This means that new measures will come into place including:

• people must not socialise with anybody they do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events
• people must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue
• all pubs and bars must close, unless they are serving substantial meals
• people should try to avoid travelling outside the very high alert level or entering a very high alert level area other than for work, education or for caring responsibilities or to travel through as part of a longer journey
• residents should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK, and others should avoid staying overnight in the very high alert area

In addition, following discussions with local leaders it was agreed that from midnight on Monday 19 October:

• the adult gaming industry, casinos, bingo halls, bookmakers and betting shops, and soft play areas must close
• car boot sales would not be permitted

The rate of COVID-19 infections is rising rapidly across the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate that one in every 240 people in England had the virus in the week from 25 September to 1 October and that the numbers infected are doubling every 7 to 12 days. Cases are not evenly spread, with infection rates rising more rapidly in some areas than others.

In Lancashire, infection rates are among the highest in the country and continuing to rise rapidly. Rates are highest for those aged 16 to 29 at 552 per 100,000 people, while in the most vulnerable age group, those aged over 60, cases stand at 214 per 100,000 people. This increases to 594 per 100,000 for the over 60s in Burnley and 671 per 100,000 for 16 to 29 year olds.

Hospitalisations can occur 2 to 3 weeks after someone is infected with the virus, meaning we anticipate the number of patients in hospital in Lancashire to rise.

The number of patients with COVID-19 in intensive-care beds has reached nearly half the number seen at the height of the pandemic earlier this year, and the latest data suggests there will be more people in mechanical ventilation beds in Lancashire within 2 weeks than there were in the first wave. This is as a result of infections which have already happened, rather than a prediction – underlining the need for urgent action now to prevent the epidemic in Lancashire rising even further.

To support the local authority during this period, the government will be providing a support package worth £12 million. The government will also establish a dedicated, ministerial-led taskforce with additional funding to work with Lancashire leaders to support local businesses to recover over the coming 6 months.

Local COVID alert level very high will take effect across all parts of Lancashire:

• Burnley
• Blackburn with Darwen
• Blackpool
• Chorley
• Fylde
• Hyndburn
• Lancaster
• Pendle
• Preston
• Ribble Valley
• Rossendale
• South Ribble
• West Lancashire
• Wyre

These measures will be reviewed every 14 days to consider whether they are still appropriate.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

An unrelenting rise in cases in Lancashire means we must act now, and we have worked intensively with local leaders to agree on additional restrictions.

I know how heavy these additional challenges will weigh on everyday life for the people of Lancashire – but they are critical in bringing this virus under control.

Without them, we risk the health of your loved ones, your most vulnerable, and your local NHS services. Now is the time to play your part, and we will make sure you are supported.

The first peak demonstrated that the infection can spread fast and put huge pressure on the NHS, and already hospitals in Lancashire are beginning to see sharp increases in admissions, especially in elderly patients. Local leaders have therefore agreed to bring in new tougher measures to protect their local residents.

All available data for the areas that will move to local COVID alert level very high on Saturday have been assessed by the government, including the Health and Social Care Secretary, NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), Public Health England (PHE), the Chief Medical Officer and the Cabinet Office. Data assessed includes incidence, test positivity and the growth rate of the virus.

It is essential that these outbreaks are contained to protect lives and our NHS, and prevent greater economic damage in the future. We face a new challenge as we head into the winter, and we know that even mild cases of COVID-19 can have devastating consequences for people in all age groups, along with the risk of ‘long COVID’.

Our strategy is to suppress the virus while supporting the economy, education and the NHS, until an effective vaccine is widely available. Local action is at the centre of our response, and engagement with local authorities is, and will continue to be, a key part of this process.

On 12 October, the government introduced a new, simplified framework for local interventions based around 3 new local COVID alert levels.

The postcode checker shows which alert level applies in each area. The NHS COVID-19 app will also direct people to this information.

We have provided £3.7 billion of funding to local authorities in England to respond to pressures in all their services.

The Prime Minister also announced on Monday 12 October additional COVID funding of around £1 billion, which will provide local authorities with additional money to protect vital services. The government will set out further information in due course on how this new funding will be allocated.

Guidance on each local COVID alert level:

Throughout the pandemic, the government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, in particular the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the pandemic.

• Eligible productions will be onboarded within days and claims can be backdated to 28 July
• Deadline for registration and start of production now extended into 2021

Screen productions struggling to restart due to a lack of Coronavirus-related insurance will now get the go-ahead, the Culture Secretary and Chancellor have announced today, as the Government-backed Film and TV Production Restart Scheme formally launches following state aid approval.

