2022 年 1 月 ·January 2022 · 縂第 235 期 ISSUE235
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對英國新冠肺炎貸款計畫的薄弱監管是給欺詐者的禮物 2020 年 3 月，當該計畫在冠狀病毒大流行的頭幾 天宣佈時，財政大臣裏希 · 蘇納克 (Rishi Sunak) 將其描述為“英國政府歷史上以及世界上任何政府 採取的最重要的經濟干預措施之一”。 鮑裏斯 · 詹森 (Boris Johnson) 和蘇納克 (Sunak) 為一項開拓性的計畫感到自豪，該計畫將為多達 1170 萬名工人支付 80% 的工資，每月最高 2500 英鎊。蘇納克在唐寧街 10 號講壇上說 :“ 我們已經 拋開意識形態和正統觀念，動員英國政府的全部力 量和資源。”
無薪休假支付只是政府在疫情早期匆忙推出的一系 列計畫之一，目的是為個人和企業提供財務支持。 其他專案還包括自營職業者收入支持計畫、“外出 就餐幫助他人”以及企業反彈貸款計畫 (BBLS) 。 週一，在上議院，負責白廳效率和反欺詐的部長西 奧多•阿格紐 (Theodore Agnew) 在其引人注目的 辭職演講中指出， BBLS 監管鬆懈。 阿格紐勳爵批評了英國商業、能源和工業戰略部 (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) 和 國 有 銀 行 英 國 商 業 銀 行 (British Business Bank) 對新冠肺炎貸款的監管，稱這種 監管“非常糟糕”。他補充說， Sunak 所在的財 政部似乎對欺詐的後果“不知情，也不感興趣”。 長期以來，這些警告信號一直很明顯，比如在同一 地址成立了多家公司。第一批起訴已經開始慢慢進 行。 政府長期以來一直指出，其支持計畫是在戰時基礎 上推出的，而且迫切需要向經濟注入資金，否則將 面臨大量企業倒閉的風險。
本月早些時候，在下議院的一場辯論中，財政部經 濟大臣約翰•格倫 (John Glen) 聲稱，政府已經“極 其認真地對待與 Covid 資助計畫相關的潛在欺詐問 題”，但他表示，“不可能防止所有相關的欺詐” 。 然而，從新冠肺炎疫情一開始，財政支持的公告就 引發了英國稅務和海關總署總部的擔憂。英國稅務 海關總署 (HMRC) 去年表示 :“ 從一開始就很清楚， 這些計畫將成為欺詐的目標，客戶也會犯錯誤。” 當時，英國稅務海關總署註銷了因各種 Covid-19 緊急支持計畫而被盜的 43 億英鎊。 英國稅務海關總署認為，約 58 億英鎊 ( 即通過該 計畫支付的 812 億英鎊中，每 14 英鎊就有 1 英 鎊 ) 被盜。到目前為止，僅回收了 5 億英鎊，預計 到 2023 年，可能還會回收 8 億至 10 億英鎊。 今年 3 月，商業部門估計，價值 170 億英鎊的反彈 貸款中，有 37% 將無法償還， 11% 來自欺詐性申 請。 普華永道會計師事務所隨後在 10 月進行的一項調 查將欺詐率下調至 7.5% ，儘管國家審計署在 12 月的報告中表示，它還沒有時間親自核查這一估計 。 英國國家審計局長期以來一直指出，政府在打擊 BBLS 計畫中存在“不充分”努力，該計畫旨在幫 助拯救在疫情期間面臨倒閉風險的公司，規模為 470 億英鎊。 該公司表示，該計畫的反欺詐檢查“執行得太慢” ，對借款人的核實有限，而且沒有信用檢查。隨著 計畫的推進，又引入了 13 項反欺詐措施，但大多 數措施來得太晚，無法預防欺詐，而是集中於偵查 。 國家審計署署長加雷斯•戴維斯警告說，已經查明 的欺詐行為可能只是冰山一角。他表示 :“ 隨著時間
2 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
麥肯錫 : 實現淨零需要全球經濟的根本性轉變
世界上最具影響力的諮詢公司之一麥肯錫的一 份報告指出，要在 2050 年實現淨零排放，需要“ 對全球經濟進行根本性的轉變”。 據估計，未來幾十年，每年需要投資 9.2 萬億 美元，才能將全球氣溫升幅控制在 1.5 攝氏度以 內，並結束氣候緊急狀態。這一數字比目前的投 資水準增加了 40% ，相當於全球企業利潤的一半 。 報告警告說，經濟轉型將影響到每個國家和每 個行業，那些最依賴化石燃料燃燒的國家將經歷 最大的變化。為許多政府和大公司提供諮詢服務 的麥肯錫公司還表示，這一過渡將首先考慮的問 題是，電力成本先上升後下降。
然而，報告說，實現零碳排放對於避免全球變暖 帶來的最災難性影響至關重要，因為全球變暖將傷 害數十億人，而且許多低碳投資是經濟增長的機會 ，將導致成本更低、效率更高的經濟。報告還說， 行動延遲的時間越長，轉變的成本就越高。 麥肯錫內部智庫麥肯錫全球研究所 (McKinsey Global Institute) 的 喬 納 森 • 沃 澤 爾 (Jonathan Woetzel) 表示 :“9.2 萬億美元是一個非常大的數 字，大到足以引起任何人的注意。”“但這並不是 一個不可能的數字。我們並不是以前沒有在其他方 面 ( 進行過轉變 )” ，比如全球向城市生活的轉變 。
沃澤爾說，經濟轉型是從一個不考慮環境和社會損害成本的經濟體轉變為考慮環境和社會損害成本的 經濟體。“只有可持續的經濟，我們不會有其他任何形式的經濟。” 報告說，這項提前實施的改革提出了一個“關鍵問題”，即誰將為此買單，以及更高的電力、鋼鐵和 水泥成本是否會轉嫁到民眾身上，或者低收入者是否得到政府的保護。 報告的目標是評估實現淨零所需的經濟轉型的規模，前提是迅速採取行動，並得出結論 :“ 實現淨零 將意味著世界經濟的根本性轉變。” 該機構估計，能源、交通、建築、工業和農業領域的投資需要增加 3.5 萬億美元，而目前從高碳產品 轉向低碳產品 ( 如電動汽車和熱泵 ) 的支出中，還需要增加 1 萬億美元。作為全球 GDP 的一部分，總投 資需求將達到 6.8% ，在 2026 年至 2030 年期間將上升至 8.8% ，之後才會下降。 麥肯錫的設想表明，由於可再生能源的運營成本較低，電力成本到 2040 年可能會上升 25% ，到 2050 年才會降至今天的水準以下。該公司說，鋼鐵和水泥的表面成本分別增加了約 30% 和 45% 。 英 國 倫 敦 政 治 經 濟 學 院 (London School of Economics) 格 蘭 瑟 姆 氣 候 變 化 研 究 所 (Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change) 政策主管鮑勃•沃德 (Bob Ward) 表示 :“ 麥肯錫的投資數據不 是全球達到淨零的淨成本，而是未考慮收益的前期年度成本。 “ 對清潔基礎設施的投資將創造就業、增長和巨額儲蓄，特別是通過消除購買極其昂貴的化石燃料的 需求，而且考慮到避免了空氣污染和氣候變化造成的生命和生計損失， ( 將 ) 產生更大的回報。” 瑞士再保險公司 (Swiss Re) 最近估計，到 2050 年，全球氣溫上升 2.6 攝氏度所造成的損失將使全球 GDP 減少 14% 。今年 10 月，氣候經濟學家、終身貴族尼古拉斯 · 斯特恩 (Nicholas Stern) 說 :“ 向零 排放的轉變可能成為一種新形式增長的巨大推動力—— 21 世紀的增長故事。” 麥肯錫報告稱 :“ 儘管眼前的任務可能令人望而生畏，但人類的智慧最終可以解決淨零等式，就像它 在過去 1 萬年裏解決過其他看似棘手的問題一樣。”“關鍵問題是，世界能否鼓起必要的勇氣和決心。 ” 報告說，如果這樣做，所得到的回報將遠遠超過僅僅避免氣候影響，因為各國將不得不共同努力，然 後將更好地解決其他“古老的”地緣政治問題。 “ 我們相信，這是一個充滿希望的資訊，讓人們意識到有必要——也有能力——創造更大的全球合作 ，” Woetzel 說。
3 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
日 鮑裏斯 · 詹森 (Boris Johnson) 因生日派對被封鎖而再次遭到憤怒 日前，英國首相鮑裏斯 · 詹 森 (Boris Johnson) 的未婚妻為他舉辦 了一場意外的“封城”生日派對，這再 次引發了議員和死者家屬的憤怒。有消 息稱，一項官方調查發現，唐寧街中心 存在“管理不善的可怕證據”。 據一名接受調查的白廳消息人 士透露，預計負責調查唐寧街政黨的高 級公務員蘇•格雷 (Sue Gray) 將在聽到 唐寧街領導層多次失敗後，就改革唐寧 另一位尚未提交不信任信的 街 10 號的運作提出深刻的批評建議。 保守黨議員表示，生日聚會“顯然是 在最新的違規事件中，唐寧街 10 號承認，儘管新冠疫情規定禁止在 社交活動”，“改變了很多事情”。 《衛報》瞭解到，如果唐寧 室 內 舉 行 社交 聚會， 但 凱莉 · 詹 森 (Carrie Johnson) 還是在 2020 年 6 月 街 10 號試圖隱瞞全部細節，只公佈 19 日為首相和多達 30 名工作人員舉辦 簡要的調查結果，工黨將試圖在下周 了一場派對。戶外集會被限制為六人一 的反對黨日辯論中強迫發表完整的格 雷報告。 組。 一名前座議員表示，那些週 據英國獨立電視臺報導，首相 末一直在統計可能成為首相反叛者的 在 56 歲生日當天下午 2 點出席了在唐 寧街 10 號內閣會議室舉行的派對，室 人數的人越來越擔心，儘管詹森向搖 內設計師露露 · 萊特爾 (Lulu Lytle) 擺不定的議員發出了多次魅力攻勢， 也在場，但她並不是唐寧街 10 號的員 但他可能會失去不信任投票。 該消息人士稱 :“ 週末期間 工。 ，人們一直告訴他們，他們支持首相 據說，房間裏擺放著瑪莎百貨 (Marks & Spencer) 的派對食品和生日 ，但當然，那可能是有人在撒謊。” “ 我認為最終會有三分之一 蛋糕，員工們唱著《生日快樂》 的人投票反對首相——如果這真的發 (Happy birthday) ，並在這裏停留 20生了，他需要至少一半的後座議員支 30 分鐘。 唐寧街 10 號稱，首相參加了 持他。”這似乎不太可能。你可以看 10 分鐘的派對，並否認了英國獨立電 到事情很快變得危險。” 視臺關於他於 6 月 19 日晚些時候在唐 大多數議員仍然決定等待格 寧街官邸舉辦派對的報導。據瞭解，格 雷已經被告知有關指控，這意味著最新 雷的調查結果，預計本周晚些時候。 據稱，當天下午晚些時候， 的 exposé 不太可能推遲她的報告的發 詹森還在家中招待了家人和朋友，但 表，預計本周晚些時候。 萊特爾的一位發言人表示，露 唐寧街 10 號否認了這一說法，稱他 露那天正在為詹森的公寓進行有爭議的 只招待了少數親戚。 關於這次舉辦於下午 2 點的 翻修工作，並補充說 :“ 露露沒有作為 聚會，唐寧街 10 號的一位發言人說 客人受邀參加任何首相的生日慶祝活動。 在等待與總理談話時，露露按要求短暫 :“ 當天在內閣會議室工作的一組工 作人員在一次會議後短暫地聚集在一 地進入了內閣會議室。” 與此同時，工黨領袖們被警告 起，祝首相生日快樂。”他在那裏待 稱，由於對不斷曝光的醜聞越來越憤怒 了不到 10 分鐘。” 一名發言人對後來在公寓裏 ，詹森可能會失去信任票。 被指控的當事人說 :“ 這完全不屬實。 一位資深議員估計，多達三分 按照當時的規定，總理當晚在戶外接 之一的部長工資——從部長到主要私人 秘書，再到保守黨副主席——可能會投 待了少數家庭成員。” 週一，首相的前首席顧問多 票反對首相，這使得詹森至少要依靠半 米 尼 克 · 卡 明 斯 (Dominic 數後座議員的支持。 Cummings) 說，他已經向格雷調查提 週一晚上，憤怒的議員們表示 ，他們對最近“點滴”的封鎖違規事件 交了書面證據——但他警告說，一些 感到憤怒。其中一人說 :“ 估計在格雷 工作人員擔心交出證據會遭到首相的 報告之後，還有更多的儲備等待釋放， 報復。 以防沒有造成致命打擊。”
據《衛報》瞭解，格雷向一 些員工保證，他們將得到一定程度 的保護。然而，一位向調查提供證 據的消息人士表示，對報復的恐懼 依然存在。一位白廳消息人士 說 :“ 初級職員擔心他們是否證實 了媒體報導的內容。” “ 普瑞蒂 · 帕特爾的調查 也給人們帶來了傷害，該建議被壓 制，結論也沒有得到遵循。被要求 不撒謊是一回事，主動提供證據又 是另一回事。” 工黨在給詹森的一封信中要 求他遵守 12 月 8 日在議會的承諾， 將一份由內閣秘書西蒙 · 凱斯編輯 的報告副本放在下議院圖書館供所 有議員查看。 副領袖安吉拉 · 雷納說政 府“不能允許任何進一步的掩蓋” ，並敦促詹森給議員們一份被禁的 報告副本，讓他們在議會質詢他之 前閱讀細節。 保守黨議員表示，如果有任 何審查調查結果的企圖，將會在後 座議員中引起憤怒。另一個人 說 :“ 你保留它的唯一原因是，你 計算過，不管裏面有什麼，都值得 因為試圖隱藏它而受到指責。”三 分之一的人說 :“ 被扣留的越多， 被接受的可能性就越小。” 工黨也可以提出一項動議， 迫使政府公佈完整的報告，或部分 證據，以確保任何有關犯罪的證詞 都被移交給警方。 然而，如果政府取消工黨下 一個反對黨日的辯論，他們正在考 慮的其他選擇是使用一個特別委員 會來要求檔。 倫敦員警廳重申了之前的聲 明，稱如果格雷的調查發現了潛在 刑事犯罪的證據，警方將“進一步 考慮”是否進行調查。 在週一的生日派對上，新冠 肺炎遇難者家屬正義組織聯合創始 人喬 · 古德曼說 :“ 和成千上萬人 一樣，我清楚地記得 6 月 19 日。那 是我父親 73 歲生日的前一天，他剛 因新冠去世不久。 “ 首相每天都花時間和 30 個朋友在室內分享蛋糕，這太令人 作嘔了……每一個新的醜聞都在成 千上萬失去親人的人的傷口上撒鹽。 ”如果他還有點尊嚴，他會按照我 們和國家的要求去做，然後離開。 ”
