Police forces and local councils will receive an additional £60 million to step up their enforcement of coronavirus rules as part of the government’s plans to tackle the rise in infections.

The surge funding, recently announced by the Prime Minister, will enable police to increase patrols in town centres and ensure that people are complying with the new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas. Police will also provide more support to local authorities and NHS Test & Trace to enforce self-isolation requirements.

Local councils will use the funding to increase their compliance work and enforcement checks on businesses.

Local councils play a central role in ensuring compliance with COVID-19 guidance in their local communities. Enforcement officers such as Environmental Health Officers are responsible for explaining and encouraging businesses and communities to follow the latest guidelines, carrying out inspections, issuing fines and closing premises in the case of non-compliance.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

The vast majority of the British public has come together, followed the law and helped prevent the spread of this virus.

But we’ve been clear that, with infections rising, we will not allow a small minority of people to reverse our hard-won progress.

This extra funding will strengthen the police’s role in enforcing the law and make sure that those who jeopardise public health face the consequences.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said:

Since the start of the pandemic people and businesses across the country have pulled together and followed the latest guidelines – this will be more important than ever as we head into the winter.

That’s why we are giving councils a further £30 million in new funding to support their work on compliance and enforcement in their communities.

Councils play a crucial role in protecting people’s safety, supporting businesses and helping the public to better understand the guidance. This new funding will ensure they can step this up further and continue to act proactively.

The government will also publish new guidance outlining the types of compliance and enforcement activities councils could carry out using the £30 million funding. This includes covering costs associated with stepping up enforcement activity, measures to help the public and businesses to understand the latest regulations and funding the cost of dedicated staff to encourage compliance with the rules, including marshals.

Marshals, or stewards and ambassadors as they are referred to in some areas, have already been rolled out successfully by many councils to help businesses and communities to follow the latest guidelines, freeing up the police and other enforcement officers such as environmental health officers.

They do not carry out an enforcement role, which continues to be the role of the police and designated local council enforcement officers. Instead they can work with local businesses on queue management, direct pedestrians and support social distancing in busy public areas, remind members of the public to wear a face covering where it’s required and help with the regular cleaning of touch points.

The £60 million funding will be divided equally between police and local councils, with both receiving a £30 million share.

The funding will be provided to police only for use in relation to coronavirus enforcement. Forces will be required to provide the Home Office with enforcement plans to demonstrate how the money is being used to tackle non-compliance with public health rules.

This new funding is on top of an unprecedented package of over £4.8 billion for councils. They also have access to a government scheme that will compensate them for irrecoverable income losses from sales, fees and charges.

The Home Office is also launching an income loss recovery scheme for police forces to recover a proportion of income they have been losing due to the pandemic.

The scheme will apply to sales, fees and charges where forces would usually generate income, such as policing of sporting fixtures or providing security at airports. The scheme will enable forces to recover 75p in every £1 of budgeted income lost due to COVID-19 restrictions this financial year once forces have absorbed 5% of those losses themselves.

Details of the income loss recovery scheme for police forces can be found on GOV.UK from 8 October.

Full details of the allocations to local authorities can be found on GOV.UK from 8 October.

Guidance on how the £30 million for councils could be used, including the roles of marshals, stewards and ambassadors, will be available on GOV.UK once published.

Full details of the allocations to police forces are copied below. Funding is distributed according to the police funding formula. Figures may not total £30 million due to rounding.

The relationship between the UK and Ukraine will be intensified following a new Political, Trade and Strategic Partnership Agreement, to be signed today (Thursday) in Downing Street by the Prime Minister and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President Zelenskyy is on a two-day visit to the UK which has included a tour of the Prince of Wales Carrier in Portsmouth and discussions on trade, defence and regional security.

The UK has been a staunch defender of Ukraine’s right to self-determination, particularly since the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.

Under the MoD’s Operation Orbital, established in 2015, British troops have trained over 18,000 members of Ukraine’s armed forces and the UK will soon lead a multi-national Maritime Training Initiative for the Ukrainian Navy.

