Thank you Alan, Many thanks for that kind introduction.

I’d like to thank Chatham House for inviting me here to discuss the future of global trade and the pivotal role the United Kingdom can play in helping to shape it.

Great to see our former Permanent Secretary John Alty in the audience.

I was here at the inception of the Department in the summer of 2016, and returned again in the lead up to the Trade Cooperation Agreement and leaving the end of the transition period 2020-21, and returned again as I see you today.

Actually the last time I was here, I did so in my former role as energy minister. And one has certainly needed energy to keep up with events in Westminster over recent weeks, as you may have noticed!

Last time I was here, there was actually a demo about energy – just sometimes thinking that the world of trade is sometimes more erudite than you might get in the world of energy.

But what has remained unwavering throughout is this government’s fierce commitment to free trade and open markets as the key to unlocking the UK’s economic potential and kickstarting growth.

And this is a cause I have championed during my three stints as Minister of State for Trade, during which I have witnessed the transformative power of global commerce at first hand.

This is a commitment to trade that our new Prime Minister shares. I’ve had quite a few discussions with him over the summer recently about trade and so it’s a cause that I know is close to Rishi Sunak’s heart, as it is to mine.

Because trade is the most powerful force for human progress we have at our disposal.

A force that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty since the turn of the century.

And that will drive the engine of global growth over the next decade too.

Delivering enormous benefits for the United Kingdom and the global community alike, creating new jobs, fostering innovation and delivering prosperity worldwide.

But trade as we know, is a truly global endeavour.

And to deliver the greatest benefits it must be free and fair for all.

That is why we are working with our global partners in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas to put in place the building blocks of this freer, fairer future.

Calling out nations that don’t play by the rules and helping to build a global free trading coalition with Britain at its heart.

I mentioned my recent return to the department, so if I had to outline my three immediate priorities I’ve identified in my work in trade policy (it’s not the whole of the department, we also have ministers for exports, investment and so on).

But my three main priorities:

The first is making sure the UK joins the CPTPP trading area as soon as possible. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. 11 countries around the Pacific Rim, four continents, 5 million people, a GDP of around 9tn pound sterling.

It’s a perfect deal, a great match for the UK. With really modern rules of origin, digital trade. I was interested to see a really good session earlier on digital trade. And it will help to set new rules and standards for trade across the world, encompassing many of the world’s great progressive nations, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore. These are the countries that in my view are leading the debate on trade policy, and it’s a free trade area without a political union. It is in many ways everything that the UK has always wanted to join in my opinion.

The second area is India, just the size and the prospect of India alone as a market is too impossible to ignore. And I think the UK’s traditional links and connections there are incredible, it’s not just the trade relationship but the investment we have with India, means that it’s an immediate priority for us to potentially be the first G7 country to do a trade deal with India.

And the third area is to focus on the nitty gritty of trade work, the trade barriers, making sure we are focusing on removing trade barriers around the world, I’m talking anything from lot codes on Scotch whisky bottles to Taiwan through to German labour market rules, discriminatory Spanish customs practices – a whole host of different issues out there that prevent UK goods and services being sold and prevent them coming the other way.

So those are my three priorities. And I’m going to return to each of those three throughout the course of this speech.

So, first and foremost, we must work with our international partners to navigate a path through the economic storm unleashed by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine…

… which has of course sent shockwaves through the world’s financial system, unleashing rising prices for energy and commodities…

…Bringing about let’s be frank about it scenes of destruction – and I studied history as an undergraduate at university, and my main focus was 20th century Central and Eastern European history, and that is a period of an enormous amount of human and material destruction. And I think the sort of scenes that we’ve seen throughout the course of this year have been all too reminiscent of the first half of the 20th century. Something which is happening here in the first half of 21st century.

But Britain is helping lead the West’s response to this crisis by supplying military assistance to Ukraine.

And we are using the power of trade to support Ukraine in its struggle for freedom economically too.

By removing tariffs on all goods from that nation under the UK-Ukraine Free Trade agreement.

And providing other economic support – including £1bn in loan guarantees.

While working with our allies around the world to impose unprecedented trade sanctions on Russia.

But we know that our work is far from done.

