A manufacturing facility in Livingston, West Lothian, will be at the heart of efforts to produce a new coronavirus vaccine thanks to a multi-million-pound joint investment as part of an agreement in principle by the UK government to secure early access to 60 million doses of Valneva’s promising vaccine candidate.

The joint investment, made between the UK government and global biotech company Valneva, will advance Scotland’s vaccine manufacturing capacity and support highly skilled jobs for scientists and technicians at the West Lothian site. Currently more than 100 people are employed at the facility with a quarter of those working directly on a coronavirus vaccine. Researchers working on the vaccine’s manufacture are expected to grow in number by a further 75 as production gets underway.

If Valneva’s vaccine is proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials, the expanded Livingston facility could potentially supply up to 100 million vaccine doses to the UK and internationally.

The committed investment will be highlighted by UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma on a visit to Valneva’s facility in West Lothian today (Wednesday 5 August), ensuring the vaccine can be manufactured at scale to protect millions of people in priority groups, such as health and social care workers and those at increased health risk, across the United Kingdom if clinical trials are successful.

The Business Secretary will witness first-hand the ground-breaking work already taking place at the Livingston manufacturing facility and hear about the significant efforts being made to increase capacity at the site.

Welcoming the agreement ahead of his visit, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:

I’m incredibly grateful to our highly-skilled scientists and technicians in Livingston who are supporting the global effort to research, develop and manufacture a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine.

The multi-million-pound up-front investment we have agreed with Valneva today means that their vaccine can be manufactured in quantity right here in Scotland. If clinical trials are successful, millions of people in priority groups across the UK will be protected by their life-saving vaccine.

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said:

We are doing everything possible to keep people in all parts of the UK safe as we tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government is purchasing millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine for distribution across all parts of the UK. A safe and effective vaccine is vital to the long-term protection against the virus we need. I’m particularly pleased that Scotland’s world class research sector is playing such an important role in developing a much-needed vaccine.

Chair of the Vaccine Taskforce Kate Bingham said:

The visit of the Secretary of State to Valneva’s Livingston facility today and the announcement of investment in their manufacturing capability underlines the importance of our ability to make a vaccine for COVID-19 as quickly as possible.

In order to vaccinate our high-risk populations at the earliest opportunity, the government has agreed to proactively manufacture vaccines now, so we have millions of doses of vaccine ready if they are shown to be safe and effective. This important investment in Valneva’s Scottish manufacturing plant will not only help us with this, but also ensures we are well-placed as a country to be able to cope with any pandemics or health crises in the future.

Chief Financial Officer of Valneva David Lawrence said:

We are delighted to receive initial funding from UK government to support the expansion of our COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing facilities. We are thrilled that the Secretary of State has made the time to travel to Livingston and to visit our site, it’s a real sign of the government’s commitment. We are working as hard and as fast as possible to develop the vaccine to meet the UK’s needs and indeed to try to address the broader need for a vaccine. We look forward to completing the final supply agreement in the next few weeks.

The Livingston facility is in addition to the new Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) which is currently under construction in Oxfordshire thanks to further investment from the UK government. When completed in summer 2021, the facility will have flexible capacity to manufacture millions of vaccine doses at scale.

The UK government has also reached an existing global licensing agreement signed with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to research, develop and manufacture 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for the British public, as well as a partnership with BioNTech and Pfizer for 30 million doses if their trials are successful.

And just last week, a deal was reached with GSK and Sanofi to secure 60 million doses of their vaccine candidate, further boosting the UK’s chances of receiving access to an effective immunisation.

A further £40 million government investment has been given to Imperial College London to develop their vaccine candidate, which is now being trialled with more than 200 people across 6 locations.

VLA2001 is a highly purified, inactivated vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that uses manufacturing technology from Valneva’s Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine. The inactivation process preserves the structure of the virus’ S protein and is expected to induce a strong immune response.

The 4 different vaccine classes that the government has secured to date for the UK are:

• adenoviral vaccines (Oxford/AZ)
• mRNA vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer & Imperial)
• inactivated whole virus vaccines (Valneva)
• protein adjuvant vaccines (GSK/Sanofi)

In addition the UK has secured rights to AstraZeneca’s antibody treatment to neutralise the virus which can be used both as a short term prophylactic for those people who cannot receive vaccines (for example cancer and immunosuppressed patients) and front line workers exposed to the virus, as well as a treatment for infected patients.