4 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
英國國家醫療服務體系計畫開展牙科 “ 治療閃電戰”以解決預約積壓問題
根據英國國家衛生服務體系 (NHS) 的計畫，英國將為 數十萬名牙科病人提供週末和晚間預約服務，以解決 疫情加劇的積壓問題。 英國國家醫療服務體系 (NHS) 表示， 2 月和 3 月將增 加 35 萬多名牙醫預約服務，並將新增 5000 萬英鎊資 金用於推動牙科“治療閃電戰”。 然而，資深牙科消息人士表示，這筆錢只是“滄海一 粟”，由於 Covid-19 ，英國國家醫療服務體系 (NHS) 取消了數千萬次預約，由此產生的積壓可能需要數年 時間才能清理完。
初級保健部長瑪麗亞 · 考爾菲爾德表示，新的 資金將“緊急地讓更多的人在需要的時候獲得至 關重要的牙科保健”。 然而，英國牙科協會總牙科實踐委員會主席肖 恩 · 查爾伍德表示，如果我們要重建數百萬人 賴以生存的服務，這筆額外的資金“必須只是一 個開始”。 他補充說 :“ 經過 10 年的削減，急需現金的服 務面臨著被提供的資金無法使用的風險。艱難的 實踐正在爭分奪秒地進行，許多人將難以在 4 月 份之前找到產能，讓這項投資發揮作用。”
一些人還對是否有足夠的工作人員來提供額外的預 約表示懷疑，因為去年有數百名牙醫退出了這一行 業，有人警告稱，英國國民醫療服務體系 (NHS) 的 牙醫行業越來越“命懸一線”。 自 2019 年以來，數百萬患者難以獲得牙齒護理。 一些人因此忍受了數周或數月的痛苦，另一些人則 認為他們別無選擇，只能在等待治療的同時進行“ DIY 牙科”，或者感到被迫“去私人診所”。 英國國家醫療服務體系 (NHS) 表示，根據解決積壓 問題的新計畫，參與該計畫的牙醫如果在核心工作 時間以外提供護理，將“在正常會診費的基礎上獲 得超過三分之一的報酬”。 牙醫們說，這可能包括在工作日晚上提供 10 點的 預約，並在週六和周日提供空位，優先安排兒童和 有學習障礙、自閉症或嚴重心理健康問題的人。 英國首席牙科官薩拉 · 赫爾利說 :“ 牙科服務是 英國國民健康保險制度的重要組成部分，為所有年 齡段的人提供口腔保健，這就是為什麼我們採取了 前所未有的行動來促進英國國民健康保險制度的牙 科服務。” “ 英國國家醫療服務體系現在正使牙科等關鍵服 務恢復到大流行前的水準——向常規服務中額外注 入 5000 萬英鎊，將有助於為成百上千人提供體檢 和治療。”
5 時政
好
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27 日
一項新的研究表明，每次都去看同一家全科醫生的癡呆患 研究發現接受看全科醫生診療的認知障礙症患者生活品質更 者出現健康併發症的幾率更低，急診次數更少，整體生活 品質更好。 在英國，有超過 90 萬人患有認知障礙症。全球的這一數 字約為 5700 萬，到 2050 年，這一數字將增長近兩倍，達 到 1.53 億。 埃克塞特大學的研究發表在《英國全科醫學雜誌》上，該 研究分析了 2016 年英國 9000 多名 65 歲及以上老年認知障 礙症患者的記錄。 研究發現，一年來一直接受同一家全科醫生診治的認知障 礙症患者服用的藥物更少，而且不太可能服用會導致摔倒 、大小便失禁和嗜睡等問題的藥物。 那些長期看同一家全科醫生的人患譫妄的可能性降低了 35% ，譫妄是癡呆患者通常會經歷的一種精神混亂狀態。與 接受全科醫生治療的患者相比，那些經常看同一家全科醫 生的患者患尿失禁的可能性要低 58% ，急診住院的可能性 要低 10% 。 研究人員說，譫妄和大小便失禁不僅對病人來說非常痛苦 ，而且對英國國民健康保險制度來說，額外的住院費用也 是昂貴的。 該研究的主要作者、埃克塞特大學的 João 德爾加多博士 說 :“ 在缺乏治癒方法的情況下，長期護理尤為重要。” “治療認知障礙症患者可能是複雜的，因為它經常與其他 常見疾病一起發生。 “ 我們的研究表明，長期看同一家全科醫生與改善安全 處方和改善健康結果有關。這可能會對醫療產生重要影響 ，包括減少治療成本和護理需求。”
該研究的合著者、埃克塞特聖倫納德診所的全科醫 馬歇爾說，儘管全科醫生希望為所有病人提供最好 生丹尼斯 · 佩雷拉 · 格雷爵士 (Sir Denis Pereira 的治療，包括為那些想要和重視它的人提供連續性治 Gray) 說，研究結果表明，擁有一個有名字的全科醫 療，但“全科醫生工作量的不斷增加和勞動力短缺” 生對病人有重要的好處。 意味著提供服務變得越來越困難。 他補充說 :“ 雖然國家決策者多年來一直不鼓勵連 他補充說 :“ 最終，為了讓全科醫生能夠為那些重 續性，但一般實踐仍然可以通過其內部實踐組織 ( 例 視這一點的病人提供連續性的護理，我們需要更多的 如使用個人名單 ) 提供良好的全科醫生連續性。” 全科醫生和更多的實踐團隊成員，這樣我們就可以花 副主任理查德•奧克利博士研究阿爾茨海默氏症協會 更多的時間和病人在一起。”政府必須立即兌現其宣 表示 :“ 從這個研究很明顯 , 一直看到同樣的全科醫 言承諾，增加 6000 名全科醫生和數千名執業團隊成 生真正的癡呆患者的福利——更好的管理和治療條件 員，以便全科醫生能夠為認知障礙症患者及其所有患 , 和更低的譫妄和尿失禁等併發症的風險 , 進而提高 者提供他們需要和應得的護理。” 生活品質。 “ 大流行給全科醫生服務帶來了巨大的壓力，因此 ，儘管我們可能無法在明天為所有認知障礙症患者提 供持續的全科醫生護理，但在我們擺脫大流行時，政 策制定者絕對應該與 NHS 合作，將這一點納入他們的 計畫。” 該研究的結論是，對認知障礙症患者的全科醫生護 理的連續性越高，“處方越安全”，“重大不良事件 的發生率越低”。 英國皇家全科醫生學院主席馬丁 · 馬歇爾教授 說 :“ 患者和全科醫生都高度重視護理的連續性，有 強有力的研究證據表明，這與患者的更好結果和更有 效地使用 NHS 服務有關。”“這項研究證實了這些發 現，並表明它對認知障礙症患者尤其有益。”
6 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
新規定可能會阻止數千名難民加入英國的親密家庭
內政大臣普裏蒂 · 帕特爾 (Priti Patel) 多次表示，要 打破將難民帶到英國的走 私者的商業模式，轉而宣 導通過安全合法的途徑進 入英國，所羅門在接受 《衛報》採訪時表示，新 的政府提案將導致成千上 萬的婦女和兒童別無選擇 ，只能付錢給走私者，讓 他們乘坐危險的小艇橫渡 英吉利海峽。 所羅門說，這些計畫將減 少而不是加強帕特爾一直 宣導的安全和合法的路線 。 政府數據顯示，在過去的 5 年 裏 ， 有 29,000 人 ， 其中超過 90% 是婦女和 兒童，根據家庭團聚規則 安全地來到英國，與已經 在英國的親密家庭成員團 聚，並在英國獲得保護。 難民委員會利用政府數據 計算出，如果該法案的提 案成為法律，每年將有多 達 3500 人被阻止與親人 團聚——未來 5 年將有 17500 人。
根據難民委員會 (Refugee Council) 的分析，由於 英國內政部 (Home Office) 計畫推出的新規定，超 過 1.7 萬名難民 ( 主要是婦女和兒童 ) 可能無法與 英國的親密家庭成員團聚。 通常是男性難民逃離衝突地區，徒步穿越幾個國家 ，乘坐卡車或小船穿越英吉利海峽，希望安全抵達 英國。 她們希望得到保護，根據現行規定，她們有權將親 密的家庭成員，如伴侶和孩子帶到自己身邊。這對 家庭成員可以安全地乘坐飛機前往英國，也可以避 免重複第一家庭成員所做的危險旅程。 然而，據難民委員會的首席執行官恩維爾 · 所羅門 (Enver Solomon) 說，目前正在上議院辯論的國籍 和邊界法案中的新政府計畫，將嚴重限制家庭團聚 ，“幾乎摧毀”難民家庭與親人團聚的主要安全路 線。 政府的新移民計畫旨在限制難民在抵達英國前通過 安全的第三國進行家庭團聚的權利。這適用於成千 上萬乘坐小船前往英國的人。 這個險…為了救我的家人，我已經 一名敘利亞尋求庇護者，為了逃離 家鄉的戰爭、監禁和酷刑，經過幾 準備好了去死。普裏蒂 · 帕特爾現 在想的是通過剝奪我們的家庭團聚 個國家來到英國，他說他對政府計 來消滅我們的家庭。” 畫感到“震驚”。 “ 我們離開我們的國家不是為了尋 內政部發言人表示 :“ 我們將繼續履 找幸福，”他告訴《衛報》。“我 行我們的國際義務。自 2015 年以 來，根據我們的難民家庭團聚政策 是作為一個被遺棄的家庭的家長在 ，已經簽發了 3.9 萬多份家庭團聚 這裏說話的。相反，我們出去是為 了從一場不分老少、不分強弱的戰 簽證，其中一半以上簽發給了兒童 爭中拯救我們的家庭，在這場戰爭 。 “ 我們的新移民計畫將修復破碎的 中，誰都無法生存。 庇護體系，使之公平而堅定，通過 “ 我們走在最危險的國家，穿過沙 漠，乘坐橡皮艇橫渡英吉利海峽， 安全和合法的途徑幫助真正需要的 人，同時阻止那些濫用該體系的人。 知道我們可能會死在海裏。有沒有 家庭團聚將繼續在我們的移民制度 任何官員問過自己，是什麼促使我 們冒 中發揮重要作用。”
7 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
隨著投資者壓力的加大，聯合利華計畫裁員數千人 馬麥醬製造商聯合利華 (Unilever) 正 計畫裁員數千人，該公司正面臨來自一 位美國維權投資者和其他股東的越來越 大的壓力，要求其改善業績。 富時 100 指數成分股公司，以多芬香皂 、 Hellmann 's 蛋黃醬和 Ben & Jerry 's 霜淇淋等品牌聞名。據消息人士透 露，該公司打算裁減數千個業務管理職 位。預計將有“數千人”。 聯合利華在全球擁有約 15 萬名員工， 其中 6000 人在英國和愛爾蘭。彭博新 聞社 (Bloomberg News) 最先報導了該 公司的裁員計畫，但該公司拒絕就此事 置評。
由於公司未能實現利潤率目標，首席執行官艾倫•喬佩 (Alan Jope) 數月來一直承受著重振銷售增長的壓力。 近日有消息稱，美國維權投資者納爾遜•佩爾茨 (Nelson Peltz) 入股了這家陷入困境的公司。 joope 曾有意收購 GSK 的消費者健康業務，但聯合利 華 (Unilever) 500 億英鎊的出價被 GSK 以出價過低為 由拒絕，並引起了股東的憤怒，迫使該集團上周放棄 了自己的興趣。 Fundsmith 創始人、聯合利華大股東之一、直言不諱 的基金經理特裏•史密斯 (Terry Smith) 將這次失敗的 收購描述為“瀕死體驗”，並表示管理層應該專注於 改
善核心業務，否則就應該辭職。他已經宣佈聯合 利華“失去了理智”，指責管理層以犧牲業務業 績為代價追求可持續發展。 隨著憤怒的升溫，聯合利華在上周早些時候匆忙 出臺了一項戰略更新，承諾發展健康、美容和衛 生業務，並出售增長較慢的業務。 該聲明暗示了裁員 :“ 本月晚些時候，我們將宣 佈一項重大舉措，以提高我們的業績。在對我們 的組織結構進行全面評估後，我們打算從現有的 矩陣模式轉變為一種運營模式，這將推動更大的 靈活性，提高分類重點，並加強問責制。”
8 時政
日
2022 年 1 月 27
ECN 欧洲商报
隨著英國結束對二氧化碳工業的支持 食品和飲料可能出現短缺
在政府表示將停止支持二氧化碳工業後，英國生 產商對啤酒和漢堡短缺以及消費者價格上漲的擔 憂。 一項為期 3 個月的協議將於下周結束，據悉該協 議將不會續簽。該協議是在去年秋季的一場危機 之後作為一項緊急措施出臺的，旨在支持英國主 要天然氣生產商。 在其美國老闆因天然氣價格飆升而關閉工廠後， 政府向占英國二氧化碳供應量 60% 的 CF 化肥公司 提供了臨時救助，以應對供應鏈混亂的威脅。 任何供應的停滯都將影響軟飲料和烘焙食品生產 商，以及肉類加工企業和釀酒商，這些企業都在 生產和包裝商品時使用二氧化碳。 據悉，政府已表示，不會再提供更多 資金。該公司曾在去年 9 月為當前的 行業交易提供便利之前，向該公司注 入了三周的資金。該協議本應為開發 食品級二氧化碳的替代來源創造時間 ，但業內人士表示，進展甚微。 英國商業、能源和工業戰略部 (BEIS) 的一位發言人說 :“ 確保英 國企業的二氧化碳供應是由二氧化碳 行業來做的。” 目前的交易支持了一家英國的化肥廠 ，該化肥廠位於蒂斯河畔斯托克頓的 比林漢姆，是食品級二氧化碳的主要 生產者之一，直到 1 月 31 日。 進一步的生產取決於工廠的美國所有 者 CF Industries 與天然氣的英國分 銷 商 Nippon gas 和 液 化 空 氣 公 司 (Air Liquide) 之間的成功交易。 CF 在比靈厄姆的工廠每天可以產生 750 噸二氧化碳，週一告訴衛報，它 正在繼續與工業氣體客戶談判。 政府在週五與食品和飲料行業的領軍 人物舉行的會議上表示，談判有“合 理的機會”獲得成功。 該公司的後備計畫包括依賴進口和一 家由日本運營的較小工廠。在這種情 況下，英國國家醫療服務體系 (NHS) 、核工業以及豬肉和家禽屠宰 業將優先供應二氧化碳，這些行業約 占食品級二氧化碳使用量的四分之一 。 英國啤酒和酒吧協會 (British Beer and Pub Association) 的史蒂芬•利 文斯 (Stephen Livens) 在會議上表 示，