The invasion has revealed the fragility of global peace and security. And there was a fascinating session you’ve just had on supply chains which after pandemic has revealed lots of global vulnerabilities which many of us thought or suspected were there but have been brought into sharp focus this year.

A line has been drawn in the sand between liberty and tyranny.

And as we look to the future we must ask ourselves what kind of country we wish to be.

A nation that looks outwards to the world? An open, interconnected, truly global Britain that builds new bridges of trade and investment?

Or a country that battens down the hatches and hides behind protectionist trade barriers?

And we must decide what kind of world we wish to build.

A world in which liberty, democracy and security are the norm – and in which free, fair, rules-based trade can come to the fore.

I’m very much in that camp and this government is as well.

Or a world in which authoritarianism, protectionism and corruption hold sway?

It is clear to this government which path the United Kingdom must take.

We must work with our democratic allies to help shape the international order of the future. With free trade forged at its heart.

Britain and our allies must push hard for reform of the World Trade Organisation for example so that the rules underpinning global trade are fit for purpose.

Strengthening the dispute resolution mechanism and holding states that break the rules to account.

Standing with our partners to confront shared challenges.

As we did earlier this year at the 12th Ministerial WTO Conference in Geneva – our first as a renewed independent member of the WTO…

…Where we signed a joint declaration on trade’s key role in underpinning global food security.

Strengthening our multilateral partnerships will be more important now than ever before as the global economic axis shifts eastwards.

China’s increasing international assertiveness and the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific will be among the most significant geopolitical and geo-economic shifts this decade.

And our response will help define our relationship with the world that emerges in the decades ahead.

The UK’s future prosperity is dependent on deepening our economic relationships with countries in the Indo-pacific region in particular.

Which is why we are concentrating on building new bonds of trade and investment with nations across this region.

Opening up fresh opportunities for British business in the cutting-edge industries that are shaping the world of tomorrow.

Crucial to that is the UK’s accession to CPTPP – and another of my highest priorities is agreeing a deal with India which promises to be a game-changer for Britain’s economic ties with the world’s largest democracy and fifth largest economy.

India is set to become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, and we are committed to building upon the living bridge of people, businesses and culture that bind our nations together.

A shared commitment with India that Prime Minister Modi underlined when he welcomed the appointment of Rishi Sunak as our new Prime Minister.

And our governments are making good progress in negotiating an ambitious FTA which could boost trade between us by as much as £28 billion.

Setting British and Indian businesses free to trade and invest in each other’s markets.

An FTA with India is a key plank of our work to position the United Kingdom at the centre of a network of free trade agreements across the globe.

We have signed deals with 71 countries plus the EU so far, accounting for over £800bn-worth of trade last year.

Including far reaching and innovative agreements with countries such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand that go further in cutting edge sectors such as digital and data.

And we are working alongside our biggest single bilateral trade partner and closest ally the United States at both federal and state level to remove barriers to business… again with a very strong focus on services and digital trade.

…Strengthening a trade and investment relationship worth more than £230bn.

Beyond these deals we are making it easier for British firms to sell their goods and services overseas in other ways… my third priority

…by tackling often complex trade rules and practical obstacles that block their path to growth

Over the past two years, my department has removed over 400 such barriers to business – we have a database of trade barriers that we are seeking to remove… opening the door to global markets for British exports of all kinds.

Successes so far include:

Opening the way for first shipment of Welsh lamb exported to the US in more than 20 years…

second…Tackling banking restrictions for British firms in Colombia, worth an estimated £55 million over 5 years…

…And lifting restrictions that enable British apples, pears, quince to be exported to India for the first time.

A broad cross section of goods and services.

And we are going further and faster by using intelligence gathered from industry to target a “most wanted” list of obstacles standing in the way of British exporters.

Unlocking a potential £20 billion-worth of new opportunities for our economy.

And as we look ahead at the opportunities emerging worldwide, we are determined to strengthen our ties in our own neighbourhood too.

Building on our trade and investment relationships with our allies across Europe – which still accounts for around half [around – 45%] of our total global trade.

These are relationships that I am leading the way in strengthening in my role at DIT – as I travel across the continent to meet with politicians and businesses to help smooth the path for British trade and investment.