• His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will feature in poignant montage of veterans shared on social media and on large screens

• A powerful re-telling of the story of Victory Over Japan will be broadcast on BBC One with tributes led by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge

• Veterans of the Far East campaign will be present at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to remember fallen comrades

• The Red Arrows will take to the skies for a stunning UK-wide flypast

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duke of Cambridge will lead commemorations marking 75 years since the end of the Second World War on 15 August, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced today.

The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, will lead the UK in a national moment of remembrance and thanksgiving for all those who served in the Far East. His Royal Highness will lead a two minute silence at 11am at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire as part of a special televised service.

A number of veterans, including 93 year-old Albert Wills who served in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Indefatigable, will be present at the service to pay their respects to their fallen comrades and will represent the surviving veterans of the war in the Far East still alive in the UK today.

Music at the service will be provided by The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take part in a flypast following the two minute silence.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will feature in ‘VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute,’ a special programme filmed at Horse Guards Parade that will be broadcast on BBC One. Alongside veteran testimony, The Duke will honour and give thanks to all those who sacrificed so much during the Second World War.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, who was present on board HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese surrender, will feature on large screens in locations across the country in a poignant photo montage showcasing living Second World War veterans.

A piper will play “Battle’s Over” at the Imperial War Museums’ HMS Belfast in London at sunrise as part of a tribute entitled ‘Waking Up to Peace’, that will also include pipers playing at dawn in India, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal.

Then in the first such flight since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Red Arrows will conduct a UK wide flypast tribute over Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London with its path including The Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to three Burma Star recipients.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

When the Second World War ended 75 years ago with the surrender of Japan, British soldiers, sailors and airmen were serving in the Far East, fighting hard to achieve victory – and were among the last to come home.

On this anniversary I want to remember what we owe the veterans of the Far East campaign. They brought an end to the Second World War, they changed the course of history for the better, liberated South East Asia, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice.

That’s why on this remarkable anniversary – and every day hereafter – we will remember them.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

We must never forget the bravery and sacrifice of our greatest generation. On 15 August we will come together as a nation to remember, give thanks and pay tribute to the endurance of those who served around the world and finally secured peace for us. These commemorations will inspire a new generation to learn about them and ensure their stories of heroism and sacrifice live on.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

VJ Day is sometimes seen as the forgotten victory, but this year, on its 75th anniversary, our celebrations are rightly focused on paying special tribute to the Greatest Generation and their service and sacrifice in the Far East. I will be thinking of the unique hardships faced by those who served, and thanking them for all they did for us.

The partnerships forged during the Far East campaign continue to thrive today. It’s a unique honour for me as Defence Secretary to meet Second World War veterans in person at important commemorations such as these. As a former Army officer, I understand just how much today’s troops are inspired by those who came before them.

I am proud we have put together such a full programme of events and look forward to paying tribute to our amazing Asia pacific war veterans.

Plans for the day include:

• At 11am a National Two Minute Silence led by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum.
• His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will appear in a photo montage series  alongside other Second World War veterans. Each veteran will be pictured with an image of themselves from their time in service in a touching tribute broadcast on large screens across the country marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the war.
• Armed Forces musicians will lead the nation in a Service of Remembrance hosted by The Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The ceremony will involve a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
• The Red Arrows will conduct flypasts over Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff and will conclude their tour of the UK over London.
• VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute will be broadcast on BBC One. Filmed at Horse Guards Parade, alongside veteran testimony His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will give an address which pays tribute to the veterans and the wartime generation, as the Nation honours, thanks and remembers all those who sacrificed so much during the Second World War. The pre-recorded programme, developed with the Ministry of Defence and involving 300 members of Armed Forces personnel, will highlight the scope and diversity of the British military in 1945. It will include a host of famous faces reading tributes, military bands and dramatic visual projection.


The Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum, including the two-minute silence, will be broadcast on BBC One between 0930 – 1130. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, this event is not open to the public and people are asked not to visit the National Memorial Arboretum. VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute will be broadcast on BBC One between 2030 – 2200.

Whilst VE Day marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still engaged in bitter fighting in the Far East. Victory over Japan would come at a heavy price, and Victory over Japan Day marks the day that Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, which ended the Second World War.

