UK Government response to the European Court of Justice decision in the Schrems II case

Government response

The UK government is reviewing the details of the judgment. It remains committed to supporting UK organisations on international data transfers.

International data transfers are vitally important to global economies and societies and we look forward to developing and supporting mechanisms that can best facilitate international data transfers.

Coronaviris (Covid-19) has demonstrated the importance of international data transfers. The recent crisis has shown how data transfers keep economies moving and societies functioning, being crucial to working from home, supporting a marked shift to communications and commerce moving online and underpinning the healthcare response.

The UK government is committed to ensuring high data protection standards and supporting UK organisations on international data transfer issues.

It is disappointed that the EU’s adequacy decision for US Privacy Shield has been invalidated by the court in its judgment of 16th July 2020.

The UK government intervened in the case, arguing in support of the validity of standard contractual clauses (SCCs). It is pleased that this important mechanism for transferring data internationally remains in place and is considering any further implications that may arise from the judgment in respect of this.

The UK Government is working with the Information Commissioner’s Office and international counterparts to address the impacts of the judgment and ensure that updated guidance on international data transfers will be available as soon as possible.

Published 17 July 2020

Business events and conferences given go ahead to resume from 1 October

News story

Business events and conferences will be permitted to resume from 1 October provided rates of infection remain at current levels  

Government to begin pilots to help plan how best to restart indoor business events
New guidance outlines how the nation’s conference venues can get back up and running safely

Business events, conferences and events centres will be given the go ahead to reopen on 1 October adhering to social distancing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced today.

Provided levels of infection remain at current rates, this will see the return of the sector worth approximately £32.6 billion to the UK each year.

The sector represented a quarter of the 38 million international visits to the UK in 2018 and provides a welcome boost to visitor numbers during the off peak tourist season.

Following the announcement today, a number of pilots will take place at event venues across the country to plan for a return to large-scale events and test how best to implement social distancing practises. Details of these pilots will be finalised in partnership with the sector in the coming weeks.

New guidance, published by the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport and the Association of Event Organisers today, will help event organisers, venue operators and participants in the UK understand how they can work and host business events and conferences and keep both their guests and staff safe.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

Business events and conferences are a key part of our visitor economy and this is an important step in getting them back up and running safely.

Pilots will help inform our plans for the return of the sector in October with guests and staff adhering to social distancing and measures introduced to reduce close contact.

The UK has a great reputation in staging fantastic events that help drive growth for many different sectors and this will give the business event sector the certainty it needs to plan for the future.

The guidance makes clear that the following measures should be considered to allow for safe resumption of business events and conferences:

Attendees will need to pre-book and pre-register to attend events 
Contactless registration systems will be introduced at venues to reduce waiting times and limit contact between organisers and guests
A digital first approach will be adopted to eliminate the need for physical badges and lanyards 
Paper handouts and gifts will no longer be offered
Entrance to event or conference spaces will be staggered to reduce queuing and overall capacity will be limited to ensure social distancing can be maintained
Events will be planned around one way systems for visitors 
Spaces between exhibition booths will be increased and aisles widened to achieve social distancing requirements
All venues will also have enhanced cleaning procedures, with hand washing and sanitising facilities at frequent intervals

Notes to editors:

This guidance will be for organisations in England. Organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should adhere to the advice of the devolved administrations at all times.

You can read the full guidance here.

Published 17 July 2020

New powers and framework to help contain coronavirus (COVID-19) locally

The COVID-19 contain framework is the blueprint for how NHS Test and Trace is working in partnership with local authorities, Public Health England, the NHS, other local business and community partners and the wider public to take action against outbreaks.

New regulations will come into effect tomorrow (18 July) to give local and national government additional powers to stop local transmission of the virus. These will allow them to restrict local public gatherings and events, and close local businesses premises and outdoor spaces.

Further data is also being provided. The number of positive cases at both an upper and lower-tier local authority level are already published daily on GOV.UK. From yesterday, this data was broken down even further to local areas of 5,000 to 15,000 people, which will be published weekly.

The government will also be publishing a weekly watchlist summary of specific areas of concern, areas receiving enhanced support from NHS Test and Trace, and areas where national interventions are being taken, as determined by DHSC Ministers and the CMO at the Local Action Committee.

These areas will be determined by Department for Health and Social Care ministers and the Chief Medical Officer at the Local Action Committee.

This will form part of the weekly PHE COVID-19 surveillance report.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

We’re setting out a new framework and local powers to further help local leaders across England protect their communities from coronavirus. They have the full support of NHS Test and Trace alongside these new powers and will receive help with specific interventions, including additional testing as needed, to prevent the transmission of the virus in their community.