In the UK, the film and television production industry supports more than 180,000 jobs and contributes more than £12 billion to the economy annually however many productions have been paused due to the unavailability of coronavirus-related insurance.

It’s expected the scheme will support well over 40,000 jobs across one of the country’s leading creative sectors by ensuring planned productions can proceed after a period of disruption due to the pandemic.

From today, productions can receive compensation from the £500 million scheme for future Coronavirus-related losses including filming delays from illness amongst the cast and crew.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

Our film and TV production sector is respected the world over, filled with talented people. I am delighted that this half a billion pound scheme will get cast and crews back to doing what they do best. This move will help support tens of thousands of jobs, provide work for creative freelancers and get cameras rolling across the country.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:

Our world-leading film and TV industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and is hugely important to the UK’s cultural life.

That’s why as part of our Plan for Jobs we are doing everything possible to help protect the jobs of the talented professionals who work in the sector.

This targeted scheme will help to fill the gap created by the lack of available insurance, and help get our world renowned film and tv industry back up and running.

The scheme has been accepting applications for two weeks to expedite the process by allowing for early registration and help productions familiarise themselves with the details of the scheme. Productions will now be onboarded within days.

The announcement of the scheme in July has enabled eligible productions to restart, and today’s formal launch following state aid approval will provide a much needed confidence boost to the industry.

The deadline for productions to register for the scheme and restart shooting has been extended from December 2020 until 28 February 2021 to help even more productions access the scheme, reflecting ongoing uncertainty and the continued inability of productions to secure private insurance for coronavirus-related risks.

The funding is available to all productions made by companies where at least half of the production budget is spent in the UK.

Mothering Sunday, an independent production filming in the UK and starring Josh O’Connor, Odessa Young , Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, is among the productions to have already applied to the Film and Television Restart Scheme.

Elizabeth Karlsen, Number 9 Films, producer of Mothering Sunday, said:

It is an understatement to say how pleased we are that the Production Restart Scheme is in place giving life back to the film and television industry to provide jobs for freelance cast and crew, turnover for suppliers and ultimately great stories to be seen in our cinemas and on our screens. Without this backing from the Government‘s scheme our industry, which is held in such high regard throughout the world, would have been under serious threat. We have started our own project Mothering Sunday working with the best of UK talent now secure in their jobs. It is an enormous relief to us and to many people who have been working tirelessly to keep projects alive over the past few months. We would like to thank those who have their given support and to those who have played a hand in reaching this vital and welcome decision.

The thriller My Son has also applied to the Film and Television Production Restart Scheme. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it is to be directed by Christian Carion and will star James McAvoy and Claire Foy.

Rebecca O’Brien, Sixteen Films, producer of My Son, said:

This scheme makes an enormous difference to British film makers in terms of their feeling confident to be able to shoot during these challenging times. It’s difficult enough getting an independent film off the ground but with Covid-19 around the uncertainties make it all the more problematic. We’re hoping to start production of our British/French/German co-production “My Son” in the next couple of weeks and having the scheme in place makes it possible.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive, BFI:

Today’s news is the crucial greenlight needed for film and television production to restart in the UK and testament to the huge joint effort made by government and industry working together to find a solution to the insurance issues which have impacted production globally as a result of the pandemic. As the fastest growing sector making a significant contribution to the UK economy the Government’s Restart Scheme supports the UK industry’s international competitiveness and is really great news for our production business and for the economy.

John McVay, CEO, Pact, said:

The Government has recognised the huge contribution that the TV and film production sector makes to the UK economy and we are very pleased that the scheme has now had full approval. This will now give confidence to many hundreds of small indies across the UK to get back to what they do best – making TV programmes and films enjoyed both in the UK and across the globe.

Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, co-Chairmen, Working Title, said:

It’s great news that the government production restart backstop is now up and running. The government rightly identified that an entire industry was fully financed and ready to move back into employment and production, all it needed was this assurance for those struggling with Covid cover, which thanks to this it now has. It’s a brilliant initiative that will have a meaningful and immediate impact on the UK film and TV industries and we can’t thank DCMS and the Treasury enough for making it happen.

