The Government and Mayor of London have today launched a team effort to promote physical activity across the country - ensuring it is a lasting legacy of London 2012 and part of a long term vision for a fitter nation. ‘Moving More, Living More’ builds on learning from the world’s most active countries, that action on physical activity needs to be a long term effort and is best tackled through a team approach across government and all sectors.

By bringing together individuals and key organisations, like local authorities, businesses and employers, this approach will make sure the drive to tackle physical activity:

• Has strong leadership – at national, local and community level;
• Involves partners across all sectors and levels working together;
• Shines a light on existing good practice, celebrating the work of local champions who drive a huge variety of local activities;
• Provides opportunities which work for people. This is not just about telling people to do more exercise because it is good for them, it is about giving them the opportunity to be active in ways which fit into their everyday lives and which suits their interests and;
• Recognises and tackles the barriers that prevent people being active.

On the launch of this new initiative the Prime Minister, David Cameron said:

The country was captured by the spirit of the 2012 Games, inspired by our sporting heroes and their many achievements. We now need to build on this, creating a nation that’s physically active and improving their health for the long term.

We need to provide communities with the encouragement to come together and realise the physical and social benefits of being more active. Government, Local Government, business and community groups must now join together to help make this ambition a reality.

The Government has already put in place a wide range of measures to help people become more active:

• £450 million over three years for PE and sport in our primary schools to help our children move more and live more;
• The Department for Transport and Department of Health have given £78 million to fund cycling and walking projects and;
• Nearly 300 businesses and organisations are signed up to the Department of Health’s Responsibility Deal Physical Activity Network and are taking action to get their staff, customers and local communities more active.

But the Government and Mayor of London want to go further and encourage more initiatives like the one being led by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), who are working with the Swimathon Foundation to get children swimming.

As part of the Responsibility Deal, the ASA, and its partner the Swimathon Foundation, have today pledged to recruit and provide tools for schools to inspire 10,000 youngsters who have acquired essential swimming skills to ‘Swim their Best’ - swim further and for longer.

Public Health Minister Jane Ellison, said:

Physical activity is an essential ingredient for a healthier nation, and can deliver so many other benefits for individuals and the wider community.

The Olympic and Paralympic legacy has already delivered good results with over 1.5 million more people doing sport once a week than when we won the bid to host the Games. By working together we can achieve more and make sure that getting more people moving is the biggest legacy of London 2012.

The ASA’s Responsibility Deal pledge was launched today – helping to get 10,000 school children swimming. This exemplifies our commitment across government to this approach.

The benefits of physical activity are clear:

• People who do a lot of exercise reduce their risk of dying early by 30 per cent;
• Physical activity can lower your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by between 20 and 35 per cent;
• People who get their recommended 150 active minutes a week can halve their chances of getting type 2 diabetes;
• For children higher intensity activities are great for growing healthy bones and muscle and;
• Greater footfall in our high streets, reduced pollution and congestion, and stronger communities

However a large proportion of the UK population is still inactive:

• Only 56 per cent of adults meet the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) guidelines of 150 minutes of physical activity per week;
• 28.5 per cent of adults fail to achieve even 30 minutes of physical activity over seven days, and;
• Only 21 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls aged 5 – 15 are achieving 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

My vision is for a healthier, fitter city and we are encouraging Londoners to be more active in their everyday lives. This might include cycling to work, using the stairs rather than the lift, getting off the bus a few stops early, or getting into social activities like dance.

Our goal is to build on the legacy we are creating from the London 2012 Games, which is already getting hundreds of thousands of Londoners participating in grassroots sport, thanks to initiatives like our Make a Splash mobile pools scheme.

The Prime Minister’s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Ambassador, Lord Coe said:

The legacy from the 2012 Games is a long-term project to deliver lasting change. But this initiative has the biggest potential impact for our nation’s health.

A joined up approach to challenging inactivity and encouraging physical activity is key. Moving More, Living More” will bring together government, local government, business and above all the individuals and community groups - who know how to get people moving.

The launch of “Moving More, Living More” will take place at Daubeney Primary School in Hackney, which has one of the lowest rates of children who can swim in the country. The school is already helping its pupils get active and is taking part in the type of initiative the Government and Mayor of London want to hear about.

The school has recently taken delivery of a portable swimming pool, funded by the Mayor’s “Make a Splash” scheme and arranged by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). This is helping to get more children active and swimming. The pool is even available for use by members of the wider community, after school hours – providing wider benefits and supporting members of the community to get more exercise.

Supporting quotes:

Helen Grant, Minister for Sport said:

Taking part in regular physical activity has so many positive benefits from improved well-being to having a healthier body and that’s why the “Moving More, Living More” campaign is so important.

Getting more people to be more active is an essential focus for us, not only across Government, but for clubs and organisations around the country with whom we work. I want to thank the ASA for their commitment to this important campaign and would urge other organisations to do the same.

Edward Timpson, Minister responsible for school sport, said:

We want all children to develop a healthy lifestyle and a love of sport from a young age, which they’re then more likely to continue throughout their lives.

