Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : UK to provide 1,000 more surface to air missiles to Ukraine [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 9 November 2022.
UK has provided approximately 1,000 additional surface to air missiles to help counter the Russian threat to Ukrainian infrastructure

The Defence Secretary made the announcement while visiting training sites alongside the Secretary General of NATO and JEF Defence Ministers

The UK has now trained over 7,400 recruits from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), and over 60 AFU Junior leaders

The Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced that the UK will shortly complete the delivery of approximately 1,000 additional surface to air missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This comes in response to Ukrainian requests for more air defence capabilities, and the missiles will play a vital role in the provision of air defence for Ukraine and the protection of its critical infrastructure which is being continually targeted by Russia.

The missiles can be used in conjunction with existing Armed Forces of Ukraine capabilities. The equipment consists of launchers and missiles and is capable of shooting down air targets, including Russian drones and cruise missiles.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

This commitment of hundreds more surface to air missiles continues our defensive support for Ukraine against Russian aggression – and will help Ukraine counter the threat from illegal targeting of critical national infrastructure.

The announcement comes as Defence Secretary has today visited two training sites where over 7,400 Ukrainian recruits have been trained by UK forces alongside eight partner nations.

At the sites being used for training, the Defence Secretary welcomed the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the morning, and his counterparts from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations this afternoon, some of whom were able to see their own military personnel conducting the training.

Currently 1,900 Ukrainian recruits are in the UK taking part in the training programme and will soon return to their home country. When they complete the training, they are provided with items including combat clothing, body armour and ear defence, waterproofs and sleeping bags.

Recruits are also issued with a fully stocked individual First Aid Kit after learning how to use tourniquets, field dressings and chest seals during training. Recruits leaving the UK will now be provided with extreme cold weather kits, announced by the Prime Minister today, including 25,000 set of extreme cold weather clothing, 20,000 sleeping bags and 150 insulated tents.

The announcement comes in response to Ukrainian requests for more cold weather equipment. Ukraine’s troops continue to battle to liberate their country from Russian forces as winter rapidly approaches, when temperatures can sink to minus 20°C and below in parts of the country.

Heavy duty sleeping bags and roll mats, combined with heated accommodation and personal winter clothing, will help to prevent cold-related injuries and ensure troops can operate effectively and efficiently.

Brigadier Justin Stenhouse, Commander of the UK’s basic training for Ukrainian recruits said:

We have equipped more than 9,000 Ukrainian recruits to ensure they have the necessary personal protective equipment, including helmet, body armour and webbing, to aid them in fighting against Russian aggression. The effort to support this from across the entire logistic community has been hugely impressive and no small undertaking.

The Ukrainian recruits, many of whom have little to no military experience, have shown exemplary courage, resilience, and a desire to learn which is deeply humbling to observe. Our instructors have done an excellent job in training these recruits to live and fight using their new equipment and transforming them from civilians to soldiers in just five weeks.
November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Statement over Cyclists and Pedestrians on Exchange Street in Norwich

The press release issued by Norfolk Police on 8 November 2022.

We know there’s been a lot of discussion about driver’s continuing to use Exchange Street in Norwich.

This road was turned into pedestrianised zone by Norfolk County Council in 2020 and the current order was put in place in June 2022 and is closed to motorised traffic between 10am and 4pm, seven days a week.

While we’ve carried out some enforcement, due to the numbers of drivers continuing to use the route, the current signage is not adequate.

We have raised our concerns with the highways team at Norfolk County Council who have reassured us they will be making improvements to signage to make it clear to motorists.

In the meantime, we are in discussions around further alternatives to help to ensure a higher level of compliance.

On Saturday officers dealt with a woman causing an obstruction of the highway which is an offence – and while cars shouldn’t be driving on the route – there are exceptions such as emergency vehicles on 999 calls.

We will seek to remove people from the highway for their own safety. We are aware some officers waved through vehicles already committed to the route and these officers will be given suitable guidance.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Sharing intelligence and expertise with U.S. [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 9 November 2022.

