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Barbara Castle – 1968 Transport Act and Railway Closures

The text of the 1968 Transport Act, as enacted, with regards to railway closures.

54 Railway closures

(1)In discharging any of his functions under subsection (8) or (10) of section 56 of the Act of 1962 or under subsection (5) of this section in relation to, or to a proposal by the Railways Board or the London Board for, the discontinuance of all railway passenger services from any station or on any line (hereafter in this section, as in that section, referred to as a closure), the Minister shall have regard to any matters which for the time being appear to him to be relevant, including any social or economic considerations, and shall not give his consent to a proposed closure—

(a)unless he is satisfied that a reasonable opportunity has been afforded for the making to the Minister of representations with respect to the closure by or on behalf of persons who are employed by the Board concerned for the purposes of, or in connection with, the services in question and who appear to the Minister to be likely to be directly affected by the closure ; or

(b)before he has considered any representations made while that opportunity remains available which he is satisfied are either made by such persons as aforesaid or made on behalf of such persons by an organisation appearing to him to represent such persons.

(2)In the case of a proposed closure of a station from which, or of a line on the whole or part of which, railway passenger services fall to be provided by the Railways Board in pursuance of an agreement under section 20(2)(b) of this Act with the Executive for an area designated under section 9(1) thereof, the Board shall not publish a notice of that closure in pursuance of subsection (7) of the said section 56 without the consent of that Executive to its publication ; and if the Board publish the notice before obtaining that consent, the notice shall be of no effect unless before the expiration of the period fixed by the notice for objecting to the closure either—

(a)the Executive have informed the Board in writing that they consent to the publication ; or

(b)the Minister, on an application made for the purpose by the Board, whether before or after the publication of the notice, and after affording the Executive what the Minister considers a reasonable opportunity to make any representations, has directed that the notice shall have effect notwithstanding that the Executive have not consented to its publication ;

but the giving by the Executive of their consent to publication of a notice in pursuance of the said subsection (7) shall not affect the right of the Executive under subsection (4) of this section to oppose the closure.

(3)Where, in the case of any proposed closure, subsection (2) of this section does not apply but the proposal is for the closure of a station, or of the whole or part of a line, which is situated within an area designated as aforesaid, the Railways Board shall send to the Executive for that area a copy of the notice of the closure published by the Board in pursuance of the said subsection (7).

(4)Where, in the case of any closure to which subsection (2) or (3) of this section applies, notice of the closure has been published by the Railways Board in pursuance of the said subsection (7) (not being a notice which under the said subsection (2) is of no effect), the Executive concerned may, within the period specified in the notice for objecting to the closure, lodge with the Minister a statement in writing that they oppose the closure and of their reasons therefor; and where the Executive lodge such a statement with the Minister they shall send a copy of that statement to the Board and, notwithstanding that no objection is lodged in accordance with subsection (8) of the said section 56, the closure shall not be proceeded with until the Minister has given his consent.

(5)In the case of any closure requiring the consent of the Minister under the said section 56 or under subsection (4) of this section—

(a)the Minister may give his consent subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, including conditions to be complied with after the closure ;

(b)the Minister may from time to time vary or revoke the conditions for the time being required to be complied with in connection with the closure, whether the closure took place before or after the coming into force of this subsection;

(c)those conditions may include conditions as to the provision of alternative services by, or by a subsidiary of, the Bus Company or the Scottish Group, or by some other person whether in pursuance of arrangements made by the Bus Company or the Scottish Group or otherwise; and

(d)whether before or after the closure, and whether the closure took place before or after the coming into force of this subsection, the Minister may from time to time give such directions to the Railways Board or, as the case may be, the London Board and to the Bus Company, and the Secretary of State may from time to time give such directions to the Scottish Group, as he thinks fit in connection with the closure;

and where any such condition or direction relates to the provision or assistance in the provision of alternative services, the Minister or, where those alternative services are to be provided by, or by a subsidiary of, or in pursuance of arrangements made by, the Scottish Group, the Minister and the Secretary of State acting jointly may refer to an Area Committee within the meaning of the said section 56 any matter relating to those services, and the committee shall consider and report on that matter to the Minister or, as the case may be, to the Minister and the Secretary of State.

