The strength of the UK-India relationship was on show today at the India Global Week conference organised in London, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab leading a senior UK delegation that also included Home Secretary Priti Patel, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

It brought together influential participants from the private and public sectors to discuss India, the UK and the world. This included a special address by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales – who visited India last year – highlighting enduring UK-India bilateral ties and the importance of building a green, sustainable future.

The UK Foreign Secretary gave a speech by video, discussing the way Britain and India are maximising research and innovation links to tackle the challenges posted by COVID-19 and climate change.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

As leaders in the international COVID-19 response, the UK and India also co-authored the G20 Action Plan, providing an immediate package of $200 billion of global support to the most vulnerable countries around the world. A vaccine developed in Britain and manufactured in India, if successful in clinical trials, will reach a billion people across the developing world, thanks to Oxford University and India’s Serum Institute. We also believe our friendship with India will be crucial as the UK fulfils its ambition to be an even stronger force for good in the world. When the UK hosts COP26 in 2021, we will need to be key partners in tackling climate change.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

Our relationship with India is deeply rooted in shared history, culture and our people to people ties. It is difficult to think of two other countries so deeply intertwined as the living bridge between our nations strengthens. Our partnership for the future is based upon our shared values and determination to be a force for good as we collectively embark upon new challenges and new shared opportunities.

Other senior UK speakers included:

Lizz Truss, Trade Secretary. She spoke about the expansion of the UK-India trade and investment relationship, including the path towards a possible free trade deal.

Matt Hancock, Health Secretary. He highlighted the strong collaboration between the two countries on health-tech and pharmaceuticals during the pandemic, the invaluable contribution of Indian professionals to the National Health Service, and new opportunities to work together in areas like genomics and bioinformatics.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth. He thanked the Government of India for its support in the UK’s repatriation efforts and praised the living bridge that links the two countries.

Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Member of the House of Lords. He moderated a dialogue on the strategic relationship between the UK and India.

John Murton, the Government’s COP26 envoy. The UK will host next year’s UN climate conference and he highlighted how the world can unite behind a clean, resilient recovery.

Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He participated in a discussion on how the UK and India can work together to ensure that multilateral institutions continue to be relevant.

Alan Gemmell, British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia. His session focused on effective cross-sector partnerships to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further information

India Global Week is organised annually by London-based India Inc. This year’s event was entitled ‘#BeTheRevival: India and A Better New World’. The full programme and list of speakers is available, here.

The UK is a top partner for India on climate change issues, having joined the India-led International Solar Alliance last year, which aims to mobilise more than $1 trillion of investmen)ts in solar energy by 2030. The UK will host COP26 next year, and this week announced a £3 billion green investment recovery package which will help build jobs, decarbonise homes and cut emissions.

In March 2020, the UK became the first co-chair of the Governing Council on the India-led global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which aims to bring about a transformation in how infrastructure is designed, constructed, operated and maintained.

The UK has committed £313 million to research and development to support the development of a possible vaccine to COVID-19, and AstraZeneca is leading the development work with Oxford University and India’s Serum Institute. This builds on the already thriving science and technology collaboration between the UK and India which has seen joint research and innovation spending increase from £1 million in 2008 to over £400 million by 2021.

The ‘living bridge’ of people, ideas and institutions that tie the UK and India together includes a vibrant Indian diaspora of more than 1.5 million people in the UK. There are currently 15 Indian-origin MPs in Parliament, three of whom are Cabinet level.

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Good afternoon colleagues and thank you, Director General, for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion. I particularly want to thank you Guy, congratulate you and the ILO for organising these Global Summit events, including the Europe Day last week and Global Leaders’ Day yesterday.

I welcome the interventions so far today from the distinguished representatives of other governments and of worker and employer organisations.

The Centenary Declaration adopted by the ILO last year underlined the need for a human centred future of work and the priorities it set out remain valid now as we look towards recovery from the COVID-19 emergency.

As others have said, COVID-19 is the biggest challenge the world has faced in decades. The ILO and its constituents have a critical role to play in the socio-economic response. We all share the same objectives – to protect workers and businesses, and to support a swift and safe economic recovery.

And in the UK, we have had good consultation with our social partners on our response to this emergency. After record employment rates just a few months ago here in the UK, we acted swiftly to avoid mass unemployment with the introduction of a Job Retention Scheme in which the government guaranteed 80% of employees’ pay up to £2,500 a month, and a similar support scheme for the self-employed with grants that would help support workers and businesses through this time.