供應進一步中斷的前景“相當可 怕”，如果英國釀酒行業在很大 程度上依賴二氧化碳進口，它將 陷入“嚴重麻煩”。 這種氣體被用於罐裝和裝瓶啤酒 、清潔設備和在啤酒廠周圍輸送 啤酒的系統中，使其成為該行業 的重要成分。 他警告說，這將對消費者造成影 響，尤其是在夏季啤酒需求增加 的情況下，啤酒生產商已經在消 化啤酒生產運營成本上升 10% 至 15% 的影響。目前還沒有任何逆 轉的跡象。 利文斯說 :“ 戰略解決方案必須 適用於所有人，而不僅僅是優先 事項清單。” 獨立釀酒人協會的詹姆斯 · 考爾 德在會議上表示 :“ 對我們來說 ，情況很危險。”他補充說，對 於一些企業來說，二氧化碳的價 格已經上漲了 400% 。 獨 立 肉 類 供 應 商 協 會 (Association of Independent Meat Suppliers) 的托尼 · 古傑 (Tony Goodger) 表示，二氧化碳 成本上升只會增加食品和飲料消 費者的通脹。他說，他的成員正 在囤積二氧化碳，以防下周出現 任何問題。 他告訴 Defra:“ 在世界杯舉辦的 年份，酒類和肉製品的需求 ( 將 會更高 ) 。我們確實需要卡塔爾 在 11 月之前拿出一個解決方案。 ”
食品和飲料聯合會的一位發言 人表示 :“ 我們擔心，距離協 議結束只剩幾天了，而能源價 格仍然很高，二氧化碳短缺將 再次出現。” “ 這可能會導致超市貨架上的 產品短缺，給已經在應對食品 價格上漲的家庭增加更多壓力。 ” “ 我們將繼續與政府合作。至 關重要的是，我們要共同確保 供應能夠繼續，並為食品級二 氧化碳的生產建立長期的彈性。 ”
9 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
烏克蘭衝突引發投資者恐慌，全球股市暴跌
由於擔心烏克蘭發生軍事衝突，投資者受到驚嚇，全 球股市大幅下跌，英國藍籌股指數市值蒸發 530 億英 鎊。 歐洲股市下跌 3.8% ，至去年 10 月以來的最低水準， 創 下 18 個 多 月 來 的 最 大 單 日 跌 幅 。 此 前 ， 北 約 (Nato) 表示，由於俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭的可能性越來 越大，北約將動用陸海空三軍加強其東部邊境。 由於投資者還擔心美國中央銀行，即美聯儲，在去年 12 月美國通脹率達到 7% 的 40 年高點後，將從今年 3 月開始多次加息，市場波動性大幅上升。 在倫敦金融城，富時 100 指數下跌 2.6% ，至一個月 以來的最低點，這是兩個月來的最大跌幅，因為鮑裏 斯 · 詹森警告說，在烏克蘭可能發生“閃電戰爭” ，但並非不可避免。藍籌股指數下跌 197 點，降至 7297 點。 教育出版商培生集團 (Pearson) 領跌富時 100 指數 (FTSE 100) 9% ，俄羅斯鋼鐵製造商耶夫拉茲集團 (Evraz) 下跌 8% 。礦商、能源生產商、旅遊公司和 房屋建築商也出現下滑。 在法蘭克福，德國主要公司的 Dax 指數下跌 3.8% ，法 國 Cac 指數下跌 4% 。 紐約股票市場劇烈波動。大量的拋售使標準普爾 500 指數一度下跌超過 3% ，比其歷史最高水準低了超過 10% ，隨後在尾盤的反彈中推動美國主要股指在當天收 盤時走高。 投資者紛紛買入美元和瑞士法郎等避險資產，瑞士法 郎兌歐元匯率創下 6 年高點。 風險資產的拋售打擊了加密貨幣，比特幣跌至約 3.3 萬美元 (2.45 萬英鎊 ) 的 6 個月低點，不到去年 11 月 創下的 6.9 萬美元歷史高點的一半。 將於本周開會的美聯儲今年也可能開始縮減其資產負 債表，取消自新冠肺炎疫情開始以來推出的部分刺激 措施。 Equiti Capital 市 場 分 析 師 戴 維 • 馬 登 (David Madden) 表示 :“ 隨著圍繞俄羅斯 - 烏克蘭局勢的擔憂 加劇，交易員繼續處於拋售模式。”“另一個影響因 素是，人們擔心美聯儲 (fed) 將在週三發佈一份強硬 的最新報告。” 收緊貨幣政策的前景導致科技股走低，納斯達克綜合 指數 (Nasdaq Composite index) 本月早些時候跌至回 調區間。 City Index 高級金融市場分析師 Fiona Cincotta 表示 :“ 事實證明，風險事件的雙重打擊令華爾街難以應對 ，隨著科技股暴跌加劇，納斯達克指數再次領跌。” 與此同時，使館工作人員正在撤離基輔，人們越來越 擔心俄羅斯可能會立即派兵進入烏克蘭。美國和俄羅 斯上周舉行的會談未能為達成解決方案鋪平道路。對 戰爭的恐懼正在推動避險交易，債券價格上漲。” 訂閱每日商業今日，或在 Twitter 上 @BusinessDesk 關注衛報商業 莫斯科股市出現了大量拋售，包括俄羅斯公司在內的 Moex 指數暴跌近 6% ，至 2020 年 12 月以來的最低水準 ， 2022 年的跌幅達到近 15% 。
盧布跌至一年來的低點，跌 2.5% ，至 1 美元兌 79 盧布以上。俄羅斯央行 (Bank of Russia) 表示， 將停止購買外幣，以緩解盧布的壓力。由於烏克蘭 問題引發的緊張局勢，盧布匯率大幅下跌。 英國中型企業富時 250 指數下跌 3.6% ，創下 2021 年 3 月以來的最低水準。網路安全公司 Darktrace 下跌 14.6% ，報紙出版商 Reach 下跌 11% ，連鎖影 院 Cineworld 和豪華汽車製造商阿斯頓馬丁 (Aston Martin) 下跌 8.7% 。 由於擔心俄羅斯對歐洲的能源供應可能會中斷，天 然氣價格飆升，英國天然氣批發價格上漲 17% 。 也有跡象表明，歐米克隆的變種減緩了全球復蘇。 最新的採購經理人指數 (pmi) 顯示，英國和歐元區 私營部門增長降至 11 個月來的最低水準，而美國 1 月份商業活動增速則降至 18 個月來的最低水準。
10 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日
穀歌在新一輪訴訟中被指控位置追蹤行為侵權
“ 位置數據是穀歌廣告業務的關鍵。華盛頓州總檢察 長鮑勃 · 弗格森 (Bob Ferguson) 的辦公室在一份聲明 中說。 該訴訟援引了美聯社 2018 年的一篇文章，該文章披露 ，即使用戶關閉了“位置歷史記錄”設置，穀歌仍在繼 續跟蹤用戶的位置。該公司聲稱，關閉該設置將停止任 何位置跟蹤，而實際上有一個單獨的設置，稱為“ Web & App Activity” ，繼續記錄位置和其他個人數據。 穀歌的發言人何塞 · 卡斯塔涅達 (Jose Castaneda) 表 示，“總檢察長是根據對我們的設置不准確的說法和過 時的斷言提起訴訟的。”我們一直在產品中添加隱私功 能，並為位置數據提供強大的控制。我們將積極為自己 辯護，並澄清事實。” 2020 年 5 月，亞利桑那州就穀歌收集用戶位置數據對 其提起了類似的訴訟。該訴訟正在審理中。 穀歌目前正面臨多項訴訟和調查。 2020 年 12 月，美國 多個州的司法部長起訴了穀歌，指控該公司在廣告拍賣 的價格和過程上誤導了出版商和廣告商。該訴訟稱，穀 歌通過抬高品牌廣告價格和壓制來自其他廣告交易所的 競爭，維持了對廣告銷售市場的控制——該市場是穀歌 的主導地位。 在另一起訴訟中，美國司法部於 2020 年 10 月指控這家 科技公司濫用職權，維持對搜索和搜索廣告的非法壟斷。 20 年前，穀歌作為一家鬥志旺盛的初創公司，以一種 創新的方式在新興的互聯網上搜索，成為矽谷的寵兒。 那個穀歌早就不存在了，”訴訟稱
週一，德克薩斯州 、印第安那州、華 盛頓州和哥倫比亞 特 區 起 訴 Alphabet 的 穀 歌 ，稱其存在侵犯用 戶隱私的欺騙性位 置跟蹤行為。 “ 穀歌錯誤地讓 消費者相信，改變 他們的帳戶和設備 設置，就可以保護 他們的隱私，並控 制公司可能訪問的 個人數據，”華盛 頓特區司法部長卡 爾 · 拉 辛 (Karl Racine) 的 辦公 室 在一份聲明中說。 “ 事實是，與穀 歌的聲明相反，它 繼續系統地監視客 戶，並從客戶數據 中獲利。穀歌的大 膽虛假陳述明顯侵 犯了消費者的隱私。 ”
11 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日
英國金融監管機構員工因減薪即將舉行罷工 英國金融監管機構英 國金融市場行為監管 局 (financial Conduct Authority) 的員工正接近就減薪 舉行罷工。工會表示 ，此舉將使英國金融 市場行為監管局 (financial Conduct Authority) 變 成 一 個“廉價”監管機構 。 工會成員將投票決定 是否對 FCA 採取工業 行動，此前管理層據 稱拒絕與員工就“嚴 重削減成本計畫”進 行談判。 工人是不滿轉化計畫 迎來了葬禮的新的首 席 執 行 官 Nikhil Rathi 涉及取消獎金 被廣泛認為是基本工 資的一部分 , 以及“ 不公平”更改員工評 估系統 , 計畫裁員為 non-London 員 工 養 老金權利和低工資。 Unite 尚未被 FCA 正式承認為其員工工會。該組 " 你不能像首席執行官 Nikhil Rathi 所希望的那樣 織表示，這些計畫已導致員工士氣暴跌，經驗豐 ，以極低的價格監管英國金融體系， " 胡克說。“ 富的員工大批離職，可能會加劇 FCA 的問題。 管理層必須立即與工會聯盟進行談判，以避免對 “ 管理 FCA 正試圖實現減薪計畫 , 已經過兩年的 FCA 造成進一步的損害和風險。” 員工 FCA 艱苦工作小時為借款人提供金融防範疫 目前的薪酬計畫將導致獎金的廢除， Unite 稱獎金 情 , 投資者 , 小企業和抵押貸款 ,“ 團結全國官 被廣泛認為是基本工資的一部分，並將導致 4200 名 多米尼克鉤說。 員工中的大多數人減薪 10-12% 。 “Unite 已經明確表示，如果實施這些削減措施 然而，新的薪酬級別 ( 包括倫敦以外地區員工的不 ， FCA 未來提供高水準公共服務的可能性將更小。 同薪酬區間 ) 意味著， 800 名支持級和“助理級” ” 員工 ( 最低的兩個級別 ) 將獲得 3800 英鎊的加薪。 早在英國脫歐之前，該監管機構就已經因一系列 FCA 還提出，從 2022 年 4 月起，符合績效標準的管 醜聞而受到抨擊。英國脫歐賦予了英國監管機構 理級別以下員工的基本工資將至少提高 5% ，高於此 更多的權力和責任。 前 2% 的加薪幅度。 2020 年，一份措辭嚴厲的報告抨擊 FCA 未能在迷 FCA 的一位發言人表示 :“ 我們的薪酬和獎勵方案 你 債 券 提 供 商 倫 敦 資 本 與 金 融 公 司 (London 將確保 FCA 繼續提供英國任何監管機構或執法機構 Capital & Finance) 倒閉前對其進行適當監管， 中最好的就業方案之一。” 導致 1.16 萬名投資者的儲蓄蒸發殆盡。 “ 我們的建議主要針對那些薪酬最低的人， 800 名 2012 年， FCA 還被發現未能對康諾特收入基金 低於經理級別的同事也將獲得平均 3800 英鎊的加薪。 (Connaught Income Fund) 進行監管，並因未能 ” 在尼爾•伍德福德 (Neil Woodford) 的 31 億英鎊 “ 我們現正仔細考慮在廣泛諮詢同事時所收到的回 伍 德 福 德 股 票 收 入 基 金 (Woodford Equity 饋，目標是在三月前公佈結果。” Income Fund) 於 2019 年倒閉前進行干預而受到 批評。
12 時政
2022 年 1 月
ECN 欧洲商报
27 日
企業高管若不重視氣候危機和人權問題或被罷免
英國重要資產管理公司英傑華投 資 者 (Aviva Investors) 已 通 知 1500 家公司的董事，如果他們沒 有在應對氣候危機和人權等問題 上表現出足夠的緊迫性，該公司 可能要求他們離職。 該公司表示，在即將到來的年度 股東大會季節，公司董事會成員 的連任投票方式將受到公司年度 管理工作的四個重點的影響，其 中還包括生物多樣性和高管薪酬 。 在年度信對 30 個國家的 1500 家公 司 , 包括英國 , 英傑華投資者要求 公司開發自己的生物多樣性行動 計畫 , 公開表示他們對人權的承 諾 , 與適當的盡職調查 , 並確保高 管薪酬計畫——尤其是獎金—— 都與它的四個管理重點。 英 傑 華 投 資 公 司 (Aviva Investors) 管理著包括儲蓄和養 老金在內的 2620 億英鎊資產，是 許多領先企業的大股東。該公司 表示，這一強有力的資訊是創建 一個更可持續、更包容和低碳未 來的努力的一部分。