We continue to rely on the public’s support to protect against new cases, getting a test if they experience symptoms, and following the advice they receive from NHS Test and Trace.

We all need our friends, colleagues, neighbours and family to continue to play their part.

The contain framework includes an outline of the options available to local authorities to respond to cases of the virus, including accelerated testing of asymptomatic people and increased public health messaging.

Local authorities and local partners have already done extensive work to protect the public from coronavirus, including developing and publishing local outbreak control plans tailored to their areas, supported by £300 million of funding announced last month to support work by local communities to protect their area from the virus.

National Test and Trace Adviser and Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, Tom Riordan, said:

Across the country, local authorities have worked exceptionally hard to prepare their communities for coronavirus outbreaks, protecting the most vulnerable and saving lives and I want to say thank you to all of those public health teams.

The new COVID-19 contain framework and additional powers for local government will give local leaders further tools from NHS Test and Trace to protect against the spread of the virus, scaling interventions to respond to cases in their communities. These tools will be essential as we ease national social-distancing measures, to make sure that community transmission continues to be dealt with quickly and effectively.

Tackling this virus is something we need to do together, and we can all play our part. Washing our hands regularly, practising social distancing, wearing face coverings and getting a test quickly if you develop one of the symptoms – a new continuous cough, high temperature or loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – will make a difference, not just to you but to your friends and family and your community.

Local authorities experiencing spikes in coronavirus cases will continue to work with NHS Test and Trace, developing incident management plans and leading on local interventions to stop transmission where required. The interventions they take will be closely monitored and issues escalated for further action to a national level if they have not led to a significant reduction in cases.

The framework also outlines how local leaders of businesses, schools and religious groups can get support from health protection teams when they register a number of cases in their organisation.

More detailed postcode-level local data to support local activity was made available to all Directors of Public Health in England on 24 June to support their work to stop the spread of the virus, and this continues to be further developed. This will now be updated daily and access to NHS Test and Trace contract-tracing data will also now be provided.

New Permanent Secretary announced at Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The new Permanent Secretary for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has been announced today as Sarah Munby, following a cross-Whitehall competition. The appointment has been made by the Cabinet Secretary with the approval of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State.

Sarah has been Director General, Business Sectors at BEIS since July last year when she joined the department. Prior to that, Sarah worked at McKinsey, where she led their Strategy and Corporate Finance practice in the UK and Ireland. She has worked with some of the UK’s largest companies to change their strategic direction, and led much of McKinsey’s work on productivity across the UK economy.

Sarah will start in the role from Monday, 20 July. Sam Beckett, who has been temporarily in the role, will continue to provide support to ensure a smooth transition.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rt Hon Alok Sharma, said:

The appointment of Sarah Munby as Permanent Secretary is very good news for the department and for this government. Sarah is an outstanding public servant who has already made a significant contribution to the work of the department, and I look forward to working with her as we deliver on the people’s priorities.

I would also like to pay tribute to Sam Beckett for her leadership, particularly in overseeing our support for businesses throughout this key period.

The Cabinet Secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, said:

I am delighted that Sarah Munby has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at BEIS. She has been instrumental in supporting businesses to help them prepare for exiting the EU and in responding to COVID-19, and brings with her a wealth of experience from her time as a Partner at McKinsey.

I should also like to thank Sam Beckett who has provided exceptionally strong leadership to the Department for the last 3 months following Alex Chisholm’s move to the Cabinet Office.

Newly appointed Permanent Secretary for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Sarah Munby said:

I am delighted to be taking on the role of Permanent Secretary at BEIS, building on the fantastic work of Alex and Sam. I feel so lucky to lead such a committed, talented and mutually supportive group of people.

The Secretary of State has laid out our priorities as we lead Britain’s recovery; fighting coronavirus, backing business, unleashing innovation and tackling climate change. This is vital work and our mission couldn’t be more important.

Acting BEIS Permanent Secretary Sam Beckett said:

It has been an honour to be Acting Permanent Secretary for BEIS over the past 3 months, I am very proud of the dedication and professionalism that the department has brought to the government’s response to the coronavirus. I wish Sarah the very best of luck in leading BEIS in its important mission for the future.

UK statement on the anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

Thank you Mr Chair. Today marks the 6th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in which 298 people from 17 countries, including 10 British nationals, lost their lives. The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to all those who lost their loved ones.

Six years on, the United Kingdom reiterates its full support for efforts to establish the truth, to deliver justice for the 298 victims and their next of kin, and to hold all those responsible to account.

We have full confidence in the Dutch judicial system and commend the painstaking dedication of the Joint Investigation Team, whose work we continue to support.

The United Kingdom fully supports the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Australia in their call for the Russian Federation to accept State responsibility and to fully cooperate with all efforts to establish accountability, in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2166.