These schemes have been a lifeline to millions of people, with 9.4 million people supported on the Job Retention Scheme and 2.7 million people who are Self-Employed. This is covering in effect, over a third of working people in our country. We are making some changes to increase the flexibility in both schemes to help prepare people to get working fully again as we will phase out the Job Retention Scheme entirely by the end of October. For those on the frontline, we have ensured that our occupational health and safety systems continue to protect health workers and indeed all others who deliver critical public services. We have developed tools and measures to help the safe return to work for the wider UK economy.

Our main social security system, Universal Credit, responded excellently to the unprecedented numbers of claims. We made temporary changes on access to benefits to manage that demand and to get money to people as quickly as possible. We also injected several billions of pounds directly into the welfare system. The distribution analysis that we published yesterday shows that our interventions so far have largely helped the poorest in our nation reflecting the importance of social justice for this government and is at the heart of our decision making during this emergency.

As we are now over the peak, we are returning to a focus of helping people into work as quickly as possible. We must ensure that our measures continue to protect all workers in need, including those with disabilities and the should be irrespective of gender, ethnicity, race, age, religion or other status.

The UK launched its ‘Plan for Jobs 2020’ yesterday and it builds on and bolsters existing support offered.

Training will be crucial for those without work, so that they maintain their work-readiness and they may need new skills to quickly move back into work. We are particularly focusing on young people, who are already disadvantaged due to their lack of skills and work experience. That is why we have announced the largest ever expansion of traineeships to ensure that 16-24 year olds have the tools needed to enter the world of work and why we are introducing a “Kick-Start Scheme” to create more decent jobs for young people.

The impacts of the crisis are also felt disproportionately by women, who are over represented as frontline care workers and they experience violence and harassment in the workplace, and continue to do the majority of unpaid care work.

At the global level, the UK has made available substantial amounts of aid funding to help mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the world’s most vulnerable countries. This is in addition to pivoting much of our existing international development activity to provide health, humanitarian and economic support where it is needed most.

The role of social protection in reducing poverty, building resilience and reducing humanitarian needs globally is highly relevant to this emergency. The UK is committed to helping governments to increase the coverage, quality and sustainability of their systems and to build more inclusive systems particularly for women and girls.

A major concern is that the pandemic reverses years of progress towards the ending of forced labour and similar issues. That’s why we support the Alliance 8.7 call for an urgent and coordinated multi-stakeholder response to this common threat.

And finally, as the UK takes up Presidency of the G7 next year we will look to support an open, sustainable and inclusive global recovery to the pandemic.

Thank you.

The UK will continue to stand by Iraq as it deals with the current economic crisis and devastating impact of coronavirus, International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said during a virtual visit to the country today (Thursday 9 July).

The Secretary of State saw how UK aid is helping the Government of Iraq to deliver critical economic reforms and tackle coronavirus in the country.

She held a series of virtual meetings with UK partners in the country, where the virus is continuing to spread and the worsening economic situation threatens the livelihoods and futures of millions of Iraqis.

Since 2014 UK aid has helped to meet the urgent needs of people affected by the conflict with Daesh. The UK is supporting the Government of Iraq to stabilise and rebuild Iraq, laying the foundations for lasting peace and prosperity.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

“The UK is standing by Iraq and will continue to do so as it deals with the current economic crisis and coronavirus outbreak, which are threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.

“During my virtual visit I saw how UK aid is helping the country address its health, economic, and security challenges and was able to reaffirm our strong commitment to a safe, prosperous and stable Iraq.”

The International Development Secretary spoke to the Minister of Finance, Mr Ali Allawi, about how the UK can continue to support Iraq as it embarks on ambitious economic reforms.

She also heard from young Iraqi entrepreneurs about the challenges businesses face in Iraq, including from coronavirus, and saw how UK support to government-led reforms will help the private sector to grow.

Speaking with representatives from the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the Secretary of State reaffirmed the importance of coordinating international support for Iraq as it deals with the economic impact of coronavirus.

To date the UK has pledged £764 million to the global fight against coronavirus, including funding international efforts to develop a safe, workable coronavirus vaccine that will be available throughout the world – as the biggest country donor to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Trigger events are events that will have a significant impact on the expected trade of a tied pub and that also meet certain conditions set out in the Pubs Code. Showing that there has been a trigger event entitles the tied tenant to a Rent Assessment Proposal (RAP), by which their tied rent is reviewed. It also entitles the tied tenant to ask for a Market Rent Only (MRO) option to go free-of-tie.

