Today’s announcement confirms that some smaller jobcentres will merge with larger ones, and others will be co-located with local government premises. It will mean that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be able to offer a more efficient service, while delivering good value for the taxpayer and saving over £140 million a year for the next 10 years.

The support provided to jobseekers will be further strengthened this year as more work coaches are recruited in every nation and region of the UK.

The plans reflect the fact that eight out of ten claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance and 99% of applications for Universal Credit full service claims are now made online. This means that DWP buildings are used much less with 20% of the estate currently underutilised.

Jobcentres and benefit centres are covered by Public Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts which are now coming to an end. In the 20 years since these contracts were signed, the welfare system has undergone large-scale reform.

Since 2010, around 3 million more people are in work, youth unemployment has fallen by 375,000, the employment rate is at a record high and unemployment is at the lowest level since 1975.

Damian Hinds, Minster for Employment said:

We will always make sure that people have the support they need to get into and progress within work. These changes reflect the fact that more people access their benefits online resulting in many of our buildings being underused.

We’re merging some offices and locating other jobcentres with local authorities to make sure that the welfare state and our employment support works for those who need it and those who pay for it.

Today’s announcements confirm that DWP plan to:

• merge 68 smaller jobcentres into larger or underused ones nearby
• move 4 jobcentres to new sites where we have secured better new premises
• co-locate around an additional 40 jobcentres with local authorities or other community services to provide joined-up services for the local community with all services in one place
• move to a network of larger more efficient corporate and back office buildings, opening a new corporate site and 5 new large service centres across the country, in a phased approach starting in 2018 and closing 26 processing or corporate sites
• close 4 offices where the building is no longer used and standing empty
• retain almost 800 offices
• re-organise the corporate centre to make maximum use of 7 regional corporate hubs (in 6 cities), including establishing a new office in central Manchester

The planned changes have been made in consultation with staff taking into account the impact on benefit claimants and DWP staff. The majority of staff will remain in their current offices. Where staff need to move office, most moves are within a short distance but if this is not the case alternative job roles will be offered wherever possible.

Initial plans to reform the DWP estate were published on 26 January 2017.

It was announced that our tenancies would be renegotiated in the 2015 Spending Review

DWP currently uses over 900 buildings around the UK – all of them leased from a range of landlords. The DWP estate covers around 1.5 million square metres across the country, of which 300,000 square metres is under-utilised.

The expiry of the PRIME contract provides DWP with the opportunity to review which offices we need, leaving those that we no longer need at commercially advantageous terms and having the opportunity to negotiate better deals on those we want to use in future.

The savings of over £140 million a year for the next 10 years will be made by a combination of a smaller estate, rent set to market levels, a new service delivery model and maximising space usage.

Where practical, we are co-locating with local authorities in their buildings. These arrangements bring benefits for the department, claimants and the taxpayer. More of the services that customers use are in one place which means that claimants have access a greater breadth of expertise.

In the areas that underwent public consultation and a jobcentre is merging with another, an outreach service will be put in place within the local community to ensure people can access support to get into employment. Vulnerable people will continue to receive home visits and postal claims where it is appropriate to do so.

The majority of staff will remain in their current offices with others moving to another DWP site nearby. There may be some redundancies: but we expect these numbers will be around 750 people (less than 1% of our overall staff numbers) and the majority of these will be covered by our voluntary redundancy scheme.

This programme is about reducing under-used space, not reducing staff numbers. The figures take account of 13 sites which are currently still under commercial negotiations and for which we are unable to announce at this point.

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The update came at Highways England’s Stanford motorway depot, where the government owned company unveiled one of 29 new electronic signs that are being installed along the road in the coming weeks and will enable the speed limit on the road to be raised from 40mph to the national speed limit.

To allow the national speed limit to be re-instated ahead of the summer holiday period, temporary rotating signs will be installed while work continues to install the permanent electronic signs.