Notes to Editors

• The Film and TV Production Restart Scheme is available to compensate productions after they have restarted, and only where costs are then incurred due to delays or abandonment as a result of Coronavirus.
• This is a temporary measure, supporting productions which commence filming before 28 February 2021 and for coronavirus-related losses through to the end of June 2021. It will be possible to back date any future claims for eligible losses to 28 July 2020 when the scheme was announced.
• There will be a total cap on claims per production of £5 million, and productions will need to pay an appropriate excess when seeking to claim under the scheme, as well as an appropriate fee when joining the scheme. Productions will also need to purchase insurance to cover non-coronavirus risks to ensure their production is adequately insured
• Productions will need to provide evidence that they cannot return to work because of a lack of insurance.
• Marsh Commercial’s website for the scheme’s application form and process can be found {here](https://www.marshcommercial.co.uk/campaigns/film-and-tv-restart-scheme/).

Additional quotes

Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive, ITV, said:

The production indemnity scheme is a vital and innovative response to a very difficult set of circumstances for TV producers caused by Covid. There is no doubt that it will make a big difference to confidence levels in the UK TV production industry saving jobs and helping to ensure that the UK remains a world leader in TV.

Sara Geater, Chair, Pact, and Chief Operating Officer, All3Media (Des, Gogglebox), said:

The UK television industry is getting back to work, but has been waiting for the insurance roadblock to be cleared to end the uncertainty over future filming. We welcome today’s announcement from the Government which helps to remove this final hurdle and provides us with the greenlight to kickstart our sector and build on the fantastic global success we achieved in 2019.

Hakan Kousetta, Chief Operating Officer, See-Saw Films (Top of the Lake, State of the Union), said:

The positive impact of being able to get back into production will be felt by all of the sectors of the TV and Film industries who have been suffering under Covid. It will kickstart into life many productions and ensure our world leading status can continue.

Martin Haines, Managing Director, Kudos (Deadwater Fell, Tin Star), said:

The Restart Scheme is the foundation stone on which the recovery of the UK television and film industries will be built, so it is fantastic news for all of us that the Scheme is now open.

Sue Vertue, CEO Hartwood Films (Sherlock, Dracula) said:

The Government fund for Covid insurance cover is an essential boost to the Television industry at a critical time; enabling us to get back into production, get employment out to our world class crews and deliver some much needed new programming for UK and international audiences.

The 45th session of the Human Rights Council came to a close on Wednesday 7 October, adopting important resolutions on Belarus, Syria, Yemen, and other pressing situations. It is a credit to both the HRC President and Secretariat that, despite the limitations presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council was again able to conduct its business smoothly in a hybrid format.

COVID-19 continues to provide the greatest challenge to the international community, and we must continue in our efforts to work together to mitigate the disruption it presents. Yet it is as vital as ever that states continue to meet their human rights obligations, and that we work together to combat the many different challenges the pandemic poses to the promotion and protection of human rights across the globe.

The UK delivered a national statement setting out our serious concerns about the situation in Belarus. The UK does not accept the results of the rigged presidential election. We have condemned the violence and intimidation by the Belarusian authorities towards peaceful protestors, journalists and opposition figures. The abduction, arrest, detention and forced exile of opposition members is unacceptable and must be reversed. We are appalled that Belarus has issued an arrest warrant for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

We call on Belarus to immediately lift restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, including against independent media and the curtailment or suspension of the Internet. We call on Belarus to engage constructively with the Moscow Mechanism, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) independent investigation into electoral fraud and human rights violations, and implement any recommendations. The UK is working with our international partners to promote a peaceful resolution to the crisis and hold those who have committed human rights violations to account.

I was pleased to personally deliver a UK statement in the general debate on serious human rights situations that require the Council’s attention which in this session focussed entirely on China’s human rights violations. The statement underscores our grave concerns about the compelling evidence of systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang, recent developments in Hong Kong, and continuing restrictions on media freedom in China. The UK also hosted a virtual side event, co-sponsored by Australia and Canada, on the National Security Law in Hong Kong. During the event the UK explained its assessment that the National Security Law is a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and represents a direct threat to the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.

I welcome the Council’s adoption of the two resolutions on Yemen and the renewal of the mandate for the Group of Eminent Experts, which is an important mechanism for promoting human rights in Yemen. I urge the parties to the conflict to cooperate with the Group. The UK fully supports the efforts of UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and we urge the Yemeni parties to agree to the proposed Joint Declaration urgently as a political settlement remains the only way to bring stability to Yemen.

I am pleased that the Council has once again adopted a resolution on Syria. The Commission of Inquiry reports that the human rights situation there remains grave. The resolution highlights the Commission’s latest findings which include the Syrian regime’s continued use of enforced disappearance, torture and sexual violence as a State policy. It is right that the resolution mandates the Commission to provide an assessment of the recurrent human rights concerns during this conflict. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the conflict, the plight of the Syrian people will not be forgotten.