This publication is timely because the PCA is aware of industry interest in whether impacts on trade relating to the Covid-19 outbreak might amount to a trigger event.

The PCA has already confirmed that Covid-19 could not in and of itself be a trigger event. This is because it, and the Government’s closure order of March 2020, applied to all pubs in England and Wales and therefore failed one of the trigger event conditions. However, impacts related to Covid-19 on the trade of pubs after reopening may vary. The significant business impact of any event connected to the trading of an individual pub after it reopens may be a trigger event only if it satisfies all of the conditions in the Code. These are set out in the new Factsheet.

Tenants need to be particularly aware that one of these conditions is that they must be able to demonstrate that the event will decrease the level of trade that their pub could reasonably be expected to achieve in each of the next 12 months.

To show a trigger event has taken place, the tenant must serve on their pub-owing business a relevant analysis demonstrating this decrease in expected trade.

Fiona Dickie, Pubs Code Adjudicator, said:

It is important that tied tenants who consider there is evidence that they may have had a trigger event seek professional advice on this Pubs Code right and with the preparation of the relevant analysis. I have liaised with both the BII, who through their Marketplace provide access to professionals including accountants; and with the Association of Licenced Trade Accountants, to ensure that their members are familiar with the trigger event provisions in the Code.

Tenants should serve a relevant analysis only if they are satisfied it shows a trigger event has occurred that meets all of the conditions in the Pubs Code. For example, if Covid-19 has affected seasonal trade, but trade out of season will not be affected, this would not meet the condition of a decrease in expected trade in each of the next 12 months.

The PCA can provide information on the Pubs Code and its processes, but cannot advise whether a trigger event has occurred in a particular scenario. This will be a matter of fact in each case.

Tenants are therefore strongly advised to seek independent advice from a qualified professional when considering and preparing a relevant analysis. Please see here for information about getting professional advice on your Pubs Code rights.

Hello, and thank you for having me as part of India Global Week.

Covid-19 is a global challenge.

And the UK has been proud to stand alongside India in its international response.

As we have responded to this crisis, we have been privileged to have 25,000 Indian professionals working in our brilliant National Health Service here at home. We hugely value their contribution.

With India’s help, we were able to obtain vital supplies of paracetamol at the height of the crisis, critical in the fight against Covid-19.

Over the past few months, we’ve brought home UK nationals from India, and worked closely with the Government of India to get Indian nationals home safe and sound.

Throughout this crisis, we’ve worked together.

So I’d like to thank the Government of India, and my colleague and friend Dr Jaishankar for their invaluable assistance in this extraordinary effort.

As leaders in the international response, the UK and India have also co-authored the G20 Action Plan, providing an immediate package of $200 billion of global support to the most vulnerable countries around the world.

Even before Covid, UK was India’s second biggest research partner, with our joint research estimated to be worth £400m by 2021.

And with India’s contribution to the recent GAVI vaccine summit, together we smashed the target for vaccine funding, with $8.8 billion raised.

But we have the potential to do more.

A vaccine created by British scientists and manufactured in India, if successful in clinical trials, will reach 1 billion people across the developing world, thanks to Oxford University and India’s Serum Institute.

That would be an extraordinary achievement – benefitting not only the British and Indian people, but making it accessible for the most vulnerable people, right across the world.

Working together, we can make it happen.

Beyond the immediate challenge of Covid, the friendship between Britain and India is strong, and we want to take it to the next level.

Our trade relationship is growing.

Bolstered by entrepreneurs, business founders and innovators, it increased by nearly 10% to over £24 billion in 2019.

We issue more skilled work visas to India than the rest of the world combined.

And the number of Indian students in the UK has tripled in the last three years.

Bound by our shared aspirations, the UK and India will be energetic champions of free trade, to boost small businesses, cut the cost of living, and create the jobs of the future.

We also believe our friendship with India will be crucial, as the UK fulfils its ambition to be an even stronger force for good in the world.

When the UK hosts COP26 in 2021, we will be key partners in tackling climate change.

And as India returns to the UN Security Council next year and takes up the G20 Presidency in 2022, I look forward to deepening our cooperation on international issues.

Bound by the depth of friendship between our peoples, we will look to India as partners, not only in our response to this current crisis, but as we build back better and stronger than ever.

Britain will continue to be a part of India’s success story, and India will continue to be a part of ours.

Thank you.