Retail deals and discounts to help families over the summer holidays have been announced as part of the government’s Help for Households Campaign.

Signed with some of the UK’s biggest businesses, including Asda, Morrisons, Amazon and Vodafone, these deals are designed to reduce costs at the checkout, help provide entertainment and ensure access to necessary services for families during the summer holidays and beyond.

Agreed with the government’s Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress, the deals include the extension of Asda’s ‘Kids eat for £1’ scheme, where children aged 16 and under can access a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day in Asda Cafes across the UK.

Sainsbury’s is introducing it’s ‘feed your family for a fiver’ campaign, helping customers with budget-friendly meal ideas to feed a family of four for less than £5.

Theatres in London are uniting for Kids Week, an initiative giving children the chance to see a West End show for free throughout August with a full paying adult, with half price tickets for two additional children in the same group, while Vodafone is promoting a mobile social tariff of £10 a month.

Along with new initiatives, some deals are a continuation of successful support schemes which businesses are already running and want to promote under the Help for Households campaign to raise awareness.

These include Amazon’s new ‘help for households’ page that will provide access to free entertainment such as Freevee and Amazon Music, as well as educational resources for school-aged children and low-price essential groceries. Morrisons is also providing a free meal for every child at in-store cafes when a parent buys an adult meal.

These deals form the first part of the Help for Household retail campaign which will aim to provide deals for families over four distinct periods –the summer holidays, back to school, Autumn pressures and Christmas retail – with deals secured and hosted on the government’s new Help for Households website so that people can find them easily in one place.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said:

We’re facing incredibly tough global economic headwinds and families across the country are feeling the pinch.

That’s why this government is providing an unprecedent £37bn worth of support to help households through the storm.

Both the public and private sector have a role to play here – and that’s why it’s great to see so many leading UK businesses are now coming forward to offer new deals and discounts that will provide much needed respite at the checkout.

This won’t solve the issue overnight but it’s yet another weapon in our arsenal as we fight back against scourge of rising prices and inflation.

To mark the launch of the bespoke cost of living deals, the Prime Minister and David Buttress will host a meeting of senior business leaders involved in the campaign in No10 tomorrow [Thursday] to thank the businesses involved and discuss new ideas for cutting the cost of living.

Attendees are likely to include representatives from Sainsburys, Vodafone, Amazon, Centrica and the CBI.

Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress will also thank businesses for their support and praise the campaign’s “good start” while making clear that “we’ve got more to do and more deals to announce – not just over the summer holidays but when kids return to school and in the run up to Christmas when costs are typically higher”.

These deals build on the £37bn package of Help for Households already being provided by government – including tax cuts and help towards energy, childcare and transport costs.

The government’s online cost of living support pages, which have been visited over 2.2 million times, are helping the public to access the panoply of different cost of living support schemes available across government. 90% of users have said that they find the site helpful.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon said:

We are proud to be part of the Government’s ‘Help for Households’ campaign, as we continue to support our customers across the UK with great value and convenience.

In fact, today we’ve launched a brand-new page on amazon.co.uk which shows you how to access free or discounted products and services from Amazon.

This includes free entertainment for all, learning resources for students, along with more details of how else customers can save online.

We will continue to offer the widest selection of products at the best possible prices, with many of these products sold by the 85,000 small and medium-sized UK businesses who use Amazon to reach customers here and around the world.

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive Officer at Sainsbury’s, said:

The rising cost of living is at the forefront of customers’ minds, so we are delighted that our Feed your family for a fiver campaign is part of the initiative, helping people save money when it matters most.

We have invested over half a billion pounds since March 2021 to ensure the items customers buy most often are on the shelves at the best prices. We are keeping inflation lower than our peers and we stand side by side with colleagues too – in April Sainsbury’s became the first major retailer to pay all our colleagues the Living Wage.

Hayley Tatum, Asda’s Chief Corporate Affairs and People Officer, said:

Our latest Asda Income Tracker shows that families are on average £175 worse off per month compared to this time last year and many are finding it increasingly tough to make ends meet.

We want to do all we can to support families during these tough times which is why we’re pleased to support the ‘Help for Households’ initiative and have today launched our Essential Living Hub where families can find hints and tips from a range of experts about how to make their budgets go further, including details of our Kids Eat for £1’ offer, which we’re pleased to confirm will be extended to all cafes across the UK until the end of the year.

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive, James Lowman, said:

The UK’s 47,000 local shops play an incredibly important role in helping consumers to manage their money, save on fuel and other travel costs, and reduce food waste.

