Enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland: Round 9 Negotiations
(1 day, 17 hours ago)
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The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Chris Bryant)
The ninth round of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement (FTA) with Switzerland took place in London between 12 and 16 January 2026.
The new deal aims to support British businesses, back British jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets.
The enhanced agreement with Switzerland demonstrates the UK Government commitment to economic growth through strengthening trade ties with our 10th biggest trading partner—a relationship worth £49.0 billion in the 12 months ending September 2025 (ONS, UK total trade, seasonally adjusted).
The FTA aims to deliver long-term certainty for UK services firms by locking in access to the Swiss market, guaranteeing the free flow of data and cementing business travel arrangements.
The trading relationship supported 130,000 services jobs across the UK in 2020, including legal, consultancy and finance sectors (OECD trade in employment database and covers all jobs directly and indirectly supported by exports from service industries to Switzerland in 2020).
The new agreement will update the current goods-focused UK-Swiss FTA, signed in 2019 and largely based on an EU-Swiss deal from 1972. This does not cover services, investment, digital or data, despite services accounting for over 60% of UK trade with Switzerland (ONS, UK total trade, seasonally adjusted).
We have already extended the services mobility agreement between the UK and Switzerland for a further four years to 2029.
The latest round saw progress in multiple areas:
Services and investment
Productive sessions took place on services and investment. Talks remain focused on market access for UK services exports.
Market distorting practices
Good progress was made during this round on a range of topics relating to state-owned enterprises and subsidies.
Digital
Progress was made on digital trade with the UK seeking commitments to guarantee the free flow of data across both countries.
Intellectual property
During this round, the UK and Switzerland discussed intellectual property rights areas. Negotiations will continue with the aim of agreeing a comprehensive framework for the protection of intellectual property.
Goods
Discussions continue to focus on goods market access and on the goods chapter text, which will help streamline the process for UK exports to Switzerland and bilateral trade in goods.
Environment and labour
Negotiators provisionally closed the trade and sustainable development chapter, which demonstrates the UK and Switzerland’s joint commitment to maintaining high standards of environmental and labour protection including through multilateral environmental agreements such as the UNFCCC and the Paris agreement.
Next steps on FTA negotiations
Immediately following the round, my colleague the Secretary of State for Business and Trade met President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin in Switzerland to take stock of the progress in the FTA.
The Government are focussed on securing outcomes in an enhanced FTA that boost economic growth for the UK and Ministers will continue to update Parliament on the progress of negotiations.
The Government will only ever sign a trade agreement which aligns with the UK’s national interests, upholding our high standards across a range of sectors, alongside protections for the national health service.
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Pandemic Agreement: Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System
(1 day, 17 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Dr Zubir Ahmed)
I would like to update the House regarding the follow-up negotiations to the pandemic agreement to develop and agree a new pathogen access and benefit sharing (PABS) system in the form of an annex to the agreement.
The PABS system will be a new, voluntary system for life sciences companies to sign up to in order to gain faster access, with less red tape, to the pathogens they need to create new vaccines, treatments and diagnostics (VTDs) for in the event of a pandemic. These negotiations are currently ongoing via the World Health Organisation’s member state-led intergovernmental working group (IGWG), which was established to facilitate this process.
Since my last update to the House on 22 October 2025, the IGWG has convened in from 3 to 7 November and from 1 to 5 December and held a resumed session from 20 to 22 January. So far, technical discussions have centred around the scope of pathogen materials and sequence information covered by the PABS system; how they will be shared through laboratory networks and databases to ensure timely access; benefit sharing provisions for manufacturers who sign up to the system; the links between PABS and other international access and benefit sharing frameworks; the links between domestic access and benefit sharing legislation and the PABS system; and provisions regarding traceability and open access to data.
The most recent round of negotiations saw some progress made on issues including the use of terms for the PABS system, but differences remain on a range of issues. The UK Government remain committed to continuing work with other member states to find consensus and to deliver an effective, implementable, and equitable PABS system.
Member states have agreed to report on the outcome of negotiations by the next World Health Assembly in May 2026. Only once the negotiations on the PABS annex have concluded, and the annex has been adopted by the WHA, will the pandemic agreement, including the PABS annex, be open for signature and ratification by member states.
Two further negotiating weeks are scheduled for 9-13 February and 23-27 March and I will update the House further as negotiations continue.
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccination: Older Adults
(1 day, 17 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton)
I am today announcing that the year-round vaccination programme to protect older adults against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will be extended from 1 April 2026 to also include those aged 80 years and older, and all residents in care homes for older adults, supporting the 10-year health plan ambition to shift from sickness to prevention.
RSV is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe illness, especially for young infants and older adults who are at greater risk. That is why, in September 2024, we introduced new RSV vaccination programmes in England for adults who were aged 75 to 79 years old on 1 September 2024 and those subsequently turning 75, and for pregnant women from 28 weeks gestation to protect their baby during the first months of life. The decision to offer NHS vaccinations to protect these groups against RSV was based on the latest independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) at that time. When advising the introduction of these programmes, the JCVI noted that an extension would be considered when there was more certainty about the real-world impact of the programme in 75 to 79-year-olds and the level of protection offered by vaccination in those aged 80 and over.
The JCVI has continued to review the latest evidence and advised in June 2025 that all older adults aged over 75 years should be eligible for an RSV vaccination on the NHS, as well as all residents in a care home for older adults, regardless of their age. The Committee also advised that RSV vaccines could be administered concurrently with covid-19 vaccines.