That’s why this government, through the primary PE and sport premium, is giving more than £150m per year to primary schools to spend on improving sport and PE, and trusting headteachers to spend it on what they think will benefit their pupils most.

This ring-fenced funding shows just how committed this government is to securing a lifetime habit of physical activity for young people: a truly lasting legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:

In order to achieve a lasting legacy of physical activity that reaches every member of the community, the support of local authorities is vital.

Councils have been leading local physical activity, bringing together National Governing Bodies, voluntary sports clubs, schools and others to create opportunities and encourage participation.

With new opportunities afforded by the transition of public health to local government, councils are at the heart of promoting activity and physical well-being.

Jennie Price, Sport England’s Chief Executive, says:

From aqua aerobics to buggy bootcamps to running a marathon, sport can play a pivotal role in building a more active nation. We are committed to opening up sport to all age groups and abilities to ensure the benefits of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy continue.

Mandy Ayres, Director of Access to Sport for Nike, said:

To fight the epidemic of physical inactivity in the UK we need an approach, which transcends politics and sectors.

We have joined forces with other champions for physical activity such as the British Heart Foundation, Lawn Tennis Association, Sustrans and Premier League to support the commission on physical activity and work with Government as part of an overarching collaboration called Designed to Move, to help get children moving more.

What everyone can do today is to make family time, active time. If we all do a little bit more we can make a huge difference.

Notes to editors:

1. For more information, please contact Cariad Hazard at the Department of Health press office – 0207 210 5281.

2. The ‘Moving More, Living More’ document can be accessed here

3. People can get involved and share ideas through an engagement exercise Public Health England will be running aiming to share ideas and good practice for getting people moving. This will be available towards the end of February.

4. Example of getting people more active: Working with the Swimathon Foundation, the Amateur Swimming Asociation has set up a programme, ‘Schools Swimathon’, to help less active children improve their swimming, build their confidence in the water and ‘swim your best’. The programme is not about trying to make children into elite athletes, but helping them discover the physical and social benefits of joining in activities and importantly, that it is something everyone can enjoy.

5. Hackney has among the lowest numbers of children in the country able to swim, and Daubeney School has benefited from a novel temporary pool - funded by the GLA, the ASA and British Gas - located directly on their premises in their playground. Not only do the school get to benefit from regular swimming activity, but the pool is also open to the wider community after school.

6. The Government’s Responsibility Deal challenges all organisations to take action to make a significant contribution to improving public health by helping to create the right environment – across food, alcohol, health at work as well as enabling people to be more active.

7. The Responsibility Deal embodies the Government’s ambition for a more collaborative approach to tackling the challenges caused by our lifestyle choices. Organisations signing up to the Responsibility Deal commit to taking action voluntarily to improve public health through their responsibilities as employers, as well as through their commercial actions and their community activities. Organisations can sign up to be either national partners or local partners. Further information can be found at https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk

8. Information on creating a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games can be found here

9. We have already achieved a great deal through the games legacy:

• 1.5 million more people doing sport once a week than when we won the bid for the 2012 Games back in 2005;
• Disabled people’s participation in sport is increasing.
• The future of all eight retained venues on the Olympic Park secured;
• £11bn economic benefits in trade and investment from the Games;
• £150m a year for primary school sport for three years, starting in September 2013.
• Increase in volunteering in 2012/13 (both formal and informal), halting the steady decline since 2005 and;
• Join In established as independent charity to promote community sport volunteering - over 100,000 new volunteers recruited to local sports clubs in summer 2013.

10.In addition to the ‘Moving More, Living More’ campaign, embedding a long term legacy from the Games continues:

• The UK has exceeded a four year target to raise £11 billion worth of economic benefit from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in just over one year.
• Sport England will open an £18 million National Lottery-funded primary school sports facilities fund (called ‘Primary Spaces’) in 2014 to improve sports facilities in primary schools, to benefit both school children and the wider community.

11.As the Prime Minister announced last week, the school sport premium will continue into the academic year 2015-16, meaning primary schools will be able to put in place longer-term plans to improve their PE and sport provision; and

12.The government will support the London Legacy Development Corporation and Mayor of London in developing Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This includes plans for a new higher education and cultural quarter on the Park, in partnership with University College London and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Business Statements by the Leader of the House of Commons for February 2014.

The Business Statement takes place every Thursday morning when the House is sitting, usually at 11.30 am. Statements are available here shortly after being announced to the House.

The 2013 people survey is the fifth annual Civil Service-wide survey of our staff’s attitudes and experiences of work. The 2013 survey was carried out from 1 October to 31 October and more than 270,000 people working in the civil service took part. There were 1,942 responses to the Cabinet Office survey, a response rate of 95%.

Government Procurement Service

The Cabinet Office agency Government Procurement Service ran a separate people survey during the same period which is also available above.

The document contains the results of the 2013 People Survey for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The survey is part of the annual Civil Service wide Survey.