該資產管理公司表示 :“ 我們認 識到其中許多挑戰的嚴重性，並 將根據企業承諾的力度以及它們 在一段時間內展示進展的能力來 評估它們。”“然而，如果變革 的步伐沒有反映出所需的緊迫性 ，我們將要求董事會和個別董事 承擔責任。” 去年，英傑華對公司董事會缺乏 種族多樣性的擔憂——這是該公 司 2021 年管理工作的重點之一— —導致 137 家公司的董事遭到投 票反對。出於人權考慮，它反對 85 家公司的董事會成員，其中包 括美國肉類加工公司泰森食品 (Tyson Foods) ，該公司被指控在 疫情期間對員工疏忽。 英傑華還分別拒絕了英國和美國 33% 和 68% 的高管薪酬提議，原因 是人們對薪酬水準和薪酬計畫結 構感到擔憂。 英 傑 華 投 資 (Aviva Investors) 首 席 執 行 官 馬 克 韋 爾 西 (Mark Versey) 表示，今年的管理工作重
點旨在“鼓勵企業考慮可持續 發展的整體情況，因為這是它 們為股東創造最大回報的方式 ，同時有助於為社會建設更美 好的未來”。 英傑華對一些公司做出的改變 承諾表示歡迎，包括在格拉斯 哥 Cop26 氣候峰會期間做出的 承 諾 。 然 而 ， Versey 說 :“ 公司現在必須把他們的 承諾變成具體和可衡量的交付 計畫。” 他補充說 :“ 我們的信對他們 應該如何做到這一點，以及這 些計畫必須在氣候影響、生物 多樣性和人權方面解決什麼問 題提出了明確的期望。” 在氣候承諾方面，英傑華投資 表示，所有公司都應該制定可 信的氣候轉型計畫，並努力讓 這些計畫得到基於科學的目標 倡議的官方驗證。企業還將使 用新的氣候會計標準來衡量其 氣候風險和排放。
13 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日
Omicron 相關疫情將英國業務增長推至 11 個月以來的最低點 今年 1 月，英國經濟增速降至近一年來的 最低水準，原因是酒店、休閒和旅遊行業 感受到了 Omicron 的影響。 IHS Markit 和英國特許採購與供應學會 (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) 發佈的月度採購經理人指數 (PMI) 預覽值顯示，製造業出現雙速復蘇 ，面向消費者的服務企業的疲弱抵消了供 應鏈瓶頸緩解的影響。 調查顯示，服務業增長連續第三個月放緩 ，企業報告稱，大流行造成的中斷和需求 非常低迷使企業失去了增長動力。 由於大量報告顯示存在嚴重的成本壓力， IHS Markit/Cips 的 1 月 份 產 出 指 數 從 53.6 降至 53.4 ，為 11 個月來的最低水準。 任何高於 50 的數據都表明經濟正在擴張， 而不是在收縮。 IHS Markit 首席商業經濟學家克 裏 斯 • 威 廉 姆 森 (Chris Williamson) 表示 :“ 英國 1 月 份的經濟增長率具有彈性，掩蓋 了不同行業之間的巨大差異。” 面對消費者的業務受到 Omicron 的沉重打擊，製造商報告稱，訂 單增長進一步放緩，令人擔憂， 但其他業務部門仍保持強勁。 展望未來，儘管 Omicron 的浪潮 意味著酒店業已經陷入第三次嚴 重低迷，但這些限制現在正在放 鬆，這意味著這次低迷應該是短 暫的。與此同時，許多商業和金 融服務公司受歐米克龍的影響要 小得多，今年初業務增長加速。 ” 服務行業面向消費者的部分前景 黯淡，這與勞埃德銀行的一份報 告形成了對比。報告顯示， 2022 年前兩周的借記卡支出比 2019 冠狀病毒病大流行爆發前的 2020 年同期增長了 27% 。該行表示， 儘管通勤和度假支出減少，但餐 館、酒吧、商店和電影院的支出 大幅增加。 歐元區 PMI 預覽值顯示，服務業 活動受到 Omicron 的影響，增長 放緩至 11 個月來的最低水準。 德國、法國、義大利和西班牙這 四大經濟體最近幾周都收緊了限 制措施。
14 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日
前保守黨內閣大臣呼籲取消原定於 4 月生效的增稅政策 Boris Johnson 正面 臨黨內越來越多的 要求，前保守黨內 閣大臣大衛 · 戴維 斯要求他對計畫中 的提高國民保險稅 做出重大轉變，以 應對英國日益惡化 的生活成本危機。 前保守黨內閣大臣 戴 維 · 戴 維 斯 (David Davis) 再次 向首相施壓，呼籲 取消原定於 4 月生 效的增稅政策。商 界領袖和反對黨還 警告說，需要採取 緊急行動，幫助處 於 30 年來最高通脹 率的家庭。 戴維斯上周在議會呼籲 Boris Johnson 辭職， 他說，首相去年宣佈的國民保險計畫，作為一 種為醫療和社會福利提供資金的方式，應該放 棄，因為家庭已經面臨嚴重的財政壓力。 戴 維 斯 在 BBC 廣 播 4 臺 的 《 今 日 》 節 目 中 說 :“ 坦率地說，這是一個基於大量錯誤數據 做出的判斷。他們當時不知道，到 4 月份，我 們的通脹率將達到 30 年來的最高水準，他們不 知道利率將會上升，市政稅將會上升，平均每 個家庭每年的燃油價格將會上漲 700 英鎊。因 此，他們不知道普通人會面臨什麼樣的壓力。 ” 戴維斯上周告訴 Boris Johnson ，他應該“以 上帝的名義，去吧”，因為他對有關他參加派 對的指控的回應——這是他在第二次世界大戰 開始時，在一系列失敗後對內維爾 · 張伯倫說 的話。 在英國國會議員進行最新干預之際，商界領袖 週一警告稱，計畫中的增稅將增加高通脹給英 國經濟帶來的壓力。按照計畫，由雇主和工人 支付的國民保險繳費將在今年 4 月的新稅收年 度伊始提高 1.25 個百分點，這是裏希•蘇納克 (Rishi Sunak) 和約翰遜 (Johnson) 提出的一項 打破宣言的舉措，旨在籌集 120 億英鎊，以增 加 NHS 的資金。 不過，美國董事協會遊說團體表示，在對其 500 名成員進行的調查中，有 38% 的人將通過提高 價格來抵消增稅。 IoD 首席經濟學家凱蒂•厄舍 (Kitty Ussher) 表示 :“ 我們的數據顯示，在 價格已經在快速上漲之際，增稅本身就是一種 通脹。”
“ 面對即將到來的團隊招聘成本上升，許多企業 正計畫提高價格來抵消成本，或控制招聘計畫。 ” 隨著英國首相在幾個方面面臨的壓力越來越大， Boris Johnson 頂住了要求取消加息計畫的呼聲。 週一在米爾頓 · 凱恩斯的一家醫院發表講話時， 他告訴媒體，這將為醫療和社會保障提供至關重 要的資金。 他說 :“ 我要告訴人們的是，如果你想為我們出 色的 NHS 提供資金，我們必須為此買單——本屆 政府決心這麼做。” 在由蘇格蘭民族黨領導的反對黨在下議院舉行的 一天辯論中，政府面臨著提出一攬子支持措施的 要求，以幫助生活成本飆升的人們。 上周的官方數據顯示，通貨膨脹率——衡量平均 消 費 價 格 年 增 長 率 的 指 標 — — 在 12 月 躍 升 至 5.4% ，是 1992 年 3 月以來的最高水準。 蘇格蘭民族黨負責就業和養老金事務的發言人戴 維•林登 (David Linden) 表示，保守黨非但沒有 對緊急情況做出反應，反而處於“內戰和癱瘓的 包圍”狀態。 他說 :“ 當我們的選民被困在經濟龍捲風中時， 他們卻沉溺於目光狹隘。” 英 國 財 政 部 首 席 秘 書 西 蒙 • 克 拉 克 (Simon Clarke) 表示，政府在大流行期間提供了 4000 億 英鎊的直接經濟支持，以幫助降低生活成本，並 “不斷考慮我們還能做些什麼”。 他警告稱，在疫情期間英國國債升至逾 2.3 萬億 英鎊之後，國民保險政策的 180 度大轉彎將無法 應對為醫療保健提供資金和修復公共財政的挑戰 。
15 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日 英国中国商会全体会员大会暨庆祝商会成立 20 周年活动成功举办： 助力经贸合作二十载 共创中英合作新未来 伦敦时间 1 月 19 日，由英国中国商会主办的“英国 中国商会全体会员大会暨庆祝商会成立 20 周年活动 ”成功在线上举办。英国中国商会各会员单位、在 英中资企业负责人和员工约 200 人参加了活动。 中国驻英国大使郑泽光，中国驻英国使馆公使包玲 ，英国中国商会会长、中国银行伦敦分行行长方文 建，英国 48 家集团俱乐部主席斯蒂芬 · 佩里 （ Stephen Perry ）及英中贸易协会主席、汇丰集团 公共事务全球负责人古沛勤爵士（ Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles ）出席活动并致辞。 为进一步凝聚力量，激励先进，英国中国商会在活动上对一批为中英经贸务实合作作出杰出贡献的企业进行 表彰。同时，商会发布了《英国中国商会 20 周年纪念画册》以及《二十芳龄风华正茂——在英中资企业负 责人对话录》，以更好展现商会成立 20 年丰硕成果，呈现更多优秀中资企业出海故事，向英国各界更好传播 中国企业良好风貌。 活动上，中国驻英国大使郑泽光充分肯定了商会过去 20 年在积极推动中资企业来英投资，帮助中企寻找合作伙 伴及支持英国企业开拓中国市场方面作出的贡献。过去 一年，中国高质量发展取得新成就，中英经贸合作取得 新进展。 面对当前疫情延宕和全球经济复苏乏力等不确定因素， 郑大使认为两国企业应把握发展大势，坚定合作信心， 保持对话渠道畅通。他希望两国工商界秉持“破冰者” 精神，加强在传统及新领域的务实合作，创造更多合作 新亮点；希望英方恪守自由贸易理念和世贸组织规则， 为中国企业在英经营提供公平、公正、非歧视的营商环 境；希望英国中国商会、英中贸协、 48 家集团等两国 经贸组织继续发挥积极作用，为两国企业搭建更好的对 话和合作平台。中国驻英国大使馆将一如既往为两国企 业沟通合作提供便利和支持。 中国驻英国大使郑泽光发表主旨演讲 英国中国商会会长方文建在欢迎致辞中表达了对中国驻英国使馆 、会员单位和英方合作伙伴在过去 20 年中大力支持商会工作的 感谢。 他表示，无论当前政治和经济环境如何，英国中国商会将始终保 持积极向上精神，持续为会员单位提供优质服务，坚定不移地推 动中英关系向前发展。 2022 年是充满希望的一年，商会将进一 步加强工作，在促进中英经贸合作中发挥更大作用。 活动上还颁发了“ 2021 年英国中国商会杰出贡献奖”的 5 类奖 项，以表彰各企业为中英经贸发展合作所做出的不懈努力和卓越 贡献。 据了解，英国中国商会成立二十年来成长迅速，会员数量已近 300 家，逐步成为支持中资企业在英发展的重要力量。商会一直 致力为深化中英交流合作架起坚实的桥梁，和广大在英中资企业 一起播撒合作的种子，共同收获发展的果实。 今年是中英建立大使级外交关系 50 周年。在新的一年中，商会 将继续发挥桥梁作用，促进中英交流与合作，并进一步整合资源 英国中国商会会长、 ，加深全英各地会员间的交流，竭诚为会员提供更加专业化、立 中国银行伦敦分行行长方文建致欢迎词 体化服务。 本次活动取得圆满成功，参会嘉宾均表示，将一如既往地齐心协 力努力促进中英互利合作，不断打造新合作亮点，同时积极履行 社会责任，体现中国企业良好风貌，在新的起点上持续为中英经 贸合作的蓬勃发展注入新活力、新能量。
16 時政
日
2022 年 1 月 27
ECN 欧洲商报
專題
作者：罗莘
《球痴评球 · 小花盛 开》 1 月 18 日，澳网第一轮比赛传出喜讯！除了郑赛赛因腕伤退赛，其余中国五朵 金花全部旗开得胜！
一、名将张帅直落两盘（ 6 ： 3 、 6 ： 4 ）战胜瑞士格鲁比奇！夺 得个人大满贯比赛第 30 胜！ 二、持外卡参赛的郑钦文 2 ： 1 （ 3 ： 6 、 6 ： 1 、 7 ： 6 ）反胜 白俄罗斯萨斯诺维奇！
三、世界排名 110 位的王蔷爆冷 2 ： 0 （ 6 ： 4 、 6 ： 2) 战胜排名 18 位的种子选手美国的高芙！ 四、王曦雨以 2 ： 0 （ 7 ： 5 、 6 ： 3) 横扫斯诺伐克名将库兹莫娃 ！ 五、 19 岁的小花王欣瑜以 2 ： 0 （ 7 ： 6 、 6 ： 3 ）击败美国安 · 李！
花絮一、两个美网冠军相遇，英国美少 女拉杜卡努以 2 ： 1 （ 6 ： 0 、 2 ： 6 、 6 ： 1) 轻取美国斯蒂芬斯！其中 第一盘仅用 17 分钟礼零封对手！ 花絮二、中国 5 位女网选手第一轮全胜 ！平了大満贯比赛历史最好纪录！ 花恕三、世界一哥祖高域（德约科维 奇）获邀赴墨尔本参赛，因事前拒绝打 疫苗被海关拒绝入境！经法院裁定胜诉 ，但澳洲政府以防疫为由再次拒绝他入 境，他只好愤然打道回府！ 花絮四、英国一哥梅利（穆雷）受伤缺 席三年，首度复赛以 3 ： 2 艰难战胜格 鲁吉亚名将巴希拉什维利！这是他五年 来在澳网取得第一次胜利，可喜可贺！
有诗为证：
《金花盛放》 女将勇去闯， 苦战又何妨。 金花迎霜雪， 绽放多芬芳。
17 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
專題
2022 年 1 月 27
作者：罗莘
【肌少症】家中长辈常跌倒 ？ 老年人如果常跌倒或出现衰弱症、失 台湾卫福部台南医院高年科 可能是肌少症惹的祸 能等问题就要小心了，因为这可能是 主治医师蔡明松表示，多数 肌少症 (Sarcopenia) 所引起。医师表 示，骨质密度会随年纪渐长而降低， 骨骼肌肉质量也会减少，肌肉量减少 会造成老年人身体功能降低、跌倒、 骨折等并发症。
