As long as he had a beverage in his hand, wearing a mask was not necessary.
Jamie Dawson, the attorney representing the investigation, suggested to him that if he required assistance with this matter as the health secretary, then the regulations were overly intricate for others as well.
If the health and social care cabinet secretary deems it necessary to explain the regulations, what hope do others have in comprehending them?
According to Yousaf, his job required him to not only check things twice or three times, but four times in order to accurately understand the rules. He emphasized the importance of getting them correct.
As the secretary for health and social care, I made sure to thoroughly review the rules. If necessary, I would even check them four times over due to the high level of public scrutiny we were facing.
Dawson inquired about his concern when Leitch mentioned that no one was wearing a mask while standing and talking during dinner, despite it being expected.
According to Yousaf, Leitch has a relaxed manner of speaking, as he tends to talk excessively.
Was Leitch providing you with a way to exploit a loophole?
Yousaf declined the request, stating that he was simply asking for clarification on how to adhere to the rules.
The government has declared that Rishi Sunak will lead a newly established towns unit with the purpose of amplifying the voices of UK towns in government and bringing crucial revitalization efforts to fruition. As reported by Eleni Courea, Sunak is set to be removed from his current position.
At the upcoming election, Labour plans to prioritize important issues such as boosting the economy, generating employment, reducing expenses, improving the healthcare system for the future, and promoting equal opportunities for children and youth nationwide.
Drakeford stated that it was the duty of UK Labour to demonstrate that progress towards devolution had been initiated if they were to win the election this year. He expressed his desire for Keir Starmer to pledge early adoption of Gordon Brown’s report on the future of the UK, which recommended that a Labour government begin the process of devolving youth justice and the probation service.
Drakeford went on:
Some coworkers in London view this as a situation where one person’s gain is another’s loss, believing that any decentralization of authority results in a disadvantage for them.
The four police and crime commissioners in Wales strongly support the devolution of policing. This sentiment is shared by those who are closely involved in the operational aspect of this issue.
Drakeford who is due to step down as Welsh Labour leader in March, advised his successor to “be bold” and always “look for those radical changes that are necessary”.
In October of last year, the Scottish government conducted a Covid inquiry, and Nicola Sturgeon asked if the summary was accurate.
Yousaf has stated that the circumstances have evolved.
How were WhatsApp messages documented in the “corporate record” if that was necessary?
Yousaf stated that any decisions made on WhatsApp must also be communicated to the private office in order to be recorded in the system. No decisions would be considered valid unless they were documented in the corporate record.
What happened next was the deletion of WhatsApp messages.
Yousaf stated that the advised course of action was to delete messages from the corporate record in order to ensure cyber security.
There is currently a Covid inquiry taking place in Edinburgh at 1:18pm.
He has dismissed the idea that the cabinet is simply a place for rubber stamping decisions.
However, Jamie Dawson KC presented the idea that Nicola Sturgeon favored making decisions within a small group. He mentions a message that Yousaf received from Jason Leitch, Scotland’s national clinical director, on the day he became health secretary.
As usual, there were some shenanigans about keeping things small within the FM. In reality, she does not want any of us.
Yousaf stated that Leitch was “over-speaking.”
Two reports, one from the Office for National Statistics and another from the Home Office, indicate an increase in knife crime and shoplifting. Yvette Cooper, the opposition’s spokesperson for home affairs, expressed concern about these findings.
The recent surge in knife-related crimes over the past year highlights the failure of the Conservative party to address law and order issues. This has resulted in a 77% increase in knife crime compared to 2015, causing immense harm to youth, families, and communities. Serious violence is also on the rise, including an increase in gun-related crimes, yet the government has failed to take control of the situation.
While shoplifting has increased by 32% in the past year, our town centers have become rampant with criminals, resulting in a record number of cases where no suspect was identified.
The ONS states in its report on crime in England and Wales for the period of September 2022 to September 2023:
The number of thefts reported by the police has risen by 9%, totaling 1.8 million incidents, in the year ending September 2022. This was mainly due to a significant increase in shoplifting incidents. In the year ending September 2023, there was a 32% spike in shoplifting offences compared to the previous year, with 402,482 incidents recorded compared to 304,459 in the year ending September 2022.
The recent findings of the Covid investigation showed that official communication procedures were neglected, causing embarrassment. He stated:
I am of the opinion that there are difficulties regarding our utilization of WhatsApp. The government has not handled requests for WhatsApp messages in the best manner, and I take responsibility for that, unlike other governments.
This is why I have requested officials to conduct an independent review, not one led by the government, on the utilization of mobile messaging apps and non-corporate technology in the Scottish government. The review will specifically consider our communication with official public inquiries.