The DCMS survey ran during October 2013 and had a 66% completion rate across DCMS. The results reveal that DCMS achieved an engagement score of 51%.

The new Committee was set up by the Prime Minister earlier this week to coordinate strategic long-term plans on flood recovery and flood resilience, following the severe weather.

It does not replace the government’s emergency response committee, COBR, which will continue to coordinate the immediate, practical and operational response to help flood-hit communities for as long as necessary.

Following the package of measures to support homeowners and businesses announced yesterday, the Committee agreed a series of reviews to inform the long-term flood recovery plan:

• A review of the Bellwin scheme which provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities during exceptional circumstances, to consider whether the arrangements for providing funding to compensate local authorities for the costs of emergency measures are fit for purpose
• A targeted review of the resilience of the transport network to extreme weather events
• A review of investment decision guidelines on flood defences
• An annual resilience review to consider the local, regional and national response to extreme weather situations and make recommendations for the government’s long and short-term resilience strategy.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that the commitment to reimburse local authorities for 100% of their emergency costs through the Bellwin Scheme, rather than the usual 85%, will be extended to police forces supporting the emergency relief work, and that government will make advance payments of up to 80% of costs immediately available to local authorities.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

While we are in the grip of this severe weather it remains the immediate priority of government, through COBR, to continue to do all that we can to help local communities who are affected and coordinate the emergency response. We are taking action across the board.

I have already announced a series of longer-term measures to help hard-working people including new grants for homeowners and businesses to help them recover; business rate relief and a commitment from all major banks to provide financial support. This is on top of an extra £130 million to shore up and repair flood defences which have been battered by the storms.

We are doing everything we can to help people and businesses deal with the flooding and get back on their feet. And through this new Cabinet Committee we are doing all we can to ensure resilience in the future.

The Committee will meet every month until further notice.

Flooding Cabinet Committee – List of members

• Rt Hon David Cameron MP
• Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP
• Rt Hon George Osborne MP
• Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP
• Rt Hon Theresa May MP
• Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
• Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP
• Rt Hon Edward Davey MP
• Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP
• Rt Hon Vince Cable MP
• Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP
• Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP
• Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
• Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP

Notes to editors

1. Eric Pickles updates Parliament on the flood situation and changes to the Bellwin scheme

2. Minister for Government Policy, Oliver Letwin and Head of the 10 Downing Street Policy Unit, Jo Johnson will hold a round-table with the major insurance companies at Downing Street to make sure homeowners and businesses get the support they need, when they need it.

3. The government, led by Oliver Letwin and supported by the Cabinet Office, will instigate an annual review in to the resilience of our nation. The review will consider the local, regional and national response to the extreme weather, identify blockages to effective and decisive action and make recommendations for the government’s long and short-term resilience strategy.

4. To inform the annual resilience review, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin will take forward a targeted review of the resilience of the transport network to extreme weather events. This will look at the plans for all transport providers and will build on the work of the Quarmby Review in response to cold weather. The review will report by the summer.

5. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles will also undertake a rapid review of the Bellwin scheme which provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities during exceptional circumstances. The review will consider whether the arrangements for providing funding to compensate local authorities for the costs of emergency measures are fit for purpose. This work will report by the end of April.

The 2013 people survey is the fifth annual civil service-wide survey of our staff’s attitudes and experiences of work. The 2013 survey was carried out from 1 October to 31 October and more than 270,000 people working in the civil service took part. There were 1,942 responses to the Cabinet Office survey, a response rate of 95%.

A No10 spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister chaired a COBR meeting this afternoon to discuss the suspicious packages that have been found at Armed Forces Careers offices in south east England.

Seven suspect packages have been identified as containing small, crude, but potentially viable devices bearing the hallmarks of Northern Ireland related terrorism. These have now been safely dealt with by the police and bomb disposal units. Guidance has been issued to staff at all military establishments and Royal Mail asking them to be extra vigilant and to look out for any suspect packages and the screening procedures for mail to Armed Forces Careers offices is being reviewed.

The national threat level remains under constant review.

What is COBR?

The aim of COBR is to provide effective decision-making and rapid coordination of the central government response to incidents, drawing on the resources of other government departments, including the security and intelligence agencies, the police and other relevant organisations.

David Middleton, Colonel, Army Reserve (Territorial Army)

David is a Senior Employer Relationship Manager for the Department for Work and Pensions as well as a Colonel in the Army Reserve.

I wanted to have a broader outlook on life, and go out and see the world without sacrificing my career. I decided to join as a soldier but I soon applied to attend Sandhurst to train as an officer.

I’ve travelled to locations I would never have had the opportunity to visit, with deployments across the globe to the Arctic, the rain forests of Australia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

I really enjoy sport and adventure and have had a go at lots of activities ranging from scuba diving in the Mediterranean and qualifying as a glider pilot to undertaking arctic survival and ski touring in Norway.

It’s a brilliant way to build a dual career path where you could be doing one type of job in the week but doing something completely different at the weekend.

As an officer I arrange overseas training for my soldiers and this has helped me develop competencies in planning, problem solving, communications and team work.

