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Huawei to be stripped from UK's 5G network by 2027, Oliver Dowden confirms

Oliver Dowden: The move will cost £2bn and delay 5G roll-out by up to three years 
Oliver Dowden: The move will cost £2bn and delay 5G roll-out by up to three years

Oliver Dowden has confirmed that the UK will ban Huawei from the UK's 5G network and set a new deadline for stripping it out of all infrastructure at the cost of £2bn.

The Chinese tech giant equipment will be stripped out entirely by 2027, with telecoms firms banned from purchasing new 5G equipment from Huawei from the start of next year, the Culture Secretary said.

He told the Commons there would be a "cumulative delay" to the UK's 5G roll-out of two to three years, costing up to £2 billion.

"This will have real consequences for the connections on which all our constituents rely," Mr Dowden said.

Boris Johnson this morning chaired a meeting of the National Security Council at which a final decision on Huawei's future as a supplier was rubber stamped.

In January, the Prime Minister announced that Huawei would be limited to a 35 per cent cap in the 5G network and would be limited to its periphery and banned from the core.

However, the imposition of new US sanctions, which ban the sale of components used in Huawei equipment, has been deemed a "game changer" for its role in the UK's 5G network.

Downing Street also faced a growing rebellion on its backbenches, with senior Tories concerned about China's security threat following the move to impose a new security law on Hong Kong.

Read more below.


03:04 PM

And that's it for another day...

It's been another busy day with not one but two U-turns.

Matt Hancock formally announced that face masks would be made mandatory in shops from July 24. Sir Desmond Swayne was a lone voice in the Commons decrying the "monstrous imposition", but as the Health Secretary pointed out, masks are the best way to protect the "ancient liberties of a gentleman to go shopping". 

He also hinted that this is not where it ends, failing to rule out further tightening of restrictions in pubs and restaurants - which might make eating and drinking somewhat challenging. 

Meanwhile Oliver Dowden received qualified support for his announcement that the Government was banning Huawei from the UK's 5G network, with Tory backbenchers urging ministers to move faster, and look more broadly at our relationship with Beijing. Labour's frontbench might have sniffed at the "negligence" that led us down this path for the last six months, but broadly welcomed the change of direction.

A whopping 83 per cent of readers agree with the likes of Iain Duncan Smith and Tom Tugendhat that the Chinese giant should be stripped out by the end of 2024, rather than the 2027 proposed by the Government. However 15 per cent backed Boris Johnson's timeline, while just two per cent stood by industry, who have warned that anything less than a decade risks outages. 

I'll be back tomorrow from 8am, bringing all the news from Westminster including the Prime Minister's weekly round with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. 


02:56 PM

Too many in the West are still blind to the inconvenient truth about China

With the Government's Huawei U-turn finally public, it might look as if this particular controversy is at an end.

But, notes William Hague, this is only the beginning of many major companies being caught out in the same way.


02:50 PM

We need to stop being stubborn about masks, and wear them out of civic duty

It may feel like we're reaching the end of the pandemic. But as Leicester has exquisitely testified, the virus lurks at the margins of the normal life we crave. Meanwhile talk of a winter second wave remains ever present.

So, in the absence of a vaccine, and with emerging evidence of its droplet transmission, the move to enforce mandatory face coverings in shops is both welcome and long – long – overdue.

As Angela Epstein argues, we have to look at the baseline science and embrace face coverings.


02:37 PM

Face masks not mandatory in Welsh shops because virus at 'lowest ebb'

Face coverings have not yet been made mandatory in shops in Wales because coronavirus is at its "lowest ebb" in the country, Wales' finance minister has said.

Rebecca Evans said it was important the country took a "proportionate response" to the pandemic, following the UK Government's decision to enforce the use of face coverings for shoppers in England.

In Wales, face coverings will only become mandatory for public transport when new rules come into force on July 27.

On Tuesday, Ms Evans' Labour colleague in Westminster, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, accused UK Government ministers of being "slow and muddled" over introducing the rule for shops in England.

Asked if the Welsh Labour government was also "slow and muddled" since it had not followed suit, Ms Evans said: "As the First Minister set out yesterday as he was making the announcement on face coverings for public transport, coronavirus is very much at its lowest ebb thus far in Wales, and I think it's important we take a proportionate response to that.

"But there will be places where it becomes difficult or impossible to maintain that two-metre rule from other people, and in those cases, it's appropriate then to consider the use of face masks."


02:35 PM

Rishi Sunak orders review of capital gains tax amid fears of rate increase

Rishi Sunak has commissioned a review of capital gains tax, sparking fears the duty’s historically low rates will be increased to help plug the £300bn whole in public expenditure caused by coronavirus. 

The Chancellor has asked the Office of Tax Simplification to conduct the review, which will assess whether the current rates are fit for purpose. 

Read the full story here.


02:32 PM

James Titcomb: We should have banned Huawei years ago

It has been just six months ago since Boris Johnson gave the green light to Huawei's involvement in the UK's 5G network, limiting the Chinese giant to a 35pc cap. Today all that has changed. 

Whether or not you agree that Huawei is an arm of the Chinese state (the company, naturally, denies this), it has been doomed in Britain for some time. As James Titcomb writes, we should have banned the tech firm years ago.