Sudan has made welcome progress on a range of human rights issues, building on 2019 commitments as it transitions to democracy. That includes legal reforms on women and children’s rights, and de-criminalisation of apostasy. As Sudan delivers these important changes, challenges remain however, particularly in the conflict areas. Therefore, I am pleased that the UK has co-sponsored the Sudan resolution. Cooperation between the Government of Sudan and OHCHR will be important in supporting Sudan to fully meet its human rights obligations.

I welcome the Council’s adoption of a resolution on continuing threats to human rights in Somalia, especially persistent insecurity; the marginalisation of displaced people, minorities, and women; continuing sexual and gender-based violence; and restrictions on freedom of expression. The resolution also highlights worrying developments such as the triple threat of Covid-19, flooding and locusts; and the ‘Sexual Intercourse Bill’, where I echo the call for Somali lawmakers to instead consider a bill that is compliant with Somalia’s international obligations on the protection of children, women and girls.

I am also extremely pleased that, in a first for the Commonwealth, the UK, in its capacity as Chair in Office, was able to deliver a statement at the Human Rights Council on behalf of all 54 member states, the first time this group has addressed the Council collectively.

I also welcome the adoption of important resolutions on the concerning human rights situations in Burundi, Venezuela and the Philippines, and on the safety of journalists.

The international community must continue to stand up for the preservation of universal human rights and freedoms, to improve the lives of all people, throughout the world. As we take up our seat on the council for the 2021-23 term, the UK remains resolutely committed to this cause.

We will continue in our efforts to advance its invaluable work, and to deliver on our pledges to promote girls’ education, work to end violence against women and girls, protect media freedom and freedom of religion and belief, and bolster democratic values.

Monday 5 October saw the launch of our very first interactive online event: ODP Engage 2020.

We presented a week of guest speakers and content that was designed to engage, inspire and inform. To our delight, the event was a sell-out, so if you attended – thank you!

We hope you enjoyed ODP Engage as much as we did. If you couldn’t join us this time, don’t panic: all of the sessions and content can be viewed online for the next month. We’ll tell you how at the end of the article, but first let us share with you some of the highlights of ODP Engage.

Peter Schofield, our Head of Profession, opened the week

It was our pleasure to have Peter Schofield, Permanent Secretary Department for Work and Pensions and Head of the Operational Delivery Profession open the week. As ever, Peter expressed his admiration for the diverse and important work that ODP colleagues carry out, and explained why we should all be proud to be ODP. The first day also gave another chance to see ODP’s extremely well-received session at this year’s Civil Service Live, and Ann Langley (Deputy Programme Director, Places for Growth, Cabinet Office) explained what OPD actually is, why it’s important and what it offers colleagues.

Each day of the event from Tuesday to Friday was themed around one of the four pillars of ODP: Development, Community, Progression and Response. These days saw some fantastic online sessions that gave more information about Operational Delivery Apprenticeship Schemes; legal awareness; recognising and adapting your own communication style and building an ODP community. These sessions were complemented by blogs and social media posts in which ODP colleagues recounted their own learning and development journeys.

A different perspective, and some invaluable and thought-provoking insights on career progression were provided by Paul Morrison, Director of Strategy, Legal, Communications and Governance at the Food Standards Agency and Derek Thomas, Chief Operating Officer of the Valuation Office Agency.

Linking in with learning

As well as our fantastic event, we also linked in with two worthwhile campaigns throughout the week. Both Learning at Work Week and National Customer Service Week have strong ties to ODP’s core values and are easily relatable to our work delivering for customers.

Helping you to meet your five days of learning, ODP Engage was the perfect opportunity to celebrate learning and focus on customer service; providing you with sessions, videos and blogs throughout the week.

Unmissable moments

As many of you who joined us will agree, some of the most unmissable moments of ODP Engage 2020 were provided by colleagues with inspiring personal stories to share. We heard from Charlotte MacMillan who refused to be deterred by the loss of her sight from gaining a fruitful apprenticeship with the Home Office. Kay Penkethman (DWP) movingly described how she overcame a series of personal tragedies to gain ODP qualifications up to Masters Degree level and Iain McKinnon told us how his childhood aspirations eventually aligned with his current role in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

ODP in action

ODP Engage also provided the perfect platform for a couple of exciting special announcements. The first related to the launch of LISTR – a bespoke cross-government people connections tool for Operational Delivery professionals. This session was really well received and prompted viewer feedback such as “Excellent presentation and really looking forward to accessing the new LISTR tools”. You can watch the LISTR launch session at ODP Engage and find out how to sign up here: ODP Engage Listr and Career Frameworks session.