One of my proudest moments was graduating from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst as an army officer. By the time you pass out from Sandhurst you are equipped with the skills to be a leader who people want to follow.

Tim Wates, Colour Sergeant, Army Reserve (Territorial Army)

Tim works on the Smart Meters Programme for the Department of Energy & Climate Change.

Just over 10 years ago I made the decision to do something positive with my spare time – and having an interest in most things military and being fiercely patriotic, I decided to join the London Regiment and London’s only reserve infantry battalion.

When I first joined, my biggest worry was more about what I would have to give up, and how much it would infringe on my social life, but I soon realised that the requirement of a minimum 27 days training, plus attending an annual 2 week training period was not nearly as restrictive as I thought. You get paid for your time in uniform and receive an annual tax-free bonus.

The highlights were being mobilised to serve on a tour of duty in Iraq and two tours to Afghanistan. Another was taking part in the Armed Forces muster parade in Windsor to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of HM The Queen. I’ve also taken part in two Remembrance Sunday parades. A sombre and thought-provoking occasion, but one that I was honoured to take part in.

My time spent in the Army Reserve has really benefited my main career. It’s given me different perspectives and other ways to look at situations. I have added confidence when speaking in front of large groups of people or in tackling challenging situations. Leading troops on operations in a war zone has definitely enhanced my leadership skills.

So my advice to anyone who wants to give up some of their spare time to do something exciting, to keep fit and to support the defence of the nation – I would say – do it.

Tamar Howard-Pearce, Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve

Tamar Howard-Pearce works in Maritime Policy at the Department for Transport and is also a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, working in Media Operations.

As a student I was in the Bristol University Royal Naval Unit and missed it when I moved to London. Along with a lot of other people, I was attracted to being a Reservist because it’s fun, keeps you fit, you get paid and make lots of friends whilst doing something worthwhile.

I usually train on Tuesday evenings, one weekend every couple of months and once a year do two weeks’ continuous training. The time commitment isn’t a problem for me. My managers have always been very supportive and I’ve never had any problems balancing training with work.

The 3 years I spent doing basic military training gave me a chance to find out about the different specialisms and I’m now a Media Operations Officer. It’s a hands-on role – both in the UK and overseas – involving arranging press trips, escorting journalists, writing press releases and providing media training.

Next week I’m going to Cyprus on an exercise. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing yet, but that’s part of the challenge - to see if I can cope with whatever’s thrown at me. It means I have to be adaptable and has taught me to make the most of every situation I find myself in.

Trooper Marcus Cribb, Army Reserve (Territorial Army)

Marcus has been a reservist for 4 years. He is in full-time higher education, studying project management, and works as a Challenger 2 driver in his spare time for the Army. He features in the new Army recruitment TV advert.

Being in the Army has opened up so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have achieved elsewhere. I’ve gained new skills and had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland, all of which has been done in my spare time.

My university has been supportive of my role in the Army alongside my studies and I’m keen to bring all of the skills and qualifications that I’m gaining in the Army to my studies and future career.

Not many people realise that Reserves have all the same opportunities as regular soldiers but we do. I would encourage anyone looking for an exciting challenge and new opportunity outside of their day job to join.

Corporal Jonathan Wheeler, Army Reserve (Territorial Army)

Jonathan, 40, from Hillingdon, London, is a HR Combat Clerk for the Adjutant General’s Corps and an Internal Audit Manager for Xerox. He has been a reservist with 131 Independent Commando Squadron for the past 6 years.

A member of my team at Xerox was a Commando Engineer in the reserves and encouraged me to apply. Basic training was quite a challenge as I wasn’t used to the military atmosphere but the training team did a good job and I made some good friends who I’ve kept to this day.

As well as being a HR Combat Clerk, I’m trained in infantry skills and have taken part in adventure training activities in places such as Bavaria. I’m also a Class 3 driver after 2 weeks of intensive driving training and have completed a Defence Instructional Training Techniques course which shows you how to instruct others, something which has been hugely helpful in my day job.

There isn’t really a typical training session. I may be confirming new recruits, on the rifle range refreshing my training on the SA80 rifle, or taking part in a weekend exercise. It’s an extremely varied role that I feel fortunate to have.

The strength of character I’ve developed from my training has been a huge help to me in other parts of my life and I believe I only obtained my role as a manager at Xerox due to my time as a reservist. It also helped me on non-military activities such as trekking across Scotland and camping in snowstorms.

There have been many highlights during my time in the reserves including 2 weeks in Cyprus helping to create a military base for troops getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan. Training in 38°C was quite full on and it gave me an appreciation of what the troops in Afghanistan must go through. I’ve also taken part in the annual Commando Speed March in Scotland which is hard work but a great experience. I’m lucky that Xerox is very accommodating with my training, and when I have to travel with work, the reserves are equally understanding.

If you’re thinking of applying, I’d say go for it. You will learn so much and it will be useful in every area of your life.

