Good morning everyone and my message to you is, thank you! I know that many of you have been working with us on this document and plan.

Thank you to others here today who have been lobbying on all these issues and suggesting solutions, sometimes for a very long time indeed.

Thank you to the GEO team who have worked so hard to get us here today.

If we are to achieve our goals – if everyone of our citizens is to reach their full potential….

If all are to be healthy, resilient, empowered and free…

Then massive change is needed.

Women have fought and won many battles over the years.

Attitudes have changed.

New opportunities have been won.

But still, ingrained, systematic barriers persist and they must be torn down.

The simple fact is, women face significant challenges and barriers over their lifetime, just because they are women.

A band 2 NHS worker, and carer of three generations of her family, unable to progress in work because of her poor health, caring responsibilities and legacy benefit rules.

The girls still being signposted to hairdressing courses and childcare.

Financially fragile women

Women who cannot speak English.

Women who experience discrimination, harassment or negative comments surrounding their pregnancy

Women who can’t return to work when they want to because employers won’t look past the ‘gaps’ on their CV

Women who have taken on most of the caring responsibilities in their family and then find themselves with a smaller private pension because of it

Women who get divorced and end up facing financial instability in later life because they didn’t know about pensions sharing

Women who have to leave their job because of sexual harassment in the workplace

We talk about the choices people make. These choices aren’t always “real” choices – especially for women who are less well off. Taking time off work to care for family; going into a less well-paid job that provides more flexibility; spending for today’s needs and not saving for tomorrow’s – these can all seem like the only sensible options.

I am determined that these women will not be forgotten, and government delivers on its commitments to make sure everyone gets an equal chance in life.

Now I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but for those less familiar, let me just set this out:

• On average, young women enter the world of work with higher attainment than men, but immediately earn less per hour than them;
• Women take on more unpaid work such as cooking, cleaning and caring, which impacts heavily on their ability to progress in the workplace;
• Seemingly innocuous decisions made throughout a woman’s life can add up – Women aged 55 to 64 are almost 20% less likely to have a private pension than men, and those who do have around 40% less wealth held in them.
• Women in low pay are often still in low pay a decade later.

Some people will say that this is just the natural difference between men and women – that women inherently want to stay at home and care for their children, and men just want to progress their careers. But this is not what women are saying to us. And it’s not what men are saying to us either!

If we ignore these inequalities, we ignore the fact that there are huge incentives for us as a nation to address them.

• Reducing the gender pay gap in labour market participation, STEM qualifications, and wages, could increase the UK economy by £55 billion by 2030.
• Companies in the top 25% for gender diversity on their executive team were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the bottom 25%.
• Increasing job quality and raising incomes – particularly at the lower end – has the potential to improve average national well-being.

Imagine the benefits to an empower who gets to retain the training invested in staff.

Imagine the benefits to the state if carers were able to maintain a job and remain economically active.

Which brings us to why we are here today.

I’m here to tell you that business as usual just won’t cut it.

Today is the day we start on a new path. A path which will see us acknowledge the evidence and take action to make a difference in the lives of women across the UK.

My team at the Government Equalities Office have been working exceptionally hard, both across government and with the third and private sectors.

They have been analysing the drivers behind equality, as well as how decision-making at each stage of life can lead to disadvantages.

From a young age, children can be faced with gender stereotyping that affects their dreams, goals and career aspirations.

This stereotyping can be as simple as pink or blue, netball or rugby, English or science. Indeed, boys aged 7-11 are almost twice as likely to want to be scientists, whilst over half of girls aged 7-10 think girls are better at doing chores than boys.

Today I’m announcing that we will explore new ways to ensure that gender stereotypes do not limit the attainment, aspirations or career choices of girls or boys. We’ll be delivering pilots with schools, the voluntary sector and businesses to see how curriculum resources, teacher training or workshops with pupils and parents can challenge expectations and attitudes.