The second announcement revealed that in 2021 we’ll be hosting the first ever ODP Awards! This is still a bit hush-hush for now, but we’ll be revealing more information on our social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook) and via our newsletters.

So… not withstanding the odd technical issue, we’ve had phenomenal feedback from you about ODP Engage 2020. It seems our first ever virtual event has been a resounding success. We couldn’t have achieved this without our outstanding guest speakers and, of course you, so we send you big thanks! We hope you found the week enjoyable, useful and inspirational and we look forward to seeing you at the next event.

Relive ODP Engage 2020 on demand

Didn’t make it to ODP Engage or want to relive the best bits? All of the sessions are available for the next month. Simply go to the ODP Engage website and register (new users) or sign in with your existing registration details and go to ‘My sessions’ to watch.

• £38 million Internationalisation Fund available for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

• DIT introduces 64 new International Trade Advisors and an Export Academy in the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and the South West region.

• New policies will allow businesses to grow their overseas trade to help them recover from the economic impact of coronavirus.

A package of measures to help businesses in England build back better following the pandemic has been announced by the Government today.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Export Growth Plan provides additional financial support and expertise, some of which is targeted towards specific regions that are most in need.

The plan includes a £38 million Internationalisation Fund for small businesses, which will help up to 7,600 SMEs in England grow their overseas trading and strengthen their business.

Additional support for exporters will be provided by 64 new International Trade Advisors (ITAs), many of them working closely with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), who will lend their expertise to small businesses in the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and South West.

A new pilot Export Academy will also be introduced to support smaller businesses in the same areas. The Academy will deliver a series of activities to build the capabilities of smaller companies, creating a new cohort of confident businesses ready to trade.

Minister for Exports, Graham Stuart MP said:

The Government is negotiating trade deals around the world and we are determined to help UK businesses take advantage of the markets we are opening. So, as part of the recovery from coronavirus, I am delighted to announce this funding and support, which will be invaluable to businesses looking to begin or continue their exporting journeys.

In 2019 we overtook France to become the world’s fifth largest exporter and this package is a statement of our confidence in UK companies to grow the UK as an exporting superpower. The package will ensure businesses are supported from the start, with more funding, more Trade Advisors and the establishment of the Export Academy to help businesses build back better.

As we continue to negotiate improved trading terms with leading countries around the world, it is important to ensure every business can reap the benefits of our free trade agreements.

Federation of Small Businesses National Chair, Mike Cherry:

We welcome these new funds and resources which come at a critical time for small firms who are looking to either expand or begin their trading journeys.

It’s vital that these new International Trade Advisors are tasked with focusing small and micro businesses, not just medium-sized ones. The smallest businesses often simply don’t have the same logistical financial means, and can be overlooked in favour of firms with louder voices and more resources. FSB will work with the Government to help make this happen.

By supporting small firms to trade, it means that many businesses will be able to look ahead with confidence to the new trading landscape that awaits us in the coming months.

These new measures are the latest in a series of measures already announced by DIT since the Coronavirus outbreak.

Sector-specific support was outlined for businesses through “bounce-back” plans for the agriculture, food & drink, tech and retail industries. Additionally, a specialist DIT Trade Hub was opened in Edinburgh last month to support Scottish businesses.

UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government’s world-leading credit agency, can help businesses grow their overseas trade and build back from the impact of coronavirus. UKEF is expanding its network of regional Export Finance Managers to help local businesses secure the financing they need to trade internationally by appointing renewable energy specialists to put SMEs at the heart of the global transition to clean energy. Full list of measures below:

1. New £38m Internationalisation Fund from 2020-23 for SMEs in England that will help 7,600 SMEs to internationalise. The fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is managed through four regional projects: The Northern Powerhouse Internationalisation Fund, Midlands Internationalisation Fund, South Internationalisation Fund and London Internationalisation Fund.

2. 64 new International Trade Advisers (ITAs) to provide direct support to SME businesses in the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and South West.

3. A new, pilot, Export Academy to support smaller businesses in the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine and South West who want to export.

4. 24 new Overseas Champions across the world to promote trade and investment for the Northern Powerhouse, Midlands Engine.

5. A refreshed cohort of over 100 additional Export Champions across different industries in England, to help promote and support exports.