Israel, Jerusalem, Namibia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands have been added to the travel corridor list for England, Wales and Northern Ireland following a decrease in risk from coronavirus (COVID-10) in these destinations.

From 4am on Saturday 21 November 2020, passengers arriving into England, Wales and Northern Ireland from these destinations will no longer need to self-isolate so long as they haven’t been in or transited through any other non-exempt countries in the 14 days preceding their arrival.

The travel corridor applies for Israel in its entirety, and Jerusalem in its entirety. For the Occupied Palestinian Territories, only East Jerusalem is included in the travel corridor. The remainder of the Occupied Palestinian Territories are not included. Travellers arriving from locations that are not included will still need to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in the UK. This decision is driven by public health considerations based on epidemiological evidence.

There will be no removals from the travel corridors this week.

At the same time, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice to no longer advise against all but essential travel to Israel, Jerusalem, Namibia, Rwanda, Uruguay, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands. The changes reflect the latest assessments by Public Health England (PHE) of the risk to travellers in these destinations.

The government has made consistently clear it will take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus, including removing countries from the travel corridors list rapidly if the public health risk of people returning from a particular country without self-isolating becomes too high.

National restrictions introduced on 5 November 2020 remain in place meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work or education. This means people can no longer travel to take holidays or travel internationally unless for work or other legally permitted reasons. Those in breach of the rules face penalties starting at £200 and rising to a maximum of £6,400.

The travel ban on Denmark introduced on 7 November 2020 is also still in place. British nationals, Irish nationals and people with the right to reside in the UK who have been in or transited through Denmark in the 14 days before their arrival in the UK will need to self-isolate along with all other members of their household for 14 days from the date they were last in Denmark.

COVID-19 has profoundly changed the nature of international travel. Travellers should always check the latest advice from the FCDO, given the potential for changing coronavirus infection rates to affect both the advice about travelling to other countries and rules about self-isolation on return.

All travellers, including those from exempt destinations, will still be required to show a complete passenger locator form on arrival into the UK unless they fall into a small group of exemptions.

Penalties for those breaching the self-isolation rules when returning from non-exempt countries have increased from £1,000 for first offences up to £10,000 for subsequent offences, mirroring penalties for those breaching self-isolation following a positive COVID test or contact from Test and Trace.

The ongoing Joint Trade Review is a collaboration between Indonesia and the UK to assess the current state of our bilateral trade and investment relationship, as well as looking to identify possible opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation for the future.

The review is based on empirical analysis and engagement with various stakeholders, including businesses operating in both countries. It will result in a joint report which will include recommendations to both governments.

In the latest phase of the Indonesia-UK Joint Trade Review the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and the UK’s Department for International Trade, held a third round of discussions on 18-19 November 2020. The Indonesian delegation was led by Director General of International Trade Negotiation, Mr. Iman Pambagyo, and the UK’s delegation led by Director of Bilateral Trade Relations, Cathryn Law.

Both parties shared the same view on the importance of this Joint Trade Review, particularly during the challenging state of global pandemic.

Excellent progress was made towards further strengthening our bilateral trade relations at the meeting, with discussions focused on enhancing trade and investment performance across a wide range of potential sectors, including education, agricultural products, food and beverages, technology, pharmaceutical and healthcare, infrastructure and transportation, wood and wooden products, renewable energy, financial and professional services, and the creative economy.

The Indonesian head of delegation provided an update of Indonesia’s current trade policy, including the signing of the world’s largest regional agreement Regional Comprehensive and Economic Partnership (RCEP) during The Fourth RCEP Summit on 15 November 2020 and the progress of other bilateral trade negotiations. The UK delegation provided updates at the meeting about the recently signed trade agreement between the UK and Japan and ongoing EU discussions.

As G20 members, both Indonesia and the UK place great importance on this trade review process to help boost future growth and support economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director General of International Trade Negotiation, Pak Iman Pambagyo, said:

During the past two days, both sides had productive discussion on the outstanding issues in 10 potential sectors and agreed “the solution-oriented basis” as the best approach to address the challenges and barriers within the potential sectors. I also acknowledged that both sides had strongly expressed their commitments to finalize and sign the report in January 2021 and had identified the next steps of JTR after it is completed. We believe this Review will open a pathway to better bilateral economic relations in the future and elevate both countries to the next altitude.

Director of Bilateral Trade Relations, Cathryn Law, added:

This week we made substantial progress on the UK-Indonesia joint trade review. Indonesia is an important partner for the UK, as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking forward to finalising our review soon with agreement to further enhance our bilateral trade and investment across a range of key sectors.

Mr Chair,

Two weeks ago, we listened as Professor Wolfgang Benedek delivered his report under the Moscow Mechanism into the human rights violations in Belarus. The UK, together with a majority of other OSCE participating States, expressed again our shock and regret at what has happened and continues to happen in Belarus. We called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately change their approach, cease violence against peaceful protestors and engage in a national dialogue with all sectors of society.

It is now over 100 days since the fraudulent Presidential elections of 9 August, which were the context for the political crisis and turmoil that has unfolded in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities have not ceased their campaign of repression. Almost 30,000 peaceful demonstrators and journalists have either been arrested or detained. Over 900 people face charges in politically motivated criminal cases. The authorities deploy weaponry against their citizens, throw stun grenades into crowds causing injuries, and forcibly enter the homes of those they accuse of harbouring protestors.