One of the new 29 electronic signs being installed on the A20 unveiled at Stanford depot

Highways England Regional Director Simon Jones said:

We know that restoring the national speed limit on the A20 is a priority for the many thousands of commuters, hauliers, holidaymakers and local people who depend on this vital road every day, and we are working hard to make it happen. Since we started construction in May we have already laid 7 miles of cabling and dug 25 trenches under the A20. Now it is time to install these new signs and get them working, and we are grateful to people for their patience. While this work continues, we are installing temporary rotating signs to allow the national speed limit to be re-instated ahead of the summer holiday period.

Since April 2015, traffic lights have been in place at the end of the A20 dual carriageway near Dover as part of a trial to help manage peak periods of traffic arriving at the port, with a 40mph speed limit in place for safety. The trial has been successful in reducing congestion in Dover town centre and has also had a positive effect on air quality in the town.

The lights have been used over 200 times to keep traffic flowing through Dover town centre.

Now, the arrangement is being made permanent, and new electronic signs are being installed along the A20 to enable the national speed limit to be restored along the road when the traffic lights are not being used.

In total, 29 new electronic signs are being installed, supported by 10 miles of ducting and over 7 miles of cabling have been installed to support the new signs. In addition, 3 weather stations are being added as well as 4 fog signs to enhance the information provided to drivers.

Barbara Buczek, Port of Dover Director of Corporate Development, said:

The A20 Dover approach is a crucial artery that gives British businesses, consumers and holidaymakers access to international markets, goods and destinations through one of Europe’s busiest ports. “Being able to hold lorries on the A20 during peak traffic periods helped facilitate UK trade worth £119billion last year, while keeping around 2.4million tourist cars and coaches on the move. It also helped to keep central Dover free flowing.

Highways England’s latest work will not only ensure the long term use of this national traffic asset, but will also enhance the travelling experience for millions of customers and local road users alike.

Moving from a temporary assessment to a permanent feature required additional environmental assessments to be carried out by Highways England before work could start. With construction now underway, Highways England expects the new signs to be up and running later this summer.

The Department for Education has today (5 July 2017) announced the appointment of Nicola Dandridge as the inaugural Chief Executive of the Office for Students (OfS).

Ms Dandridge was selected for the role following an open and transparent recruitment process, overseen by the office of The Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The OfS is a new public body, established in law by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. The OfS will be the regulator for the Higher Education sector and will put the student interest at its heart. It will be innovative in its approach to student participation, success and employability. The OfS will put the student interest at its heart and be innovative in its approach to student participation, success and employability. Once fully operational in April 2018, the OfS will replace the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA).

Nicola Dandridge is moving to the OfS following 8 successful years as the Chief Executive of Universities UK.

Justine Greening Secretary of State for Education said:

Nicola Dandridge’s knowledge and experience will be key for this important role.

The OfS will replace an outdated regulatory system with a framework that can truly respond to the challenges of our 21st Century and ensure the university system meets the needs of the students.

Jo Johnson Universities Minister said:

I am delighted that Nicola Dandridge is taking up this crucial role. Her knowledge and experience of the higher education system makes Nicola an excellent choice to work alongside Sir Michael Barber at the helm of the OfS.

The new regulator will rightfully put the interests of students at the heart of regulation and play a pivotal role in reforming one of our nation’s greatest assets – the higher education sector.

Sir Michael Barber, Chair of the Office for Students said:

Nicola’s focus on students, her experience in improving participation and equality for disadvantaged groups, and her years of experience in the higher education sector position her extremely well as the Chief Executive of the Office for Students. Nicola is absolutely passionate about student success, in terms of academic excellence and employability. She will bring the student perspective to everything she does.

Nicola will be instrumental in ensuring that the Office for Students enables the sector to improve outcomes for students. I look forward to working with her to shape the brand new regulatory framework, putting student participation, academic success, and employability at its heart.