I am determined that this will eventually see more women walking through the doors of great buildings to become members of organisations such as the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Only around 1 in 10 engineering professionals are women, which is why we are working with the industry to find ways to diversify its workforce.

No matter which party is in government, I believe the benefits system hasn’t always tackled the disadvantages that women and carers face.

At present, 700,000 claimants aren’t claiming their full entitlement, in part because it is such a complicated system and can prove very confusing. This means that on average, these people are losing out on nearly £300 a month – money which could quite literally be lifechanging, whether it’s additional support for children, a disability or a health condition, which prevents you from working or paying your rent.

Amber Rudd and I want Universal Credit to change this, and really work for the women who need it. We want to roll out Universal Credit as soon as possible so that people who are currently on legacy benefits can access the additional advantages it should offer.

We’ll therefore carry out new research that will help us better understand the barriers our in-work claimants are facing and how we can break these down.

But that is not all I want to see. I want to ensure that the perverse incentives not to progress in work, not to work more hours, or earn more within those hours – the very issues universal credit was meant to tackle – are gripped and addressed.

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When women are working they deal with the same challenges men face – meeting targets, working with colleagues, and career progression. But many women also have a second job – caring for their children.

Unpaid care work is valued to the economy at £411 billion per year.

The strain on women trying to “have it all” – usually means little sleep, and lots of stress – which cannot be underestimated. But it’s often undervalued.

20% of mothers said they experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working from their employer or their colleagues.

We should support any parent who is trying to balance their job and their home life, and to do that we are conducting the largest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.

We know that parents are keen to share care, and new fathers want to take more time away from work to care for and bond with their child. Many couples want to take Shared Parental Leave but then find it’s too complex, they aren’t eligible or they cannot afford it – because the pay for fathers is so low.

We want to see what we can do to change this, to help ensure that both parents have a real opportunity to spend time with their new born.

So this summer, this government will consult on increased transparency of organisations’ parental leave and pay policies, and on the availability of flexible working being set out in job adverts. But business can’t do this alone. We will provide effective evidence-based support for employers to deliver parental leave policies. And we will support – in particular – SMEs on the best way to provide quality flexible working for all their employees.

To make it easier for swamped parents, we will look at how to improve access to information, bringing together guidance on:

• childcare support;
• parental leave;
• family friendly employment policies;
• and other relevant services and support.

Returning to work can be hard, whether that’s coming back from parental leave or returning after a longer break. We’re going to continue to support employers to provide the right culture – free from discrimination – and opportunities for people returning to work.

But we need to see a bigger step change than this to support women and men balance work with care. I want to see every organisation thinking about:

• designing and offering their jobs as flexible by default
• enhancing their shared parental leave and pay offers to the same extent as their maternity leave offers.
• doing what they can to provide a supportive environment to those returning from parental leave.

Women aren’t just caring for children. Elderly and sick relatives often need support and private care is often too expensive for working families to consider.

These are the sandwich carers – all too often it is a triple decker sandwich!

The burden of this unpaid and unappreciated work often falls to women.

60% of the estimated 4.5 million total informal carers are women.

• How many of them do you think are also trying to hold down a steady job?
• How many might be single parents?
• How many might have left their job to care, impacting on their private pensions pot for later in life?

This summer, we will consult on dedicated employment rights for carers, including carers’ leave.

Some employers are already taking great action to support carers, for example Centrica who are matching annual leave with paid carers leave. And I recognise organisations, such as Carers UK, would like to see paid carers leave across the piece. Supporting carers to balance work and caring and remain in work is good for business, good for the nation, good for women, and good for men too, given that 40% of carers are men.

The gender pay gap increases with age. This, when combined with the fact that women tend to live longer, means that women have less private pension wealth in retirement.

This has to change. Working with the Money and Pensions Service, we will consider what works best to financially empower women and work to deliver this across government.

We can and we will improve advice and communications to women on savings and pensions, especially in relation to divorces.

