organisation, and all relate to enhancing maritime safety.
The amendments to SOLAS chapter II-1 introduce new safety requirements for lifting appliances and anchor handling winches. SOLAS II-1 is ambulatory by virtue of the ambulatory reference provision in the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023, No. 246). The relevant IMO resolution is MSC.532(107). The amendments introduce enhanced design, maintenance, operation and testing standards for lifting appliances and anchor handling winches with effect from 1 January 2026.
The international code of safety for ships using gases or other low-flashpoint fuels (IGF code) was made mandatory internationally by chapter II-1 of SOLAS, which relates to the construction of ships. Chapter II-1 is implemented in the United Kingdom by the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023, No. 246) and, as such, the implementation includes the IGF code. Amendments have been made to chapter II-1, along with changes to the IGF code, that affect ships constructed on or after 1 January 2026. These amendments will come into force on 1 January 2026 and can be found in IMO resolutions MSC.524(106), MSC.551(108).
Amendments to the qualification standards for inspectors of protective coatings are introduced by MSC.557(108) and MSC.558(108). These standards form part of the requirements under chapter II-1 of SOLAS. These amendments fall within scope of the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023, No. 246). The amendments are textual updates to the qualification requirements for coating inspectors, replacing the reference to
“NACE Coating Inspector Level 2”
with
“AMPP Certified Coatings Inspector, FROSIO Inspector Level III or equivalent as verified by the Administration”,
reflecting the name change of the responsible professional body. This change ensures alignment with current certification standards and applies with effect from 1 January 2026.
Amendments to the international code on the enhanced programme of inspections during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers (ESP code) have been introduced via IMO resolution MSC.553(108). These standards form part of the requirements under chapter II-1 of SOLAS. These amendments take effect by virtue of the ambulatory reference provision in the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023, No. 246) and apply to part A, annex 5, paragraph 2.2 and part B, annex 5, paragraph 2.2 of the code. The changes are minor amendments to the text for clarity and take effect from 1 January 2026.
The amendments to SOLAS chapter II-2 introduce new requirements for fire safety on ships including fire detection, fire suppression and containment of fire. SOLAS II-2 is ambulatory by virtue of the ambulatory reference provision in the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023, No. 568). The relevant IMO resolutions are MSC.520(106), MSC.532(107), MSC.550(108) and MSC.555(108). The amendments come into force from 1 January 2026 and introduce new requirements for ensuring the flashpoint of fuel oils, prohibition of the use of firefighting foams containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), new requirements for fire detection on cargo ships, and significant new requirements for fire detection, fire containment and fire suppression on roll-on/roll-off passenger ships along with corresponding amendments to the fire safety systems code.
The amendments to the IMO high speed craft code (1994 and 2000 revisions) align the requirements with SOLAS chapter II-2 regarding the maritime ban on PFOS, which is a persistent organic pollutant, in aqueous film forming foams, which are used as a firefighting medium on some ships. These amendments will come into force on 1 January 2026 and can be found in IMO resolutions MSC.536(107) and MSC.537(107). These will be enacted through the ambulatory reference provision in the Merchant Shipping (High Speed Craft) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022, No. 1219).
Amendments relating to SOLAS chapter III and the lifesaving appliances (LSA) code have been introduced via IMO resolutions MSC.535(107), MSC.554(107) and MSC.559(108). These provisions fall within scope of the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020, No. 501) and are therefore subject to the ambulatory reference provision. Resolution MSC.535(107) introduces new requirements for totally enclosed lifeboats
“installed on or after 1 January 2029”,
mandating the provision of a ventilation system capable of achieving a defined airflow for 24 hours, with technical specifications for opening and closing mechanisms across lifeboat types. Resolution MSC.554(107) strengthens performance standards for lifejackets by requiring them to reliably turn an unconscious casualty into a safe orientation in the water, removing any tolerance for failure in testing. It also sets out design safeguards for lifeboat and rescue boat release hooks to prevent inadvertent activation, and defines safe maximum and minimum lowering speeds for launching appliances used with survival craft or rescue boats. Resolution MSC.559(108), while not amending SOLAS chapter III or the LSA code directly, introduces consequential changes to the annual thorough examination and operational testing of lifeboats following the adoption of MSC.535(107). It requires verification of the condition and operation of the ventilation system as part of routine lifeboat testing. As MSC.402(96) is mandatory under SOLAS chapter III, these consequential amendments are binding under SI 2020, No. 501 and the associated ambulatory reference provision. These amendments take effect from 1 January 2026.
