WTO General Council: UK statement




How to apply for Czech temporary residency

World news story

UK nationals in the Czech Republic can apply for the certificate of temporary residency by post.

If you are legally resident in the Czech Republic by 31 December 2020, you should obtain a residence document. In most cases, if you’ve been in the Czech Republic for fewer than five years, that will be a certificate of temporary residence (i.e. přechodný pobyt). To get this document you must report your residence to your local office of the Ministry of the Interior.

Your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement will not be affected if you do not apply by the end of the year. However, we recommend that you obtain a residence document as soon as possible.

You will need a valid UK passport in order to obtain your residence document. Find out how to renew your UK passport from the Czech Republic.

You can apply for the certificate of temporary residence by sending the following documents by registered post (doporučený dopis) from the teritorry of the Czech Republic, or submit them electronically through a Data Mailbox (datová schránka).

Your application has to include the following:

  • application form
  • plain copy of your passport (you will be asked to produce your passport when collecting the certificate)
  • a passport-style photograph
  • proof of purpose of your stay in the Czech Republic. This can be a simple declaration, or a certified copy of your employment contract
  • proof of accommodation
  • proof of health insurance. This is not required if you are employed or self-employed in the Czech Republic

You can find more information about the documents required at the Czech Ministry of the Interior website.

Published 17 December 2020




Oral statement on review of coronavirus tiering restrictions in England

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, as we enter the coldest months we must be vigilant and keep this virus under control.

Yesterday, 25,161 cases were reported and there are 18,038 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK.

We must keep supressing this virus.

And this isn’t just a matter for government or for this house – it’s a matter for every single person.

And these are always the most difficult months for people’s health – and for the NHS.

And especially with the vaccine already here, we must be cautious as we accelerate the vaccine deployment as per the winter plan.

We’ve come so far, we mustn’t blow it now.

Review

Mr Speaker, when we reintroduced the tiered system, we resolved to review the data every 2 weeks in each area.

The sophisticated COVID surveillance system we now have in place means that we can act swiftly and decisively when needed.

At the weekend, we held an emergency review for London, Essex and parts of Hertfordshire where cases are accelerating fast.

Yesterday, we held the first formal review.

And I must report to the House that across the world cases are rising once more.

In Europe, restrictions are being reintroduced.

In America, case rates have accelerated.

In Japan, cases are rising once again.

Yesterday, the Welsh government made the decision to tighten restrictions across the whole of Wales.

No one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary.

But where they are necessary, we must put them in place to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and protect life.

Mr Speaker, even in a normal year, this is the busiest time for the NHS.

As Chris Hopson, the Chief Executive of NHS Providers, reminded us this morning: “controlling infection rates is about limiting patient harm”.

And this is a moment when we act with caution.

Places moving up

In the South East of England, cases are up 46% in the last week.

Hospital admissions are up by more than a third.

In the East of England, cases are up two thirds in the last week and hospital admissions are up by nearly half.

It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 3 measures across a much wider area of the East and South East of England, including:

  • Bedfordshire
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Berkshire
  • Peterborough
  • the whole of Hertfordshire
  • Surrey – with the exception of Waverley
  • Hastings and Rother, on the Kent border of East Sussex
  • and Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant in Hampshire

These changes will take effect from one minute past midnight on Saturday morning.

And I know that Tier 3 measures are tough.

But the best way for everyone to get out of them is to pull together: not just to follow the rules, but do everything they possibly can to stop the spread of the virus.

Where we’ve seen places get the virus under control and come out of Tier 3, it’s where everyone has taken responsibility on themselves to make that happen.

We’ve seen case rates fall across large parts of England.

And I know that many places in Tier 3 have seen their rates reduce.

In most places, I have to tell you Mr Speaker, we are not quite there yet.

And the pressures on the NHS remain.

But we are able to move some places down a tier.

We assess these decisions according to the 5 published indicators:

  • case rates
  • case rates amongst the over 60s
  • test positivity
  • rates of change
  • and hospital pressure

And today, I am placing in the library of the House an assessment of each area and publishing the data on which we make these decisions.

For the vast majority of places currently in Tier 3, we’re not making a change today.

Places moving down

However, Mr Speaker, I am pleased to say that some places can go down a tier.

In Bristol and North Somerset, rates have come down from 432 per 100,000 to 121 – and falling.

And I can therefore announce that Bristol and North Somerset will come out of Tier 3, into Tier 2, on Saturday.