(6)Where any condition or direction such as is referred to in subsection (5) of this section requires the provision of alternative services by, or by a subsidiary of, the Bus Company or the Scottish Group or in pursuance of arrangements made by that Company or that Group, the cost of providing those alternative services shall be borne by that Company or, as the case may be, that Group.

(7)For the purposes of subsections (5) and (6) of this section any conditions imposed under subsection (11) of the said section 56, so far as still required to be complied with immediately before the coming into force of the said subsection (5), shall have effect as if imposed under the said subsection (5).

(8)Paragraphs 9 and 10 of Schedule 7 to the Act of 1962 (which contain spent transitional provisions with respect to matters pending at the date of the coming into force of the said section 56) shall cease to have effect.

24/01/2023
David Webster – 1967 Comments on Dismissal of Gerry Fiennes by Barbara Castle

The comments made by David Webster, the then Conservative Transport spokesperson, on 26 September 1967.

The peremptory and humiliating sacking of Gerald Fiennes is in sharp distinction to the treatment of Lord Robens. In Lord Robens’ case he was, in my view rightly, asked to stay on after the disaster of Aberfan and after the tribunal had found the Coal Board, of which he was the head, to be seriously at fault and also to have been most unsatisfactory in their giving of evidence.

In Mr Fiennes’ case, this distinguished and faithful servant of the railways has said what many people would heartily agree with in criticising the apparent lack of interest of the railways board to attempt to attain its financial objectives. He had been summoned to HQ and sacked immediately – with hardly time even to tidy his desk.

At one moment a lifetime with the railways is suddenly severed, although acute shortage of top railways management is everywhere acknowledged. I suspect that in this case the hand that caused the sacking is that of Mrs Barbara Castle. We know that Mrs Castle has little interest in the financial objectives of the railways. We know that Mrs Castle is impatient of independent opinion, as in the case of the removal of the chairman of the British Road Safety Advisory Council and in her attempts to dominate the road research laboratory. We will demand an inquiry into this grisly affairs as soon as Parliament reassembles.

24/01/2023
John Beavan – 1966 Comments on Barbara Castle, the White Paper and Beeching (Baron Ardwick)

The comments made by John Beavan for the Daily Mirror on 28 July 1966.

At last we are moving forward from Beeching. At last, after years of fumbling and dissension, Labour has got itself a comprehensive policy for transport – for passenger services and for freight on road, rail and even the dear old inland waterways.

I congratulate the Minister of Transport, Barbara Castle, on her need in reaching decisions, and hope she will succeed in translating much of her policy into action. Sensible, the controversial White paper she publishes today gives Lord Beeching his due. If it had not been for him, I do not believe that Mrs Castle or any other minister would have been able to sort things out. Beeching had a narrow brief – to make the shabby, flabby Victorian monster that was British Railways wealthy enough to earn its keep.

The chief remedy he advocated was deep surgery. Many cuts have been made, many remain to be made, because even the Tories could see the social consequences of some of his suggested cuts were unacceptable to too many people. The brief to Beeching had been too simple. Some of us hoped that Beeching would be put in charge of Britain’s rail and road transport with a proper brief. But he wanted to go back to ICI. In principle, Barbara Castle’s solution is the right one. We should sort out the profitable and potentially profitable lines and tell the Railways Board that it’s their job to make them pay.

What about the other sections? Some are hopeless. Mrs Castle admits there are 1,330 miles of freight track that are not needed and 400 miles of passenger line which are not needed nor seriously wanted. They should be cut out but we are left with a third class – lines that are useful and socially important but are unprofitable. These, Mrs Castle proposes, should be openly subsidised. It is a good principle – if sophisticated accountancy really can sort out the sheep from the goats. The sum needed to subsidise the necessary but unprofitable services would be a big one.

Although the Government had decided on social grounds to keep a fair-sized railway system, the cost of doing so should make them ask about each subsidised section, one highly important question:

‘Can the social needs be met more cheaply and as efficiently by some other form of transport?’

There is a lot more to the White Paper than this. I welcome particularly the policy for a combined service for road and rail in the big urban areas. If I could send a personal message to the Labour Party it would be this: In this year of 1966 more suffering is caused to British workers by public transport than by private capitalism.

24/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Minister pledges UK support at Africa summit to fight food insecurity [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2023.