Corporal Stuart Jordan, Army Reserve (Territorial Army)

Stuart, 41, from Welling in Bexley is a Warrant Officer Class 2 in the Royal Engineers and a Senior Engineer for Arup.

Being a reservist is an escape from the daily grind, enabling me to test myself against challenges that aren’t available to most people. Passing the All Arms Commando Course is, without doubt, the greatest highlight of my time in the Reserves. Being part of the local reconstruction process in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, comes a very close second.

I started off by visiting different units to see where I felt most at home. The Commando Engineers offered me a balance of engineering and infantry allowing me to enjoy both mental and physical challenges. Being a civil engineer, the practical experience I’ve gained has been invaluable.

If you want to progress through the ranks, training helps you to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. I train once a week and for about 8 weekends throughout the year. I also attend a 2 week annual training camp.

The training is good and generally progressive and although I’ve found myself stretched, I have felt prepared even for probing minefields south of Basra before the main assault.

In 2006 I was deployed as a sergeant in Afghanistan to manage the plant equipment in Camp Bastion. It took a couple of months of hard work to locate the equipment in various outposts and return it to a serviceable state. I was then re-tasked Lashkar Gah where I worked on reconstruction projects such as sustainable water supplies, new security infrastructure for the Afghan Forces and toilets for schools. We also designed and constructed a 2-storey midwife training facility in the grounds of a regional hospital.

Overall, being a reservist gives me a sense of achievement, has improved my confidence and helps to maintain my fitness levels. If you’re thinking of joining the reserves you should start by talking to anyone you know who is a reservist and go online to see what type of unit might best suit you. It will give you some of the best experiences of your life.

Posters, leaflets and images for use by local authorities and government departments in their publicity material.

Armed Forces reserves

Armed Forces reserves: your support

The Armed Forces reserves play a crucial role in national security from countering security threats, peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts abroad to supporting communities at home.

To recruit to the reserves, we need a concerted national effort, encouraging people from all walks of life to consider the benefits that joining the reserves can bring.

These benefits include developing skills you never knew you had, invaluable experiences and the opportunity to experience adventure, excitement and new challenges away from your everyday life.

This toolkit of materials is for local authorities to use when rolling out local Armed Forces reserves recruitment campaigns in partnership with your local Armed Forces Reserve unit. Campaign artwork is available to download for local printing. Printed local recruitment materials can be requested from your local unit.

Read the welcome letter from Brigadier Mark van der Lande, Head of Reserve Forces and Cadets (pdf).

Find out more about changes to the Reserve Forces.

Contact us

If you have any feedback or suggestions to help us improve our resources please email reserves@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk

Images

You can view images on Flickr. To order images please email reserves@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk stating the reference number of the image(s) you require.

This guide provides answers to frequently asked questions about joining the Army Reserve, from explaining the application process to training opportunities.

This guide provides answers to frequently asked questions about joining the Royal Naval Reserve, from explaining the application process to training opportunities.

This guide provides answers to frequently asked questions about joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) Reserves, from explaining the application process to training opportunities.

The Prime Minister said:

At this evening’s COBR I received an update on the weather conditions tonight and over the coming days. After a thankfully calm day today, some rain is expected at times next week, though not to the levels we have seen. But this additional rainfall will add to high groundwater levels and will impact slow feeding rivers over the days ahead.

I am hopeful that the work to strengthen long-term flood defences, and the emergency measures which have been put in place over recent days and weeks will mean that we can minimise the number of homes and businesses affected by the latest high water levels.

The recent flooding has been a tragedy for all those affected and my thoughts are with them. While it is of no comfort to those indi viduals, over 1.3 million other homes have been protected since December and we will continue to invest in flood defence measures to protect even more.

Extensive efforts to protect and repair properties and infrastructure are ongoing by many thousands of people among agencies, the military and the emergency services. I speak for us all when I thank them profusely for their hard work.

Read about the UK government response to the ongoing severe weather and flooding.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister chaired a meeting of COBR earlier this evening.

He was updated on the weather outlook and told that although further rain is expected later in the week, it is likely to be at a level more typical with this time of year.

He was told that all 14 severe flood warnings on the Thames have been removed as levels there are now stable or dropping, although there would be a continuing risk from groundwater flooding. There is also an improved picture on roads and rail with the Strategic Road Network operating as normal.

The Prime Minister was updated on what is being done to help people with flooded properties and was briefed on progress to increase pumping activity on the Somerset Levels, working with Gold Commanders to discuss and address new and ongoing issues with local floods response and recovery work.

Ministers will today (Tuesday 18 February) hold a meeting with insurance industry leaders to discuss how the insurance industry is stepping up to help hard-working people affected by the floods.

Cabinet Office Ministers Oliver Letwin and Jo Johnson, Flooding Minister Dan Rogerson and Communities Minister Brandon Lewis will host the Chief Executive Officers of Aviva, Direct Line Group, Axa, Lloyds Banking Group and Ageas along with the Claims Director of RSA and Underwriting Director of Axa. Together these companies represent 60% of the market. Otto Thoresen from the Association of British Insurers will also attend.