02:21 PM

Carrie Symonds calls on Amazon to give plastic free packaging options

Carrie Symonds, the Prime Minister's fiance, says she has "relied on Amazon" for essentials for their newborn Wilfred as a result of lockdown, but has been "dismayed" at the amount of plastic packaging. 

She has urged her 126,000 followers to sign a petition asking the etailing giant "to give us plastic-free options too".


02:06 PM

Watch: How Huawei announcement could hit consumers

Signal blackouts and billions wasted - today's Huawei announcement could hit consumers hard. 

Earlier this week BT said it would be "impossible" to remove all the kit within the next ten years and Vodafone saying it would cost “single-figure billions”.

That was confirmed by Oliver Dowden earlier today, who told MPs it would cost £2bn. 


02:03 PM

Matt Hancock doesn't rule out mandatory face masks for pubs and restaurants

Matt Hancock has left the door open to making face masks mandatory in pubs and restaurants, saying the Government is keeping "all things under review". 

Asked specifically on this point, he told MPs "we don't anticipate that at this point", but acknowledged: "We of course keep all things under review

"In the first instance the proposal, in same way we brought this in on public transport and the NHS last month, is to bring this in in shops," Mr Hancock said.


01:42 PM

Desmond Swayne challenges Matt Hancock over 'monstrous imposition' of face masks

Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne has challenged Matt Hancock over the new face masks measure, saying "nothing would make it less likely for me to go shopping than the thought of having to mask up".

He asks if the police had been consulted before 

The member for  New Forest West calls it a "monstrous imposition against myself" and says his constituents are "outraged" by the latest restriction. 

However the Health Secretary insists it is the best way to restore "the ancient liberties of a gentleman to go shopping". 


01:38 PM

Two people die in Wales, as Scotland notches up six days without coronavirus fatalities

Public Health Wales said a further two people had died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,543.

There were 21 new cases, while its revised total for confirmed cases in Wales now stands at 16,836.

The total for confirmed cases is 209 fewer than the previous day's figures because of "de-duplication".

Meanwhile there have been no new coronavirus deaths reported in Scotland for a sixth day in a row, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. 

Ahead of lockdown restrictions easing further in Scotland on Wednesday to allow people to return to pubs, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers and places of worship, Ms Sturgeon warned these changes are the "highest risk" and told people not to go if they do not want to provide contact details.


01:36 PM

Compulsory face masks will 'give shoppers confidence', says Matt Hancock

Making face masks compulsory will give "people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops" Matt Hancock has told MPs. 

The Health Secretary has confirmed plans to make face coverings mandatory from July 24, saying: "The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual" although "police have formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine."

He notes that"enforcement is of course a last resort" and expects "public to comply with these rules".

But the Government has been attacked by Labour, with shadow health secretary saying: "After days of ministerial muddle, we finally have a decision". 

Mr Ashworth challenges Mr Hancock, asking why it is taking the government 11 days to require people to wear face masks in shops in England. 

He stresses it is to allow consumers and shops to prepare for the change. 

Mr Hancock adds: "Trying to turn this into a party political football ill behoves the gentleman."

 


01:31 PM

No outages because of Huawei decision, Dowden promises

Mobile phone users in the UK will not suffer signal blackouts as a result of the Huawei decision, Oliver Dowden has said.

Labour's Tulip Siddiq said network providers have warned stripping Huawei equipment out of the UK network too quickly could lead to signal blackouts, and asked for assurances that people will not endure this disruption.

Mr Dowden replied in the Commons: "She is absolutely right to raise the risk of that kind of disruption and blackouts, and that's one of the reasons that led us to the timetable we've set out.

"Put bluntly, the shorter the timetable for the removal, the higher the risk of that happening.. [but] this risk will not materialise in relation to the proposals that we have outlined today."

Mr Dowden also told MPs: "I would caution that cyber attacks will not be prevented by removing Huawei equipment from the system. There are vulnerabilities across the network and that's one of the reasons why we're introducing the Telecoms Security Bill to start to address some of those."

 


01:30 PM

Have your say on: Phasing Huawei out of the UK’s 5G network

So now we know.

Downing Street is planning to legislate to have Huawei stripped from the UK’s 5G network by 2027, taking the middle route between the options available. 

The telecoms industry would prefer a longer time-frame, warning that any less than a decade risks outages. Meanwhile Conservative backbenchers - and indeed some Labour backbenchers - are calling for the Government to commit to a tighter window. 

So far readers agree - 85 per cent of those who have voted so far think Huawei should be stripped out by 2024. But do you agree? Have your say in the poll below.


01:29 PM

Huawei U-turn is ‘right decision’, says minister

There may be a small amount of egg on the faces of ministers who have been forced into a U-turn, banning Huawei just six months after giving the Chinese giant the green light to limited involvement in the UK’s 5G network. 

But local government minister Simon Clark has made it clear which side he comes down on, saying today’s move is the “right decision”.


01:29 PM

Labour MP tells Government to ‘listen to own backbenchers’

It isn’t only Conservatives who have raised questions over the speed at which Huawei will be removed from the UK’s 5G network. 

