• Pot of £400k to support market of industry-led assurance schemes for rapidly growing Internet of Things sector

• Comes as smart device owners urged to change default passwords and regularly update apps and software

The government has launched a £400,000 funding pot for innovators to design schemes to boost the security of internet-connected products, Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman announced today.

The programme aims to support the development of the market of assurance schemes for consumer smart products, known as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Assurance schemes demonstrate that a device has undergone independent testing or a robust and accredited self-assessment process. These schemes are vital in enabling consumers to make security-conscious purchasing decisions.

The move will mean manufacturers can choose from a variety of schemes to demonstrate their product has undergone independent testing or a robust self-assessment process in line with the government’s Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security. It will also allow retailers to ensure they are stocking secure internet-connected devices, and could enable shoppers to make better informed decisions when buying new smart products.

The sale of connected devices is on the rise. Research suggests there will be 75 billion internet connected devices, such as televisions, cameras, home assistants and their associated services, in homes around the world by the end of 2025.

Digital Minister Matt Warman said:

We are committed to making the UK the safest place to be online and are developing laws to make sure robust security standards for consumer internet-connected products are built in from the start.

This new funding will allow shoppers to be sure the products they are buying have better cyber security and help retailers be confident they are stocking secure smart products.

People should continue to change default passwords on their smart devices and regularly update software to help protect themselves from cyber criminals.

The move, led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), comes as the government is progressing legislation to bring into law minimum security requirements for smart devices.

The laws announced earlier this year will make sure all consumer smart devices sold in the UK adhere to the three rigorous security requirements. These are:

• Device passwords must be unique and not resettable to any universal factory setting
• Manufacturers must provide a public point of contact so anyone can report a vulnerability
• Manufacturers must state the minimum length of time for which the device will receive security updates.

In a further move to boost the country’s cyber resilience at a time when the public increasingly relies on technology to stay connected, the government last month launched the new ‘Cyber Aware’ campaign which offers advice for people to protect passwords, accounts and devices.

The government continues to work in partnership with other governments and global standards bodies, such as ETSI, to drive a consistent, global approach to the cybersecurity of smart devices.

Owners of smart products are still encouraged to follow the National Cyber Security Centre guidance and change default passwords and regularly update apps and software to help protect their devices from cyber criminals.

NCSC Guidance on ‘Smart Devices: Using them safely in your home” is available here

High street businesses and landlords are set to benefit from a new code of practice, which is in development to provide them with clarity and reassurance over rent payments.

A working group has been established by the government with the commercial rental sector to develop a code which encourages fair and transparent discussions between landlords and tenants over rental payments during the coronavirus pandemic and guidance on rent arrear payments and treatment of sub-letter and suppliers. This will enable collaboration and cooperation within the sector and help ensure no one part of the chain shoulders the full burden of payment.

The group will also seek to involve wider business input through its sector members to ensure a greater number are consulted and able to share their views.

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

We are developing a new code of practice, working alongside the industry’s leading bodies, to provide that clarity and reassurance to both commercial tenants and their landlords in recognition of the challenges they are facing as a result of coronavirus.

We expect all parties to come to the table so our high streets and town centres are in the best possible position to come back from these challenges

We are giving clarity to landlords and tenants who are both facing equal pressures on their finances so they are all able to stabilise their finances and bounce back.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP said:

The government is committed to supporting the commercial rental sector as it deals with the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

We continue to work with lenders to ensure flexible support is provided to commercial landlords, including payment holidays and restructuring facilities, and it is right that where landlords receive support, they extend this to their tenants.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium said: 

The Coronavirus pandemic has accelerated longer-term trends in retail property. Rent demands are increasingly out of kilter with current property values and many retailers are being forced to pay rent on closed stores. 

We welcome the government’s Code as a positive first step and are working constructively with it and landlords to ensure that otherwise viable businesses are not forced into administration. However, all sides must be prepared to do more if necessary, given that the commercial lettings market is in need of wider reform.

Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation said:

Coronavirus is placing an unprecedented strain on property owners and the businesses who occupy their buildings, and we need a united approach in response. 

The majority of property owners and tenants are already working well together, effectively engaging and agreeing sustainable plans, and we welcome the opportunity to work with government and others to codify this good practice. 

Fair collaboration among lenders, property owners and tenants is vital to the UK’s recovery and it will ensure that viable businesses in distress as a result of coronavirus are supported, to protect both people’s jobs and the local authorities, savers and pensioners who own the majority of our town centres.

Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality said:

A code of conduct is a significant step in unlocking the current impasse in the commercial property market. Now is the time for all stakeholders to come to the table and broker an agreement. 

Hospitality businesses have seen revenues all but dry up since March, so government intervention is desperately needed – with a sustainable financial plan in place. 