Students have been expelled from their universities and academics removed from their positions for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of speech. One week ago, on the day of our last Permanent Council meeting, a 31 year old Belarusian and opposition supporter, Mr Raman Bandarenka, died from his injuries in hospital in Minsk, after being savagely beaten – allegedly by plain clothed representatives of the Belarusian authorities.

The case of Mr Bandarenka is a further shocking example of the repression that is being carried out by the Belarusian authorities on its own people. A full and transparent investigation must be carried out into Mr Bandarenka’s death, and those responsible brought to justice. All such violence must stop. Our thoughts and prayers are, of course, with Mr Bandarenka’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Mr Chair,

Since the illegitimate Presidential elections, the Belarusian authorities have committed massive and systematic human rights violations with impunity. In his independent report, Professor Benedek informed this Permanent Council of the evidence of the Belarusian authorities acting with excessive violence, and their involvement in torture and other ill-treatment. He also noted the general impunity under which the Belarusian security forces have been operating.

Yet since the election, not a single criminal case has been brought against the Belarusian security forces. This is despite the clear evidence of excessive violence documented by Belarusian human rights defenders, journalists and media workers, and broadcast around the world. Those members of the Belarusian media have themselves been subject to serious attack. Their dedication and bravery and the importance of the work they do was recognised earlier this week when the Belarusian Association of Journalists was awarded the first Canada/UK Media Freedom Award at the Global Conference for Media Freedom 2020.

The Belarusian government’s attempts to hide their actions have not only seen journalists, media actors and civil society attacked. They also expelled two UK diplomats from our Embassy in Minsk for legitimately observing protests – a wholly unjustified action, and another example of the Lukashenko regime’s attempts to prevent others shining a light on what is happening in Belarus.

Mr Chair,

The tragic death of Mr Bandarenka highlights the importance of immediate action by the Belarusian authorities. We call – yet again – on the Belarusian government to end their campaign of violence against protestors, release all those unjustly imprisoned and detained, and hold perpetrators of the violence to account. We request the authorities fully investigate all accounts of abuses and violations.

We urge the Belarusian authorities to implement the recommendations in Professor Benedek’s recent report and seek a peaceful and democratic solution to the current ongoing crisis. In that regard, we remind the Belarusian authorities of the offer made by the Chair in Office to facilitate a national dialogue with the representatives of the opposition and civil society.

Thank you.

Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

For millions of people up and down the country, sport is so much more than a pastime. Sports clubs large and small enrich lives, both on and off the pitches, courts and grounds, and they play a vital role in their communities.

The value that sports clubs bring to their communities has been clearer than ever during this pandemic and its right that we support them.

Earlier this year in May we announced a £16 million emergency bailout of Rugby League to prevent the sport’s collapse; and the Treasury’s multi- billion pound support packages – including the furlough and loan schemes – have been a lifeline to countless sports clubs and organisations across the country, helping them stay afloat while their doors remain closed. Sport England has also announced separate emergency funding of £220 million for grassroots clubs and we recently announced a £100 million scheme for leisure centres.

Together, that support has acted as a significant buffer to the pain.

However, we know the decision taken in late September not to reopen stadia from 1 October has had major consequences for sports clubs, large and small.

It was the right decision, given the rate at which coronavirus was spreading across the country.

But clearly for many organisations not being able to generate gate receipts deprives them of a major source of income.

The vast majority of these sports operate on tight financial margins, and have been forced to make serious cost reductions, such as locking down grounds, furloughing their staff, cutting wages and halting excess payments.

It was clear that if we didn’t act, a number of clubs would go to the wall – with real consequences for the grassroots game.

That is why over the past few weeks we have been working tirelessly with the sport sector to understand the very real pressures they are facing as a consequence.

Mr Speaker, we promised to stand by them when we made the decision to postpone the return of fans. So today, I am pleased to announce a £300 million ‘Sport Winter Survival Package’ to see major spectator sports through this very difficult period. The majority of this funding will be given through low-interest loans with flexible repayment terms, with grants where organisations are unable to repay loans.

This package will focus on those sports severely impacted by the restrictions announced in September and is the largest announced by any Government for its domestic sport sector in the world.

Provisional, and I must stress these are provisional, allocations of funding by sport have been made on a needs based assessment process and reflect the submissions made from the individual sports. Recipients will still need to apply: the funding process will be overseen by an independent decision making board and supported by Sport England.

I can confirm Mr Speaker that it will include a ‘top-up’ for Rugby League of up to £12 million, as well as cash injections of up to:

£28 million for National League football and Women’s football

Up to £135 million for Rugby Union,

And up to £40 million for Horse Racing

As well as:

Up to £6 million for motorsport,

Up to £4 million for netball,

Up to £4 million for basketball,

Up to £4 million for ice hockey,

Up to £1 million for greyhound racing

Up to £5 million for tennis,

And up to £1.6 million for badminton,

Today’s allocations aren’t the end of the story – the door is open for any sport to apply where there’s a need. This includes cricket and others who aren’t in the initial list of allocations.

Full details of the application process will be announced by Sport England shortly, with the first tranche of support expected to be distributed to clubs and bodies before the end of the year. In the meantime if any individual club is facing imminent collapse, we will work with them through their National Governing Body.

Based on the information sports have given us, this package will help them survive until the Spring.

Of course, we would all prefer to see fans back in stadia. Spectator sports need spectators – and with the real progress we are making on vaccines and testing, this goal is now firmly within our sights.

But until then, we have stepped in not just to protect individual clubs and organisations – but entire sports and the communities they serve. I commend this statement to the House.