Labour's Chris Bryant (Rhondda) said the Government's strategy was "in tatters" as he asked why Oliver Dowden could not bring forward the date from 2027.

He said: "What's particularly sad about it is this wasn't only predictable, it was predicted by dozens of MPs who kept on saying this repeatedly to the Government that this is where we were going to get to in the end.

"I just wish the Government sometimes would listen to its own backbenches sometimes more often and obviously [Labour] backbenches as well because there is unity in the House on this matter and there has been for some considerable period of time."

Mr Dowden said: "(He) is very good at false indignation and theatrics... we have set out a clear date, that will be enshrined through statute to remove Huawei equipment."


01:28 PM

Bob Seely joins chorus of Tories to warn on pace of Huawei removal

Tory backbencher Bob Seely has also raised concerns about the pace of plans to strip Huawei out of the UK’s 5G network. 

The MP for the Isle of Wight and co-ordinator of the 60-strong Huawei Interest Group of Conservative MPs said it was a " good first decision" but warned “Huawei's glide path out of our critical national infrastructure will be slow”. 

He added: “It also means that BT and others could be installing already-bought Huawei kit for well after 2020.

"Huawei is, by Government's own definition, a high-risk vendor. We should not, on principle, have high-risk vendors in our critical national infrastructure."


01:28 PM

Major victory for Parliament, says Tugendhat, as he urges faster removal of Huawei

Tom Tugendhat has welcomed the Government’s U-turn on Huawei as a “major victory for Parliament”. 

The UK’s future prosperity would no longer be “tied to a company linked to the Chinese state”, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted 

“There’s no point in taking back control from Brussels only to hand it over to Beijing,” he added.

However the 2027 deadline is “longer than many would like”,  he said, urging ministers to present an annual report to Parliament.

“Detail would put market pressure on companies to deliver faster,” the Tonbridge and Malling MP said.


01:27 PM

Iain Duncan Smith urges Government to go faster on Huawei

Iain Duncan Smith has urged the Government to act faster, saying there is "no reason" why Huawei can't be stripped out in five years rather than seven. 

He also challenges Oliver Dowden as to why the tech firm is still allowed to work in 2G, 3G and 4G networks. 

Mr Dowden says "the reality of the 5G network is that it is fundamentally different" which is why Huawei is being stripped from this infrastructure. 

It will also "be absent" from future 6G networks.


12:34 PM

Labour's Lisa Nandy attacks Government for having 'no strategy' on Huawei

Lisa Nandy has attacked the Government for appearing to have "no strategy" when it comes to Huawei. 

The shadow foreign secretary and former leadership candidate tweeted her frustration that the Telecoms Bill won't be brought forward until later this year "and it seems they’re only just starting to talk to our Five Eyes partners about alternatives".


12:27 PM

US sanctions 'severely affected' visibility of Huawei's products

A senior official at the National Cyber Security Centre has said US sanctions "severely affected" Huawei's ability to build products longer-term. 

Ian Levy, the NCSC's technical director, wrote in a blog that while Huawei claims to have stockpiles of parts that they can use, the sanctions affects the long-term visibility of their products. 

"We think that Huawei products that are adapted to cope with the [sanctions] change are likely to suffer more security and reliability problems because of the massive engineering challenge ahead of them, and it will be harder for us to be confident in their use within our mitigation strategy," he said. 

Dr Levy said: "The decision today is necessary for the long-term security and resilience of the UK networks, but comes with significant risks and costs.

"The long-term health and diversity of supply in the telecoms sector is a critical issue for all, and it will take concerted, sustained, international effort to fix it."


12:19 PM

UK Government's ban 'about US trade policy, not security', claims Huawei

Huawei has said the decision to ban it from the UK's 5G network will push Britain "into the digital slow lane", and push bills up for consumers. 

"Instead of 'levelling up', the Government is levelling down and we urge them to reconsider," said spokesman Ed Brewster. 

He added: "We remain confident that the new US restrictions would not have affected the resilience or security of the products we supply to the UK.

"Regrettably our future in the UK has become politicised, this is about US trade policy and not security.

"Over the past 20 years, Huawei has focused on building a better connected UK. As a responsible business, we will continue to support our customers as we have always done.

"We will conduct a detailed review of what today's announcement means for our business here and will work with the UK Government to explain how we can continue to contribute to a better connected Britain."


12:17 PM

UK will 'not be cowed' by threats of retaliation from China, says Dowden

Asked about a threat of "unspecified consequences" made by the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Oliver Dowden says the UK will " not be cowed". 

Speaking at a virtual press briefing in London last week, Liu Xiaoming warned Boris Johnson “you cannot have a golden era if you treat China as an enemy”.

A ban on Huawei would have many consequences, Liu said, including damage to the UK’s reputation as “a business-friendly, open, transparent environment”.


12:07 PM

Oliver Dowden challenged over supply chain capacity

Greg Clark, the former Business Secretary, says a result of the decision we will be reliant on two companies for much of the network. 

He asks if Oliver Dowden believes the UK can develop new supply chain capacity during this parliament, and asks if he will come to the Science and Tech Committee to outline the plan. 

Mr Dowden says he would be delighted to do so, and adds there are "a whole range of measures" being deployed to resolve the market failure issue. 

