Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

I have huge sympathy for Harry’s family and the pain they are going through as they seek justice.

We feel the US decision on extradition amounts to a denial of justice and have been clear with them that Anne Sacoolas should return to the UK.

The family and I want to achieve the same thing. We want justice for Harry and we want to make sure such a terrible tragedy does not happen again.

Published 27 January 2020

Last week Mala told me her story, including the scene that awaited Ian and our British forces when they liberated Bergen Belsen almost 75 years ago.

I am lost in admiration for Mala’s courage and endurance and her unwavering determination to ensure that we remember.

As she said to me, the Holocaust is unique, because it was the industrialised murder of a race, of 6 million Jews, of whom 1.5 million were children, along with millions of other targets of Nazi persecution.

As Prime Minister, I promise that we will preserve this truth forever.

I will make sure we build the National Holocaust Memorial and Education Centre, so that future generations can never doubt what happened, because that is the only way we can be certain that it never happens again.

And I feel a deep sense of shame that here in Britain – in 2020 – we seem to be dealing with a resurgence of the virus of anti-semitism – and I know that I carry responsibility as Prime Minister to do everything possible to stamp it out.

As we resolutely proclaim “never again”, it is right that we should also ask what happened to our resolve in the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

And as I stand here, in the presence of many of Britain’s Holocaust survivors, I feel a special obligation towards the sanctity of their testimonies, because nothing can compare with hearing directly from a survivor.

I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to ensure these testimonies are shared as widely as possible, encouraging the use of technology so the tangible, palpable, irrefutable reality of this experience is preserved as something not just for this generation but for every generation.

In doing so, we will ensure that Britain never forgets the truth of the Holocaust.

In the name of all those who perished, may their memory be a blessing for ever.

The Government is today publishing its response to the independent review into the sustainability of high-quality journalism in the UK, which was led by the journalist and academic Dame Frances Cairncross.

The Cairncross Review looked at the overall state of the news media market; the threats to the financial sustainability of publishers; the impact of search engines and social media platforms; and the role of digital advertising. The Review identified a range of challenges facing the sector and made recommendations for government, regulators and industry.

The Government supports almost all of its recommendations, and in a Written Ministerial Statement published today, Digital Secretary Baroness Morgan set out the Government’s formal response to the Review.

Digital Secretary Baroness Morgan said:

Newspapers play an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and are uniquely placed to undertake the investigative journalism and scrutiny of public institutions, including local councils and our courts. This is vital to help ensure a healthy democracy both nationally and at a local level.

We know that the digital age poses significant challenges to newspapers though and are committed to supporting the industry in its transition to a more sustainable footing.

Dame Frances Cairncross said:

The Government’s response underlines the important role high-quality journalism must play in our national and local democracy.

I am particularly pleased to see the establishment of the innovation fund and it will be important to build on this to ensure it is as effective as possible going forward.

I also welcome the Government’s support for the need to formalise relationships between news publishers and online platforms as part of wider work on digital regulation, and urge the government to ensure that the press sector remains very clearly in focus.

In relation to the specific recommendations for Government made by Dame Frances, the Government has now:

• Committed to take forward work on the recommendation to create codes of conduct to rebalance and redefine the relationships between news publishers and online platforms, in alignment with wider work on digital regulation. This would help ensure journalists in the UK are fairly treated and rewarded for their content.
• Confirmed that the world-leading proposals for a new regulatory framework set out in the Online Harms White Paper should lead to platforms doing more to help people identify the reliability and trustworthiness of online news sources. (in response to the call for online platforms’ efforts to improve users’ news experiences to be placed under regulatory supervision.)
• Progressed work on developing a new online media literacy strategy, with plans to publish this in the summer.
• Established the £2 million pilot Future News Fund, run by Nesta (in response to the recommendation for a new fund focused on innovations to improve the supply of public-interest news, to be run by an independent body). The fund will invest in new technological prototypes, start-ups and innovative business models to explore new ways of sustaining the press in a changing landscape.
• The Treasury will consider the case for a range of potential tax incentives to support the news publishing industry this year, including policy options on VAT, notwithstanding recent litigation in this area. The Government has also announced formally today that it is extending the £1,500 business rates discount for office space occupied by local newspapers in England for an additional five years, until 31 March 2025, as part of its efforts to support local and regional journalism.

The Government is not taking forward the recommendation for the establishment of an Institute for Public Interest News. Government does not wish to have a role in defining what is ‘public interest’ news as this risks interference with the freedom of the press.

The Cairncross Review also outlined how news publishers are increasingly reliant on the online advertising market, and the threat this poses to the future sustainability of journalism.