SOLAS chapter V focuses on measures which improve safety of navigation and is implemented in UK law by the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020, No. 673). To address the growing concern over container loss and bulk cargo damage caused by excessive vessel roll motions, the IMO has adopted a new requirement under resolution MSC.532(107). Effective from 1 January 2026, SOLAS regulation V/19.2.12 mandates the installation of electronic inclinometers on newly built container ships and bulk carriers of 3,000 gross tonnage and above to determine, display and record the ship’s roll motion. This regulatory advancement is expected to significantly enhance operational safety, reduce cargo-related incidents, and support more informed decision-making during adverse sea conditions.
The international grain code, which provides the mandatory standards for the safe stowage and shipment of grain in bulk, is made mandatory by SOLAS chapter VI on the carriage of cargoes and oil fuels, and is implemented in the UK by the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024, No. 637). This code is amended by IMO resolution MSC.552(108) to improve safety by making provision for a new class of loading conditions for ships with specially suitable compartments. This amendment enters into force internationally and in the UK on 1 January 2026.
The international maritime solid bulk cargoes (IMSBC) code provides the international regulatory framework for the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes other than grain and includes mandatory carriage requirements specific to each solid bulk cargo covered by the code. The IMSBC code is made mandatory by chapter VI of SOLAS and is implemented in the UK primarily by the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024, No. 637). In order to ensure that the IMSBC code remains up to date and relevant to the cargoes being shipped, it is amended in the IMO every two years. The next edition of the IMSBC code will become mandatory on 1 January 2027 and can be used on a voluntary basis from 1 January 2026. Amendment 08-25 includes the addition of a number of new solid bulk cargoes in order to permit and facilitate their safe transport by sea, and amendments to some existing cargo schedules. These amendments were adopted by IMO resolution MSC.575(110).
The international code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk (the IGC code) is the international standard for the safe transport in bulk by sea of liquefied gases. The code is made mandatory by SOLAS chapter VII on the carriage of dangerous goods and is implemented in the UK by the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024, No. 636). Two amendments to the IGC code will enter into force internationally and in the UK on 1 January 2026. These are the acceptance of high manganese austenitic steel as a material of construction for gas carriers, along with consequential amendments, as adopted in IMO resolution MSC.523(106), and amendments which enable the use of other liquefied gas cargoes, in addition to methane, as fuel onboard gas carriers, which will facilitate efforts to decarbonise global shipping and reduce emissions. These amendments were adopted by IMO resolution MSC.566(109).
Protocol 1 of MARPOL sets out provisions concerning the mandatory reporting of incidents involving harmful substances. Protocol 1 is amended to reflect an amendment to SOLAS chapter V which makes it mandatory for ships to report the loss of freight containers, including containers containing harmful substances. The UK will implement these amendments through the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024, No. 636). This amendment to MARPOL protocol 1 will ensure that the amendment to SOLAS chapter V does not result in duplicated reporting requirements for industry. This amendment was adopted in the IMO by resolution MEPC.384(81).
The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008, No. 2924) implement the 1997 protocol to the international convention on the prevention of pollution from ships (MARPOL 73/78). The 1997 protocol provides for the establishment of international regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships by adding annex VI to MARPOL 73/78. Annex VI includes a technical code on the control of emissions of nitrogen oxides from marine diesel engines (NOx technical code) and the amendments will update the procedures for controlling nitrogen oxide emissions from marine diesel engines. The code amendments will come into force on 1 September 2026 and can be found in MEPC.398(83).
The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008 (S.L 2008, No. 2924), transpose the energy efficiency design index (EEDI), energy efficiency existing ship index (EEXI), carbon intensity indicator (CH), and ship energy efficiency management plan (SEEMP) regimes into UK law. These regulations implement the 1997 protocol to MARPOL 73/78, which established annex VI on the prevention of air pollution from ships. Annex VI includes regulation 26 of SEEMP. These amendments introduce clearer planning and reporting requirements to help ships reduce fuel use and emissions. SEEMP is now structured into three parts: part I covers operational energy efficiency measures; part II outlines fuel oil data collection procedures; and part III sets out a carbon intensity improvement plan linked to the ship’s carbon intensity indicator (CII) rating. Ships will be required to report fuel use by engine type, use of shore power, distance travelled with cargo, and any installed energy-saving technologies. Flag administrations must verify and approve SEEMP parts II and III, ensuring ships are actively working to improve their environmental performance. Amendments to SEEMP, adopted by IMO resolution MEPC.395(82) will come into force on 1 January 2026.