Former transport minister Nusrat Ghani said she was concerned about the use of Huawei equipment in monitoring the Uighur population in Xinjiang province in China.

Mr Dowden replied: "The honourable lady is absolutely right to raise the appalling human rights abuses against the Uighur in Xinjiang province and in that the UK has led in the condemnation of that working with other countries."


12:02 PM

Flow of Huawei equipment will have stopped by end of parliament, says Dowden

Julian Knight, the chair of the DCMS committee, backs the decision, saying security should be the priority. But he asks what the decision would mean for consumers. 

He also asks if this decision will be a final one that can't be reversed by future governments. 

Oliver Dowden says the "irreversibility" of the decision will be in the bill, and by the end of this parliament "the flow of Huawei's 5G equipment will have stopped". 

He added: "Unless the party opposite are going to say that they will come into office and immediately repeal all of this legislation and instruct all telecoms providers to almost exclusively procure Huawei, we have dealt with Huawei in the 5G network through this announcement."


11:59 AM

Government having 'technical engagement' with Samsung and NEC, says Dowden

Shadow digital culture minister  Chi Onwurah has attacked the Government for being ""incomprehensibly negligent" on Huawei, asking when legislation will be brought forward on high-risk vendors. 

She also asks if Oliver Dowden will publish the new security advice, and what has changed since the original decision in January. 

The MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne asks if the policy has been led by the US, and asks if human rights abuses in China had any bearing on the decision. She also asks about next steps to shore up the UK's digital future. 

Responding Mr Dowden says the Government will bring forward legislation in autumn, and publish a summary of the advice which will "contain the essence of it". He says the new fact was the sanctions imposed post-January. 

Mr Dowden says "of course" other considerations played a factor, but says he won't go into details in the House. 

He turns the tables on Ms Onwurah, asking if she supports the move, and says Labour "opened the door to Huawei in the first place". 

The Government is "now at the stage of having technical engagement at a technical level" with Samsung and NEC.


11:51 AM

UK 'clear-eyed about China', says Oliver Dowden

The UK has moved "quickly, decisively and ahead of our international partners", but will now need to take a different approach to full fibre and older networks, Oliver Dowden has told MPs. 

He said: "Given there's only one other appropriate-scale vendor for full fibre equipment, we're going to embark on a short technical consultation with operators to understand their supply chain alternatives so we can avoid unnecessary delays to our gigabit ambitions and prevent significant resilience risks."

Mr Dowden said the Telecoms Security Bill will now not appear before MPs ahead of the summer recess, but will be introduced in the autumn given the decision.

He told MPs that the Government was "clear eyed about China", stressing that this decision has no bearing on the relationship between London and Beijing. 

"Today's decision, however, is about ensuring the long-term security of our telecoms network - specifically in light of those new US sanctions.

"As the facts have changed, so has our approach," he says. 


11:44 AM

Huawei 5G equipment to be banned from end of this year, Dowden confirms

The National Security Council has agreed to ban all sales of new Huawei 5G equipment from the 31 December this year, with all existing equipment due to be ripped out by 2027, Oliver Dowden has confirmed. 

He told MPs: "The new US measures restrict Huawei's ability to produce important products using US technology or software. The National Cyber-Security Centre (NCSC) has reviewed the consequences of the US's actions.

"The NCSC has now reported to ministers that they have significantly changed their security assessment of Huawei's presence in the UK's 5G network.

"Given the uncertainty that this creates around Huawei's supply chain, the UK can no longer be confident it will be able to guarantee the security of future Huawei 5G equipment affected by the change in US foreign direct-product rules."

The Government recognises the "range of concerns" in the Commons, he added.

"Our ambition right from the very beginning was that no one should have to use a high risk vendor at all," he says. 

Both measures will be put in law, in the Telecommunications Bill, he says. 

"We have not taken this decision lightly," he says, noting it will delay the roll-out of 5G across the UK, with costs of up to £2 billion.

He told the Commons: "Today's decision to ban the procurement of new Huawei 5G equipment from the end of this year will delay roll-out by a further year and will add up to half a billion pounds to costs.

"Requiring operators in addition to remove Huawei equipment from their 5G networks by 2027 will add hundreds of millions of pounds further to the cost and further delayed roll-out.

"This means a cumulative delay to 5G roll-out of two to three years and costs of up to £2 billion. This will have real consequences for the connections on which all our constituents rely."


11:41 AM

UK needs to look to future, says Oliver Dowden

The UK has to have confidence in the foundations the telecoms network is built on, Oliver Dowden has said. The long-term security, both from cyber criminals and state actors, of the network is the country's priority. 

"The Government needs to look to the future," he told MPs. "It is only by doing this we will remain at the forefront of the technology revolution". 

The UK Government have been "clear eyed from the start" that Huawei was "high risk", the Culture Secretary said.

"A critical aspect of this was how we addressed high risk vendors - those are defined as those which pose greater security and resilience risks to the UK's networks."

Mr Dowden said: "And we have been clear eyed from the start that Chinese owned vendors Huawei and ZTE were deemed to be high risk and we made clear that the National Cyber Security Centre would review and update its advice as necessary."