Sadly, 42% of marriages end in divorce, but only 36% of asset sharing agreements include the sharing of pensions – this means women lose out on financial security later in life.

We are therefore going to give a renewed push to pension sharing, emphasising the benefits and raising awareness of how the process works.

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We’ve made progress in tackling the gender pay gap – and lots of that is down to you in the room here today.

But the job’s not done yet and so we’re going to launch a national campaign to employers, empowering them to understand how through their actions they can advance gender equality in the workplace.

And the Women’s Business Council will refresh its focus – using its expertise and clout to really drive forward action to tackle the gender pay gap.

Over the past seven years the Council has done so much to clear the path for women to progress in business.

I want them to work across all sectors and to influence at national and regional level to truly make a difference.

Dame Cilla Snowball, who has valiantly led the charge at the head of the WBC for the last seven years, has now come to the end of her term. Fiona Dawson, current Global President of Mars Food, Drinks, and Multisales, will take on the mantle from today.

Thank you Cilla and welcome Fiona. I think they deserve a round of applause.

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All of these measures come together to give us a package that I know can make a real difference.

From its new home in the Cabinet Office, the GEO will drive this work, harnessing the capability of Whitehall to ensure that women are given every chance to fulfil their true potential. And we will join forces with Disability Unit and the Race Disparity Unit in the new Equalities Hub to understand how we can best tackle multiple or layered inequalities people face.

This is clearly a huge battle, and there is certainly more to come, but you have my word that I will continue to push this vital agenda in the coming months and years.

That’s why alongside the Roadmap we’ll be publishing the Gender Equality Monitor and I know Victoria is going to tell you more about that shortly.

We have, with your help, created a huge opportunity. Now is our time.

The last 12 months have laid the foundations for government and Whitehall to recognise the ambition it needs to have to level the playing field for women.

Women upon which our society depends.

We must cherish them… We must value them… We must support them… reward them… and empower them.

Today we’ve made a start…

So let’s get going.

My Lord Mayor, Lord Chief Justice, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to begin by thanking you, Lord Mayor, for your hospitality and the invitation to address such a distinguished group of colleagues tonight.

When I spoke at this event last year, I did so as a relatively new Lord Chancellor… though by contrast with my immediate predecessors, I am now something of a veteran!

Indeed, I am the first Lord Chancellor in a while to have served long enough to deliver two of these speeches. It is true that my predecessor but two, Michael Gove, made it to his second speech but he left the Government one week later when a new Prime Minister, with whom he did not see eye to eye, took office. How times have changed. I might only have three weeks.

Last year I talked about the importance of the Rule of Law as the ‘bedrock of our democracy’. I made the argument that the principles it encompasses – equality under the law; access to justice; government being subject to the same law as anyone else; and a framework of law that is clear and certain – underpin and protect so many aspects of our way of life, from the liberty and rights of the individual to the strength of our economy.

In a changing and uncertain world, they are principles that act as an anchor for us.

When I took my oath of office, I committed to uphold the Rule of Law and to defend your independence as the judicial branch of the State. The link between those two is inextricable, because the Rule of Law cannot exist without you as its custodians. It is an oath I have taken seriously.

I would like to express my gratitude to judges at all levels and in all jurisdictions for the work you do throughout the year – under huge scrutiny, constantly challenged by complexity – making decisions that affect the lives of so many people, and for doing so in the pursuit of the proud principles of our modern democracy.

Whether it is by design or a by-product of a shift in our national debate, I think many of those principles are being put at risk and so too are the institutions that exist to protect them.

There is no doubt in my mind that the forces of populism are much stronger in this country and internationally than has been the case for some time. A willingness by politicians to say what they think the public want to hear, and a willingness by large parts of the public to believe what they are told by populist politicians, has led to a deterioration in our public discourse. This has contributed to a growing distrust of our institutions – whether that be Parliament, the civil service, the mainstream media or the judiciary.