His Majesty’s Government have accepted the JCVI’s advice, and the UK Health Security Agency are working with NHS England to ensure that newly eligible individuals will be offered an RSV vaccination from 1 April 2026. This means that anyone who is eligible for both the RSV programme and the spring 2026 covid-19 campaign will be able to get both vaccines at the same appointment, which will improve convenience and help maximise uptake.
The RSV vaccination programme has already had a positive impact, leading to a 33% reduction in RSV-related hospital admissions in 75 to 79-year-olds in winter 2024/25, only months after being introduced, while uptake was still rising. A recent publication in The Lancet Infectious Diseases on a UKHSA and NHS collaboration has shown that the vaccine is over 80% effective in preventing admissions due to RSV chest infections.
I am delighted to say that nearly 2 million RSV vaccinations have now been given to older adults who are currently eligible for the programme. This extension will build on that success, by providing protection for even more people at most risk of RSV, which will save more lives and further reduce RSV-related hospital admissions during the winter months.
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Government Support for High Streets
(1 day, 17 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Miatta Fahnbulleh)
High streets are the heart of our communities—they should be vibrant centres where people come together, where local businesses take root and flourish, and a source of pride in place. But too many people tell us that their high streets no longer feel like the thriving centres they once were. They see boarded-up shops, dwindling footfall, and the loss of cherished local businesses. We have listened, and are taking decisive action to reverse this trend.
I can confirm that the upcoming high streets strategy will be backed by at least £150 million of support to help turn the tide on the high streets most in need. This targeted investment will be used to tackle the challenges people care about most. It will improve neglected shopfronts, bring empty units back into use, and restore pride in local high streets. The funding will be prioritised for areas that have felt the harshest impact of high street decline.
This announcement builds on the Chancellor’s recent measures to support hospitality and celebrate the essential role of British pubs in high street life. These measures form part of our broader commitment to a new high streets strategy that will tackle the structural challenges facing retail, leisure, and hospitality businesses. People care about their local businesses, and we know these sectors are vital drivers of local economies. That is why we will work closely with industry to ensure the strategy reflects their needs and unlocks long term growth.
The new investment will complement our flagship Pride in Place programme, a transformative package of up to £5 billion that puts power and resources directly into the hands of local communities. People want more control over what happens in their town centres—and we are giving them that control. Through Pride in Place, local people are shaping regeneration projects, deciding how investment is spent and creating thriving places. Together, these initiatives represent a long-term plan to give communities control and restore pride, opportunity, and economic resilience across the country.
New funding is just one part of the picture. We are already taking steps to support vibrant high streets and respond to the problems people have told us matter most. This includes introducing new tools to repurpose and reimagine high street property including high street rental auction and community right to buy, consulting on new national planning policies to support town centre vitality, cutting red tape with licensing reform, and tackling the proliferation of betting shops, ensuring our high streets remain welcoming and diverse.
This is the beginning of a turning point for high streets across England. By combining targeted funding, stronger local powers, support for businesses, and community driven regeneration, we will breathe new life into town centres and strengthen the sense of pride people feel in the places they call home.
I will bring further updates as we develop our high streets strategy in the coming months.
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West Midlands Trains Services: Transfer into Public Ownership
(1 day, 17 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)
My noble friend, the Minister of State for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) has made the following ministerial statement on 30 January 2026.
I am confirming to the House that on Sunday 1 February, West Midlands Trains, operating as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway, will become the fourth operator whose services will transfer into public ownership under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act.
Operations will now be run by a new public sector operator —WM Trains Ltd—a subsidiary of public corporation DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO).
This now means that eight of the 14 train operators that my Department is responsible for, and which will form the backbone of passenger services under Great British Railways (GBR), are in public ownership.
Govia Thameslink Railway’s services will be the next to transfer on 31 May 2026, with the intention that Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railway’s services will follow. Expiry notices will be issued to confirm the dates of transfer for these operators once a final decision has been taken.
Public ownership is already putting passengers at the heart of the railway, but, in and of itself, is not a silver bullet. To truly fix the structural issues that have long plagued our railways, we need systemic reform.
The Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament and will establish GBR, a new publicly owned body, that will run and manage the tracks and trains for passengers and freight use every day. The Bill will also give passengers a powerful new voice with a passenger watchdog, and an enhanced role for devolved Governments and England’s mayors to have a bigger say in how the railway is run in their regions.
GBR will take responsibility for the day-to-day operational delivery of the railways: from delivering services to setting timetables, managing access to the network and operating, maintaining and renewing infrastructure. It will also bring fares and ticketing into the 21st century, simplifying the baffling array of fares and ticketing that passengers currently endure, ensuring they get best value for money. The new GBR app and website will allow passengers to buy tickets, check train times and access a range of support all in one place.
Ahead of the establishment of GBR, the management of track and train is already being brought closer together with integrated leadership across DFTO train operating companies and Network Rail routes in defined regional areas. This will deliver improvements for passengers and freight users.
Furthermore, for the first time in 30 years, rail fares will be frozen for a year from March. This will put money back in passengers’ pockets and ease the cost of living for hard-working people, including delivering savings across over a billion journeys.
The Government continue to deliver on our plan for change, with investment and reform driving growth and rebuilding Britain. Reforming our railways is central to this and will drive improved performance, bringing more people back to rail, generating greater revenue and reducing costs.
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