Mr Dowden added that the US sanctions against Huawei "was a significant material change and one we have to take into consideration".


11:23 AM

UK not forced into Huawei U-turn because of US 'interference'

The UK Government is not being forced into a U-turn over Huawei's involvement in the 5G network because of US "interference", a Cabinet minister has insisted. 

Boris Johnson is expected to ban Huawei from the 5G network next year and introduce the deadline of 2024 for stripping out all its existing infrastructure after Washington imposed sanctions on the tech giant, severely limiting its ability to use American technology to design and manufacture semiconductors produced for it abroad.

Mr Johnson chaired a meeting of the National Security Council at which a final decision will be made on Huawei's future as a supplier, which will be communicated to Parliament by Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary. 

Speaking ahead of this statement, George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, told Sky News the US sanctions were having a "potential impact on Huawei’s ability to... perform the tasks expected of it".  

He insisted the change in thinking had been brought about "not so much [because of] interference", although conceded the UK had been prompted to "review the consequences" of US sanctions.


11:12 AM

Have your say on: Huawei's UK 5G ban

We are expecting an announcement from Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, shortly after 12:30pm, setting out the UK Government's U-turn on Huawei.

The Cabinet minister is expected to reveal a ban on Huawei's involvement in the country's 5G network, having previously said the Chinese tech giant could have limited access. 

The industry wants at least 10 years to strip Huawei out of existing infrastructure, while Conservative backbenchers are demanding the high-risk vendor be turfed out by the end of 2024. 

So what should the Prime Minister do? Have your say in the poll below. 


11:06 AM

Social care suffered from governments that 'looked away', says Dilnot

Andrew Dilnot has said the UK should rethink how people receiving and giving social care are viewed, saying we should be "celebrating aging and celebrating caring".

He told MPs that there was a "tendency to look away from this" which was true of "successive governments of all political persuasions, because we haven't had a system of which we could be proud". 

But reforms could make the system better, so "we can all start paying attention to it and celebrating not just people being looked after" but also the people carrying out the work. 

This could be the "silver lining of the cloud of last few months" he added. 

The recommendations made in his 2011 report were still applicable, he said, "so let's just do it". 


11:00 AM

Andrew Dilnot 'anxious' about social care staff 'constraints' under new immigration system

Andrew Dilnot has said the UK faces an "enormous challenge" in recruiting enough social care workers to meet demand, in light of the new immigration system. 

He told MPs that those working in the sector were "often invisible", noting there were roughly the same number of people employed in social care as in the NHS. 

But with the UK's aging population, "we are going to need more people - if we have more funding, I hope we will have more people drawn in", he said. 

"I would certainly be anxious that we could end up with constraints in this area, and that is something we will have to look at carefully," he said. 


10:51 AM

Social care system creates 'fear, unfairness and anxiety' for users, says Dilnot

Andrew Dilnot has told MPs that the current social care model creates "fear, unfairness and anxiety" for users, as well as creating systemic challenge for providers. 

He told the Health Committee that the status quo made it "very hard to innovate or invest" and "contributes to low wages". 

Sir Andrew said: "The funding model not only creates fear, unfairness and anxiety for individual consumers, but also makes it a very difficult market to be a provider."

Improving and reforming the system would help the NHS as well as the social care sector, he added. 


10:46 AM

Free personal care would still leave those with 'highest needs' exposed, says Dilnot

Andrew Dilnot has said that free personal care would leave people "very exposed to the more catastrophic costs of catastrophic illnesses". 

The author of the Dilnot Report told Jeremy Hunt that while he would be "very happy" if the Treasury started funding personal care, it would be like making GP services free while still charging for dealing with more serious illnesses such as cancer. 

"It would be a good thing to do," he said. "In social care, free personal care would help everybody - but the people who it helped most were people with low needs... the people we want to help most are the people who face the highest needs, greater category of problems."

His plans - the cap and reform of the means-test system - would cost £3.1bn, he tells the Health Committee chair. 


10:35 AM

Social care cap of £45,000 would 'take fear away', Andrew Dilnot says

Andrew Dilnot has told MPs that the cap on social care costs should be around £45,000, because if it went higher than that those with lower wealth did not get sufficient support. 

Below that would mean much broader provision, which would be more costly, he says. 

The author of the Dilnot Report said the recommendation made in 2011 should be taken forward by the Prime Minister and Chancellor "to give real assurance to most people who are not covered by the means-tested system that they are not going to lose everything. You are taking the fear away." 


10:30 AM

Social care funding 'a stain on us as a nation' says Andrew Dilnot

The failure to sufficiently fund the means-tested social care is a "stain on us as a nation", Andrew Dilnot has told MPs. 

The author of the 2011 report into the sector said even those who can partially pay for themselves was poorly funded. 

This meant that staff were inadequately supported and funded.

"In all kinds of ways we have a system that doesn't work, that doesn't look after the people who need it well, that doesn't look after the people who are providing the care well, that doesn't provide an industry that is attractive to move into," he said.  

The priority should be funding for the means-tested system, which is lower now than it was in 2011, he said. 

The second step is to reform the means-test system itself to remove the "horrible cliff edge" caused by the £23,500 threshold. 