IMO resolution MSC.560(108) amends the mandatory standards of competence in personal safety and social responsibilities for seafarers in chapter VI of the STCW code to include mandatory training on prevention of and response to violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault. The amendment is to table A-VI/1 which specifies the minimum standard of competence in personal safety and social responsibilities (PSSR). This is implemented through the ambulatory reference provisions in the Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022, No. 1342). Guidance has been issued to all UK-approved training providers to incorporate these amendments into courses delivered from 1 January 2026. Therefore, all new seafarers undertaking basic training after that date will receive the updated PSSR content.
Further information and guidance on all amendments referred to in this statement has been published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and is available on www.gov.uk.
[HCWS1184]
Roads Infrastructure: Variable Speed Cameras
(1 day, 7 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood)
I wish to inform the House about a technical anomaly that has impacted how some variable speed cameras interact with signs on a limited number of A roads and motorways for a number of years. I would like to apologise to all who have been affected.
On 10 September, National Highways informed the Department for Transport of an anomaly on the M5 following a challenge to a speeding offence. Ministers were informed of the anomaly and that National Highways was expanding its analysis to additional sites. On 13 October, Ministers were informed that National Highways had identified that this was a national issue, whereby a technical anomaly with the way some variable speed cameras interact with signs was affecting some enforcement on parts of England’s strategic road network.
National Highways identified that on rare occasions there can be a slight delay between the two systems, meaning drivers had not been given sufficient time to respond to a change in speed limit, or were detected as speeding when the variable speed limit had already changed. This issue began when cameras were upgraded under the previous Government.
This issue has led to incorrect enforcement action being taken in a small number of cases, which I recognise will have been frustrating for those involved. National Highways confirms that this technical anomaly has occurred approximately 2,650 times on the impacted cameras over four years since 2021. To place this in context, during the same period there were approximately 6 million camera activations in total on the affected cameras, meaning that fewer than 0.1% of activations were impacted. Not all of the erroneous activations will have resulted in enforcement action, so the numbers of those actually impacted will be smaller still. These cameras are used on only 0.2% of roads in England.
National Highways has provided data to the police to enable them to begin to contact those impacted, and to allow the process of redress for cases affected by this issue to get under way. I understand that the police will prioritise the most serious cases. I can confirm that the Government will provide financial redress. Anyone who has been wrongly fined will be refunded, and where points on licences have been incorrectly applied, these will be removed. Steps will be taken to remedy any incorrect prosecutions.
A Home Office approved solution to this issue has now been agreed. National Highways will be working with the police to allow them to implement this solution as a priority. Interim measures, such as increased traffic patrol officers, will be put in place by National Highways. The police have a range of tactics to enforce speed limits on the strategic road network, including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites.
I have instructed National Highways to continue its investigations back to 2019, when the upgrade of cameras began. This will ensure that we can be fully confident that anyone who has been impacted is identified.
As soon as I was alerted to the issue on 13 October, I worked to ensure that there would be no further incorrect fines, points, or prosecutions. On 17 October, National Highways’ executive was able to instruct its camera supplier to pause the transfer of variable speed data to police forces, in order to ensure that no further individuals were incorrectly prosecuted.
Independently, the National Police Chiefs’ Council took action to instruct all affected police forces to cancel wider prosecutions related to infringements in progress, regardless of whether they were impacted by this issue. As a result, tens of thousands of people’s speed awareness courses are being cancelled, and thousands of historical fixed penalty notices and criminal justice prosecutions are being discontinued.
Throughout this process, I have been clear with all partners that we must ensure that our road network remains safe. We therefore took the decision, following a safety assessment from National Highways, not to undermine public confidence in enforcement and risk impacting driver behaviour before we had a solution to this issue approved and ready to roll out.
We will ensure that there is an independent investigation into how this technical anomaly came about, to ensure that lessons can be learned. Compliance with the law is being enforced in a variety of ways across our roads, as has always been the case. If you break the law, you can expect to be punished.
We have provided further information online at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-highways-variable-speed-camera-anomaly
I will keep the House updated on this issue where necessary.
[HCWS1183]