Our sector needs enforceable measures in place, so that the burden currently borne by operators is shared more equitably. This code could be pivotal in protecting communities and high streets from mass closures and job losses.

The code will be temporary in nature and the government will explore options to make it mandatory if necessary. We will engage with Devolved Administrations to ensure the code applies across the UK and are working to publish it prior to the next quarterly rent payment date.

Today’s announcement comes as UK Finance confirms its members’ continued support for commercial landlord customers including amendments to facilities and capital payment holidays.

Ahead of the June payment day, all the main commercial lenders will be in contact with their major commercial landlord borrowers to identify concerns they have and provide support where appropriate. 

The government’s package of measures for the commercial sector also includes;

• Measures, including in the Coronavirus Act, to prevent any business being forced out of their premises if they miss a payment until 30 June. The government has an option to extend this if needed.
• Temporarily banning the use of statutory demands (between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020) and winding up petitions presented from Monday 27 April, through to 30 June, where a company cannot pay its bills due to coronavirus. This is included in the government’s Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill.
• Laying secondary legislation to provide tenants with more breathing space to pay rent by preventing landlords using Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery unless they are owed 90 days of unpaid rent.

These measures do not account to a rental holiday but allows breathing space for tenants facing significantly reduced income due to the closures measures and current economic circumstances. Rent is still owed, and those tenants who are able to pay some or all of their rent are expected to do so. 

The government is also reminding the sector of the existing measures in place that affect the sector’s landlords, this includes:

• Flexibility for Real Estate Investment Trusts when distributing income

• A Practice Direction issued by the Master of Rolls with the agreement of the- Lord Chancellors which stays possession proceedings for 90 days from 27 March. This applies to commercial premises.

Further detail on support for commercial landlords and tenants can be found on the UK Finance website.

Membership of the working group will currently include

• British Chambers of Commerce
• British Property Federation
• British Retail Consortium
• Commercial Real Estate Finance Council
• Revo
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
• UKHospitality

Minister for Business and Industry, Nadhim Zahawi, said:

The UK has unrivalled expertise in nuclear decommissioning, cleaning up the environment, boosting the economy and delivering highly-skilled jobs, so I am delighted by Ros’s appointment as the new Chair of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Ros is ideally suited to provide the NDA with the leadership to strengthen its culture, build its capabilities, and deliver on its mission safely as we work towards eliminating our contribution to climate change by 2050.

Dr Rivaz said:

I am honoured to accept this role. I have been fortunate to work in some of the most innovative companies in the UK and internationally, in sectors such as engineering, manufacturing and chemicals.

I am to use that experience to support the NDA’s work as it deals with some of the world’s most complex challenges. It is an organisation with a clear vision and strong strategy. I relish the chance to take its mission forward.

Tom Smith said:

It has been a huge privilege to be the Chair of the NDA. The NDA’s work is important to the country as it deals with the UK’s civil nuclear legacy. I wish all the staff of the NDA well. I admire their determination, expertise and sense of public service. And, of course, I also wish Ros every success in her new role.

David Peattie, NDA CEO, said:

I’d like to welcome Ros to the NDA. Our work and achievements is a great source of pride for me and it is fantastic to have her with us. I would also like to pay tribute to our outgoing Chair.

I have greatly enjoyed and valued working with Tom Smith. Together we have brought about significant changes to the NDA’s operating model and culture.

Dr Ros Rivaz has a wide experience in executive and non-executive roles in blue chip companies in the UK and internationally. She started her career in ExxonMobil, specialising in supply chain leadership.

She has worked in senior roles for Tate & Lyle, ICI, Diageo and Premier Foods and was Smith & Nephew’s Global Chief Operating Officer from 2011-2014.

Dr Rivaz has also held a number of non-executive roles in industry, including roles at ConvaTec, Rexam and CEVA Logistics AG.

Ros is currently a Non-Executive Director at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), which is part of the Ministry of Defence and at Computacenter plc. She has also recently joined the boards of the chemicals company Victrex plc and the specialised steel company Aperam SA.

Ros also plays important roles in the charity sector and academia. She was non-executive Director of the “Your Life” campaign initiative to increase take up of Maths and Physics amongst 14-16 year olds; Deputy Chair of Southampton University; and is on the board of the community interest company Eton Community CIC.

The NDA is responsible for the management, decommissioning and clean-up of 17 nuclear sites across the country, including Sellafield which is one of the largest and most complex nuclear sites in the world.

The NDA’s functions also include operating nuclear sites, maintaining safety and security, transporting and storing nuclear materials, and managing a wider range of supply chain and research contracts.

Dr Rivaz’s term is 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2023