Sir Andrew also called for a cap on care costs to be introduced for those who are able to pay for their own care so there is not "catastrophic" amount involved.

"It's like having social insurance with an excess," he said. 


10:23 AM

Watch: Government not to slow to act on masks, says minister

Face coverings will become mandatory in shops and supermarkets with fines of up to £100 for anyone who fails to adhere to the new rules, Matt Hancock will announce shortly. 

Speaking ahead of his statement this morning, Cabinet colleague George Eustice insisted the Government was not being slow to move, but acting as evidence and advice evolved. 

Watch him in the video below. 


10:18 AM

Fall in excess deaths 'very promising', says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock has hailed the fall in the weekly death rate in England and Wales, which has dropped below the five-year average for the third week in a row.  

The Health Secretary said the figures published by the Office for National Statistics this morning showed the country was "making progress in our national effort against coronavirus", describing the trend as "very promising".


10:11 AM

Masks are pointless unless Britain learns to wear them properly

Love them or loathe them, face masks are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and that is only going to increase after they become mandatory in shops from July 24. 

But, as columnist Zoe Strimple points out, they don't work if they're only covering your mouth or eve worse, under the chin, as if simply having one in the vicinity will do the trick. 

They might be horrible, but Britain needs to learn to wear them properly.


09:57 AM

Tory MP challenges ITV boss over Jeremy Kyle Show

A senior Conservative MP has accused ITV of relying on reality TV as "the goose that lays the golden egg", claiming programmes like The Jeremy Kyle Show exposed vulnerable people to the public domain. 

DCMS committee chairman Julian Knight has challenged ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall over the show, which was linked to the suicide of at least one participant before it was cancelled last year. 

Dame Carolyn noted the show had been on air for 15 years and more than a million people watched it every day on ITV.

Mr Knight replied: "The Roman Coliseum held 55,000, it doesn't mean because it was popular it was right."

The ITV chief executive said: "It has been regulated for 15 years," to which Mr Knight replied: "Not well enough."

He added: "I'm just astounded that you don't accept the premise that this programme itself, although it ran for 15 years and seemingly was highly popular, it involved the psychological, not torture, but the psychological exposure of very vulnerable people to often public... people who were out there in the public domain who should have not been in the public domain.

"I'm just surprised you can't see that perhaps that was the wrong step and perhaps ITV should have ended it earlier, and perhaps we shouldn't see its like on TV again," he added. 

"You may not be the only broadcaster that does reality TV but you are the broadcaster that generates the most revenue from reality TV and isn't that the truth of the matter here?" 


09:47 AM

Confirmed: Huawei boss to step down ahead of Government decision

Lord Browne is stepping down as Huawei's UK chairman ahead of the Chinese tech giant being barred from playing any role in Britain's 5G network.

A Huawei spokesman said: "When Lord Browne became chairman of Huawei UK's board of directors in 2015 he brought with him a wealth of experience which has proved vital in ensuring Huawei's commitment to corporate governance in the UK.

"He has been central to our commitment here dating back 20 years, and we thank him for his valuable contribution."

Lord Browne of Madingley - Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

09:26 AM

Government wants better scrutiny of emergency powers before six-month review, says minister

The Government is considering publishing additional information ahead of the six-month review of emergency powers that have been granted because of coronavirus, a minister has said. 

Edward Argar, the health minister, told MPs of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that Whitehall was looking to follow Holyrood in publishing details, including "the rationale" for why powers have or have not been used, "in good time" for a debate. 

Some - but not all - of the emergency powers granted by the Coronavirus Bill in March are subject to a two-year sunset clause, with formal six-monthly reviews carried out by Parliament.

Mr Argar said he had asked officials to look at making information available "some weeks before that debate" as it would "improve parliamentary scrutiny". 

Edward Argar

09:09 AM

Huawei's UK boss to step down in September: reports

The UK chairman of Huawei Technologies has quit ahead of a Government announcement today that is expected to ban the Chinese giant from involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure.

Lord Browne of Madingley, the former BP boss, handed in his notice in the last few days, Sky News reports, meaning he will step down from Huawei's UK board in September.

His term had been due to expire next March.


09:05 AM

June GDP will be 20pc below February, OBR warns

The Office for Budget Responsibility has said it assumes that GDP for June will be "20 per cent below its level in February".

The regulator said it therefore expects that GDP will have fallen 21 per cent in the second quarter of the year, following a two per cent fall estimated by the ONS for the first three months of 2020.

Yesterday the new head of the OBR suggested a massive write-off of toxic Covid debt may be the only way to save the economy from stagnation.

Repayments on £45bn of taxpayer-backed loans could be linked to companies' revenue, said Richard Hughes, with any money outstanding after a set timeframe simply cancelled.

You can read more about that here.


08:55 AM

Weekly deaths involving coronavirus drops to lowest level in 15 weeks

The number of weekly registered deaths involving coronavirus has fallen to the lowest level since lockdown was first introduced, new figures reveal.

According to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published on Tuesday, the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending July 3 involving Covid-19 was 532.

It is the lowest number of deaths linked to the virus in the last 15 weeks, the ONS said.

In total, there were 9,140 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to July 3, 43 fewer than the five-year average of 9,183.