During the Second World War, fighting in the Asia-Pacific took place from Hawaii to North East India. Britain and the Commonwealth’s principle fighting force, the Fourteenth Army, was one of the most diverse in history – more than 40 languages were spoken, and all the world’s major religions represented. The Government’s events will pay tribute to the tens of thousands of service personnel from across the UK and the Commonwealth who fought and died in the war against Japan, including all those who were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Other community events are taking place across the UK however the public are instructed to observe social distancing guidelines and local lockdown restrictions.

Funding has today (5 August) been allocated for 580 building projects at academies, sixth form colleges and voluntary aided schools in England to transform facilities and improve school buildings.

The funding will be used to repair and upgrade school facilities and create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces that meet schools’ needs. It also allows for a small number of expansion projects to increase school capacity.

Projects range from the upgrading of boilers to new green, energy-efficient models, to the complete refurbishment of a classroom block with brand new facilities.

The works can begin as soon as schools are ready, and the majority should be completed this financial year.

Today’s funding comes from the £560 million announced by the Prime Minister last month to help the nation bounce back from the pandemic, investing in schools to help teachers deliver a world-class education and create jobs.

The government is also bringing forward £200 million for FE colleges this year, as part of plans for £1.5 billion of investment over five years to transform the FE college estate.

The Prime Minister’s transformative new ten-year school rebuilding programme also starts this year, supported by over £1 billion in funding for the first 50 projects. This investment will be targeted at school buildings in the worst condition across England – including substantial investment in the North and the Midlands – as part of the Prime Minister’s plan to level up opportunity for all.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

As we work towards all children returning to school in September, this investment in our school and college buildings helps create modern environments that lend themselves to great teaching, making sure every child has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

We have worked at great speed to release this additional £560 million of condition funding to schools for projects this year to kick-start the economy and transform the buildings so vital for excellent teaching.

We have now allocated over £2 billion this year to improve the condition of our school buildings, paving the way for our new transformative ten-year school building programme starting later this year with over £1 billion funding for the first wave of 50 schools.

Brendan Tapping, CEO, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust said:

We are delighted that we have been granted the funding to build six additional teaching spaces, as well as increase the size of our dining room.

The improvements to our building will greatly enhance the experience of our students, not least because we will be able to build the new facilities to the most modern standards.

With our plans coming together to enable all children to return to school in September, it is great to be able to look to the future and know we will have the space and facilities we need to give all our children the education they deserve.

The 580 building projects are supported by over £180 million in funding distributed through the Department’s Condition Improvement Fund. They have been selected based on bids submitted to the fund for the main funding round earlier this year.

The remainder of the £560 million is being provided to local authorities, larger multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies to spend on improving the condition of their schools.

This additional funding comes on top of over £1.4 billion already allocated in 2020-21 to improve the condition of the school estate.

Over £1 billion is being invested to fund the first 50 projects of the new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting later this year. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.

As the first major school rebuilding programme to be launched since 2014, these building projects will be more environmentally-friendly and employ the latest construction methods – creating highly skilled jobs and providing a boost for the construction sector.

Low pay, a high workload and a lack of career development for early years workers risk having a serious impact on the provision of care and education services for the under-fives, says the Social Mobility Commission in its report, The stability of the early years workforce.

The report reveals that as many as one in 8 of the early years workforce is paid under £5.00 an hour. The average wage is only £7.42 an hour, less than the minimum wage and much lower than for the average female workforce (£11.37). The research finds that staff turnover is high, at 15%, mainly due to low pay, a lack of training and career structure and excessive overtime.

Childcare professionals work longer hours than people in comparable occupations: 11% of full-time early years workers reported working more than 42 hours per week, compared to 3% of retail workers and 6% of female workers in general. There are few training opportunities once people enter the workforce. Only 17 % of early years workers receive job-related training. While a high proportion of workers are passionate about what they do, 37% leave their employer within 2 years.

There are signs that the workforce – which includes childminders, nursery assistants and early years teachers – is becoming increasingly unstable with too few new entrants replacing those leaving the sector.