人认为老年人较可能罹患三 高等慢性病，但其实身体其 他机能也会随年纪而老化， 像是骨骼肌退化就较少被注 意到。当骨质密度随年纪增 长而逐渐减少，就会造成老 人骨骼肌肉量不足，可能导 致容易跌倒、骨折、卧床等 并发症。 根据 2010 年欧洲肌少症共 识，肌肉质量、肌肉力量和 身体表现都被列入肌少症评 估中。蔡明松也说，当肌肉 质量减少、肌力下降，就可 能造成肌少症，老年肌少症 盛行率约是 5 至 13% ，老 化、荷尔蒙、少动、营养不 良，都是可能埋下肌少症的 危险因子。 蔡明松提醒，养成每周一次 阻力运动的习惯，就能帮助 改善老人的肌力、并降低跌 倒风险。另外，也应该多注 意饮食热量摄取、蛋白质和 维他命 D 补充，确保补足营 养所需。
18 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
Feeble oversight of UK’s Covid loan schemes was a gift to fraudsters 日
When it was announced in the first days of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, described the furlough scheme as “as one of the most significant economic interventions at any point in the history of the British state and by any government anywhere in the world”. Boris Johnson and Sunak were proud of a trailblazing scheme that would pay 80% of the wages of up to 11.7 million workers up to a maximum of £2,500 a month. “We have put aside ideology and orthodoxy to mobilise the full power and resources of the British state,” Sunak said from the 10 Downing Street lectern. Furlough payments were just one of a number of schemes hastily introduced by the government in the early stages of the pandemic to support individuals and businesses financially. Others included the self-employed income support programme, “eat out to help out” – and the business Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). In the House of Lords on Monday, Theodore Agnew, the minister responsible for Whitehall efficiency and counterfraud, singled out lax oversight of the BBLS in his dramatic resignation speech. Lord Agnew criticised oversight of Covid loans by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the British Business Bank, a state lender, saying it had been “nothing less than woeful”. He added that Sunak’s department, the Treasury, appeared to have “no knowledge or little interest” in the consequences of fraud. The warning signs have long been visible, such as multiple companies being formed at the same address. And the first prosecutions have started trickling through. The government has long pointed to the wartime footing under which its support schemes were rolled out, and the urgent need to pump cash into the economy or risk the collapse of vast numbers of businesses. In a debate in the House of Commons earlier this month, John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, claimed the government has “taken the issue of potential fraud relating to Covid grant schemes extremely seriously”, but said “it would have been impossible to prevent all related fraud”.
However, right from the start the Covid financial support announcements sparked concern at the headquarters of HM Revenue and Custom further down Whitehall. “From the beginning it was clear the schemes would be targets for fraud and that customers would make mistakes,” HMRC said last year as it wrote off £4.3bn stolen through the various Covid-19 emergency support schemes. HMRC believes that about £5.8bn – or £1 in every £14 of the £81.2bn paid out through the schemes – has been stolen. So far just £500m has been recovered, and it expects only another £800m-£1bn may be recovered by 2023. In March, the business department estimated that 37% of bounce back loans, worth £17bn, would not be repaid and that 11% came from fraudulent applications. A subsequent investigation by the accountancy firm PwC in October revised the fraud rate down to 7.5%, although the National Audit Office said in its December report that it had not had time to check this estimate itself. The NAO had long singled out the government’s “inadequate” attempts to tackle fraud within the £47bn BBLS scheme that was designed to try to help save companies at risk of collapse during the pandemic. It said anti-fraud checks for the scheme had been “implemented too slowly”, with limited verification and no credit checks on borrowers. As the scheme progressed 13 additional counter-fraud measures were introduced, but most came too late to prevent fraud and were focused instead on detection. Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, has warned that the fraud already identified could be just the tip of the iceberg. “The true level of fraud will become clearer over time,” he said.
19 時政
2022 年 1 月
ECN 欧洲商报
27 日
McKinsey: fundamental transformation of global economy needed for net zero
Reaching net zero climate emissions by 2050 will require a
“fundamental transformation of the global economy”, according to a report by McKinsey, one of the world’s most influential consulting firms. It estimates that $9.2tn will need to be invested every year for decades to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C and end the climate emergency. The sum is a 40% increase on current investment levels and equivalent to half of global corporate profits. The report warns that the economic transformation will affect every country and every sector, with those most reliant on fossilfuel-burning experiencing the most change. McKinsey, which advises many governments and large companies, also says the transition will be front-loaded with, for example, the cost of electricity rising before falling later. However, the report says reaching net zero is
The report says the front-loaded transformation
today’s levels after 2050, because of the lower
vital to avoiding the most catastrophic impacts
raises a “critical question” of who will pay and
operating cost of renewable energy. Steel and
of global heating, which would harm billions of
whether higher costs of electricity, steel and
cement face cost increases of about 30% and 45%
people, and that many low-carbon investments
cement are passed on to people or whether
respectively, it says.
are opportunities for economic growth and
those
would lead to a lower-cost, more efficient
governments.