This is the third week in a row that deaths have been below the five-year average.

The number of deaths in care homes and hospitals in the week to July 3 was also below the five-year average (88 and 634 deaths lower respectively), while the number of deaths in private homes was 755 higher than the five-year average.


08:35 AM

Have your say on: Phasing out Huawei

We will hear from the Government today about new plans to strip Huawei out of the UK's 5G network. But how quickly should we move?

The telecoms industry has warned that anything less than 10 years would be "impossible" and risks outages across the country. It will also be more expensive and could delay technological progress further. 

However, with tensions rising between Beijing and London, 60 Tory rebels, including former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have urged the Prime Minister to act "without unreasonable delay", with senior party members pushing for the firm to be fully stripped out of our infrastructure by the end of 2024.

What should Boris Johnson do? Have your say in the poll below


08:20 AM

Government urged to do more as ONS figures show 'scale of challenge'

The Government has been urged to do "much more" to prevent widespread job losses after the UK recorded worse-than-expected growth in May.

The UK's economy grew by 1.8 per cent, ONS figures published this morning show - marking the smallest of v-shaped recoveries. City economists had forecast a 5.5 per cent jump.

Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said that while it was encouraging to see some growth "these figures show the scale of the challenge ahead of us."

She added: “Labour pushed the government to do more protect and create jobs. While we have concerns around the implementation of the Kickstart scheme, we are pleased to have seen some action in this area. But ministers must do much more to prevent people becoming unemployed in the first place, such as a flexible Job Retention Scheme for badly-hit sectors and areas affected by additional lockdowns.

“Above all, the government must focus on getting the Test, Track and Isolate system working properly, which is vital to help build consumer confidence.”


08:04 AM

Mandatory face masks 'impossible' to enforce, warns police chief

Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh has warned that plans to make face masks mandatory in English shops will be "impossible for enforcement".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Shopkeepers need to step up to the plate and take some responsibility. They can quite easily put signs up on their doors 'No mask on, no entry, this is private property'.

"That's the first point we need to get across because this cannot all be laid on the shoulders of the police yet again.

"The second point is it will be nigh-on impossible for enforcement because you won't have a police officer on every shop door because there isn't enough of us.

"If a shopkeeper calls the police because someone hasn't got a mask on, they haven't got the power to detain them so that person can just walk away.

"We'll be driving around and around London looking for people who aren't wearing masks, it's absolutely absurd."


07:55 AM

What's on the agenda today?

There are two big set-pieces in today's agenda, which will make it another busy day in SW1.

Firstly, we are expecting Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to unveil the Government's decision on Huawei in the Commons at around 12:30 today.

His statement will come after Boris Johnson has chaired both Cabinet and a meeting of the National Security Council first thing. The Prime Minister is expected to ban Huawei from the 5G network next year and [target] 2024 for stripping out all its existing infrastructure, but there has been industry pressure to extend the deadline to 2027. 

We will be watching for the details - and to see what response comes out of Beijing.  

After Mr Dowden, his Cabinet colleague Matt Hancock will formally announce the change to rules on face masks. There's a suggestion that the Health Secretary could speak from the despatch box while wearing a face mask, amid criticism that ministers have not been sufficiently leading by example. We will be watching from 1:30pm. 

Matt Hancock: Will he wear a mask in the Commons?

In committee land, ministers Penny Mordaunt and  Edward Argar will be questioned on the government’s use of an emergency powers for responding to the pandemic. Also at 9:30am, ITV bosses will be giving evidence to DCMS committee.

The most interesting appearance, however, is likely to come from Andrew Dilnot when he gives evidence to Jeremy Hunt's Health Committee from 11am. Sir Andrew, who was behind a 2011 review into the social care sector, will no doubt have some thoughts on the impact of the new points-based immigration system which upset so many working in the sector yesterday. 

And this afternoon (3pm) DCMS minister John Whittingdale and bosses from some of the major broadcasters will go in front of the Lords communications and digital committee.


07:43 AM

JD Sports boss attacks Government over 'inconsistencies and indecisiveness'

The boss of retail empire JD Sports has attacked the Government over "inconsistencies and indecisiveness" in its guidance, saying the delay in ordering mandatory face masks could affect shopper confidence. 

Peter Cowgill told the Today programme the 11th-hour announcement was "a little bit like quarantine" in that it was being made "at the back end rather than the front end of the pandemic".

He added: "I'm not sure about the rationale for the delay, but I do think it will have an impact on consumer confidence. Maybe it will be a positive for older customers but a deterrent for younger ones.

"I think it's the inconsistencies and the indecisiveness that causes the lack of confidence... the delay up to July 24 is quite confusing as well."

He suggested his store will offer face coverings to anyone not wearing them but said it will be for police to enforce.

"The guidance so far is that our store colleagues are not really to get involved and it's a police matter to enforce rather than for them to get involved in any potential public disturbances," he said.


07:37 AM

UK could see 120,000 coronavirus deaths in coming winter, report warns

The UK could see nearly 120,00 coronavirus-related deaths over the coming winter and spring, a new government-commissioned report has warned. 

The Academy for Medical Sciences report — requested by  Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance - warns that the "reasonable worst-case scenario" could see a second spike between September 2020 and June 2021 that conflates with a winter flu epidemic.