Rates in Herefordshire have also come down, to 45 in 100,000 and are falling, and we can therefore bring Herefordshire out of Tier 2 and into Tier 1.

I want to pay tribute to everyone who’s been doing the right thing and getting rates down, whether or not your area has come down a tier today. It’s so vital that everyone sticks at it and does the right thing, especially over this Christmas period.

And it’s important to remember that this can be a silent disease.

One in 3 people who has the disease has no symptoms but can still pass it on.

Everyone therefore has a personal responsibility to play their part in keeping this pandemic under control.

I know that other areas are so eager to move down tiers and the best thing we can all do is act with responsibility to get the virus under control.

Vaccine and close

Mr Speaker, these restrictions are thankfully not the only tool we have now to fight the disease.

We are further expanding our testing programme, and later today the Education Secretary will set out further action on school testing in the new year.

And of course, the vaccine roll-out is accelerating.

I can update the House that over 200 vaccination sites are now open in all parts of the UK with more opening their doors and bringing hope to communities over the coming days.

And I know that everyone will be as thrilled as I am every time they are contacted by a friend or a loved one getting the jab.

It was a wonderful sight to see the global map of vaccine deployment with the UK proudly standing out as the site of the first vaccinations.

It’s a huge logistical challenge, but the vaccine offers us promise of a better year ahead.

But until the great endeavour of vaccine deployment reaches enough people to make this country safe, we must keep doing what it takes to protect our NHS – and protect those we love.

That means all of us doing our bit. Following the rules and taking personal responsibility to help contain the spread of the virus so we can get through this safely, together.

And I commend this statement to the House.




New UK Government Covid testing site opens in Oban

The UK Government has today (Thursday 17 December) opened a new walk-through coronavirus testing centre at Mossfield Car Park in Oban (PA34 4EW). The centre is easily accessible for people without a car.

The test centre is part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in British history. In Scotland, this comprises of six drive through sites, 22 walk-through sites, 21 mobile units, plus the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab which is working round the clock to process samples.

In Scotland, the UK Government is providing all Covid testing and test processing outside of the NHS. Around two thirds of all daily tests are provided by the UK Government, in support of Scotland’s health services.

Tests must be booked in advance at NHS Inform or by calling 0800 028 2816. People should only book at test if they have coronavirus symptoms (a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste).

Health Minister Lord Bethell said:

To respond to the coronavirus, we have built a major testing and tracing system from scratch. We are constantly working to expand and improve it with new technologies and innovations so everyone with symptoms can get a test.

New walk-in sites like this one makes it even easier to get a test no matter where you live. If you have symptoms of coronavirus, I urge you to book a test today and follow the advice of NHS Test and Protect if you are contacted to protect others and stop the spread of the virus.

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said:

Walk through sites offer communities better access to coronavirus testing, so everyone with symptoms can get a test. This new site is part of our ongoing work to expand our testing network across the UK which now has the capacity to process more than 500,000 tests a day. We will continue to expand capacity to improve test turnaround times and push forward testing innovations to make sure anyone who needs a test can get one.

Please book a test if you have coronavirus symptoms: a new continuous cough, a high temperature and a loss or change in sense of smell or taste, and follow the advice of NHS Test and Protect if you are contacted.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

The UK Government is helping all parts of the UK fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Testing is vital, helping to manage local outbreaks and protecting people’s livelihoods. The UK Government is providing the bulk of Covid testing in Scotland, and this new walk-through centre is just the latest in our extensive testing network.

We are pleased to be working with local and commercial partners. These sites are not possible without the hard work of many people. I would like to thank everyone involved for their incredible efforts for the good of the country at this difficult time.

Simon Venn, Mitie Chief Government & Strategy Officer, said:

Our priority during the pandemic is to support the nation’s efforts to fight COVID-19 and help keep the country running. Testing is a critical part of the UK’s strategy to combat coronavirus and we’re proud to support the UK Government with this vital task. A big thank you to all the NHS staff, Mitie employees and other frontline heroes in Oban, who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe.




Open letters between HM Treasury and Bank of England, December 2020

The remit for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) requires an exchange of open letters between the Governor of the Bank of England and the Chancellor of the Exchequer if inflation moves away from the target by more than 1 percentage point in either direction.

As set out in the remit, the open letters are published alongside the minutes of the first MPC meeting that follows the release of the CPI data, or within seven days of the publication of the data if the MPC meeting has already commenced.