The Minister for Development and Africa emphasises the importance of the UK working with African countries on a two-day visit to Senegal.
- Minister for Development and Africa will hold discussions with African leaders this week on rising food insecurity.
- Andrew Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand British Investment into African countries to tackle this challenge.
- He will meet Senegalese President and current African Union Chair Macky Sall during his visit, which will celebrate the UK’s growing partnership with a fast-growing, democratic, and stable regional power.
The UK Minister for Development and Africa will emphasise the importance of the UK working with African countries to grow economies and boost food security – on a two-day visit to Senegal, starting today (Tuesday 24 January).

Arriving in Dakar, Andrew Mitchell will hail the important relationship between the UK and Senegal, a country, with huge economic potential.

He will meet key Senegalese government figures on his visit, including current African Union Chair and Senegal President Macky Sall. He will also set out the UK’s vision of a stronger partnership between the UK and Senegal that delivers mutual prosperity and security, and tackles global issues such as health and climate change. He will sign the first ever Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Senegal, a symbol of our growing partnership.

Mr Mitchell will see first-hand the impact of British investment in Senegal, including how UK-funded projects are supporting women and girls, and helping to build Senegal’s vaccine production facilities to tackle the next pandemic.

Representing the UK at the Dakar 2 Feed Africa Summit, an African-led initiative, the Minister will listen to African leaders talk about the causes of rising food insecurity and hear their vision for accelerating agricultural transformation, with the aim of maximising the UK’s impact in alleviating food shortages across the continent. The UK is working with regional organisations like AGRA, Regional Economic Communities and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to help strengthen food trade in Africa.

Minister for Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said:

Many Brits know Senegal for its world-class football team. They may not know that our partnership with Senegal reaps benefits for people in both our countries, delivering economic growth and tackling common security and health threats. We hope to deepen this partnership over the long-term.

As a leading supporter of the African Development Bank I am delighted to participate in the Dakar 2: Feed Africa Summit on an issue that we all need to work together on.

With Russia’s war in Ukraine exacerbating the already drastic impacts of regional conflict in Africa and climate change on food security, I also want to hear directly from Macky Sall and other African leaders about the issues the continent is facing and understand how the UK can further support African countries as we face those challenges, together.

Senegal is a leading stable and democratic country in the region, growing in significance and influence, and the UK hopes to build a closer partnership and greater trade and investment ties over the long-term.

Economic development is crucial to tackling challenges like food insecurity and climate change and on his visit Mr Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand UK investment into the country to make a real and lasting positive impact. The UK-Africa Investment Summit in 2020 announced 27 deals worth over £6.5bn from across Africa. It also announced £9bn worth of investment decisions.

During his visit, he will see the impact of such investment to date, including a $1.7bn partnership between British International Investment and DP World which features a new container port at Ndayane, Senegal’s largest onshore investment. The port will enable the creation of over 20,000 new jobs and help unblock barriers to greater economic growth.

He will see the British Council’s landmark English Connects programme and visit the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health Programme (WISH) clinic where our delivery partner Marie Stopes International is increasing access to voluntary family planning, reaching those most in need.

Andrew Mitchell will also visit Institut Pasteur de Dakar to hear about their plans to develop vaccines for Covid and other deadly diseases.
24/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar [January 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 January 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon.

The leaders reflected on the close relationship between the UK and Ireland, and the Prime Minister said it was clear both nations were highly aligned when it came to shared values and challenges. He pointed to cooperation on areas like research and development and offshore wind.

The leaders discussed the invasion of Ukraine, and the Prime Minister updated on the UK’s plans to accelerate its support to help the country secure a lasting peace.

They also discussed the Northern Ireland Protocol, and the need to find solutions to the problems being faced by communities in Northern Ireland.

Both leaders reflected on the need for Northern Ireland to have a power-sharing government up and running as soon as possible.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

24/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : United Kingdom commences membership on the United Nation’s Committee on NGOs [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Richard Croker, UK Ambassador to the General Assembly.

Thank you Mr Co-Chair,

The United Kingdom is proud to commence our membership on the United Nation’s Committee on NGOs. The value of this Committee cannot be overstated. Its existence reflects that the UN recognises the essential contribution of civil society to our work. Civil society enriches the evidence base at our disposal, making our meetings more effective and more substantial. All this helps ensure that what we do here has impact on the ground. Therefore we begin our membership with the understanding of the responsibility that comes with it.