This year, the UK has allocated over £40m in funding to Ukraine, including a significant increase in our stabilisation support and £5m in humanitarian aid. This assistance is going towards those communities facing Russian intimidation in both government and non-government controlled areas, and helping Ukraine achieve a more stable and prosperous future. The funding goes hand in hand with the political support the UK has given to President Zelenskyy’s efforts to achieve peace in the Donbas.

The Strategic Partnership Agreement the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy will sign today builds on the current UK-Ukraine relationship in areas including trade, defence and political cooperation. It formalises the UK’s ongoing commitment to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The UK is Ukraine’s most fervent supporter. Whether it’s our defence support, stabilisation efforts, humanitarian assistance or close cooperation on political issues, our message is clear: we are utterly committed to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The Strategic Partnership Agreement we are signing today signals the next chapter in our relationship. It’s a chapter that will bring increased security and prosperity for both the people of the UK and Ukraine.

The UK-Ukraine Agreement includes a comprehensive preferential free trade agreement covering goods, services, and tariffs and quotas. This rolls over and builds upon the provisions of the current EU-Ukraine Agreement, to ensure that trade between the UK and Ukraine continues smoothly at the end of the transition period.

Trade between the UK and Ukraine is already worth £1.5bn per year. This week the Prime Minister appointed Baroness Meyer as the first Trade Envoy to Ukraine to enhance this relationship.

The Strategic Partnership Agreement also details commitments to cooperate on peaceful conflict resolution, defence and security, climate change and human rights.

• Stricter independent scrutiny on pre-pack sales where connected parties – such as the insolvent company’s existing directors or shareholders – are involved
• Improved transparency during pre-pack sales, ensuring the general public and creditors’ interests are protected
• Move will increase confidence in the insolvency regime, helping to protect jobs and support the economy

New laws will require mandatory independent scrutiny of pre-pack administration sales where connected parties – such as the insolvent company’s existing directors or shareholders – are involved in the purchase, the government has announced today.

The new laws will improve confidence and transparency in pre-pack administration sales, giving the general public and creditors reassurance that their interests are being protected alongside that of the distressed business.

Pre-pack administrations involve arrangements to sell part or the whole of a company’s business or assets prior to the company entering into administration.

The sale is completed on or shortly after the appointment of an administrator and the speed of the transaction helps preserve the value of the business while saving jobs.

Pre-pack administration sales are widely considered to be a valuable rescue tool. However concerns have been raised that arrangements may not always be in the best interests of creditors. For example, where the sale is made to a connected party, such as the company’s directors or shareholders.

Minister for Corporate Responsibility Lord Callanan said:

Pre-pack sales play an important role in rescuing viable businesses, while protecting jobs and supporting our economy.

As we continue to tackle Covid-19, it is more important now than ever that people have confidence in the insolvency process.

This new law will ensure all sales to connected parties are properly scrutinized – protecting the interests of creditors and the general public, as well as the distressed company.

Colin Haig, President of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3, said:

Pre-pack administration sales involving connected parties are an important rescue tool as they are often the best way of preserving a business and ensuring maximum returns to creditors.

The insolvency and restructuring profession is very sensitive to the impact of pre-packs on creditors, and there is a careful balance to strike in these situations between transparency, protecting creditor value, and business rescue, which these proposals support.

Ion Fletcher, Director of Finance Policy, British Property Federation:

We support the Insolvency Service’s proposed measures to require independent scrutiny of sales in administration to a connected person. This will provide much-needed transparency and provide reassurance that a sale has been completed in a fair manner.

The Government will introduce regulations into Parliament in due course.

Notes to editors

• Further details on how mandatory scrutiny will be enforced will be provided in due course.
• The power to regulate connected party sales in administration in Section 129 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 lapsed in May 2020. It was revived by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, giving the Government powers to introduce regulation via affirmative secondary legislation.
• The legislation will apply to England, Scotland and Wales. Insolvency matters are devolved in Northern Ireland.

Email: press.office@insolvency.gov.uk

Telephone: 0303 003 1743