A minister has given the clearest indication yet that the energy price cap will have to rise, amid concerns that the spike in prices might last longer than anticipated.

       Paul Scully, the small business minister, told Sky News the Government had been having "lots of conversations ... with companies themselves, with Ofgem, in reviewing that price cap".

       He insisted the price cap, which is set by Ofgem and limits the cost of energy for about 11 million people on suppliers' default tariffs, would remain as "we clearly want to protect customers".

       But the Government is planning for "the worst-case scenario" which was sustained higher prices,

       The price cap is reviewed every six month, and is due to rise 12 per cent on Oct. 1. In normal circumstances, it would be reviewed again in April 2022.

       Mr Scully said: "This is all part of the conversations that Ofgem will set that cap at, because supply prices are based on a number of factors.

       "Clearly, as Government, we need to make sure we are planning for the worst-case scenario because we want to make sure we can protect consumers."

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       A minister has rejected suggestions the UK is on the cusp of a 1970s-style winter of discontent.

       Paul Scully, the business minister, told Times Radio: "This isn't a 1970s thing at all. There are particular pressures we are working on.

       "We have had an unprecedented pandemic, which has caused a lot of delays in critical thinking and planning. We need to build resilience back into the system, so we are working with those sectors."

       The same applied to the lack of HGV drivers, which will be addressed through fast-tracking driving tests and encouraging former drivers back into work.

       Covid-19 could resemble the common cold by spring next year as people's immunity to the virus is boosted by vaccines and exposure, a leading expert has said.

       Professor Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, said the country "is over the worst" and things "should be fine" once winter has passed, adding that there was continued exposure to the virus even in people who are vaccinated.

       Sir John told Times Radio: "If you look at the trajectory we're on, we're a lot better off than we were six months ago... I think we're over the worst of it now."

       With case numbers high, those who have been vaccinated will likely become "asymptomatically infected [and] that will add to our immunity substantially," he added, estimating that "by next spring" Covid could become like the cold virus.

       "We have to get over the winter to get there but I think it should be fine."

       The boss of vaccine manufacturer Moderna says he believes the pandemic could be over in a year.

       Stéphane Bancel said "everyone on this earth" should be able to get vaccinated by mid-2022, including boosters, adding that jabs would soon be available even for infants.

       He told the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung: "If you look at the industry-wide expansion of production capacities over the past six months, enough doses should be available by the middle of next year so that everyone on this earth can be vaccinated."

       Those who do not get vaccinated will "immunise themselves naturally" through catching Covid, but they "risk getting sick and possibly even ending up in hospital." He added: "In this way we will end up in a situation similar to that of the flu."

       Asked if that meant a return to normal in the second half of next year, he said: "As of today, in a year, I assume."

       The Government has issued a very concise statement following a meeting between Liz Truss, the new Foreign Secretary, and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

       Here is what we've been told:

       Given ongoing tensions including the charging of a third man in connection with the Salisbury Novichok attack, a maritime show of strength and the Kremlin's control over Europe's energy, we only speculate as to what else might have been discussed.

       A minister has said he could not guarantee that consumers could keep the terms of their previous energy tariff if their supplier goes bust.

       Just two days after Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said those being transferred to new providers would "be expected to pay the same amount", Paul Scully told Times Radio: "No, that's not going to be possible in terms of a guarantee.

       "What we'll have though is security," the small business minister added. "They don't need to do anything because their transfer will be made directly through the Ofgem scheme, making sure that they have a company looking after them, supplying their energy.

       "What I'd recommend they do though is take a meter reading, take a photo of their meter if possible, and then everything will be done automatically for them."

       Food prices could rise this winter due to "inflationary pressures" on supermarkets, the boss of Iceland has warned.

       Richard Walker told Sky News that being "frozen experts" his firm was fully stocked.

       "I'm not overly concerned [about shortages] and certainly there's no need for customers to panic buy, we certainly don't want to go back to those dark days," he added.

       "But I do think it's right to sound the alarm bell on some of these issues that we're facing because if they're not sorted, then we might have some issues. But it's more issues within the fresh chamber than it is frozen.

       "We're also facing inflationary pressures because of all the things that we've talked about," Mr Walker said. "I'm also concerned about retail selling prices as well as we get into the winter and into 2022."

       The Government should add HGV drivers to the skilled EU worker list or risk more empty shelves, a supermarket boss has said.

       Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland, told Sky News: "If the food industry was just facing a CO2 crisis we could probably weather it and muddle through, but of course it's compounded by a whole array of other issues, not least the HGV driver shortage."

       This was "making it increasingly very, very difficult to service our shops," he added. "We never had to cancel a single delivery throughout the pandemic, and yet now we're having to because of this shortage, so I think it is a concern."

       Heading into Christmas - the "bumper time of year" - this shortage was coming at "the worst possible time", he added.

       "The simple short-term solution is for the Government to add HGV drivers to the skilled EU worker list... I can't for the life of me understand why it doesn't include the men and women who have literally kept the wheels turning throughout the pandemic."

       Joe Biden might have opted for a sobering speech warning about the ravages of climate change left unchecked, but Boris Johnson chose a different approach.

       In his UNGA speech last night, the Prime Minister deployed characteristically colourful language and invoked a Muppets character to argue that combating global warming did not have to be tough: “When Kermit the frog sang ‘It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green’, I want you to know he was wrong.”

       There was a serious point to his somewhat glib comments, reassuring developed nations that: "I don’t see the green movement as a pretext for a wholesale assault on capitalism.”