Alongside the response to Dame Frances’ recommendations, the government has committed to review how online advertising is regulated. In a call for evidence published today, the Government is seeking views on the challenges, as well as the benefits, that the rise of online advertising has brought for people and businesses, including news publishers – with a particular focus on content and placement standards.

This work will complement and supplement other reviews underway in this area, including work by the CMA, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. DCMS welcomes views from participants engaged in all stages of the online advertising supply chain, as well as those who work in complementary or competing markets. The open call for evidence will run for 8 weeks between 27 January and 23 March.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Government response to the Cairncross Review can be read here

The Online Advertising Call for Evidence can be read here

The Cairncross Review: a sustainable future for journalism published in February 2019 can be read here

Mr Speaker, with your permission, before turning to the Bill I would like to update the House on the ongoing situation with the Wuhan coronavirus.

The Chief Medical Officer continues to advise that the risk to the UK population is “low” and has concluded that while there is an increased likelihood that cases may arise in this country, we are well prepared and well equipped to deal with them.

As of 2pm, there are currently no confirmed cases in the UK. We are working night and day with the World Health Organization and the international community and are monitoring the situation closely. Our approach has been guided by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty.

As I set out in my statement on Thursday, coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.

However, this is a new disease and the global scientific community is still learning about it. I have therefore directed Public Health England to take a belt and braces approach, including tracing people who have been to Wuhan in the past 14 days.

Coronaviruses do not usually spread if people don’t have symptoms – however we cannot be 100 per cent certain.

From today, we are therefore asking anyone in the UK who has returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days to self-isolate. Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people – and to contact NHS 111. If you are in Northern Ireland, you should phone your GP.

If you develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of travel from the area, and are now in the UK, call your GP or ring 111 informing them of your symptoms and your recent travel to the city.

Do not leave home until you have been given advice by a clinician.

Public Health England officials are continuing to trace people who have arrived in the UK from Wuhan. Having eliminated those who we know have since left the country, there are 1,460 people we are seeking to locate.

The Foreign Office is rapidly advancing measures to bring UK nationals back from Hubei Province.

I have asked my officials to ensure there are appropriate measures in place upon arrival to look after them and protect the public.

If you are in Hubei Province and wish to leave, please get in contact with the Foreign Office.

The UK is one of the first countries in the world to have developed an accurate test for this coronavirus and PHE is undertaking continuous refinement of this test. PHE has this morning confirmed to me that it can scale up this test so we are in a position to deal with cases in this country if necessary.

Mr Speaker, I want to stress that the NHS remains well prepared. The NHS has expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients with any highly infectious, disease including this one.

The NHS practices and prepares its response to disease outbreaks and follows tried and tested procedures, following the highest safety standards possible for the protection of NHS staff, patients and the public. Specific guidance on handling the Wuhan coronavirus has been shared with NHS staff.

Madame Speaker this is a timely reminder to have a first-class health care system and this bring me to this Bill.

Forrest Fresh Foods is a wholesaler of ‘FMCG’, or Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The company, which began on a small scale (initially selling fruit and vegetables), now sells a huge range of confectionery, including well known British brands.

The Rochdale-based firm was put in touch with UK Export Finance after contacting DIT (Department for International Trade) for advice on how to start exporting.

The company was facing challenges in managing cash flow while fulfilling orders. Getting an order ready, then shipping it can take several weeks and often customers will only pay just before an order is due to arrive. This means that Forrest Fresh can have paid for the products to fulfil an order, but must wait weeks or months for payment from the customer. Across many orders, this can create a strain on the company’s cash flow.

Under UKEF’s Export Working Capital Scheme, UKEF provides a partial guarantee for working capital loans made by a commercial lender. UKEF’s Export Working Capital Scheme supported a £500,000 export facility provided by Barclays, which was used to help plug the gap between Forrest Fresh buying in products and getting paid by customers once they had been exported.

Just a few years ago, the firm was operating only within the UK market. Now, thanks to UK government support, it exports to several countries around the world.

Chris Craven, Managing Director of Forrest Fresh Foods said:

Exporting is really important for the business. It’s a big world out there, there’s a strong demand for UK goods which are looked on premium products. We’d definitely use UKEF in the future, the Export Working Capital Scheme has enabled us to grow our exports in a very short period of time.

Steve Cowles, export finance manager for North West England for UK Export Finance, who worked with FFF and Barclays’ Trade Finance team, commented:

The success of Forrest Fresh shows how collaboration between the private sector and government departments like DIT and UKEF is enabling the growth of exciting companies from a range of sectors across the country.UK Export Finance is here to help companies like Forrest Fresh win, fulfil and get paid for export contracts, and it’s great to see the role that trade finance has played in enabling their success.