Recovery process

Ministers have requested an operational briefing on the immediate and longer-term practical recovery process to getting people back on their feet after the flooding, and the steps the industry is taking to ensure this process is as quick and simple as possible.

The insurance companies are also expected to advise that there is sufficient capacity of loss adjusters and specialist drying equipment to begin the repair and restoration process as soon as possible after the flood waters recede, and that they will continue to keep this under review.

Flooding Minister Dan Rogerson said:

We all need to pull together to help those areas badly affected by the floods, so they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

Dealing with the aftermath will take time and requires a stepped-up national effort.

Insurers have a critical role to play and by working closely together we will continue to ensure that the help and support which people need is available.

The insurance industry leaders will also talk ministers through the support they are already offering and commitments they have made to ensure hard-working people continue to get the support they need, including:

• several thousand texts and phone calls sent to homes and businesses warning them a flood was coming; advising them to move to temporary accommodation and automatically sending through emergency payments by direct debit

• £14 million of emergency payments to households and businesses made since 23 December, with the payments typically between £500 and £3,000 for households, usually paid promptly via bank transfer

• £24 million spent on immediate alternative accommodation, across hotels, bed & breakfasts, apartments, and rented properties, with an average estimated cost per affected household projected to be £16,500

• 1,800 extra staff reassigned to customer facing roles since the start of the flooding to ensure customers get the assistance they need

• over 5,000 loss adjuster visits since 23 December 2013 and over 2,000 loss adjusters ready and waiting for when the waters go down

Today’s meeting will be the first of regular monthly meetings to make sure the industry and government are doing everything necessary to help communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

The CEOs of Aviva, Direct Line Group, Axa, Lloyds Banking Group and Ageas, along with the Claims Director of RSA and the Association of British Insurers restated their commitment to voluntarily maintaining the 2008 Statement of Principles on flood insurance until the guaranteed affordable flood insurance scheme, Flood Re, is delivered in 2015.

The Flood Re scheme was agreed between government and industry last June. The insurance companies assured ministers that there has been no evidence of insurers raising premiums for flood risk properties in advance of Flood Re starting in 2015.

They also advised that there is currently sufficient capacity of loss adjusters and specialised drying equipment to begin the repair and restoration process as soon as possible after the flood waters recede (typically starting with a loss adjustor arriving within 3 to 7 days of the time at which the water has receded and access is feasible), and that they would keep this under review.

Monthly meetings

It was agreed that there would be monthly meetings between the government and the insurance executives to make sure everything possible was being done to provide prompt and full payment to customers, and to ensure that government and the industry were fully co-ordinated in helping flood victims.

24 hour flood helplines

The insurance companies will continue to operate 24 hour flood helplines that can authorise immediate emergency payments at any time of the day or night. Ministers asked the companies to use lines with local network rates rather than premium rates. Insurers emphasised affected households are being contacted proactively, including by email, and call-backs will always be agreed to save the householder money.

Technical experts for “repair and renew” grants

The insurance industry will supply a team of technical experts to help ensure the new “repair and renew” grants, announced by the Prime Minister last week, are used to maximise homeowners’ future flood resilience, and are part of the claims processes to ensure maximum take-up. Ministers and the industry agreed that the grants should make a contribution towards enabling households and businesses affected by the current floods to get affordable insurance in the future within Flood Re. Ministers will draw on independent research to quantify the expected impacts of the grant scheme on the cost of insurance.

SME access

The insurance companies asserted that there were no issues with SME access to the insurance market and that they continue to provide insurance on a competitive basis. Ministers have asked business groups to identify any evidence of problems from small businesses.

Leaseholders in high risk areas

Insurers also stated that the small number of leaseholders in high risk areas who will not be covered by Flood Re will still be able to access affordable insurance commercially. Ministers have asked the leaseholder groups to identify any evidence of problems which they will then pass on to the industry.

Flooding Minister Dan Rogerson said:

We had a positive and constructive meeting with the insurance industry on the steps that they are taking to get people back on their feet as quickly as possible after the flooding.

We were reassured that they have already put in place a range of measures to look after their customers, and we have agreed with them further steps to help the recovery process including providing a team of experts to advise on delivering the new repair and renew grants and a commitment to reviewing the cost of 24 hour flood helplines. We will continue to meet on a monthly basis to ensure an effective, coordinated response.

Otto Thoresen, Director General of the ABI, said:

Insurers assured Ministers the situation is under control and that customers have been helped speedily and effectively since the flooding and bad weather began in December. They emphasised the long recovery process ahead and their commitment to helping customers through this difficult time.’