A dangerous gulf between the people and the institutions that serve them has emerged. But the reality is that these institutions – including the legal system and the judiciary – offer us the kind of confidence and predictability that underpins our success as a society.

Our institutions have evolved over time to reflect the changing needs of our society. And that has not stopped. Our institutions are strong and effective because they continue to change organically as society demands, but not immediately in knee-jerk reactions to events in the news. Change comes with urgency sometimes, but must always be approached in a considered way to avoid negative unintended consequences.

Thus, our institutions have become guardians of our democratic ideals. They ensure that the right checks and balances exist for us and they promote the inherent sense of fairness that exists in our country. They do not work against the people, they share power in the best interests of everyone.

That view – that our institutions are not perfect, they must change to reflect society but they are beneficial and essential to our way of life – is under attack. Rather than recognising the challenges of a fast-changing society require sometimes complex responses, that we live in a world of trade-offs, that easy answers are usually false answers, we have seen the rise of the simplifiers. Those grappling with complex problems are not viewed as public servants but as engaged in a conspiracy to seek to frustrate the will of the public. They are ‘enemies of the people’.

In deploying this sort of language, we go to war with truth; we pour poison into our national conversation. But language really matters in our discourse. All of us in public life have a responsibility to use language with care and respect. Arguments that are too simplistic and partial simply allow scepticism to creep in when the full picture does inevitably become clear.

We must all have the courage to disagree on the facts and the good sense to appreciate that language can have powerful effects. That is why I deprecate the careless use of language which can undermine our admired and renowned institutions.

The confidence that is rightly placed in you is done so by virtue of your years of training and experience. Our judiciary has a reputation for intellectual rigour, careful consideration of the arguments, and a serious-minded determination to each decision based on what is right and not necessarily what is superficially popular. I am not sure that all politicians have the same reputation.

But politics should be about finding and embracing practical solutions to society’s problems, and to do that based on dealing with the world as we find it, not as we imagine or represent it to be.

We must face facts. I have made that my guiding principle in office.

We have looked across the entire prison system to understand the complex problems and put a renewed focus on rehabilitation, alongside the obvious need to tackle violence, self-harm and drugs.

We have carefully examined our probation system and begun an ambitious but practical process of reform.

We are following the evidence on reoffending to look at reforming short sentences and working across the criminal justice system and with Health and other departments to turn offenders’ lives around and protect the public from crime.

We must…

Make decency, humanity and a focus on skills and real work make prisons launching pads for rehabilitation…

Make our courts system modern and accessible to all people…

Ensure that court users – whether victims, defendants or witnesses – are appropriately supported throughout the process…

Face the reality of modern society and allow couples in a marriage or civil partnership to legally end their relationship and move forward with their lives without the need to demonstrate that one of them is at fault…

And ensure that our common law system continues to lead the world because it puts itself at the heart of the revolution in LawTech.

Today’s world is undoubtedly changing. But the Rule of Law and our institutions, including the independent judiciary, are assets that we must cherish, even as they evolve.

Of course, we must always work to maintain that trust and confidence in our institutions. We must act with integrity, for the public good, and hold ourselves to the highest standards. But we cannot be passive. We must stand up for truth; for institutions that work in the interests of the people, not against them; for honest, respectful public debate that lays out all the options and all the consequences.

And we must reject the idea that experience and evidence mean nothing. If we fail to do so then we will end up applying hopeless solutions to imagined problems. What we need is to relentlessly focus on reality and pragmatic change that really gets results.

That is what I will continue to stand for both in my role as Lord Chancellor and after. Ministers and governments may change but our belief in the Rule of Law and the necessity to seek the truth must endure.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for listening. I would like to invite you to rise for a toast to the health of our kind and generous hosts this evening… to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.

Next steps in Government’s ambition to improve educational outcomes and boost aspirations for the most vulnerable young people in society.