We strongly welcome the new Help for Households campaign, and are committed to working with the cost of living tsar David Buttress to highlight how convenience stores are supporting both customers and colleagues during this challenging time for everyone.

Many convenience store retailers are providing significant staff discounts and other benefits as part of extra support packages for colleagues in store, as well as doing everything they can to keep prices on the shelf in check despite rising costs in just about every area of their businesses.

Ahmed Essam, CEO at Vodafone UK, said:

Vodafone is proud to support the ‘Help for Households’ campaign that raises awareness and offers support to individuals and families most impacted by the cost of living challenge. Vodafone offers VOXI For Now, which is the only mobile social tariff to help those experiencing financial hardship stay connected, as well as our everyone.connected campaign to provide free connectivity to one million people living in digital poverty by the end of 2022.

• COP26 President Alok Sharma will meet with key ministers and climate leaders involved in the implementation of India’s ambitious COP26 commitments

• He will visit a solar research facility to see renewable energy generation in action as he continues to press for global delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact

• The COP President will meet local communities and hear first-hand accounts of those living and working outdoors following the searing heatwaves across India

COP26 President Alok Sharma will travel to India from 21-22 July 2022. The visit is an opportunity to again engage with India on climate policy as well as strengthen and support progress and delivery of the Glasgow Climate Pact, following COP26 in Glasgow and in the run up to India’s G20 Presidency.

On his third visit to the country as COP President, Alok Sharma will continue the work of the UK COP Presidency in pressing for updated climate commitments from all countries, as he meets with senior ministers and climate and energy leaders to discuss India’s ambitious climate plans and progress on smart grid upgrades, electric vehicles and affordable energy storage.

Mr Sharma will travel to the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus in Delhi. There, he will witness renewable energy generation in action, and discuss how to further advance the Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG), a product of UK-India partnership focused on strengthening global support for green power infrastructure.

While in Delhi Mr Sharma will attend a joint launch of UK-India initiatives on electric mobility, hosted by apex Government of India think-tank NITI Aayog. The partnership between the UK Government and NITI Aayog has been instrumental in taking forward Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) initiatives launched under the UK’s COP26 Presidency. He will visit the Centre for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to hear an update on progress since COP26 and discuss future plans.

As record heatwaves are recorded in India, Mr Sharma will also meet with the local community to hear how climate change is impacting them directly and understand how extreme heat affects their livelihoods in the city.

Alok Sharma, COP26 President, said:

India’s green transition is gathering pace, with an increasing slate of renewables and commitments to phase down fossil fuel based energy. I have previously commended India on its emissions reduction targets and truly believe that delivery of its commitments will have a major positive impact.

The UK continues to stand side-by-side with India as it progresses to a low carbon, self-sufficient future. At this critical juncture ahead of COP27 and the NDC Synthesis Report deadline, I am eager to explore how the UK can further support India in translating its COP26 commitments into action.

After his visit to India, the COP President will travel to Australia, then on to Fiji, to engage with governments, states, businesses and civil society in support for stronger climate action ahead of COP27 in Egypt.

ENDS

Background

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched in 2015 jointly by India and France to scale up deployment of solar energy. There are now over 100 member countries, including the UK, which sits on the ISA’s Steering Committee as Vice President of the Europe and Others region. Please visit the ISA website for more information.

• The Green Grids Initiative (GGI) was adopted by the UK Government in the build up to COP26 and formed a key initiative as part of the wider Energy Transition Campaign. As agreed in the ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations’, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson launched the ‘Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG) at COP26, and accompanying One Sun Declaration, which was endorsed by over 90 countries. In April 2022, the PMs agreed to champion this initiative under India’s upcoming G20 Presidency. Please visit the COP26 website for more information.

• The Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council (ZEVTC) is a ZEV initiative established by the UK’s COP Presidency, bringing together governments of the world’s largest car markets to work together to accelerate the transition. At COP26, the ZEVTC set out four priorities in its Action Plan:

  • pace of the transition and technology choices for zero emission heavy duty vehicles
  • charging infrastructure;
  • CO2 or fuel efficiency standards and regulations;
  • ensuring the ZEV transition is truly global.

Today (Wednesday 20 July) the government has set out a new package of transitional measures to ensure the stability and continuity of funding for researchers and businesses, which will come into force if the UK is not able to associate to Horizon Europe – the EU’s research and innovation funding programme.