Inevitably Britain leaving the European Union has changed that relationship, we are outside the single market, outside the customs union. But we have the most comprehensive Free Tree Agreement between the UK and EU, so we need to continue to make sure it works well for British businesses and British exporters.

Whether by addressing French customs procedures, Spanish labour laws or German business regulations. Flavour of the work we’re doing there.

And this government is committed to using the power of trade to support global development too.

Helping open the door to trade-led growth for nations across the developing world.

This isn’t just right morally, it makes sense economically too.

Because trade not aid is the path to long-term prosperity.

And, if demography is destiny, then the future of the global economy surely lies in the developing world.

Where the youngest, most dynamic and most rapidly diversifying economies are emerging.

With developing nations offering the greatest trade potential on the planet.

By the middle of this century alone, Africa is set to account for one in four of the world’s consumers.

Which is why the UK has made tearing down barriers to business with developing nations central to our global trade policy.

We’ve agreed Economic Partnerships with 33 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries so far, covering more than £20 billion-worth of trade.

And we have removed almost all tariffs on goods from 65 nations through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme. Building on the situation we inherited from the EU but making sure we greened our tariff, lowered our tariff, simplified our tariffs to really benefit developing world.

While using our position as a global finance hub to provide the investment developing nations need to build their critical infrastructure.

We are making progress towards our goal of building a freer, fairer future for global trade with UK right at the centre of it as one of the most progressive trade policy countries in the world.

A future that will develop for the UK but also for our friends and allies around the world.

But we know there are many hard miles yet to travel on this journey – the department is six and a half years into its existence – and we’ve achieved an enormous amount in that time but there’s still a huge amount for us to do.

The big decisions on trade we take today will help define the world of tomorrow.

And we must have the courage to stand by our conviction that free trade and open markets hold the key to prosperity.

So that millions more people worldwide can be set free to realise their economic potential.

And embrace the bright future that lies ahead. That is the UK ambition, both for our own trade policy and for that globally.

The Home Secretary visited the Western Jet Foil and Manston sites in Kent today (3 November) to see the progress being made to ease the pressures on our immigration system and support people on-site, while thanking staff for their continued hard work.

Suella Braverman went to Western Jet Foil to speak to officers following the shocking incident there this weekend.

At Manston, she saw the momentous efforts underway to ease pressures on site and process individuals into alternative accommodation, alongside the immediate support being provided, particularly to vulnerable people.

Over 1,000 people have been moved off site within the last five days, helping return Manston onto a more sustainable footing.

She also confirmed steps being taken today to immediately improve the situation on the ground. These include bolstering the 24/7 medical facilities already on site, extra bedding and improved catering facilities, as well as providing more activities to support migrant welfare, including for children.

The Home Secretary and operational colleagues agreed that the vital work to safeguard individuals and provide alternative accommodation and support as quickly as possible remains their priority, making sure that people are treated with dignity, care and compassion throughout the process.

In Dover, the Home Secretary observed the expert techniques used by operational teams to intercept, identify and process those arriving via small boats.

She spoke with Border Force officers, military, and other personnel on the ground and thanked them for their dedicated work, under difficult circumstances, to protect UK borders and save lives. The Home Secretary also reiterated her gratitude and thoughts to all those affected by the distressing incident on Sunday.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

I have met with our expert teams who work tirelessly to save lives and protect the UK’s borders. I wanted to see first-hand how we’re working to reduce the number of people in Manston, support people there, and thank staff for all their efforts.

I am incredibly proud of the skill and dedication shown to tackle this challenging situation here on a daily basis.

This is a complex and difficult situation, which we need to tackle on all fronts and look at innovative solutions. To break the business model of the people smugglers, we need to ensure that the illegal migration route across the Channel is ultimately rendered unviable.

• Legislation laid today (3rd November) introduces a ban on UK ships and services facilitating the maritime transport of Russian crude oil from 5th December 2022
• This legislation will also pave the way for a cap on the price of seaborne Russian crude oil
• This follows commitment made by G7 Finance ministers in September

New legislation introduced today (3rd November) will prevent countries from using the UK’s services to transport Russian oil unless it is purchased at or below the Oil Price Cap set by the Price Cap Coalition of the G7 and Australia.