More children growing up in care are to benefit from places at the top private schools, as well as mentoring and access to sports and music facilities, in an aim to improve outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children.

Ten teams will work across the country to identify opportunities in independent schools for young people in care, where it is suitable to meet their needs, Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi is expected to announce in a speech today (4 July) at the Association of Directors of Children’s Services conference.

The new programme, backed by £500,000, aims to improve access to the top independent schools and builds on Minister Zahawi’s commitment to see as many as 1,000 independent schools involved in schemes that offer opportunities to children in care.

Minister Nadhim Zahawi will also lay down a marker to Directors of Children’s Services to drive forward the programme and engage with the new teams, to make sure councils can identify children who could benefit quickly when private schools set out offers of support.

Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said:

Every child, whatever their background, should have access to an education that helps them to fulfil their potential. We know that all too often children who have experienced trauma in their life can fall behind in education, through no fault of their own.

While standards in state schools continue to rise, I want independent schools and Directors of Children’s Services to play a greater role in helping raise outcomes for these vulnerable children. A number around the country are already making fantastic offers to children in care, but I want more to come forward and councils to take up the opportunities. I am clear that this cannot be put off any longer, and I will accept no less.

This is now about providing resources to councils to identify and place children where it is right for them. Together, we can and must increase access, improve opportunities and foster aspirations and belief in what looked after children can achieve.

Independent schools will also provide sporting and music facilities for looked after children, to help harness specific aspirations or talents, such as swimming or music, to help boost opportunities, outcomes and aspirations for these young people.

The service will bring together 10 teams across the country into hubs of bringing in schools, local authorities, virtual school heads and social workers to help find suitable places for children in care.

Chairman of the Independent Schools Council, Barnaby Lenon, said:

The all-round education and pastoral care offered by independent schools can be transformational for a young person and many schools are already supporting vulnerable children.

The independent education sector is committed to playing its part in our diverse national education system to help give more children the best start, regardless of background. We are working with the Government and, although there is a limit to what we can do, independent schools are providing life-changing bursaries and working ever-closer with our state school partners to unlock new educational opportunities.

The announcement builds on a 10-year project run by the Boarding Schools Partnerships and Norfolk County Council, where young people who were either in care or at risk of going into care were taken off the council’s risk register after at least three years in a boarding school. A higher proportion of looked-after children who were at boarding schools achieved A* to C grades in GCSE maths and English, compared to all looked-after children in 2016.

Public Health England, Disney UK and Sport England launch new Change4Life campaign to inspire children to get more active.

A new survey from Change4Life and Disney UK has found that less than half of parents are aware that physical activity can build children’s self-confidence (49%), reduce anxiety (47%) and improve their self-esteem (46%). Just 16% (1 in 6) think that physical activity can help children develop attributes which make it easier to cope with life’s little set-backs.

Evidence shows that children and young people who are more active have more confidence, higher self-esteem, less anxiety and stress and better social skills – attributes that can help them deal with the challenges they face in daily life. Positive attitudes towards physical activity have also been associated with children being happier.

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that children do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, yet just 20% of boys and even fewer girls (14%), are meeting this target, despite 95% of children saying that they enjoy being active.

Earlier this year, research from Sport England also found that enjoyment is the single biggest factor that motivates children to be active. So, to help the nation’s kids get more active this summer, the Change4Life campaign is encouraging children to play 10 Minute Shake Up games inspired by favourite characters from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2; and Disney’s Frozen and The Lion King. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of children surveyed said they would be inspired to be more physically active if they saw their favourite characters being active. 4 in 5 parents (82%) think that kids are likely to enjoy sports and physical activities if they’re fun and 61% of children agree that this helps.

Change4Life has also launched a new online quiz to help children, with their parents, find activities and sports that might be perfect for them to try, based on their skills and abilities.