Research Institute on Climate Change at the London
economy. It also says the transformation
The goal of the report is to assess the scale of
School of Economics, UK, said: “The McKinsey
becomes more expensive the longer action is
the economic transition required to reach net
investment figures are not the net costs of reaching
delayed.
zero, assuming action is taken quickly, and
net zero globally, but instead the upfront annual
“$9.2tn is a very big number – big enough for
concludes: “Achieving net zero would mean a
costs without taking into account the benefits.
anybody to pay attention to,” said Jonathan
fundamental
Woetzel at the McKinsey Global Institute, the
economy.”
on
low-incomes
estimates
are
protected
transformation of
the
by
world
Bob Ward, a policy director at the Grantham
“Investments in clean infrastructure will generate jobs, growth and huge savings, particularly by
consultancy’s in-house thinktank, and an author
It
energy,
eliminating the need to buy ruinously expensive fossil
of the report. “But it’s not an impossible
transport, buildings, industry and agriculture
that
investment
in
fuels, and [will] yield much bigger returns when
number. It’s not like we haven’t [made
would need to rise by $3.5tn, with an additional
taking into account the avoided loss of lives and
transformations] before in other ways”, such as
$1tn of today’s spending switching from high-
livelihoods from air pollution and climate change.”
the global shift to urban living.
carbon to low-carbon goods, such as electric
The insurance firm Swiss Re recently estimated that
The economic transformation is from an
cars and heat pumps. As a proportion of global
the damage caused by a 2.6C rise in global
economy that did not include the costs of
GDP, the total investment required would be
temperature by 2050 would reduce global GDP by
environmental and social damage to one that
6.8%, rising to as much as 8.8% between 2026
14%. In October, the climate economist and life peer
does, according to Woetzel. “There will only be a
and 2030 before falling.
Nicholas Stern said: “The move to net zero can be
sustainable economy, we won’t have any other
The McKinsey scenario suggests electricity costs
the great driver of a new form of growth –
kind.”
could rise by 25% by 2040 before falling below
the growth story of the 21st century.”
“While the immediate tasks ahead may seem daunting, human ingenuity can ultimately solve the net zero equation, just as it has solved other seemingly intractable problems over the past 10,000 years,” the McKinsey report says. “The key issue is whether the world can muster the requisite boldness and resolve.” If it does, the report says, the rewards would far exceed the avoidance of climate impacts alone because countries would have to work together and would then be better positioned to address other “age-old” geopolitical issues. “That is a hopeful message, we believe, for people to realise that there’s a need to – and a capacity to – create greater global collaboration,” Woetzel said.
20 時政
2022 年 1 月
ECN 欧洲商报
27 日 Boris Johnson faces fresh outrage over lockdown birthday party Boris Johnson was facing renewed anger from MPs and bereaved families on Monday after the disclosure that his fiancee threw him a surprise lockdown birthday party, as sources said an official inquiry had uncovered “appalling evidence of mismanagement” at the heart of Downing Street. Sue Gray, the senior civil servant leading the inquiry into Downing Street parties, is expected to make deeply critical recommendations on overhauling No 10’s operation after hearing of repeated failures of leadership, according to a Whitehall source who spoke to the inquiry. In the latest alleged breach of rules, No 10 admitted that Carrie Johnson held a party for the prime minister and up to 30 staff on 19 June 2020 despite Covid rules banning indoor social gatherings. Outdoor gatherings were limited to groups of six. ITV reported that the prime minister attended the party in the cabinet room at No 10 at 2pm on his 56th birthday, and that the interior designer Lulu Lytle – who was not a member of No 10 staff – was there. The room was said to have been laid out with Marks & Spencer party food and a birthday cake, with staff singing “Happy Birthday” and staying for 20-30 minutes. No 10 said the PM attended for 10 minutes and denied reports from ITV that he held a party later on 19 June in his Downing Street residence. Gray is understood to have already been told about the allegations, meaning the latest exposé is unlikely to delay publication of her report, expected late this week. A spokesperson for Lytle said she was working on the controversial refurbishmentof Johnson’s flat that day, adding: “Lulu was not invited to any birthday celebrations for the prime minister as a guest. Lulu entered the cabinet room briefly as requested, while waiting to speak with the prime minister.” It comes as whips have been warned that Johnson is facing the possibility of losing a vote of no confidence amid growing anger about the multiplying revelations. One senior MP estimated up to a third of the ministerial payroll – ranging from ministers to principal private secretaries and Tory vice-chairs – could vote against the prime minister, leaving Johnson reliant on support from at least half of his backbench MPs.
On Monday night angry MPs said they were fuming at the latest “drip-drip” of lockdown breach stories. “And presumably there is more being stored up for release after the Gray report just in case that hadn’t dealt the killer blow,” one said. Another Tory MP who has not yet submitted a no confidence letter said the birthday gathering was “clearly social” and “changes things – a lot”. The Guardian understands that Labour is poised to attempt to force the publication of the full Gray report at its opposition day debate next week, should No 10 attempt to hold back the full details and only publish summary findings. A frontbencher said those who had been running the numbers of would-be rebels for the prime minister over the weekend were becoming increasingly concerned that Johnson could lose a no confidence vote despite multiple charm offensive calls to wavering MPs.
“People have been telling them over the weekend that they are behind the PM, but of course, that could be people lying,” the source said. “Ultimately there’s a third of the payroll I could see voting against the PM – if that happens he needs at least half of all backbenchers to back him. That seems pretty unlikely. You can see things get dangerous quickly.” Most MPs are still determined to wait for the outcome of Gray’s inquiry, expected late this week. Johnson is alleged to have also hosted family and friends later that afternoon in his home but No 10 denied this, claiming he hosted a small number of relatives outside only. Regarding the 2pm gathering, a No 10 spokesperson said: “A group of staff working in No 10 that day gathered briefly in the cabinet room, after a meeting, to wish the prime minister a happy birthday. He was there for less than 10 minutes.” Addressing the later alleged party in the flat, a spokesperson said: “This is totally untrue. In line with the rules at the time, the prime minister hosted a small number of family members outside that evening.” On Monday, Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s former chief adviser, said he had handed written evidence to the Gray inquiry – but warned that some staff were concerned about handing over evidence, fearing retribution from the prime minister.
Gray has reassured some staff they would be given a degree of protection, the Guardian understands. However, one source who has given evidence to the inquiry said fears of retribution persisted. “Junior staff have been concerned if they are seen to corroborate what’s in the press,” one Whitehall source said. “People have been burnt as well by the Priti Patel investigation, where the advice was suppressed and the conclusion wasn’t followed. It’s one thing to be asked and not lie and quite another to offer the evidence proactively.” Labour demanded in a letter to Johnson that he stand by his assurance in parliament on 8 December to place a copy of the report – then being compiled by cabinet secretary Simon Case – in the Commons library for all MPs to see. Deputy leader Angela Rayner said the government “cannot allow any further cover-up” and urged Johnson to give MPs an embargoed copy of the report to let them read the detail before quizzing him in parliament. Tory MPs said that there would be outrage among backbenchers should there be any attempt to censor the findings. Another said: “The only reason you would hold it back is because you’ve calculated that whatever’s in there is worth taking the flak for trying to hide it.” A third said: “The more that’s withheld, the less likely it is to be accepted.” Labour could also table a “humble address” motion to force the government to publish the report in full, or parts of the evidence to ensure any testimony of criminality has been passed to the police. However, if the government pulls Labour’s next opposition day debate, other options being considered are using a select committee to request documents. Scotland Yard reiterated its previous statement, saying if Gray’s inquiry finds evidence of a potential criminal offence then officers will make a “further consideration” on whether to investigate. Reacting to the birthday party revelations on Monday, Jo Goodman, cofounder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said: “Like thousands of others, I remember 19 June vividly. It was the day before what would have been my dad’s 73rd birthday, shortly after he had passed away from Covid-19. “It’s completely sickening that the prime minister spent [time] sharing cake with 30 friends indoors … every day and every fresh scandal pours salt on the wounds of the hundreds of thousands who have lost loved ones. If he had any decency he would do what we and the country is calling for him to do and go.”
21 時政
2022 年 1 月 27 日
ECN 欧洲商报
NHS England plans dental ‘treatment blitz’ to tackle appointments backlog
Hundreds of thousands of dental patients in England are to be offered weekend and evening appointments under NHS plans to tackle the backlog exacerbated by the pandemic. More than 350,000 extra dental appointments are to be made available in February and March, NHS England said, with a new £50m funding pot aimed at fuelling a dentistry “treatment blitz”. However, senior dentistry sources said the cash was a “drop in the ocean”, with tens of millions of NHS appointments cancelled as a result of Covid-19 and the resulting backlog set to take years to clear. Some also expressed doubts about whether there would be enough staff to offer the additional appointments, since hundreds of dentists have quit the profession in the last year amid warnings that NHS dentistry is increasingly “hanging by a thread”.
Millions of patients have struggled to access dental care since 2019. Some have spent weeks or months in pain as a result, and others believed they had no option but to conduct “DIY dentistry” while waiting for treatment, or felt coerced into “going private”. Under the new plans to tackle the backlog, NHS England said dentists involved in the scheme would “be paid more than a third on top of their normal sessional fee” for delivering care outside their core hours. Dentists said this could involve providing appointments as late as 10pm on weeknights, and slots being offered on Saturdays and Sundays, with children and people with learning disabilities, autism or severe mental health problems being prioritised.
The chief dental officer for England, Sara Hurley, said: “Dental services are a vital part of the NHS, providing oral healthcare to all age groups, and that’s why we have taken this unprecedented action to boost NHS dental services. “The NHS is now getting key services like dentistry back to pre-pandemic levels – injecting an extra £50m into routine services will help provide checkups and treatment for hundreds and thousands of people.” The minister for primary care, Maria Caulfield, said the new funding would “urgently give more people access to vital dental care when they need it”. However, Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, said the extra cash “must be just the start if we are to rebuild a service millions depend on”. He added: “After a decade of cuts, a cash-starved service risks being offered money that can’t be spent. Hard-pressed practices are working against the clock and many will struggle to find capacity ahead of April for this investment to make a difference.”
2021 年 1 月 27 Dementia patients who see same GP have better quality of life, study finds
22 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
Sir Denis Pereira Gray, study co-author and a GP researcher at Exeter’s St Leonard’s Practice, said the findings showed that having a named GP was associated with important benefits for patients. “Whilst national policymakers have for years discouraged continuity, general practices can still provide good GP continuity through their internal practice organisation, for example by using personal lists,” he added. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s clear from this study that consistently seeing the same GP has real benefits for people living with dementia – better management and treatment of conditions, and lower risk of complications like delirium and incontinence, leading to improved quality of life. “The pandemic has put GP services under immense pressure, so while we might not be able to get consistent GP care for everyone with dementia tomorrow, policymakers should absolutely be working with the NHS to build this into their plans as we emerge from the pandemic.” The study concluded that higher continuity of GP care for patients with dementia was “associated with safer prescribing” and “lower rates of major adverse events”. “Continuity of care is highly valued by patients and GPs, and there is strong research evidence that it is associated with better outcomes for patients and more effective use of NHS services,” said Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs. “This research confirms these findings and shows it can be particularly beneficial for patients suffering from dementia.”
Dementia patients who see the same GP every time have lower rates of health complications, fewer emergency hospital visits and a better overall quality of life, according to a new study. More than 900,000 people live with dementia in the UK. The figure is about 57 million globally, and this is on course to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. The University of Exeter research – published in the British Journal of General Practice – analysed records for more than 9,000 people aged 65 and over in England living with dementia in 2016. It found that people with dementia who were consistently seen by the same GP over the course of one year were given fewer medicines and were less likely to be given medicines that can cause problems like falls, incontinence and drowsiness. Those seeing the same GP over time were 35% less likely to develop delirium, a state of confusion commonly experienced in dementia. Those who consistently saw the same GP were also 58% less likely to experience incontinence, and 10% less likely to have an emergency hospitalisation, compared with those who had the most variation in GPs treating them. Delirium and incontinence are not only very distressing for patients, but additional hospital admissions can also be costly for the NHS, the researchers said. “In the absence of a cure, long-term care is particularly important,” said the study’s lead author, Dr João Delgado of the University of Exeter. “Treating people with dementia can be complex, because it often occurs together with other common diseases. “Our research shows that seeing the same GP consistently over time is associated with improved safe prescribing and improved health outcomes. This could have important healthcare impacts, including reduced treatment costs and care needs.”