Nicola Dandridge said:

I am delighted to be appointed as the first Chief Executive of the OfS. It will be a tremendous privilege to work with Sir Michael Barber and colleagues at HEFCE and OFFA in leading the new organisation.

The creation of the OfS presents an unparalleled opportunity to ensure that every student enjoys a rewarding educational experience and secures the outcomes that they want, whatever their background and whatever their aspirations.

The Secretary of State for Education has also agreed the transfer of 6 members of the current HEFCE board to the OfS board, while the process of recruiting the remaining board positions continues. This includes plans to secure the student voice, by appointing at least one board member with experience of representing students’ interests.

1. Nicola Dandridge is currently Chief Executive of Universities UK (UUK), a sector body that supports UK universities by working directly with government, the private sector, the professions and sector agencies. Nicola has been at UUK since September 2009. She was previously Chief Executive of the Equality Challenge Unit, a higher education agency that works with the sector to promote equality for staff and students. Before joining the Equality Challenge Unit, Nicola was a lawyer, qualified in both England and Scotland and working in private practice.
2. The HEFCE Board Members who have been recruited into new roles in the OfS are:
   • Martin Coleman (Deputy Chair)
   • David Palfreyman
   • Steve West
   • Carl Lygo
   • Gurpreet Dehal
   • Kate Lander
3. More information about the OfS board roles and application packs can be found on the Public Appointments website
4. The HEFCE and the OFFA will be replaced with the OfS in April 2018. The OfS will:
   • have an explicit legal duty to promote choice and consider the student, employer and taxpayer interests
   • operate a risk-based approach to regulation, focusing attention where it is needed and reducing the burden on low-risk institutions
   • have a duty to promote equality of opportunity This will mean looking beyond getting students from disadvantaged backgrounds into university – they will also be charged with making sure that providers are doing all they can to support the students throughout their course, helping to tackle drop-out rates and support disadvantaged students into employment.
5. Speaking on the confirmation of 6 of the OfS Board Members, Sir Michael Barber said:

I am very pleased to see the appointment of Carl Lygo and David Palfreyman, Gurpreet Dehal, Kate Lander, and Steven West as board members for the Office for Students. They bring a combined wealth of experience, from commercial markets to the higher education sector, that will be invaluable as the Office for Students introduces a brand new regulatory approach built around the student. Their diverse perspectives and expertise will be brought to bear on the opportunities and challenges we will face as we enable new providers to join the sector.

Martin Coleman’s appointment as Deputy Chair is also very welcome. Martin’s background as a leading competition lawyer and competition policy specialist will help set the new tone for the higher education sector in England: a competitive market, guided by sophisticated regulation, geared towards delivering exceptional outcomes for students.

Finally, I am happy to announce the campaign to recruit the remaining members of the board. We will appoint a student representative, who will have a crucial role in bringing the student perspective to everything we do. Additionally, we will ensure that our appointments reflect the diversity and wide range of backgrounds of the student population and our nation as a whole.

Thank you Mr Chair,

The United Kingdom supports the statement made by the Ambassador of Estonia on behalf of the European Union. I would like to make a few additional remarks.

The United Kingdom thanks the Director General for the comprehensive and thorough Fact Finding Mission reports on recent investigations into the incident at Khan Shaykhun on 4 April this year and in to an incident at Um Housh in September 2016.

The OPCW’s swift response, deploying the FFM to investigate the allegations of chemical weapons use in Khan Shaykhun within 24 hours of the claims being made, was exemplary. Your team worked in the most testing of circumstances. All of us here today should be grateful for the dedication of your staff.

As your report details, what happened in Khan Shaykhun was the worst of human acts. The banned nerve agent sarin was used to kill at least 100 people, including many children, and to injure more than 200. Even samples that the Syrian Government tested and shared confirm that sarin was used. So those facts are not in dispute. The use of chemical weapons is a war crime. There is now a pressing need to find out who was responsible, and to seek justice for the victims. I am grateful for the Director General’s swift work to pass the FFM’s report to the OPCW/UN Joint Investigative Mechanism so that they can work to identify the perpetrator of this most horrific crime.