As demonstrated through our actions here at the UN, the UK is committed to championing civil society engagement. Regrettably, we do this in the face of opposition. A small group of Member States oppose civil society engagement with the UN, and seek to stifle their voices, fearing the scrutiny that civil society provides. We intend to seek approval of all applications from all legitimate NGOs. Therefore our scrutiny of NGOs will be only on the following categories in line with 1996/31.

The NGO must exist and be currently active.

The NGO is independent of government, with a majority of positions filled by individuals without government connection.

The NGO does not cause harm to people, property, or the environment.

The NGO and its staff are in adherence to the UN Charter, in that it does not engage in politically motivated attacks against member states, nor verifiably benefit from proceeds of criminal activity.

In recent years, this Committee has witnessed ever-increasing politicised deferrals – part of a wider trend of increasing reprisals against civil society actors who seek to engage with the UN. We encourage all Committee Members to use a fair and objective review process, and avoid blocking NGO applications for political reasons.

Such a commitment will foster deeper civil society engagement at the UN, while helping to reduce the backlog in applications. As Members, we all have an interest in making this Committee as effective and efficient as possible. That is why the UK is supportive of any effort designed to improve the working methods of the Committee.

In order to help deliver the Secretary-General’s Commitment to inclusive multilateralism, we urge all Committee Members to facilitate a safe and welcoming space for civil society participation at the UN.

Thank you.

24/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New fire safety regulations come into force in England [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 January 2023.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which implement the majority of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, come into force today (23 January 2023).

These are new requirements for ‘responsible persons’ of mid and high-rise blocks of flats to provide information to fire and rescue services to assist them with operational planning and provide additional safety measures. In all multi-occupied residential buildings, residents should now be provided with fire safety instructions and information on fire doors.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are now law from today and form part of a package of sensible, risk mitigating fire safety measures that the government is delivering following the Grenfell Tower fire to keep the public safe.

In high-rise residential buildings, responsible persons will be required to:
- provide their local fire and rescue service with up-to-date electronic building plans and information on the design and materials of their external wall
- undertake monthly checks of firefighting lifts, evacuation lifts and other key pieces of firefighting equipment
- install a secure information box and wayfinding signage
In mid-rise residential buildings (over 11 metres), responsible persons will be required to undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common part.

Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, Chris Philp, said:

I am very pleased that measures to improve fire safety in blocks of flats are now law following recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Keeping the public safe is our utmost priority and we are committed to ensuring that the Grenfell tragedy must never happen again.
24/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Emergency pesticide authorisation approved to protect national sugar beet crop [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 January 2023.

National sugar beet crop could face serious losses due to risk from aphids – more than 50% of UK sugar comes from domestic production.

Defra has approved an emergency temporary authorisation for the use of a neonicotinoid pesticide treatment on this year’s sugar beet crop due to the risk to the crop from yellows viruses.

Emerging sugar beet seedlings are vulnerable to predation from aphids that have the potential to spread beet yellows virus, which can severely affect sugar beet yield and quality. In 2020, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost, costing £67m of total economic loss across an industry that creates nearly 10,000 jobs.

Defra has attached strict conditions to the emergency authorisation including only allowing for application if independent modelling predicts a virus incidence of 63% or above. If the virus threshold is not met, then the neonicotinoid treated seed will not be used.

If the threshold is met and limited use is allowed, then further strict conditions will be applied to minimise risks to the environment. This includes a maximum number of seeds planted per hectare and restrictions on farmers planting flowering crops in subsequent years in any field where treated seed has been used. This is to allow time for the chemical to break down.

Emergency authorisations for pesticides are only granted for a short period of time, in special circumstances where it is necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means, and the use is limited and controlled. Other pesticide and organic treatments are not sufficiently effective in controlling the virus

The overall ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides remains in place.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

We recognise the potential danger of an outbreak of the beet yellows virus on the nation’s sugar beet crop and the impact it could have on the production of UK sugar. Therefore after careful consideration, we regard issuing an emergency authorisation as a necessary measure to protect the industry.