The move follows the decision made by the G7 Finance ministers in September who committed to the price cap as a way of undermining Putin’s ability to fund his war in Ukraine through inflated global oil prices, while ensuring that third countries can continue to secure affordable oil. The UK and its coalition partners will not make use of the cap, as they have introduced an import ban on Russian oil.

The ban on services, including insurance, brokerage and shipping, will be coupled with a General Licence, expected shortly, that lays the basis for an Oil Price Cap exception that will allow third countries to continue accessing services only if purchasing Russian oil at or below the cap. The level of the price cap will be set by the coalition in due course.

Insurance is one of the key services that enables the movement of oil by sea, particularly protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance which relates to third-party liability claims – the UK is a global leader in the provision of P&I cover, writing 60% of global cover.

Today’s legislation on crude oil will come into force on 5th December with further measures on refined oil products coming into force on the 5th February, to align with EU timelines for a parallel measure. To enforce the scheme the Treasury has set up a new team, based in the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. This team will set up the licensing and enforcement system for the Oil Price Cap; engage with industry to ensure readiness for the cap; and monitor the level and impact of the cap on an ongoing basis.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

“We continue to stand by Ukraine in the face of Putin’s barbaric and illegal invasion. We’ve banned the import of Russian oil into the UK and are making good progress on phasing it out completely. This new measure continues to turn the screws on Putin’s war machine, making it even tougher for him to profiteer from his illegal war.”

Contact information

HMT Press Office

020 7270 5238

pressoffice@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Follow us on Flickr to download the latest photos from HM Treasury: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmtreasury/

Notes to editors

• The legislation laid on 3rd November is a statutory instrument made under the Sanctions and anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, amending the Russian (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
• The legislation will be followed by the issuing of a General Licence, which will provide the oil price cap exception to this legislation and enable UK services to continue facilitating the transport of Russian-origin crude oil from the 5th December and refined oil products from the 5th February, from a place in Russia to a third country as well as between third countries when purchased at or below the oil price cap level.
• The issuing of this General Licence will be accompanied by general guidance, expected shortly, which will be published by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, and a programme of industry engagement events and opportunities.
• This legislation also brings forward the date of the UK’s oil import ban from the end of December to 5th December.

Good morning, it’s great to be with you here in Manchester and to be talking to people from across the sector on my visits to children’s homes, local authorities and schools.

What is clear from those conversations, and from everything we have seen through the year, is that this is still a challenging time for education and social care.

So, I also want to take the time to say thank you and your teams for the hard work you do, whether in education, social care or wider children’s and adults’ services.

There are more than a few pinch points in our sectors including workforce shortages, capacity pressures, and places for children with the most complex needs. There are also the big external factors such as an increase in asylum seeking unaccompanied children and your work supporting Ukrainian and other refugee families.

But despite this, we do know that you are un-deterred in your ambitions for children.

And I want to reassure you that we are too.

Our strategy

So, what are we at Ofsted doing?

Like you, we have continued with our work while adjusting to big changes in context. But we have also been looking to the future. We recently published a new five-year strategy taking us to 2027. This is a strategy that reflects on the last five years, especially the pressures the pandemic put on our sectors, but it does also look forward to recovery and beyond.

The strategy has been designed to understand and meet the challenges I mentioned. It will also support your sectors while maintaining our distinct role and perspective.

We have set ourselves eight strategic priorities and I want to talk about 5 of them:

• ‘inspections that raise standards’
• delivering ‘right touch regulation’
• ‘keeping children safe’
• ‘keeping pace with sector changes’
• and making sure children get ‘the best start in life’

The best start in life

I am sure that these will resonate with you, and I will talk through each of them, but I want to begin with ‘the best start in life.’

Children only get one childhood. Each of us has a role in making sure we are getting it right from the start. We make no apology for prioritising the early years.

Over the last year we have published reports highlighting the serious impact the pandemic has had on some of the youngest children. We, like you, have been very concerned about the harm to them.

There are clear concerns about the impact on children’s social and wider development. Many have gaps in communication and language skills and are behind where they should be in personal, social, emotional, and physical development.