High turnover can affect both the quality of service and children’s outcomes, and a stable workforce is even more important in disadvantaged communities. By the time children are aged 5, those from disadvantaged families are already significantly behind their wealthier peers in a variety of development measures.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has caused considerable disruption to childcare providers since lockdown started in mid-March, generating financial instability for many workers. As parents start returning to the workplace, the early years workforce will become even more vital for child development and cannot be overlooked. There is now a real risk that persistent disruption and lack of support for workers could affect the quality of early years provision.

The 280,000 strong early years workforce – mainly young and female – provide education and care to children from birth to aged 5. They can be self-employed, such as childminders, or work in a formal nursery. Nurseries may be part of a school or children’s centre or be independent of either. But most are run by organisations in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sectors.

The research, carried out for the Commission by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), and based on analysis and qualitative work, found that the main barriers to a stable workforce are:

• low income
• high workload and responsibilities
• over-reliance on female practitioners
• insufficient training and career opportunities
• low status and reputation
• a negative culture and climate within the organisation

Steven Cooper, Interim co-chair of the Social Mobility Commission said:

The early years workforce is vital in helping to narrow the development gaps between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those from more privileged backgrounds.

We must do everything we can to ensure that childminders and nursery workers are valued more by ensuring we pay them a decent wage, give them a proper career structure and ensure their workload is reasonable.

The Commission will be pressing the government and employers to take urgent steps to improve the stability of childcare provision in these critical years.

The Commission proposes a comprehensive career strategy for the early years workforce including attracting older workers into the profession. It also calls on the government to match the operational costs of providing childcare to take account of increases in inflation and the national minimum wage.

Key findings

• In England, the average wage across the early years workforce is £7.42 an hour. This compares to £11.37 for the female workforce and £12.57 for the total population.
• 13% of the workforce earn less than £5.00 an hour.
• Many childcare workers take on second jobs to make ends meet.
• 11% of full time early years staff work more than 42 hours per week, compared with 3% of retail workers and 6% of the female workforce.
• One in 6 workers (15%) leave their jobs within a year.
• The workforce is mainly young and female: 40% are below 30 and 96% are female.
• Workers at private day care nurseries said their duties involved heavy cleaning including washing windows and mopping floors.
• Stability varies across regions:31% of early years workers in the North of England stay with their current employer for less than 2 years, compared to 37% in the Midlands and 40% in the south of England.
• Employers say they lack the funds to provide training for their workforce. A 2019 survey found only 8% of early years providers planned to spend more money on training and 55% planned to spend less.

Dr Sara Bonetti, report author and Director of Early Years at the Education Policy Institute (EPI) said:

This research highlights the multiple barriers that early years workers face on a daily basis, with low pay, lack of career options and negative perceptions of their profession holding them back. The pandemic now threatens to exacerbate many of these problems.

We must do far more to support workers, otherwise we risk compromising the quality of provision and widening the disadvantaged gap.

Lydia Pryor, Pre-school leader in Aldborough, Norfolk said:

My deputy recently handed in her notice because she found another job that pays more, and I had nothing that could entice her to stay. She’s had enough of just making do and worrying about money when her car breaks down.

Notes to editors

The Social Mobility Commission is an independent advisory non-departmental public body established under the Life Chances Act 2010 as modified by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. It has a duty to assess progress in improving social mobility in the UK and to promote social mobility in England.

The commission board comprises of:

• Sandra Wallace, Interim Co-Chair, Joint Managing Director Europe at DLA Piper
• Steven Cooper, Interim Co-Chair, Chief Executive Officer C.Hoare & Co
• Alastair da Costa, Chair of Capital City College Group
• Farrah Storr, Editor-in-chief, Elle
• Harvey Matthewson, Aviation Activity Officer at Aerobility
• Jessica Oghenegweke, Presenter, BBC Earth Kids
• Jody Walker, Senior Vice President at TJX Europe (TK Maxx and Home Sense in the UK)
• Liz Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Futuredotnow
• Pippa Dunn, Founder of Broody, helping entrepreneurs and start-ups
• Saeed Atcha, Chief Executive Officer of Youth Leads UK
• Sam Friedman, Associate Professor in Sociology at London School of Economics
• Sammy Wright, Vice Principal of Southmoor Academy, Sunderland

The EPI carried out this research for the Commission. EPI is an independent, impartial, and evidence-based research institute that promotes high quality education outcomes regardless of social background.