Meeting attendees

The meeting was attended by:

• Cabinet Office Ministers Oliver Letwin and Jo Johnson
• Flooding Minister Dan Rogerson
• Communities Minister Brandon Lewis
• Paul Evans, CEO, Axa UK and Ireland, Deputy Chairman, ABI
• Maurice Tulloch, CEO Aviva UK and Ireland
• Tom Woolgrove, MD Personal Lines, Direct Line Group & Chair, Flood Re Project Board
• Craig Thornton, Director, General Insurance, Lloyds Banking Group
• Andy Watson, CEO, Ageas UK
• David Pitt, Claims Director, RSA
• David Williams, MD Underwriting, Axa UK
• Otto Thoresen, DG, ABI
• Huw Evans, Deputy DG and Director of Policy, ABI
• Aidan Kerr, Head of Property, ABI

What is Flood Re?

Flood Re provides homes at high-risk of flooding with affordable flood insurance. It replaces the Statement of Principles from 2015 – a voluntary agreement with industry that guaranteed availability of insurance but not affordability.

Under the scheme, the 1 to 2% of homes at the highest risk of flooding will have their insurance part funded by Flood Re, allowing their flood insurance premiums and excesses to be capped according to Council Tax band. The UK’s other 99% of homes will continue to access the free-market for insurance.

Flood Re will be funded via a levy on insurers. Premiums for low risk householders will not go up.

Insurers have agreed to continue to abide by their commitments under the 2008 Statement of Principles until Flood Re comes into force in 2015.

For the 1% of high-risk homes covered by Flood Re, a small number of homes are excluded. These include:

• properties built after 2009 to avoid incentivising building in the most high risk areas - this is a continuation of the 2008 Statement of Principles Position
• Band H homes
• leaseholder properties - this is because freeholders are legally responsible for buying building insurance for their leaseholders (on commercial rather than domestic terms, and commercial properties are not covered by Flood Re)

Insurers stated today that the small number of leaseholders in high risk areas not covered by Flood Re will still be able to access affordable insurance commercially. Ministers have asked the leaseholder groups to identify any evidence of problems in this regard.

Businesses are not covered by Flood Re, because they can access the commercial market and we do not believe it is appropriate for a consumer levy to fund commercial organisations. Insurers today asserted that there were no issues with SME access to the insurance market and plenty of capacity to continue to provide insurance on a competitive basis. Ministers have asked business groups to identify any evidence of problems in this regard.

‘Social action’ means young people taking action to benefit others, communities or society to bring about change.

The cash will come from 2 funds – The Youth Social Action Fund and Youth Social Action Journey Fund – to provide a package of programmes across the country.

It was launched by Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, and is part of the Cabinet Office’s commitment to Step Up To Serve. This is an initiative led by HRH The Prince of Wales to increase the quality, quantity and frequency of social action opportunities for young people and double the number of young people aged between 10 and 20 taking part in social action across the UK by 2020.

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, said:

We want to make sure that young people develop the skills, values and confidence they need as they move into adulthood. That’s why we are backing the Step up to Serve campaign with £11 million to increase the social action opportunities available for young people across the country.

Central to this is National Citizen Service which unites young people from different backgrounds and challenges them to bring about positive change in their neighbourhoods. It has the power to create a generation of ‘work ready,’ well rounded young people with raised aspirations and greater opportunities in their future.

Youth Social Action Fund

The Youth Social Action Fund (YSAF) opened in June 2013, offering financial support to social action programmes in 4 areas: Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Lancashire and Kent.

There is £5 million in total over 2 financial years:

• £4 million from the Cabinet Office Centre for Social Action
• £1 million from the Education Endowment Foundation

Applications closed at the end of July and grants have been made in 2 categories: the first for amounts over £75,000 for existing organisations with a proven track record and the second for up to £75,000 to fund innovative new programmes or existing small, local projects.

An extra £125,000 has been awarded to support a Social Action Passport and Awards scheme alongside YSAF trials. This will help develop a common system for recording and rewarding social action activity so that this can be recognised by businesses and education.

Youth Social Action Journey Fund

The “Journey” Fund seeks to make the transition between social action opportunities easier for young people by funding organisations that provide more social action places to young people, and embedding National Citizen Service (NCS) in the social action journey of young people with whom they work.

Using the same evaluation framework, these programmes will enrich the data gained from YSAF about social action’s outcomes on young people, while also providing the opportunity and benefits of National Citizen Service.

NCS is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity open to all 15 to 17 year olds across England. It is a unique 2 or 3 week full-time programme focused around fun and discovery, plus 30 hours committed to a community project that benefits both young people and society. On this government backed programme, participants build skills for work and life, while taking on new challenges and adventures, making new friends, learning new skills and contributing to their community. Launched in 2011, 70,000 young people have taken part in NCS so far, giving more than 1.3 million hours to make their mark on their local community.

List of organisations to be given grants

PDF, 174KB, 2 pages

The Youth Social Action Journey Fund

The Youth Social Action Fund offered financial support to social action programmes. The fourth call for ideas sought bids from programmes delivering across England to:

• increase the number of young people aged 10 to 20 taking part in high quality, social action opportunities on their existing programmes
• embed National Citizen Service in the social action journey of young people with whom they work

There was up to £6 million for this call, which was funded by the Cabinet Office Centre for Social Action.