There is also a challenging backdrop as the early years sector adapts to the post-pandemic landscape. Parents are struggling to find childcare that is flexible to their needs and at a price they can afford. Alongside this, many workers are leaving the sector and those who stay are often struggling on low wages, exacerbated by significant rises in the cost of living. Making childcare affordable, while attracting well trained and motivated staff is incredibly difficult. We are very aware of this.

In the past, there has been a well-intentioned policy aim to treat childminders and nurseries alike. But part of what we are trying to do is to respect their different natures while maintaining high standards, wherever care is happening.

A young child’s development and learning, wherever they are, is crucial. It is why Ofsted is emphasising the importance of early years curriculum; what children are learning.

We are also going to extend specialist training for our early years inspectors; and we are continuing our early years research programme allowing us to share our insights quickly.

Inspections that raise standards

Which brings me on to our next strategic priority – ‘inspections that raise standards.’

Coming out of the pandemic, schools and nurseries told us they wanted stability and continuity, including in the inspection model. That is why we are allowing the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) to embed properly rather than change it to focus on pandemic recovery.

However, we have clarified how the EIF works for childminders. We updated the early years inspection handbook in September to include specific guidance for childminder inspections. It includes information on the practical process, how our inspectors gather and evaluate evidence, and how they come to a judgement.

Inspection judgements are important because they inform parents, commissioners, and government about the standards being achieved. Our reports highlight good practice and areas for improvement.

The inspection process itself is designed around professional dialogue. Good leaders are the main drivers of improvement in their services. Professional dialogue helps them to improve and us to recognise and report good practice.

Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs)

We also want our inspections to encourage cross-sector working.

We have recently published our new guidance for Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs). We will look at how children’s social care, education, health, and the police, work together to reduce risks and harm to children and to give early help.

We know that getting the right help at the right time can prevent longer-term intervention. All these agencies must contribute to this.

Our JTAIs will also look at how early help works and how children move between the categories of early help and children in need.

We hope that this work will make sure everyone in local areas thinks about their role in early support for families. We also expect that it will help the government as it considers children’s social care reform.

Right touch regulation

We know that our ‘right touch regulation’ strategic priority is so important to the sector right now.

Proportionate and risk-based regulation is critical to ensuring good outcomes for children.

The principles of good regulation are straightforward: proportionality, accountability, consistency, transparency and targeting.

There have been several recent reviews and reports with recommendations for Ofsted and for the sectors we work with. We welcome these contributions and the ongoing discussions that they bring. We’ll continue to support improvement based on the recommendations we and you have been making for a number of years to deliver the best possible outcomes for children.

Where there are lessons for Ofsted to learn, we will take that on board. We constantly strive to improve and change where we can see it will help.

We will continue to use our regulatory powers with careful thought and only where we have serious concerns. But, when we find care that is simply not good enough, it is right that we continue to act.

We know this can contribute to pressures on supply, but we cannot and will not accept sub-standard care for children. We know that there is increased demand, but the solution to that is not lower standards. It is increased supply.

But we are making changes that we believe will help you.

I want to give you 3 examples of where we are doing this.

Multi-building registration

The first is multi-building registration.

We recognised a need for more flexible and responsive provision for children, and an increasing demand for solo and specialised placements. Late last year we introduced the multi-building registration of children’s homes.

It means that a provider can now apply to register a single home where the care and accommodation is provided in more than one building. This reflects the changing ways in which services for children are being delivered and should help increase system capacity. We know some providers are already benefitting from this.

But I am worried about the growth in single child homes. They can isolate children, be very expensive, and create additional safeguarding risks. They can be right for some children but is not a trend we should uncritically welcome.

Streamlining the application process

The second example is our streamlining the application process for childcare to make it simpler and quicker.

We are simplifying our GP health checks and making sure we have all the evidence we need to make informed decisions. We are also working on changes to the registration process to do more parts in parallel and get to registration visits sooner.

All of this will help childminders and nurseries get registered more quickly.

Inspecting local authority children’s services (ILACS)

The third example I want to give is the work we’re doing to recognise the experiences of care leavers. We want to capture a child’s entire journey through the care system, and especially their experiences when they leave it. From January, our ILACS inspections will include a new judgement on the experiences and progress of care leavers.

We’ve consulted you and the wider sector and received very strong support for this new judgement. We will be publishing the updated framework in December. The criteria will reflect the areas that you and young people who have lived in care think make the most difference to young people’s lives.