The report says: "July and August must be a period of intense preparation for our reasonable worst-case scenario for health in the winter that we set out in this report, including a resurgence of Covid-19, which might be greater than that seen in the spring." 

It warns of a peak in hospital admissions and deaths during the coming January and February "of a similar magnitude to that of the first wave in spring 2020, coinciding with a period of peak demand on the NHS".


07:31 AM

UK's economic growth misses expectations

The Government might be trying to move the agenda away from coronavirus, but the pandemic cannot be dodged that easily. 

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics this morning show the UK economy grew by just 1.8pc in May, missing economists’ expectations by some distance. 

You can read the latest updates on the Business Blog here


07:28 AM

Face masks confusion because rule wasn't ready to be announced, says minister

George Eustice has said that Michael Gove had said face masks shouldn't be made mandatory because the move wasn't ready to be announced at that point. 

The Cabinet Office minister said on Sunday that he did not think coverings would be made mandatory, instead emphasising that it was a case of "basic good manners, courtesy and consideration, to wear a face mask if you are, for example, in a shop."

Mr Gove had appeared to contradict the Prime Minister's own position when he said on Friday that rules should be made "stricter". 

It was announced last night (Monday) that they will be made compulsory for shoppers - although not until July 24. 

Speaking to the Today programme this morning, the Environment Secretary said: "I don’t think it’s too useful to get bothered about who said what when.”  


07:21 AM

People urged to 'play their part' with new face mask rule

The public has been urged to "play their part and abide by the new restrictions" when it comes to wearing face masks in shops.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, will make a formal announcement to the Commons afternoon. However ahead of that George Eustice told the Today programme that people should do their bit.

"Retailers are being very responsible in the way they are dealing with this challenge and they will have a rolw to play... they may in some cases hand masks out to people who don't have them," he added, although "only the police" can fine people who break the rules. 

Police so far have used their additional powers "sensibly and pragmatically", he added.

"I don't think this is a new challenge - we have had to bring in some quite extraordinary rules.. throughout this pandemic."


07:10 AM

Transport for London successfully enforcing face masks rule, says Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he welcomes the Government's "U-turn" on making face coverings mandatory in shops in England and insisted Transport for London is enforcing the measure on public transport. 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said the evidence from experts was the measure could make a "massive difference" in helping to tackle coronavirus.

He said that British Transport Police (BTP) and enforcement officers were using "encouragement where possible" as well as stopping travellers, asking them to leave or issuing fines if the failed to comply with the rule requiring the wearing of face coverings on public transport.

Mr Khan added: "Our enforcement officers and the BTP have stopped in the region of 18,500 people stopping travelling because they refuse to wear face coverings and actually the fines that have had to be issued so far is only 59.

"And during rush hour we have more than 90 per cent compliance."


07:06 AM

Minister stumbles over official mask guidance for hairdressers

If you're finding the various rules and regulations confusing, you're not the only one: George Eustice appeared to contradict guidance for hairdressers this morning.

"Hairdressers, you've always required a mask to go to," the Environment Secretary told Sky News.

Mr Eustice stuck to his guns on this, despite being challenged by Kay Burley, who also pointed out that it conflicted with guidance on beard trimming - a point of contention as it appears to prioritise men's facial treatments above women's.

However the Government guidance says: "There is no requirement for the client to wear any additional protection such as a mask or face covering, when the practitioner is wearing a visor."

Mr Eustice added: "We're not for instance mandating the wearing of masks in pubs and restaurants, because obviously people have got to eat.

"We've been evolving the measures we've had as we come out of lockdown and we've been strengthening the guidance progressively on masks making it mandatory first on public transport and now we're going to that next step to make it mandatory in retail environments."


07:02 AM

Face masks not mandatory for shop staff, minister confirms

Environment Secretary George Eustice suggested face covering use would not be compulsory for shop staff and said the rules for shoppers would not be enforced until July 24, to give people time to prepare.

He told BBC Breakfast: "We want to give people time to plan and prepare and for retailers to maybe put in place measures to encourage people to do this or potentially even to have some masks themselves if people haven't got one.

"Once you make something mandatory as we're doing now for retail environments it sends a much stronger signal that people will follow in greater numbers."

Asked if the rules will apply to supermarket staff, he said: "They're not being covered by this but I think if you go into most shops you will see that staff for a longer time now have either been wearing face shields or face masks.

"It won't be a compulsory requirement because it won't always be right for every setting in a retail environment, particularly those working behind the tills and so on."


06:56 AM

Shoppers to face £100 fine as face masks become mandatory

Shoppers will be fined £100 if they do not wear face masks in stores from July 24, Matt Hancock will announce today, just days after his Cabinet colleague Michael Gove said they should not be made mandatory. 

The rules will mean that the current guidance requiring masks to be worn on public transport in England will be extended to cover shops and supermarkets.  

Government sources said that ministers would monitor the situations and could introduce similar guidance for other settings in future.

The changes will follow Scotland where face coverings have been mandatory in shops since last week.  

The Government's decision also brings the UK into line with much of the Continent, where face coverings have been required in shops in Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece for weeks.