Strategic Command, which leads on cyber activity for Defence, plays a key role in sustaining and advancing this relationship.

Recently UKStratCom hosted Honorable Ron Moultrie, U.S. Under Secretary for Intelligence and Security, during his visit to the UK for a series of engagements with Defence personnel.

Defence Intelligence facilitated a series of discussions between Hon Ron Moultrie and UK officials on the operational use of intelligence, including with newly appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence Adrian Bird CB.

Hon Moultrie also visited several Strategic Command sites to understand more about how the organisation uses digital capabilities and intelligence to benefit operations and military effectiveness.

Speaking on the visit, Commander Strategic Command General Sir Jim Hockenhull said

At Strategic Command our aims of accelerating the digitisation of Defence go hand in hand with the effective use of intelligence and data.

The U.S. is our foremost ally and partner in this area, and our working relationship in various domains, including cyber, helps to protect us from an array of threats.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Putin’s failures are becoming apparent to the Russian people – UK statement to the OSCE [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 November 2022.

Ian Stubbs (UK delegation to the OSCE) says that Russia’s illegal and brutal war against Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the people of Russia too.

Thank you, Mr Chair. It is now over 250 days since we, along with the rest of the world, witnessed the start of President Putin’s unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack on Ukraine. Throughout this time, we have highlighted the truth in the face of Russia’s disinformation and propaganda. In addition to the horrendous violence Russia has and continues inflict on the Ukrainian people, there has been an enormous cost to the people of Russia too. Thousands of young Russian lives have been lost on land, at sea and in the air; fighting in an illegal war of choice based on contrived rationales, confused narratives and shifting goals. This is not conjecture, this is not opinion, it is fact.

The failures of Putin’s horrendous adventurism are becoming increasingly apparent to the Russian people. They are becoming increasingly aware that their recently mobilised family members, neighbours and friends are being badly trained, badly equipped and then sent to the battlefield to reinforce poorly equipped, poorly led and demoralised professional soldiers. It is perhaps no wonder then that so many Russians have chosen to flee their own country to avoid mobilisation.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Russian military leaders continue to commit more and more Russian troops to the war in an attempt to overcome their failures. Due to low morale and a reluctance to fight, Russian forces have now reportedly started to deploy “barrier troops” or “block units”. These units threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives.

Low morale, indiscipline and dysfunction continues to reach the highest levels of Russia’s military leadership too. On 3 November, Major General Alexander Linkov was reportedly appointed acting commander of Russia’s Central Military District. Linkov replaces Colonel General Alexander Lapin who was purportedly removed from office at the end of October. If confirmed, this is just the latest in a series of dismissals of senior Russian military commanders since the onset of the invasion last February, including the Commanders of the Eastern, Southern, and Western Military Districts. A pattern of blame against senior Russian military commanders for failures to achieve President Putin’s objectives on the battlefield.

It is worth noting that Colonel General Lapin had been widely criticised for poor performance on the battlefield in Ukraine by both Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. The latter appears to be gaining increasing influence in the Kremlin, with his private military company being increasingly relied upon to provide fundamental security tasks normally expected of the Russian State.

For example, on 6 November, Prigozhin announced the creation of centres for the training and management of “people’s militias” in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts in

Russia. These “people’s militias” probably function outside the Russian MOD’s structure and chain of command. Their stated intent is to establish units to help defend Russia’s borders.

Meanwhile, as Russia scrambles to fortify its defensive lines throughout eastern Ukraine, Prigozhin announced the construction of a fortified ‘Wagner Line’ of defences in Luhansk oblast. The construction represents a significant effort to prepare defences in depth behind the current Russian front line and protect a key logistics line of communication.