The UK government agreed in December 2020 to associate to Horizon, Copernicus, Euratom Research & Training, and Fusion for Energy as part of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement, and it remains the UK’s position that association would benefit all parties, enabling countries across Europe to work together on shared challenges.

However, in light of the EU’s continued delays, the UK has made clear that should association not be completed, our priority is to protect and support the research and innovation (R&I) sector, with the funding allocated for association being re-directed to new R&D programmes, including those designed to support international partnerships.

Transitional measures will ensure there is no funding gap for the R&D sector, and will provide immediate funding opportunities for researchers, institutions and businesses while longer term measures are established.

The transitional measures set out today include:

• the UK Guarantee scheme already in operation
• funding for successful, in-flight UK-based applicants to Horizon
• uplifts to existing UK talent schemes
• uplifts to innovation funding and support for businesses, in particular SMEs
• uplifts to international innovation schemes to support international business collaborations
• funding for research institutions most affected by the loss of Horizon Europe’s talent funding
• continued Third Country Participation in Horizon Europe

The measures will be delivered by trusted and experienced UK bodies, using existing and well-established UK funding and support mechanisms, and will be ready to launch if the UK is unable to associate to Horizon Europe.

Today’s publication also sets out a preliminary vision for a long term, alternative programme to Horizon should it be required, which will focus on four main themes to complement our existing R&D investments: Talent, End to End Innovation, Global Collaboration and investments in the R&D system.

The long-term programme will be established as quickly as possible, and the government is already in conversation with researchers and businesses to determine priorities for a programme that would help build on UK strengths and develop new capabilities, while distributing resource and support for the sector right across the country, in line with the Levelling Up agenda. Our detailed proposals will be published in due course.

The government is also developing a comprehensive plan of alternatives to Euratom R&T, Fusion for Energy, and Copernicus programmes, including interim measures.

Read the full details of the transitional measures.

New plans to help safeguard England’s precious protected sites by driving down nutrient pollution and allowing for the construction of sustainable new homes for families across the country were announced by the Government today (Wednesday 20 July).

Nutrient pollution is an urgent problem for freshwater habitats and estuaries which provide a home to wetland birds, fish and insects. Increased levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can speed up the growth of certain plants, disrupting natural processes and devastating wildlife. While the government has taken substantial steps to tackle the issue, today’s measure will fast track progress in hotspot areas while unlocking homebuilding across the country.

Due to excess levels of nutrients in certain English water catchments and as result of complex and bureaucratic EU-derived domestic legislation and case law, Local Planning Authorities can only approve a plan or a project if they are certain it will have no negative effect on legally protected sites for nature.

Natural England, in its statutory role as an adviser on the natural environment, has advised a total of 74 Local Planning Authorities on the nutrient impacts of new plans and projects on protected sites where those protected sites are in unfavourable condition due to excess nutrients.

Government plans announced today will see:

• A new legal duty on water companies in England to upgrade wastewater treatment works by 2030 in ‘nutrient neutrality’ areas to the highest achievable technological levels.
• A new Nutrient Mitigation Scheme established by Natural England, helping wildlife and boosting access to nature by investing in projects like new and expanded wetlands and woodlands. This will allow local planning authorities to grant planning permission for new developments in areas with nutrient pollution issues, providing for the development of sustainable new homes and ensuring building can go ahead. Defra and DLUHC will provide funding to pump prime the scheme.

Today’s measures will not only tackle the long-term issue of nutrient pollution by significantly reducing pollution from existing homes in sensitive areas. Developers will be able to purchase ‘nutrient credits’ which will discharge the requirements to provide mitigation.

Natural England will accredit mitigation delivered through the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme, enabling Local Planning Authorities to grant planning permission for developments which have secured the necessary nutrient credits. This will ensure developers have a streamlined way to mitigate nutrient pollution, allowing planned building to continue and creating new habitats across the country.

These plans build on our comprehensive plan to significantly reduce water pollution, including proposed targets under the Environment Act to reduce the key sources of river pollution; a plan for the largest water company infrastructure project ever to reduce discharges from storm overflows; new funding to the Environment Agency to increase farm inspections to at least 4,000 inspections a year by 2023 and new farming schemes that will reward farmers and land managers for environmental actions, such as introducing cover crops and buffering rivers, to reduce run-off.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

The plans we have announced today will protect England’s wildlife and precious habitats from the impacts of nutrient pollution, whilst ensuring communities receive the new homes they need.

