• Amendment to Health and Care Bill will give the Health Secretary powers to introduce a licence for non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers
• Scope and details of regulations to be determined via public consultation
• Move follows ban on procedures for cosmetic purposes on under 18s in England

The public will be protected against botched Botox and fillers, as the government confirms its intention to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

An amendment to the Health and Care Bill tabled tomorrow (Tuesday 1 March) would give the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the power to introduce a licensing regime for Botox and fillers, the scope and details of which will be determined via extensive engagement including a public consultation.

Although the majority of the aesthetics industry shows good practice when it comes to patient safety, this step will ensure consistent standards and protect individuals from those without licences, including from the potentially harmful physical and mental impacts of poorly performed cosmetic procedures.

It is the latest move by the government to safeguard those who access non-surgical cosmetic treatments and follows on from new legislation making it illegal to administer such treatments to under 18s, and banning adverts on all forms of media including social media, influencer advertising and traditional advertising for cosmetic procedures which target under 18s.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

While most of those in the aesthetics industry follow good practice when it comes to patient safety, far too many people have been left emotionally and physically scarred after botched cosmetic procedures.

I am committed to protecting patient safety by making it an offence for someone to perform these cosmetic procedures without a licence.

We’re doing all we can to protect patients from potential harm, but I urge anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to take the time to think about the impact on both their physical and mental health and ensure they are using a reputable, safe and qualified practitioner.

Minister for Patient Safety Maria Caulfield said:

The spread of images on social media has contributed to an increase in demand for cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers. While these can be administered safely, we are seeing an unacceptable rise in people being left physically and mentally scarred from poorly performed procedures.

Today’s amendment is the next step on the road to effective regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.

The licensing scheme will introduce consistent standards that individuals carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures will have to meet, as well as hygiene and safety standards for premises.

It will focus on those cosmetic procedures which, if improperly performed, have the potential to cause harm such as Botox and fillers.

This amendment in addition to ongoing work with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the potential to bring certain devices, such as dermal fillers without a medical purpose, in scope of medical device regulations. The government is currently analysing responses form a public consultation which ran to 25 November 2021 and will publish a formal response in due course.

Further details on a public consultation will be set out in due course.

Thank you. Let me thank the Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu for her briefing, and Director-General Arias for his continued thorough reporting.

Within the last month, the OPCW’s Fact-Finding Mission has issued two reports, finding there are reasonable grounds to believe chemical weapons were used in Marea in September 2015 and in Kafr Zeita in October 2016.

Both incidents are cause for concern, indicating further use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. We welcome the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s professionalism and impartiality in compiling the reports, in which we have full confidence.

The United Kingdom opposes the use of chemical weapons in all circumstances, by all actors. There can be no impunity for those who use chemical weapons. We will continue to work with the international community to hold perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks to account.

Syria continues to fail to engage with efforts to resolve the many serious gaps and omissions in its chemical weapons declaration. Its defiant attitude shows its contempt for its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and resolution 2118.

Disinformation about chemical weapons is worryingly familiar, coming not only from the Asad regime but from its backers on this Council. We have recently seen fake claims by the Russian Federation about impending chemical weapons attacks in Ukraine. Claims of imminent attacks by groups labelled as ‘terrorists’ or ‘saboteurs’ are put forward without any credible evidence, no doubt as part of the pretext for an invasion that the Russian Federation told us in this Council would never happen.

Russia has repeatedly alleged that the West supports ‘false flag’ attacks to frame Syria, charges that are never backed by evidence. Russia also claims the OPCW Technical Secretariat is biased, again presenting no plausible evidence.

Russia’s tactics are designed to deflect attention from those who actually use chemical weapons. So far, eight separate attacks in Syria have been attributed to the Asad regime by independent, expert investigations run by the OPCW and UN. Further attacks remain under investigation.

Let me conclude by reminding you, and this Council, that any use of chemical weapons, by anyone, is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated.

Thank you.

Mr Speaker, Putin’s war on Ukraine is monstrous and unjustified. I am in regular contact with the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior and the Ambassador to London.

The United Kingdom stands firmly with the people of Ukraine and as this House would expect, Britain is stepping up its role and playing its part in responding to the terrible situation on the ground in Ukraine.

Mr Speaker, the government has already announced the first phase of a bespoke humanitarian route for the people of Ukraine and the new Ukrainian humanitarian route responds directly to the needs and asks of the Ukrainian government.

Every conflict and threat situation is unique and requires a tailored response.

Our new route will continue to keep pace with the developing situation on the ground and so far has already:

• supported hundreds of British nationals and their families resident in Ukraine to leave – UK Visas and Immigration staff continue to work around the clock to assist them
• enabled dependants of British nationals resident in Ukraine who need a UK visa to apply through the temporary location in Lviv or through visa application centres in Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary

Teams have over recent weeks been surged to these areas and applications have been completed within hours. We are in direct contact with individuals and we have also lowered language requirements and salary thresholds so that people can be supported.

Where family members of British nationals do not meet the usual eligibility criteria – but pass security checks – UK Visas and Immigration will give them permission to enter the UK outside the rules for 12 months and is prioritising all applications.

We are giving British nationals and any person settled in the UK the ability to bring over their immediate Ukrainian family members. Through this extension alone, I can confirm that an additional 100,000 Ukrainians will be able to seek sanctuary in the UK with access to work and public services.