Regarding transparency, the government has provided 28,000 messages and 19,000 documents. As the first minister, I have also submitted my WhatsApp messages.
Yousaf is scheduled to attend the Covid inquiry this afternoon.
Today’s released statements revealed that certain products were faulty or unsuitable, while others will not be utilized prior to their expiration date.
According to the National Audit Office (NAO) report, the department intends to get rid of the majority of its current supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is currently stored in warehouses and containers.
Gareth Davies, the leader of the NAO, stated that most of the PPE documented had little worth.
He stated that the continuous endeavor to identify, stop, and reclaim fraud must persist in order to enhance trust in the public that this depletion of public funds is being addressed with effectiveness and efficiency.
The losses were justified by Downing Street, citing the impact that Covid-19 had on the situation.
The spokesperson for the prime minister stated that it is crucial to remember the challenging situation that the UK and other countries faced during the pandemic, when there was a severe shortage of PPE globally. As a result, the costs of obtaining protective equipment significantly increased. The government made a transparent decision to do everything in their power to secure PPE for frontline healthcare and care workers, which was the right thing to do.
Rwanda.
During a press conference held this morning, Síofra O’Leary, the court’s president, stated that states have a “definite legal responsibility” to comply with court-issued injunctions, also known as rule 39 orders.
The initial effort by the government to send a deportation flight to Rwanda in 2022 was halted due to a court order. The government’s current Rwanda bill, which is currently being processed by parliament, gives authority to ministers to determine whether or not to comply with any future injunctions in these situations. However, Rishi Sunak has caused frustration among some MPs by not explicitly stating that injunctions will be disregarded.
Instead, he recently stated that under certain circumstances, he would disregard them.
During her press conference, O’Leary stated:
States are legally obligated to adhere to rule 39 measures under the convention.
During her Q&A speech, O’Leary stated that injunctions are only granted in rare situations when there is a definite and immediate threat of irreparable damage.
She also stated that the UK has consistently followed rule 39 measures, with the exception of one specific instance. She has also publicly emphasized the importance of other countries adhering to rule 39 indications, such as urging Russia, under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, to comply with a 2021 measure regarding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
When questioned about O’Leary’s statement, the spokesperson for the Prime Minister informed reporters at the No 10 lobby briefing that the government did not believe rule 39 orders would be necessary for Rwanda due to recent policy changes. They also reaffirmed the Prime Minister’s willingness to disregard them.
The spokesperson said:
I am of the opinion that our laws are in accordance with our commitments to other countries. We are certain that both the bill and the treaty address the concerns of the supreme court. There should be no reason for Strasbourg to interfere and prevent flights in the same manner as they did in 2022.
The bill has been written to allow ministers the authority to refuse to follow these rulings if deemed necessary. Each case is evaluated based on its unique circumstances, but the prime minister has made it clear multiple times that we will not allow a foreign court to prevent flights from departing.
The spokesperson also stated that it was “strange” to equate the UK’s disregard of rule 39 orders with that of Russia. They further added that…
I find it odd to try and make a connection between Russia’s brutal treatment of Alexei Navalny, who was the target of an assassination attempt, and our strategy to safeguard and discourage at-risk migrants from making dangerous journeys across the Channel.
A press statement has been issued providing information about the prohibition of knives resembling those used by zombies.
Yvette Cooper, the opposition’s spokesperson for home affairs, stated that the recent prohibition “falls short and is insufficient, as well as being delayed.”
During a visit to a police station in Milton Keynes, she stated that the repercussions were inadequate and the new restriction would not be enforced until autumn.
In addition, she mentioned that it was still too limited. She communicated to reporters:
The package does not contain ninja swords or any other potentially harmful weapons.
We require swift and decisive action as knife-related offenses have risen by an additional 5% this year and have seen a 77% surge since 2015. This is a widespread issue that demands immediate intervention.
According to PA Media, the number of knife-related offenses reported by police in England and Wales increased compared to the previous year, but have not yet reached pre-Covid levels.
48,716 incidents were documented between September 2022 and September 2023.
This represents a 5% increase from 46,367 in the previous 12 months, yet it is 5% lower than the 51,228 reported for the year ending in March 2020.
The statistics provided do not incorporate the police forces of Devon & Cornwall and Greater Manchester, as there were complications with obtaining the necessary data.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported a significant rise in robberies involving knives or other sharp objects.
In the year leading up to September 2022, the number of notifications and comments reached 16,746. However, in the following year leading up to September 2023, it jumped to 20,000, indicating a 19% increase. Despite this growth, the total is still lower than before the pandemic.
There were 240 homicides involving a knife in the 12 months leading up to September 2023. This number remained similar to the 241 reported in the previous year and was lower than the numbers before the pandemic.
Source: theguardian.com