This is just one part of ongoing Government action to improve water quality across the country, from targets in our world-leading Environment Act to action on storm overflows.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said:

It is essential that new homes do not impair the quality of our rivers, streams and wetlands. These measures will ensure the development can take place, but only where there is practical action taken to protect our precious aquatic habitats.

Natural England chair Tony Juniper said:

Wetlands and estuaries are home to a wide variety of internationally-important wildlife species, from wading birds to insects and from fish to special plants. Pollution from excess nutrients is causing serious damage to many of these fragile places and if we are to meet our national targets for Nature recovery it is vital that we take concerted, coordinated action to protect them.

The duty on water companies and the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme mark significant steps forward, and will help join up the various approaches to improving water quality and bring about multiple other benefits. They will provide the tools needed to help planning authorities, developers and water and land managers to both build new homes and support the healthy rivers and lakes that are vital for restoring Nature and creating beautiful places for everyone to enjoy.

The new legal duty on water and sewerage companies in England to upgrade certain wastewater plants will be introduced via a Government amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. We want these improvements to be factored in for the purposes of a Habitats Regulation Assessment.

These upgrades will need to be made in a way that tackles the main nutrient(s) causing pollution at protected wildlife sites, for example the addition of metal salts to wastewater, which can be used in combination with wetlands and reedbeds to improve the performance of treatment works.

Where possible, the Government will work with water companies to identify where these upgrades could be accelerated and delivered sooner. Our proposed Environment Act target to tackle wastewater pollution across the country will see upgrades brought in elsewhere in addition to those required by the new duty on companies, on a slightly longer timeframe.

The Nutrient Mitigation Scheme will create new wetlands and woodlands in partnership with green groups and other privately led nutrient mitigation schemes. It follows DLUHC’s initial £100,000 (per catchment) package of support for planning authorities.

This national scheme will support investment in new habitats which will ‘soak up’ or mitigate the impacts of unavoidable nutrient pollution. These new or expanded wildlife habitats will also increase people’s access to nature.

The scheme will be open to all developers, with priority given to smaller builders who are most affected. Developers can also continue to put their own mitigation schemes in place should they choose. Natural England will work with, not crowd out, new and existing private providers and markets for nutrient offsets wherever they exist.

The scheme is due to open in the Autumn. All affected areas can continue to access practical support from the government and Natural England in meeting nutrient neutrality requirements. Natural England will deliver the scheme by establishing an ‘Accelerator Unit’, with the support of Defra, DLUHC, the Environment Agency and Homes England.

This announcement will support the delivery of the tens of thousands of homes currently in the planning system, by significantly reducing the cost of mitigation requirements. The mitigation scheme will make delivering those requirements much easier for developers.

Update on the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme – November 2022

Natural England has been working closely with Defra and DLUHC, alongside the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Homes England, the Planning Advisory Service and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to develop the scheme across affected catchments in England. The first mitigation projects are currently being negotiated with two partners in the Tees catchment. Investment in feasibility studies in five further catchments is underway to determine the schemes next mitigation sites. Natural England will invite applications from developers for mitigation credits in the Tees before the end of March 2023.

From December 2022, Natural England will approach landowners in a targeted way to invite them to offer their land as potential sites for nutrient mitigation. These sites will start to provide the mitigation needed by LPAs and developers, and we will expand across the country to facilitate building thousands of new homes as well as making a major contribution to nature recovery through the creation of new wetlands.

Credits from the government backed scheme will be offered in batches which any developers requiring credits can apply for. Where demand for credits exceeds supply, applications will be prioritised to minimise nutrient neutrality related delays to development, to enable development of the most homes most quickly, to facilitate small and medium enterprises, and to support the delivery of affordable and social housing. Information for developers on credit availability and price will be released ahead of the first credit sales.

Further information:

• The announcement today builds on a package of practical and financial support provided announced in March to help local authorities in areas affected by nutrient pollution to deliver the homes communities need.
• In England, 27 water catchments (encompassing 31 internationally important water bodies and protected sites) are in unfavourable status due to nutrient pollution.
• Natural England has advised a total of 74 Local Planning Authorities that plans and projects should only go ahead if they will not cause additional pollution to these legally protected sites.
• They have issued guidance and tools on an approach called ‘nutrient neutrality’, to mitigate the impact of nutrient pollution so that development can go ahead.
• The package announced today is intended to improve the water environment and reduce the amount of mitigation needed in the long term and make it easier to find in the short term.