The product can only be used if a strict threshold is met and on a single non-flowering crop. This decision has not been taken lightly and is based on extensive and rigorous scientific assessment.

The Farming Minister considered advice on this application from the Health and Safety Executive, the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser.

23/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Immigration enforcement surge since pledge to tackle illegal working [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 January 2023.

The Home Office has ramped up immigration enforcement activity in the month since the Prime Minister’s pledge to boost raids on illegal working.
A total of 1,152 immigration enforcement visits have taken place across the UK to identify illegal working since 11 December, marking an almost 10% rise on visits completed in the previous 5 weeks.

The increase in enforcement comes as the Home Office establishes the UK’s first cross-government ministerial taskforce on immigration enforcement, which will ensure every available power across government is utilised to support law enforcement activity to identify and reduce illegal migrants in the UK, and ensure only those eligible can work, receive benefits or access public services.

It will examine how to protect access to rented accommodation, bank accounts, healthcare, education, driving licences and public funds to only those eligible. The new enforcement taskforce, chaired by the Immigration Minister, will focus in its first meeting on illegal working and how enforcement activity can be maximised, including the rapidly growing gig economy.

In December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to tackle illegal working and immigration, including by hiring 200 new Immigration Enforcement staff and restarting data sharing with banks to ensure those here illegally do not have access to bank accounts.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers of employment, putting vulnerable people at risk, and defrauding the public purse.

Our Immigration Enforcement teams are working round the clock to bring those violating our laws to justice. It’s our priority to crack down on this crime and empower law enforcement to remove illegal migrants.

With support from our new enforcement taskforce, we will go further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders and crack down on individuals exploiting the generosity of the UK taxpayer.

Since mid-December, immigration enforcement action has included:

362 arrests – in this timeframe, 92 illegal working civil penalties were also issued with a value of £1.5 million

1,930 police enquiries referred to Immigration Enforcement teams of foreign nationals they arrest for further investigation

a further 58 arrests for immigration offences, with 28 convictions secured since 13 December

151 foreign criminals and immigration offenders being removed on returns charter flights since the Prime Minister’s speech as part of the government’s commitment to remove those with no right to be in the UK

continued action to prevent illegal and dangerous small boats crossings, with 3 individuals arrested for piloting a small boat across the Channel under section 25 of the Nationality and Borders Act

2 pilots of small boats being convicted under section 24 of the Act with aggravating factors
23/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – The Tallinn Pledge (January 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 23 January 2023.

A joint statement by the defence ministers of Estonia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania; and the representatives of Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

We the Defence Ministers of Estonia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania; and the representatives of Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Slovakia met today, 19 January, to reaffirm our continued determination and resolve to supporting Ukraine in their heroic resistance against the illegal and unprovoked Russian aggression. We condemn Russia’s attacks designed to terrorise Ukraine’s people, including intentional attacks against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure which may constitute war crimes. We reject Russia’s ongoing violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and its illegal claims to have annexed Ukrainian territory.

We recognise that equipping Ukraine to push Russia out of its territory is as important as equipping them to defend what they already have. Together we will continue supporting Ukraine to move from resisting to expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian soil. By bringing together Allies and partners, we are ensuring the surge of global military support is as strategic and coordinated as possible. The new level of required combat power is only achieved by combinations of main battle tank squadrons, beneath air and missile defence, operating alongside divisional artillery groups, and further deep precision fires enabling targeting of Russian logistics and command nodes in occupied territory.

Therefore, we commit to collectively pursuing delivery of an unprecedented set of donations including main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition, and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine’s defence. This substantial assistance to Ukraine comes from our own national stocks, and resources illustrating the mutual understanding of the severity of the situation and our commitment to urgently increase and accelerate support for Ukraine. Having made this “Tallinn Pledge”, we shall head to the Ukraine Defence Group meeting in Ramstein tomorrow 20 January and urge other Allies and partners to follow suit and contribute their own planned packages of support as soon as possible to ensure a Ukrainian battlefield victory in 2023.