Marshall said although GPs wanted to provide the best care to all their patients, including continuity for those who want and value it, “escalating GP workload and workforce shortages” meant that it had become increasingly difficult to deliver. He added: “Ultimately, what is needed in order to allow GPs to deliver continuity of care to those patients who value it is more GPs and more members of the practice team so that we can spend more time with patients. The government must urgently deliver on its manifesto pledge of 6,000 more GPs and thousands more members of the practice team so that GPs are able to give patients with dementia, and all their patients, the care they need and deserve.”
23 時政
2022 年 1 月
ECN 欧洲商报
27 日 New rules could prevent thousands of refugees from joining close family in UK More than 17,000 refugees, mainly women and children, could be
The government’s New Plan for Immigration aims to restrict family
prevented from reuniting with close family members in the UK due to new
reunion rights for refugees who travelled through a safe third country
rules the Home Office plans to introduce, according to analysis by the
before reaching the UK. This applies to the thousands who travelled to
Refugee Council.
the UK in small boats.
It is often male refugees fleeing conflict zones who make hazardous
While the home secretary, Priti Patel, repeatedly talks about breaking
journeys through several countries on foot, in lorries and in small boats
the business model of the smugglers who bring refugees to the UK,
across the Channel in the hope of reaching safety in the UK.
advocating safe and legal routes to the UK instead, Solomon told the
They hope to be granted protection and under current rules, they then have
Guardian that the new government proposals will lead to thousands of
the right to bring close family members to join them, such as their partners
women and children having no other option but to pay smugglers to
and children. The family members can travel safely to the UK by plane and
board dangerous dinghies to cross the Channel.
can avoid repeating the dangerous journey made by the first family member. However, according to Enver Solomon, the CEO of the Refugee Council, new government plans in the nationality and borders bill, currently being debated in the Lords, will severely restrict family reunion and “all but destroy” the main safe route used by refugee families to reunite with loved ones. The plans will reduce rather than enhance the safe and legal routes Patel has been advocating, according to Solomon. Government data shows that over the last five years 29,000 people, over 90% of them women and children, have been able to come to the UK safely under family reunion rules to join a close family member already here and granted protection in the UK. The Refugee Council has calculated, using this government data, that as many as 3,500 people a year could be prevented from joining loved ones if the proposals in the bill become law – 17,500 people in the next five years. One Syrian asylum seeker, who fled war, imprisonment and torture in his homeland before travelling through several countries and reaching the UK, said he was “horrified” by the government plans. “We did not leave our country in search of happiness,” he told the Guardian. “I am talking here as the head of a family deserted. Rather, we went out to save our family from a war that does not know the young or the old and does not differentiate between the strong or the weak, in which no one can survive. “We walked in the most dangerous country, crossed the desert and crossed the English Channel in a rubber boat, knowing we may die in the sea. Has any official asked themselves what motivated us to risk ourselves … I was ready to die in order to save my family. What Priti Patel is thinking now is to eliminate our families by depriving us of family reunion.” A Home Office spokesperson said: “We will continue to uphold our international obligations. More than 39,000 family reunion visas have been granted since 2015 under our refugee family reunion policy, with over half issued to children. “Our New Plan for Immigration will fix the broken asylum system so that it is fair but firm, helping those in genuine need through safe and legal routes while stopping those who abuse the system. Family reunion will continue to play an important part [in] our immigration system.”
24 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日 Unilever plans thousands of job cuts as investors increase pressure The Marmite maker Unilever is planning thousands of job cuts as it comes under mounting pressure from a US activist investor and other shareholders to improve its performance. The FTSE 100 company, known for brands such as Dove soap, Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Ben & Jerry’s icecream, intends to cut thousands of management roles across its operations, according to a source. They are expected to be in the “low thousands”. Unilever employs about 150,000 people worldwide, including 6,000 in the UK and Ireland. The company declined to comment on the planned cuts, which were first reported by Bloomberg News. The chief executive, Alan Jope, has been under pressure for months to revive sales growth as the company missed its profit margin targets. In recent days it emerged that the US activist investor Nelson Peltz has built a stake in the troubled company. Jope had a tilt at GSK’s consumer health venture, but Unilever’s £50bn offer was rejected as too low by GSK and drew fury from shareholders, forcing the group to abandon its interest last week. The outspoken fund manager Terry Smith, the founder of Fundsmith and one of Unilever’s top shareholders, described the failed offer as a “near-death experience” and said management should focus on improving its core business – or step down. He had already declared that Unilever had “lost the plot”, accusing management of pursuing sustainability at the expense of business performance. As the furore built, Unilever rushed out a strategy update early last week in which it promised to grow its health, beauty and hygiene business and sell slower-growing operations. The statement hinted at the cuts: “Later this month we will announce a major initiative to enhance our performance. After a comprehensive review of our organisation structure, we intend to move away from our existing matrix to an operating model that will drive greater agility, improve category focus, and strengthen accountability.”
25 時政
2022 年 1 月
ECN 欧洲商报
27 日 Food and drink shortages possible as UK support for CO2 industry ends British producers have raised fears of beer and burger shortages and higher prices
for
government
shoppers said
it
after
the
would
stop
propping up the CO2 industry. A three-month deal to support the UK’s
main
producer
of
the
gas, brought in as an emergency measure after a crisis in the autumn, ends next week and it is understood it will not be renewed. temporary
Its fall-back plan involves relying on imports
A spokesperson for the Food and Drink
bailout to CF Fertilisers, which accounts for
The
government provided
a
and a smaller plant operated by Nippon. In that
Federation trade body said: “We are
60% of the UK’s CO2 supplies, to counter the
case, CO2 supplies will be prioritised for the
concerned
threat of chaos in supply chains, after its US
NHS, the nuclear industry and pork and poultry
remaining before that agreement comes to
owner shut its factories amid the soaring
slaughter, which account for about a quarter of
an end, and energy prices still very high,
cost of natural gas.
food-grade CO2 use.
there will be further CO2 shortages once
Any holdup in supplies would affect soft
Stephen Livens of the British Beer and Pub
again.
drinks and bakery producers as well as meat
Association told the meeting that the prospect
“This could lead to shortages in the
processors and brewers, who all use CO2 in
of a further interruption in supplies was “pretty
products we find on our supermarket
making and packaging their goods.
terrifying” and the UK brewing industry would
shelves – adding further pressures to
It is understood that the government, which
be in “serious trouble” if it was largely reliant
families already coping with high food-price
pumped in money for three weeks in
on imports of CO2.
inflation.
September before facilitating the current
The gas is used to can and bottle beer, clean
“We will continue to work with the
industry deal, has said it will not put up
equipment and in systems that shift beer
government on this. It is critical that
further cash. The deal was supposed to
around a brewery, making it a vital ingredient
together we ensure supply can continue
create time for alternative sources of food
for the industry.
and that we build long-term resilience into
grade CO2 to be developed, but industry
He warned there would be an impact on
the production of food-grade CO2.”
insiders said there had been little progress.
consumers, particularly as demand for beer
A spokesperson for the Department for
increases over the summer and brewers were
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
already absorbing a 10% to 15% rise in the
(BEIS), said: “It is for the CO2 industry to
operational costs of beer-making. with little
ensure supplies to UK businesses.”
sign of that reversing.
The current deal supported a UK fertiliser
“A strategic solution has to work for everybody,
plant, based in Billingham in Stockton-on-
not just the priority list,” Livens said.
Tees, which is one of the main producers of
James Calder of the Society of Independent
food-grade CO2, until 31 January.
Brewers told the meeting: “For us the situation
Further production is reliant on a successful
is perilous,” adding that the price of CO2 had
deal between CF Industries, the US owner of
already risen by up to 400% for some
the plant, and the UK distributors of the gas,
businesses.
Nippon Gases and Air Liquide.
Tony
CF, whose Billingham plant can produce 750
Independent Meat Suppliers said increased
Goodger
of
the
Association
of
tonnes of CO2 per day, told the Guardian on
CO2 costs would only add to inflation for
Monday that it was continuing to negotiate
shoppers of both food and drink. He said his
with its industrial gas customers.
members were stocking up on CO2 in case of
At a meeting with leading food and drink
any issues from next week.
industry figures on Friday, the government
He told Defra: “In a World Cup year, demand
said there was a “reasonable chance” of the
for alcohol and meat products [will be higher].
talks being successful.
We do need a solution in place by Qatar 22 [in November].”
that
with
just
days
now
26 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日
Global stock markets dive as fears of Ukraine conflict rattle Global stock markets have fallen sharply as fears of military investors conflict in Ukraine spooked investors, wiping £53bn off the value of the UK’s blue-chip share index. European markets tumbled by 3.8% to their lowest levels since October, their biggest one-day fall in more than 18 months, after Nato said it was reinforcing its eastern borders with land, sea and air forces as a Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared increasingly likely. Volatility soared, as investors also feared the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, would raise interest rates several times this year, starting in March, after US inflation hit a 40year high of 7% in December. In the City of London, the FTSE 100 index fell 2.6% to a onemonth low, its biggest fall in two months, as Boris Johnson warned that a “lightning war” in Ukraine was possible but not inevitable. The blue-chip index lost 197 points, falling to 7,297.
The educational publisher Pearson led the FTSE 100 fallers, down 9%, with the Russian steelmaker Evraz dropping 8%. Miners, energy producers, travel firms and housebuilders also slid. In Frankfurt, the Dax index of leading German companies lost 3.8%, while France’s Cac shed 4%. The New York stock market saw wild swings. Heavy selling pushed the S&P 500 index down over 3% at one stage, more than 10% below its record high, before a late rally pushed the major US indices higher at the end of the day. Investors rushed to safe-haven assets such as the US dollar, and also the Swiss franc, which hit a six-year high against the euro. The sell-off in risk assets hit cryptocurrencies, with bitcoin falling to a six-month low of about $33,000 (£24,500), less than half its all-time high of $69,000 reached last November. The Fed, which will meet this week, could also start to run down its balance sheet this year, removing some of the stimulus introduced since the Covid pandemic began. “Traders continue to be in selling mode as fears mount surrounding the Russia-Ukraine situation,” said David Madden, a market analyst at Equiti Capital. “Also playing into the mix are the concerns the Federal Reserve will issue a hawkish update on Wednesday.” The prospect of tighter monetary policy has driven technology stocks lower, with the Nasdaq Composite index dropping into correction territory earlier this month.. “The double-whammy of risk events is proving too much for Wall Street to handle, with the Nasdaq once again leading the charge lower as the tech rout deepens,” said Fiona Cincotta, a senior financial markets analyst at City Index. “Meanwhile, embassy staff are being pulled out of Kyiv amid growing fears that Russia could send troops into Ukraine imminently. Talks last week between the US and Russia failed to pave the way to a solution. Fears of war are driving the risk-off trade with bonds rising.” Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk There was heavy selling on Moscow’s stock market, with the Moex index of Russian companies tumbling almost 6% to its lowest level since December 2020, taking its losses in 2022 to almost 15%. The rouble hit a one-year low, dropping 2.5% to more than 79 roubles to the US dollar. The Bank of Russia said it was halting purchases of foreign currency in an attempt to ease pressure on the rouble, which has slumped amid tensions over Ukraine. The UK’s FTSE 250 index of medium-sized companies tumbled by 3.6%, hitting its lowest level since March 2021. The cybersecurity firm Darktrace was down 14.6%, the newspaper publisher Reach fell 11%, while the cinema chain Cineworld and the luxury carmaker Aston Martin dropped 8.7%. Gas prices soared, with the wholesale day-ahead price of UK gas jumping 17%, on concerns that Russian supplies of energy to Europe could be disrupted. There were also signs that the Omicron variant had slowed the global recovery. Private sector growth in the UK and eurozone hit its lowest in 11 months, while US business activity grew at its slowest pace in 18 months in January, according to the latest surveys of purchasing managers.