On 21 November 2013 the independent Step Up To Serve campaign was launched. Led by HRH The Prince of Wales, the campaign aims to increase the quality, quantity and frequency of social action - “practical action in the service of others” - for young people aged 10 to 20.

The campaign’s interim report, In the Service of Others, which the government endorsed, identified that creating a journey between social action opportunities is critical and that National Citizen Service could be a universal moment in a decade of opportunities.

Since 2011 National Citizen Service (NCS) has worked with over 65,000 young people and it is growing so it can be available to all 16 and 17-year-olds to support the important transition to adulthood.

This fund sought to support organisations to make this journey a reality by increasing the number of quality social action opportunities for young people aged 10 to 20, embedding NCS into this journey and improving the handover from one social action opportunity to the next.

The ambition for this Youth Social Action Journey Fund over 2 years is to:

• learn about how the Campaign for Youth Social Action Principles and Outcomes Framework work in practice and contribute to an evidence base which shows the impact of social action on outcomes for young people and their communities
• work with existing social action providers delivering in England to grow in a sustainable way, expanding their reach and impact
• integrate NCS and other programmes into a seamless social action journey for young people

Birmingham and Kent - call now closed

The first call for ideas sought bids for programmes to be delivered in Birmingham and Kent (specifically, Thanet, Swale, Shepway, Dover, and Canterbury) which provided social action opportunities for 10 to 20 year olds. The programmes had to either:

• focus on 10 to 14 year olds, or demonstrate how they would fill a gap in existing provision for other age groups within the 10 to 20 age range
• support the take-up of, and progression between, social action opportunities for 10-20 year olds, and the overall success of those programmes

There was up to £3 million for this call, which was completely funded by the Cabinet Office Centre for Social Action.

Middlesborough and Lancashire - call now closed

The second call for ideas sought bids for programmes to be delivered in Middlesbrough and Redcar, and Lancashire which provided social action opportunities for 10 to 14 year olds and could create positive outcomes for young people, including improved attainment and engagement at school.

There was up to £2 million for this second call, and this was co-funded by the Cabinet Office and the Education Endowment Foundation.

Passport and Awards – call now closed

The third call for ideas sought bids for programmes to complement those that were funded from the earlier calls on 27 June (Birmingham and Kent, and Middlesbrough and Lancashire) through:

• a Social Action Passport that would enable young people to record all of their social action outcomes in 1 place - there was up to £50,000 of funding available for this call
• an awards system which would recognise and reward the social action of young people, and create a useful shorthand for young people to describe their social action - there was up to £75,000 available for this call

There was up to £125,000 for this third call, which was completely funded by the Cabinet Office Centre for Social Action.

A pioneering programme to support public service mutuals is marking its 2 year anniversary by celebrating the staff who have taken on responsibility for delivering public services in the ways they know best. Over the coming week, we will be celebrating the successes of mutuals across the country on social media – follow @cabinetofficeuk on Twitter to see some great examples of mutuals achievements in different parts of the UK.

Frontline staff in an organisation often know how to do things best – especially in the public sector, where staff work directly with service users every day.

As part of the government’s long-term plan to revolutionise the way public services are delivered, the government is supporting more public servants to form mutuals and has put in place new ‘rights to provide’ so that public servants who want to form mutuals can do so. In 2012, we invested £10 million into the Mutuals Support Programme to help mutuals grow and in turn cut waste and save taxpayers’ money. So far the programme has helped 67 mutuals – 16 of which are live and 51 in development – with support and training.

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said:

Staff are at the forefront of this revolution, and it is their successes and innovations that have led to real, tangible improvements for the public. Having grown from an embryonic, experimental state back in 2010, mutuals have grown into a true success story, offering a genuinely successful alternative that has paid off for staff and service users alike.

Success stories

Achievements of mutuals are wide and varied:

• 3BM educational partners increased their business by over 25% in their first year as a mutual, whilst reducing prices for most of their school clients – making more money available for schools to spend on other things
• East Coast Community Healthcare reduced corporate expenditure by nearly £185,000 through efficiency savings and improved sub-contracting. They have invested over £100,000 in mobile IT for more than 350 staff, improving efficiency and flexibility for patients
• Plymouth Community Healthcare has awarded £50,000 of community grants from their first year’s surplus to develop its community interest aims, and have been awarded extra contracts for the provision of services for more than £2 million
• Evolve YP has flattened its management structure to make it more responsive: this means that decisions about children’s welfare are made much closer to the child. An emergency duty service has also been introduced for children and young people and their carers
• Let’s Go Global, the first culture and media mutual, has been able to support advancement of young peoples’ skills in the creative sector, by linking four young people to placements at ITV, providing trainers to the Arts Award programme, and organising seminars to share best practice & innovations

About mutuals

Mutuals are formed by public servants who “spin out” from the public sector and deliver their service under contract. This means the staff can be more responsive to local people’s needs, provide a better service and reduce wasteful red-tape.

Across England, more than 85 mutuals now deliver over £1 billion of public services. Many more are developing in services from health care to education support and youth services.