Donations list per country
Denmark: Denmark is continuing military and civil support to Ukraine. As part of the military support, recognising the decisive importance of modern artillery units on the battlefield, Denmark has decided to donate all its 19 CAESAR artillery systems to Ukraine. Denmark will also continue to provide training of Ukrainian forces, including but not limited to the UK-led programme of training for Ukrainian recruits. Denmark has donated or financed military aid for close to 600 million euros. Weapons donations and military support will continue in close cooperation with allies, and in accordance with Ukrainian needs.

The Czech Republic: The Czech Republic will continue its support to Ukraine via delivery of military material, always in close cooperation with our partners and reflecting the Ukrainian needs. We are working with our defence industry to increase their production capacities in order to provide even more support, especially in terms of producing large calibre ammunition, howitzers and APCs. A key component of our contribution will be maintenance of the already delivered equipment and increased MRO capacity.

Estonia: The Estonian package consists of tens of 155mm FH-70 and 122mm D-30 howitzers, thousands of rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, support vehicles for artillery units, hundreds of Carl-Gustaf M2 anti-tank grenade launchers with ammunition with the total replacement values of approx. 113 million euros. In addition, Estonia will continue to provide both basic and specialist training to hundreds of Ukrainian Armed Forces members in 2023.

Latvia: Latvia is preparing new donations with additional tens of man-portable air-defence systems (Stinger) and additional air-defence elements, two M-17 helicopters, tens of machine guns with ammunition, several tens of UAVs and spare parts for M109 howitzers. Latvia is also hugely investing in the training of Ukrainian soldiers. In 2023 Latvia is planning to train around 2000 Ukrainian soldiers in various programmes starting from basic infantry training to specialized courses.

Lithuania: Lithuania’s new lethal support package consists of dozens of L-70 anti-aircraft guns with tens of thousands of ammunition, and two Mi-8 helicopters with the total replacement value of approx. of 85 million euros. Still this year, we will invest 40 million euros for procurements in support of Ukrainian military. This will include anti-drones, optics, thermo-visual devices and drones. Also, 2 million euros will be transferred to the UK International Fund for financing the heavy weaponry acquisitions projects such as artillery systems and ammunition, direct fire platforms or armoured fighting vehicles. The total value of Lithuanian upcoming lethal support package is 125 million euros. This year, Lithuania will continue training, and plans to train 1500 Ukrainians under bilateral and multilateral formats.

Poland: Poland will continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as long as necessary. The new Polish package consists of S-60 anti-aircraft guns with 70,000 pieces of ammunition. Poland already donated 42 Infantry Fighting Vehicles along with training packages for two mechanized battalions. In addition, Poland continues delivery of 155mm KRAB howitzers and supplying UKR with various types of ammunition. Medical and engineering training is also constantly provided. On top of that, Poland is ready to donate a company of Leopard 2 tanks with 1000 pieces of ammunition. Pending this, a wider coalition of Leopard 2 tanks donors will be established. On top of that, Poland is ready to donate a company of Leopard 2 tanks with 1000 pieces of ammunition. Pending this, a wider coalition of Leopard 2 tanks donors will be established.

Slovakia: In addition to the heavy equipment already donated, Slovakia will continue intensive discussions with Allies on the possibilities of unlocking further equipment for donations to Ukraine. The effort currently focuses on possibilities related to main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, air defence systems, but also increased production of howitzers, demining equipment and ammunition. Concrete details will be developed in due time based on continued exchanges with Allies and partners. Slovakia will continue to train Ukrainian soldiers and expand the training as required by Ukraine.

United Kingdom: The United Kingdom’s accelerated package consists of a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks with armoured recovery and repair vehicles; AS90 self-propelled 155mm guns, while preserving their commitment in Estonia; hundreds more armoured and protected vehicles; a manoeuvre support package, including minefield breaching and bridging capabilities; dozens more un-crewed aerial systems to support Ukrainian artillery; another 100,000 artillery rounds; hundreds more sophisticated missiles including GMLRS rockets, Starstreak air defence missiles, and medium range air defence missiles; 600 Brimstone anti-tank munitions; an equipment support package of spares to refurbish up to a hundred Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The package is further augmented by continuing basic training and junior leadership training for the AFU in the UK with 9 International partners. With the aim of training around a further 20 000 AFU personnel in 2023. The UK is also coordinating the International Fund for Ukraine which has raised almost £600M with partners. The first package of support from the fund will be announced shortly.

23/01/2023