According to the survey, nearly half of children think that they need to be ‘fast’ (49%) or ‘strong’ (41%) to be physically active and only a quarter (25%) see themselves as ‘sporty’. The campaign reinforces that simple daily activities like active play, scooting or walking count, so by encouraging them, parents can help their children become more active.

Eustace de Sousa, National Lead for Children, Young People and Families, Public Health England (PHE) says:

“Across England, children’s physical activity levels are worryingly low, with only a fifth of boys meeting the guidelines and an even smaller number of girls. We must combat this or risk facing a generation of inactive children who won’t experience the wide health and wellbeing benefits of physical activity.

“That’s why we are delighted to be launching the 10 Minute Shake Up campaign with Disney and Sport England this summer. Getting children into the habit of doing fun, short bursts of activity can set them up for life by improving not just their physical health but also helping them develop key life skills.”

Marianthi O’Dwyer, Vice President and Head of Disney Healthy Living UK says:

“Disney is committed to supporting the future generation to lead healthier lifestyles and we are in a unique position to inspire families and children to be more active through our characters and the stories they tell. It’s as simple as designing 10 Minute Shake Up games based on fresh or much-loved Disney content to tap into children’s imaginations and get them moving more. We are excited to work with Change4Life for our sixth year on the 10 Minute Shake Up programme and to use the power of our characters as a force for good.”

The 10 Minute Shake Up campaign is being supported by musician Danny Jones who feels passionately about encouraging kids to try new activities and have fun, and who has personal experience of how physical activity can help develop the skills you need to face life’s challenges.

McFly musician and dad of one, Danny Jones, says:

“I’m really surprised to see how few kids are getting active. When I was a kid, I loved being outside and being active, whether it was playing football or going on bike rides with my family. I didn’t realise at the time but being active was really important for more than just my physical health; it helped me to make friends and feel part of a group. As I got older, I began to realise that it also helped me to cope with anxiety and now it’s a huge part of my routine.

“Being physically active gives me energy, helps me focus and puts me in a good mood. I’m supporting this Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up campaign to help kids have fun getting active so they can develop skills that will help them throughout their life.”

Sport England will also help families try new sports and physical activities locally, whether at their local park, leisure centre or through a well-known sport.

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s CEO says:

“Our recent research gives us the richest evidence yet that sport and physical activity needs to be fun and enjoyable above all because enjoyment is the biggest motivator for children in getting active.

“The Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up games fit that brief to a tee with children’s favourite Disney characters encouraging them to move more. Sport England are delighted to be investing £1 million of National Lottery funding to support the Shake Up games in our mission to help children build a positive attitude to physical activity.”

This year marks the sixth year that PHE and Disney have worked together to inspire children to move more, with almost 2 million children taking part in last year’s campaign. 10 Minute Shake Up packs will be distributed to schools during the summer term for children to take home so that they can continue to keep active over the summer.

To keep the kids busy this summer with 10 Minute Shake Up games from Change4Life with Disney, search ‘Change4Life’.

For more information, please search ‘Change4Life’ online or visit: www.nhs.uk/10-minute-shake-up.

The Opinium survey for PHE questioned 1,017 parents and 535 children aged 5 to 11 in England about their attitudes towards physical activity and took place in June 2019. Survey results can be accessed here: https://www.opinium.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/OP12189-Freuds-Change4Life-Disney-Tables-v2.0-ABRIDGED.xlsx

Interviews are available with:

• Eustace de Sousa (National Lead for Children, Young People and Families, PHE)
• Marianthi O’Dwyer, Vice President and Head of Disney Healthy Living UK
• Danny Jones, McFly Star and judge of The Voice Kids

Dr Ellie Cannon, GP and author:

“Physical activity has a number of well documented benefits such as weight management, increased physical health and confidence. But, what’s often forgotten is that physical activity has also been linked to improved emotional and social development, increased self-esteem and better attention span, all of which are commonly desired by parents. As a parent myself, I have seen how much my children have enjoyed the Shake Up games and would encourage families to try them, they are so quick and simple.”