We will look at young people’s relationships and participation; their health, both physical and mental; their learning and employment; and the local offer and support for care leavers as they transition to adulthood.

Area SEND framework

As part of our better regulation priority, I would also like to talk to you about the work we are doing on the new area SEND framework. Thanks to everyone who responded to the consultation on the framework.

This work is a priority for me. I have long had concerns about the significant weaknesses in the system, backed up by the evidence from our inspections and research on the pandemic’s impact.

I welcomed the government’s vision to reform the system set out in the green paper. But I have always been clear that it would not be right to wait until reforms are made to introduce a new inspection framework. Our aim is to promote improvement in the existing system, while helping areas prepare for further reforms.

Our proposed changes include strengthening the accountability of local area partnerships by having more clarity about who recommendations are aimed at. Critically, we want to put the experiences and outcomes for children with SEND at the centre of our inspections.

Keeping pace with sector changes

As well as making changes at Ofsted, we want to continue to recognise changes and innovations in the sector.

I do understand that you can sometimes feel blamed when things don’t work out, and that can hinder innovation.

We understand that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. It’s important to try new things to improve outcomes for children. But you should also make sure that when things don’t work, you learn from them and improve.

So, we know the sector is changing and it is important not to overburden the system. As changes and reforms become clear, we will continue to be an intelligent regulator.

In my conversations with Ministers, they have always been clear about the importance of changing things carefully and managing change well, while maintaining high ambitions. I couldn’t agree more, and I hope that this spirit will continue.

Ofsted will do what it can to bring systems together, recognising a world where not everything is achievable.

We are making sure that we are working with other inspectorates and regulators to hold the right organisations to account. It’s a complicated regulatory landscape and we are not the only people who inspect you.

That’s why we have been working closely with CQC and HMI Probation so that we don’t all inspect at once. We want to give you the space to do what you do well and avoid simultaneous inspections that stretch your resources. This is good for everyone, including your staff, and lets us get to a better reflection of quality.

Keeping children safe

This brings me to the last strategic priority I want to talk about today – ‘keeping children safe.’

It is vital through their whole journey – from childhood to adulthood. And there are aspects of safeguarding that have often gone under the radar but are getting more attention.

Supported accommodation

Supported accommodation is currently in the spotlight. We start registering these providers in April. Some of you are already planning and working to be ready for that, and we encourage all of you to do so.

We recognise that supported accommodation is hugely varied – quite rightly, as it should reflect the diverse and changing needs of individual young people.

So, we won’t have a one-size-fits-all, overly prescriptive approach.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

We’re also seeing more asylum seekers, and particularly unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Children who arrive at our shores have often travelled for months and may have endured hardships and harm along the way.

These children need care and compassion, but we also have to be practical and plan for the increased pressures and extra demands.

Unfortunately, many children are getting stuck in unsuitable accommodation such as hotels.

Once in England, children should transfer to the care of a local authority and become a ‘child in care.’ This should happen swiftly. But we know that growing numbers, pressures on foster care, and the failings of some authorities to take ‘their share’ has led to unacceptable delays.

We take this very seriously. We have already helped the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on their inspections of hotels housing these children. Their recent report highlighted safeguarding concerns, very limited education, and unclear or poor oversight.

The Home Office’s reply committed them to eliminating the use of such accommodation as quickly as possible. You all have a part to play in achieving that.

It is also vital that asylum seekers are in places which are appropriate for their age. Adults being in spaces for children raise obvious safeguarding concerns. We are also very concerned about increasing numbers of children being found in hotels, mistakenly identified as adults. We have raised this with the DfE and have seen swift action from local authorities. But we are concerned that vulnerable children could be lost from sight and at risk of future exploitation.

We know that many of you are working hard to develop local provision for these very vulnerable children and accommodating the increased quotas. When we inspect, we will recognise those making good efforts as well as where progress is too slow.

Conclusion

I know we all face an extremely challenging landscape. I want to finish by saying that the solutions to the challenges we face do not lie in the gift of any one of us. We must all continue to work on the areas where we can make a difference to improve the outcomes for all children.

Thank you for all the work you are doing in this area and will continue to do.