We are enabling Ukrainian nationals already in the UK the ability to switch, free of charge, into a points-based immigration route or a family visa route.

We are extending visas for Ukrainian temporary workers in some sectors who can now stay until at least December 2022, primarily because people cannot return to Ukraine. 

Anyone in Ukraine intending to apply under the family migration route should call the dedicated 24-hour Home Office helpline for assistance before making an application.

Mr Speaker, Britain continues to lead and is doing its fair share in every aspect of this Ukraine conflict. I would urge colleagues not to attempt casework themselves, but directly refer people to the helpline number. Duplication of effort would waste precious time and cause confusion. This is the best and most efficient way to help people.

Mr Speaker, over the weekend I have seen members of this House calling for full visa waivers for all Ukrainians.

Security and biometrics checks are a fundamental part of our visa approval process worldwide and will continue, as they did for the evacuation of Afghanistan.

That is vital to keep British citizens safe and to ensure that we are helping those in genuine need, particularly as Russian troops are now infiltrating Ukraine and merging into Ukrainian forces. Intelligence reports also state the presence of extremist groups and organisations who threaten the region, but also our domestic homeland.

We know all too well what Putin’s Russia is willing to do, even on our soil as we saw through the Salisbury attack and the use of a nerve agent used on the streets of the UK. The approach we are taking is based on the strongest security advice, Mr Speaker.

The Prime Minister has set out the myriad of other ways we are supporting Ukraine. There will be other statements in the House today.

But Mr Speaker, there are 2 other points I would like to add. The Nationality and Borders Bill is currently at report stage in the other place.

The bill contains provisions to allow visa penalties to be applied to specific countries that don’t cooperate with the return of their nationals.

I am now seeking to extend these provisions so that a country can be specified if it has taken significant steps which:

• threaten international peace and security
• have led, or are likely to lead, to armed conflict, or
• breach international humanitarian law

This extension would draw on precedent from the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act 2018.

These powers would be available as soon as the bill receives royal assent. The sooner that happens, the sooner this House and all members can collectively act.

Mr Speaker, we are ever-mindful of cyberattacks and disinformation emanating from Russia.

These would be met with very robust responses indeed. And we have stepped up our international coordination on this.

Mr Speaker, what is happening in Ukraine is utterly heartbreaking and profoundly wrong. But together with our international partners, we stand with the heroic Ukrainian people.

With that, Mr Speaker, there is further work taking place on diplomatic channels and also the Ukrainian government has today requested that the Russian government be suspended from its membership of Interpol and we will be leading all international efforts to that effect.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on reforms the government will be bringing forward to improve transparency over the ownership of companies and property in the UK and to strengthen the enforcement of financial sanctions. These are key elements of our strategy to tackle dirty money from Russia and elsewhere.

Mr Speaker, the openness of our economy to investment from all parts of the world is one of our greatest strengths.

However, we are equally determined that we ant to attract the right type of investment. As many in this House will know, oligarchs and kleptocrats from Russia and elsewhere have used the veneer of legitimacy provided by UK-registered companies and partnerships. They have also used high-end property to help launder proceeds of corruption.

At present, Companies House has very limited powers to prevent this abuse. In light of Russia’s outrageous actions in recent days, it is necessary that we put these criminals on notice, and send a message that the UK will not tolerate their corruption here.

So to that end I am announcing 2 immediate steps.

Firstly, today my department is publishing a white paper on corporate transparency and register reform. And this white paper sets out a comprehensive package of reforms to Companies House.

The agency will be transformed into a custodian of accurate and detailed information – ensuring that we can clamp down on those who seek to abuse UK corporate structures to launder money.

Anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the UK will need to verify their identity with Companies House, who will then be able to challenge dubious information and inform the security agencies.

Company agents from overseas will no longer be able to create companies in the UK on behalf of foreign criminals or secretive oligarchs.

These reforms will not only tackle illicit finance but will directly support the millions of legitimate enterprises which transact with Companies House every day.

Alongside this white paper we shall also be legislating for other measures, including reform of limited partnerships law, new powers to seize crypto assets and reforms to help businesses share information on suspected money laundering.

Secondly, Mr Speaker, we will be introducing legislation to Parliament tomorrow, to accelerate other measures which will make an immediate dissuasive effect on dirty money from Russia and elsewhere.

The Bill we will introduce tomorrow will create a Register of Overseas Entities to crack down on foreign criminals using UK property to launder their money. The new register will require anonymous foreign owners to reveal their real identity to ensure that criminals can’t hold property behind secretive chains of shell companies. By legislating now, we will send a clear warning to those who have, or who are thinking about using the UK property market to launder ill-gotten gains – particularly those linked to the Putin regime.

Tomorrow’s Bill will also reform Unexplained Wealth Orders, it will remove key barriers to their use by law enforcement. And it will include amendments to financial sanctions legislation, helping to deter and prevent breaches of sanctions.

The new property register, and the reforms to Companies House, will once more see the UK take innovative and world-leading steps to tackle anonymous shell companies. We have been leading on this agenda since being the first major economy to put in place, Mr Speaker, a public register of beneficial ownership for all domestic companies in 2016.

We can not only pay tribute to the heroic efforts of the people of Ukraine to defend their democracy and their freedom. These measures in a small but significant way will put pressure on kleptocrats and oligarchs who have abused our hospitality for their own nefarious purposes.