We welcome the fact that the JIM is also looking into the FFM’s report on an exposure to sulphur mustard in Um Housh in September 2016. Impunity for such crimes is never acceptable. This Council must take a firm stand against all chemical weapons use, and all perpetrators must be brought to justice.

The United Kingdom’s assessment is that it is almost certain that the Syrian Government was responsible for a sarin attack on Khan Shaykhun on 4 April. Let me briefly explain why.

There is no evidence to suggest that any party to the conflict in Syria, other than the Syrian Government, has access to a complex nerve agent such as sarin. We note that the FFM’s report refers to testimony from witnesses describing the presence of jets in the area at the time of the attack. Only the Syrian Air Force has the capability to launch a chemical weapons attack from aircraft, and it has already been condemned by this Council for having been found to have used chemical weapons, deployed from aircraft, on at least three occasions in 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile the Syrian Government’s story has changed on multiple occasions since the horrific events of 4 April, twisting a new narrative each time to fit the emerging facts. First there was a blanket denial of any sarin release, then they told a simply extraordinary story of an airstrike on a supposed jihadist chemical weapons storage facility on April 4th, which they said made sarin; now as we know, sarin is a relatively complex agent to develop and manufacture, and there is no credible evidence that anyone in Syria, other than the regime, has the capability to produce and to weaponise it. We all watched the terrible news footage reporting the early morning attacks in real time, but the Syrians have told us tales of an attack at midday instead. And finally, the Syrian Government handed over samples which it had obtained and tested from the impact site, and proved positive for sarin, just like other samples that the FFM had tested. But now the Syrian Government seeks to discredit the FFM’s report as, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s statement on 1 July, “the creation of a sick mind”.

Mr Chair,

As we all know, the FFM is a professional, independent and impartial body, it has unparalleled technical expertise and works to a consistent and sound methodology. It is our duty to value and to protect the integrity and impartiality of the OPCW – anything less is frankly disrespectful to the ideals we all say we share. In that context I am glad to announce that the United Kingdom will provide further funds to support the OPCW’s vital work through the Trust Fund for Syria Missions.

The Technical Secretariat has worked tirelessly over the past four years to shine the light of truth on Syria’s chemical weapons programme. Since Syria joined the Convention, in the aftermath of the Ghouta atrocity in 2013, the Syrian Government has denied scientific reality and has covered up the full extent of its chemical weapons programme. Syria and its backers claim that it has destroyed its chemical weapon stockpiles. Yet the Director General has continued to report that the OPCW cannot declare Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme as “accurate and complete”, and that serious “gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies remain”. While the Director General and the Technical Secretariat have worked tirelessly to establish the truth, Syria has failed to reciprocate. The Syrian government has provided limited information, only under pressure; and when challenged with evidence that made its previous position untenable. Syrian engagement with the OPCW has been neither meaningful nor honest. Their supposed cooperation is a facade. The JIM’s finding in 2016 of repeated Regime use of chemical weapons underscores the fact that Syria has unquestionably failed to account for, or to destroy, its whole chemical weapons programme.

Mr Chair,

This Executive Council cannot turn a blind eye to such flagrant violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention. When the perpetrators of the atrocity in Khan Shaykhun are identified, we must act to send a clear message that chemical weapons use will not be tolerated, and that we are prepared to stand up to the values we all said that we held in common and which we enshrined in that Convention twenty years ago.

Finally, may I confirm that the United Kingdom will be pleased to support the Joint Declaration to be proposed today by France and Germany on this matter.

This morning the Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece to discuss the ongoing Cyprus settlement talks in Geneva.

The Prime Minister praised the constructive role that both parties have played to reach this point and reiterated that there is a major opportunity to be seized.

She added that any agreement requires all sides to show leadership and flexibility and that the UK will do it all it can to support a settlement.