       Watch again above.

       The boss of Iceland has said the supermarket will have "fully stocked shelves" in the short-term - but warned that the UK must move towards a "broader energy mix" to safeguard against future shortages.

       Richard Walker, managing director the chain, told Sky News: "In the short term I'm more confident that supply chains will be more uninterrupted.

       "Certainly in our own business we've been building up stocks of key lines that potentially could have been at risk, like frozen meat for example, and we're confident that we have fully stocked shelves.

       "However I think we've now got to think longer-term. This loan is only three weeks: what happens after that, or what happens the next time the gas prices spike? We need a broader, more diverse and therefore more sustainable energy mix so we're not so reliant on gas.

       "We also need to look as a food industry, but also further up the supply chains, at different, better ways of capturing CO2 and potentially using alternative gases as well."

       The Government could scrap the need to take departure and arrival PCR tests when travelling abroad, from as early as the October half-term holiday.

       Asked whether PCR tests would be scrapped in time for half-term, Paul Scully, the small business minister, said: "That's absolutely the aim.

       "We've got to get the systems in place because we want to move to lateral flow tests to make it easier and cheaper for people to be able to enjoy those holidays at half-term," he told Sky News. "The aim is later on in October.

       "We know that half-term is looming, we know people want to get away, but we also want to encourage business travel as well, because that is investment in the UK, it is investment in jobs and creates opportunities for people."

       Any uprating of the price cap will be decided on "the prevailing circumstances" at the next review, a minister has said.

       Paul Scully, the small business minister, said consumers should be encouraged by the fact that the "price cap will support them up to ￡100 each year", but that "Ofgem will look at the post prices, the wholesale prices, over a period of time".

       Asked how much it could go up by, he said: "There is no point speculating now because lots of things can happen over the next six months, before the next review kicks in. It will be based on the prevailing circumstances at that point."

       He said the Government did "not necessarily expect" for the cap to rise but "we need to plan for any circumstances".

       A minister has defended the decision to bailout the American-owned fertiliser plant CF Industries, while allowing domestic gas firms to collapse.

       Paul Scully, the small business minister, told Radio 4's Today programme the plant was "a valuable one" because it produced CO2 essential to the food processing industry.

       "It's not more important, it's not abut backing winners or losers," he added. "It's different solutions for different situations. CO2 is an important by-product for the food sector.

       "With the energy sector, we have a mature system, and companies do leave the market each year."

       The Government will be fast-tracking HGV driving tests and encourage former drivers back to work in a bid to get food back onto the shelves in the run-up to Christmas, a minister has said.

       There was a cross-government meeting yesterday to address the issue, which supermarkets have warned will get worse in the coming weeks.

       Paul Scully rejected suggestions that a temporary amnesty be introduced to allow EU workers to return to the UK, saying it would take "weeks and months" for them to filter through. Instead he said they were looking to shake-up the system so that tests which have been delayed because of the pandemic can be given.

       He added: "People with HGV licence either full or partial who are not working, we are looking at how we can encourage them back."

       There will be "50,000 new tests over the year starting from now so we can get them in the system," he added.

       A minister has said taxes would need to rise to keep the ￡20 weekly Universal Credit uplift.

       Business minister Paul Scully told Sky News that while the Chancellor was looking at this issue (see post below), "if you were to reverse the Universal Credit as it is, you would have to put up income tax by the equivalent of a penny and 3p on fuel".

       He added: "You have to find ￡6 billion from somewhere."

       Put to him that "most people would accept putting a penny on income tax" to pay to keep the uplift, he added: "What I'm saying is you have to find ￡6 billion from somewhere and what you don't want to be doing, for the lowest paid in particular, is giving with one hand and taking and increasing taxes with the other."

       Rishi Sunak will be looking to address the cost of living crisis in next month's Budget, a minister has said.

       The Government is coming under increased political pressure to resolve the problem, caused by surging prices which many fear will be exacerbated when the Universal Credit uplift is cut in October. Tories have urged ministers to reverse their plans, but so far their pleas have been rebuffed.

       However Paul Scully, the small business minister, said the Chancellor would be looking at "that aspect of public finances in the Budget that is coming up", and appeared to suggest there might be an alternative brought forward to replace it.

       "This is something we are looking at for the country as a whole, this is not a Red Wall, Blue Wall thing, but making sure we are doing the right thing," he said.

       Universal Credit "was an emergency measure that did its job at a particular time," he added. "The Chancellor will look at the cost of living in his Budget this autumn."

       There is a belief in parts of the UK Government that the French are over-exaggerating their anger over the Aukus pact for potential financial reasons.

       On Wednesday night, there were suggestions that the French could withdraw from Nato's integrated military command.

       Boris Johnson and Joe Biden privately expressed astonishment at France's heated reaction to the pact, as the Prime Minister urged Emmanuel Macron to "get a grip".

       Submarine contracts between France and Australia, worth tens of billions of pounds, were torn up when Canberra went in with the UK and US, with legal wrangling over compensation now expected.

       Discussing the row with reporters as his four-day US trip neared its end, Mr Johnson appeared to liken the French anger to that seen at the end of a personal relationship.

       Boris Johnson gave his hotly-anticipated climate change speech to the UN General Assembly last night - but was anyone listening?

       Back in the UK, domestic issues continue to dominate, with Tory backbenchers - particularly those in the Red Wall - increasingly concerned about the impact of the cost of living crisis on their voters.

       The Prime Minister could be returning to brewing political storm.

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