About the school engagement programme

As part of the campaign, Change4Life with Disney are providing primary schools with new curriculum-linked resources containing fun and flexible ways to get children active throughout the school day, as well as take-home materials to help engage parents beyond the school gates.

Developed with teachers, the 10 Minute Shake Up programme aims to get the whole school involved, helping teachers and school leaders embed activity into their daily school routine at times when pupils are usually sedentary, including assembly, line-up times, during class and in-between lessons. The Disney inspired resources include an ‘Active assembly’, ‘Active school day ideas’ for use before, during and after the school day, and ‘Active role play lesson starters’ to help teachers get their pupils moving, energised and ready for learning at the start of class.

To inspire children to continue their Shake Up activities at home and keep active over the summer, a take home pack featuring 12 new 10 Minute Shake Up games will be distributed to over 16,500 state-funded primary schools across England via the fruit and veg scheme in the summer term. Once pupils have completed their Shake Up activities over the summer, teachers can also reward them with Change4Life certificates.

Change4Life

Change4Life is a campaign run by PHE to help families to eat well, move more and live longer. PHE exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. It does this through advocacy, partnerships, world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. Follow us on Twitter.

About Disney’s Healthy Living Commitment

In 2006, The Walt Disney Company made a global commitment to support parents and create healthier families by using its stories and characters to make healthy living simple and fun. Since 2006, Disney has been looking at the different ways it can support families to live more healthily. This includes introducing robust nutritional guidelines for food and drinks as well as their advertising, offering content that positively focuses on healthier lifestyles such as Disney Channel’s First Class Chefs and Aim High, and inspiring activity and healthier eating through programmes such as Change4Life ’10 Minute Shake Up’ and Disney’s #HealthilyEverAfter marketing campaign.

About The Walt Disney Company EMEA

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in 4 business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $59.4 billion in its last fiscal year (FY18).

Seeking to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, The Walt Disney Company has been in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 80 years, employing thousands of people across the region and reaching consumers in more than 130 countries. The Walt Disney Company’s iconic brands – including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, FOX, FOX Sports and ESPN – are experienced diversely across the region in cinemas, on TV screens, online, at retail, in Disney Stores and at Disneyland Paris. Now in its sixth year, Disney’s partnership with PHE and the ’10 Minute Shake Up’ campaign has seen over 2 million kids get active with over 100 million extra minutes of physical activity being completed.

About Sport England

Sport England is a public body and invests more than £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport.

It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes.

For further information and interview opportunities please contact Freuds by:

The National Bee Unit has today (Wednesday 3 July 2019) confirmed a sighting of an individual, female Asian hornet in New Milton, Hampshire, after it was reported by a member of the public. Based upon visual examination, the hornet is likely to be a queen.

Monitoring is underway to detect any other Asian hornets in the vicinity and local beekeepers are asked to be vigilant.

The Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than a bee. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees and work is already underway to monitor for any hornet activity and to identify any nests which may be in the vicinity.

This is the first confirmed sighting since October 2018, when a sighting of an individual hornet was confirmed in Dungeness, Kent.

Nicola Spence, Defra Deputy Director for Plant and Bee Health, said:

By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets. That’s why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the New Milton area following this confirmed sighting.

While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online.

If you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet you can report this using the iPhone and Android app ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ or by using our online report form. Alternatively, you can email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Please include a photograph.

Identification guides and more information are available and if you keep bees you should keep up to date with the latest situation and advice on our GOV.UK rolling news story.

• The cost of eradication on private land will be met by APHA.
• The Great Britain Non-native Species Secretariat is a joint venture between Defra, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government to tackle the threat of invasive species. More information can be found on their website.
• For details on the appearance of an Asian hornet, please refer to the Bee Base guide or the non-native species identification guide.
• Photographs of the Asian hornet are available on our Flickr account.