27 時政
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月
27 日 Google accused of ‘deceptive’ location tracking in fresh round of lawsuits Texas, Indiana, Washington state and the District of Columbia sued Alphabet’s Google on Monday over what they called deceptive location tracking practices that invade users’ privacy. “Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access,” the office of the Washington DC attorney general, Karl Racine, said in a statement. “The truth is that contrary to Google’s representations it continues to systematically surveil customers and profit from customer data. Google’s bold misrepresentations are a clear violation of consumers’ privacy,” the statement said. “Location data is key to Google’s advertising business. Consequently, it has a financial incentive to dissuade users from withholding access to that data,” the office of the Washington state attorney general, Bob Ferguson, said in a statement. The lawsuit cites a 2018 article by the Associated Press that revealed Google was continuing to track users’ locations even when users turned off the “location history” setting. The company claimed that turning that setting off would stop any location tracking when in reality there was a separate setting, called “Web & App Activity”, that continued to log location and other personal data. A spokesperson for Google, Jose Castaneda, said the “attorneys general are bringing a case based on inaccurate claims and outdated assertions about our settings. We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We will vigorously defend ourselves and set the record straight.” In May 2020, the state of Arizona filed a similar lawsuit against Google over its collection of location data of users. That suit is pending. Google is facing several lawsuits and investigations. In December 2020, the attorneys general of multiple US states sued Google, alleging the company misled publishers and advertisers about the price and process of advertising auctions. The lawsuit alleges that Google maintained control over the advertising sales market – a market that it dominates – by inflating the price of advertisements for brands and suppressing competition from other advertising exchanges. In a separate lawsuit, the US justice department in October 2020 alleged the tech company abused its position to maintain an illegal monopoly over search and search advertising. “Two decades ago, Google became the darling of Silicon Valley as a scrappy startup with an innovative way to search the emerging internet. That Google is long gone,” that suit alleged.
28 時政
日
2022 年 1 月 27
ECN 欧洲商报
UK financial watchdog staff edge closer to strike over pay cuts Staff at the UK’s financial watchdog are edging closer to a strike over pay cuts that unions say will turn the Financial Conduct Authority into a “bargain-basement” regulator. Members of Unite will vote in a ballot over whether to take industrial action against the FCA, after management allegedly refused to negotiate with the workforce on a “programme of severe cost-cutting”. Workers are said to be unhappy about a transformation plan ushered in by the FCA’s new chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, that involves abolishing bonuses widely considered to be part of basic pay, as well as “unfair” changes to the staff appraisal system, plans to cut staff pension rights and lower pay for non-London staff. Unite – which is not formally recognised by the FCA as its staff union – said the plans had already resulted in a plunge in morale and an exodus of experienced staff that could exacerbate problems at the FCA.
“Management at the FCA are attempting to implement a programme of pay cuts, which has come after two years in which the staff at the FCA have worked gruelling hours to provide financial protection against Covid for borrowers, investors, small businesses and people with mortgages,” the Unite national officer Dominic Hook said. “Unite has made it clear that if introduced, these cuts will make it even less likely that the FCA will be able to deliver this high standard of public service in the future.” The watchdog was already under fire for a number of scandals even before Brexit, which has given more powers and responsibilities to UK regulators. A damning report in 2020 slammed the FCA for failing to properly supervise the mini-bond provider London Capital & Finance before its collapse, which wiped out the savings of 11,600 investors.
The FCA was also found to have failed in its regulation of the Connaught Income Fund in 2012, and has faced criticism for failing to intervene before Neil Woodford’s £3.1bn Woodford Equity Income Fund collapsed in 2019. “You cannot regulate the British financial system on a bargainbasement basis as the chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, clearly wishes to do,” Hook said. “Management must enter into immediate negotiations with Unite the Union in order to avoid further damage and risk to the FCA.” Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk Current pay plans will result in the scrapping of bonuses, which Unite says are widely considered part of basic pay, and will result in about 10-12% pay cuts for the majority of its 4,200 staff.
However, new pay bands, which include different pay ranges for those based outside London, mean that 800 support and “associate grade” staff, the lowest two tiers, will receive a £3,800 pay rise. The FCA has also offered to increase base salaries by at least 5% for staff below management level who meet performance criteria from April 2022, upping a previous offer for a 2% pay rise. An FCA spokesperson said: “Our pay and reward proposals would ensure the FCA continues to provide one of the best employment packages of any regulator or enforcement agency in the UK. “Our proposals focus on those paid the least, with 800 colleagues below manager-level in line for salary increases of, on average, £3,800. “We are now carefully considering the feedback received during our extensive consultation with colleagues, with the aim of announcing the outcome by March.”
29 時政
日
2022 年 1 月 27
ECN 欧洲商报
£262bn investor says it will target bosses who fail on climate or human rights
Aviva Investors, an important UK asset manager, has put the directors of 1,500 companies on notice that it is willing to seek their removal if they fail to show enough urgency in tackling issues including the climate crisis and human rights. The firm said the way it votes on the reelection of company board members in the upcoming AGM season would be heavily influenced by its four key stewardship priorities for the year, which also include biodiversity and executive pay. In its annual letter to 1,500 companies in 30 countries including the UK, Aviva Investors urged companies to develop their own biodiversity action plans, publicly state their commitment to human rights, with appropriate due diligence, and ensure that executive pay plans – particularly bonuses – are linked to its four stewardship priorities. Aviva Investors, which manages £262bn in assets including savings and pensions, and is a big shareholder in many leading companies, said its strong message was part of efforts to create a more sustainable, inclusive and low-carbon future.
“We acknowledge the magnitude of many of these challenges and will evaluate companies on the strength of their commitments and their ability to demonstrate progress over time,” the asset manager said. “However, we will hold boards and individual directors accountable where the pace of change does not reflect the urgency required.” Last year, Aviva’s concerns over a lack of ethnic diversity on company boards – which was one of its stewardship priorities in 2021 – led to votes against directors at 137 companies. It opposed board members at 85 companies because of human rights concerns, including at the American meat processing company Tyson Foods, which was accused of negligence towards its workers during the pandemic. Aviva also rejected 33% and 68% of executive pay proposals in the UK and US respectively, amid concerns over pay levels and the structure of remuneration plans.
The Aviva Investors chief executive, Mark Versey, said that this year’s stewardship priorities were meant to “encourage companies to consider the whole picture of sustainability because this is how they will create the greatest return for shareholders, while helping to build a better future for society”. Aviva welcomed the promises some firms had made to change, including during the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. However, Versey said “companies must now turn their pledges into concrete and measurable plans of delivery”. He added: “Our letter sets out clear expectations as to how they should do this, and what those plans must address across climate impact, biodiversity and human rights.” In terms of climate commitments, Aviva Investors said all companies should be developing credible climate transition plans and work towards having them officially verified by the science-based targets initiative. Firms are also expected to measure their climate risks and emissions using new climate accounting standards.
30 時政
日
ECN 欧洲商报
2022 年 1 月 27
Omicron pushes UK business growth to 11-month low The UK economy grew at its slowest pace in almost a year in January as hospitality, leisure and travel businesses felt the impact of the Omicron variant. The monthly flash PMI (purchasing managers’ index) estimate of activity from IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply reported a two-speed recovery with an easing of supply-chain bottlenecks for manufacturing offset by weakness in consumer-facing service companies. Service sector growth eased for a third month, according to the survey, amid reports from businesses of a loss of momentum caused by pandemic disruptions and very subdued demand. Amid widespread reports of severe cost pressures, the IHS Markit/Cips measure of output fell from 53.6 to 53.4 in January – its lowest level in 11 months. Any finding above 50 denotes that the economy is expanding rather than contracting.
Chris Williamson, IHS Markit’s chief business economist, said: “A resilient rate of economic growth in the UK during January masks wide variations across different sectors. Consumerfacing businesses have been hit hard by Omicron, and manufacturers have reported a further worrying weakening of order book growth but other business sectors have remained encouragingly robust. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk “Looking ahead, while the Omicron wave meant the hospitality sector has sunk into a third steep downturn, these restrictions are now easing, meaning this downturn should be brief. Many business and financial services companies have, meanwhile, been far less affected by Omicron and saw business growth accelerate at the start of the year.” The gloomy picture for consumer-facing parts of the service sector contrasted with a report from Lloyds Bank showing spending on debit cards in the first two weeks of 2022 up by 27% on the same period in 2020, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. While less was spent on commuting and holidays, there were sharp increases in payments in restaurants and bars, shops and cinemas, the bank said. Flash PMI estimates for the eurozone showed activity in the service sector affected by Omicron, with growth slowing to its weakest in 11 months. Germany, France, Italy and Spain – the four biggest economies – have all tightened restrictions in recent weeks.
31 時政
日
2022 年 1 月 27
ECN 欧洲商报
Scrap national insurance rise, says ex-minister David Davis
Boris Johnson is facing growing demands from his own party to make a dramatic U-turn on planned national insurance tax increases in response to Britain’s worsening cost of living crisis. On a day of renewed pressure for the prime minister, the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis threw his weight behind calls for the tax increase due to come in from April to be scrapped. Business leaders and opposition parties also warned urgent action is required to help households with the highest rates of inflation for 30 years. Davis, who last week called in parliament for Johnson to resign, said the national insurance plan announced by the prime minister last year as a way of funding health and social care should be dropped because of the severe financial pressures already facing households. “It was a judgment made on, frankly, quite a lot of wrong data,” Davis said, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “They didn’t know at the time that by April we would have the highest inflation rate in 30 years, they didn’t know that interest rates would be going up, council tax would be going up, the fuel price is about to jump by £700 a year for the average family. Therefore, they didn’t know quite what pressure there would be on ordinary people.” Davis last week told Johnson that he should “in the name of God, go” because of his response to the
allegations about his attendance at parties – a reference to words said to Neville Chamberlain after a series of failures at the start of the second world war. The MP’s latest intervention comes as business leaders warned on Monday that the planned tax increase would add to pressures on the British economy from high inflation. National insurance contributions, which are paid by employers and workers, are scheduled to rise by 1.25 percentage points at the start of the new tax year in April, in a manifesto-breaking move to raise £12bn to increase NHS funding by Rishi Sunak and Johnson. However, the Institute of Directors lobby group said 38% out of a poll of 500 of its members would offset the tax rise by raising their prices. Kitty Ussher, the chief economist at the IoD, said: “Our data shows that the tax rise is itself inflationary at a time when prices are already rising fast. “Faced with the forthcoming increase in the cost of employing their teams, many businesses are planning to raise prices to offset the cost and/or rein in on their hiring plans.” With pressure growing on the prime minister on several fronts, Johnson resisted calls to scrap the planned rise. While speaking on a visit to a hospital in Milton Keynes on Monday, he told the media it would provide vital funding for health and social care.
“What I’m telling people is, if you want to fund our fantastic NHS, we have to pay for it – and this government is determined to do so,” he said. It came as the government faced demands during an opposition day debate in the Commons led by the SNP to launch a package of support measures to help people with soaring living costs. Official figures last week showed the rate of inflation – which measures the annual increase in average consumer prices – jumped to 5.4% in December, the highest level since March 1992. David Linden, the SNP spokesperson for work and pensions, said that instead of responding to the emergency, the Conservatives were in a state of “civil war and besieged by paralysis”. He said: “They’re indulging in navel-gazing while our constituents are stuck in the middle of an economic tornado.” Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said the government had provided £400bn of direct economic support during the pandemic to help with living costs and was “constantly considering what more we can do”. He warned that a national insurance U-turn would fail to deal with challenges for funding healthcare and repairing the public finances after the UK’s national debt rose to more than £2.3tn during the pandemic.
2022 年 1 月 January
縂第 235 期 ISSUE235
China-UK co-operation 'in line with the trend of history'
At the CCCUK Annual Online Conference & Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of CCCUK on Wednesday (Jan. 19), Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang pointed out that those who are fabricating rumors to discredit China, stirring up sinophobia, and disturbing the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK are attempting to turn back the wheel of history and deny the common aspirations of the peoples of our two countries. Zheng emphasized that the achievements of ChinaUK economic cooperation are not a windfall but results of hard works. They should not be taken for granted. The governments and companies of our two countries need to take good care of this partnership. A sound political environment is essential to the economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.
Zheng said, "The Chinese Government always welcomes foreign investment, including investment from the UK. We support a closer China-UK economic partnership, and will make continued efforts to foster a market-based, law-based and open business environment. The UK government should uphold the spirit of free trade and WTO rules, and provide a fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese businesses here in this country." Zheng noted that on state-to-state relations, China always upholds the principle of mutual non-interference. China has never interfered in the internal affairs of any other country, and we strongly oppose any interference in China's internal affairs by any country or force. He stressed that exclusion and confrontation will lead to nowhere; openness and cooperation are the right way forward. There are forces who are fabricating rumours to discredit China, stirring up sino-phobia, and disturbing the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK. These people are attempting to turn back the wheel of history and deny the common aspirations of the peoples of our two countries. We must not allow them to succeed!
Zheng added that cooperation between companies also relies on support from business associations. "I hope that CCCUK, the 48 Group Club and CBBC will continue playing a positive role and build better bridges and platforms for dialogue and cooperation between the companies of our two countries." The ambassador said, "I know we all hope to see the end of the pandemic, and an early resumption of face-to-face exchanges between the business communities and the peoples of our two countries. We at the Chinese Embassy in the UK will continue to provide facilitation and support in business cooperation between the two countries."