However, as we noted last week, Wagner’s recruitment of Russian convicts including individuals suffering from serious diseases and medical conditions, is a sign of desperation to recruit numbers not fighters. According to the Ukrainian Centre for Researching and Combating Hybrid Threats, 500 Wagner recruited convicts had died fighting in Ukraine by mid-October. In total, the centre assesses 800-1000 Wagner recruits have likely died in Ukraine. Wagner numbers have been further depleted by substantial non-fatal casualties.

That Wagner, a private military company linked to human rights abuses, is being increasingly relied upon to conduct roles normally expected of a government’s security and military apparatus is itself a telling indicator of the parlous state of Putin’s war machine: more defeats; more Generals sacked; more demoralised troops; more discontent amongst the Russian population; and more critique from Russia’s elites.

Mr Chair, Putin and the Russian military leadership have consistently underestimated the will, determination and courage of the Ukrainian military and civilians to defend their homeland from a brutal and barbaric invader. They continue to fail to understand that every horrendous attack strengthens the Ukrainian resolve and that of its friends, like the UK, who remain steadfast in our support – for however long it takes – to ensure that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the independence of Ukraine is fully restored. Thank you.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : The UK stands with the people of Iran as they demand fundamental freedoms [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 November 2022.

UK statement at the UN General Assembly Third Committee Interactive Dialogue on human rights in Iran.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The death of Mahsa Amini was a shocking reminder of the repression to which women and girls in Iran face. Ordinary Iranians are now bravely risking their lives to demand accountability from their government and to insist their rights are respected. Iran must now listen: its suppression and barbarism cannot continue.

It can be no surprise that so many Iranian people have had enough. 2022 has seen a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty, tightening restrictions on women, intensified persecution of the Baha’i and greater repression of freedom of expression and speech online.

The UK stands with the people of Iran as they demand fundamental freedoms. We condemn violence, including live ammunition usage. We urge Iran to respect the right to peaceful protest, to lift internet restrictions, and to release those unfairly detained. Iran’s leaders can – and must – choose another path.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : New National Cyber Advisory Board meets to protect UK’s interests [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 9 November 2022.

Co-chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, the Board, which met yesterday (Tuesday, 8 November), ensures that senior leaders from the private and third sectors challenge, support and inform the UK’s strategic approach to cyber.

This includes making the UK a more secure and resilient nation better prepared for evolving threats and risks and using cyber capabilities to protect the public against crime, fraud and hostile state threats.

The meeting comes in the wake of new official figures which reveal that in the 12 months to March 2022 there have been 2.7m cyber-related frauds to individuals and businesses. The UK is now the third most targeted nation for cyber attacks, behind the USA and Ukraine.

The Board champions a ‘whole of society’ approach to building the UK’s cyber future established as part of the UK’s National Cyber Strategy – which is backed by £2.6bn of funding and aims to make the UK a leading and democratic cyber power by 2030.

Chair of the Board and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said:

Protecting and promoting the UK’s interests in cyberspace cannot be achieved in isolation, it must be a shared endeavour between government and all parts of the economy and society. We have seen how cyber attacks are increasing, putting the UK and our businesses and services on the frontline of global threats.

That’s why this new National Cyber Advisory Board is so important, bringing leaders from across industry, the third sector and academia to share information and expertise on how to build and protect our digital economy and services.

Co-chair and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, commented:

The digital world is ever changing and businesses and the Government must continue to adapt, innovate and invest in order to protect ourselves, the public, and our data – that’s why we need everyone around the table through the Board working together to help keep individuals and businesses safe online.

Only if we ensure everyone plays their part in the UK’s cyber future will we prosper from the opportunities that the online world brings.

The new Board will work closely with the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre, which is already running campaigns and training for business, Government and consumers to build cyber resilience.

This month the NCSC and the City of London Police will be launching a new ‘Cyber Aware’ campaign to help people reduce the risk of cyber fraud in the run-up to Christmas by helping shoppers to reduce their vulnerability to fraud.

The National Cyber Advisory Board will meet every quarter, with the next meeting expected to take place in the first quarter of 2023.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Nearly 350 foreign criminals and immigration offenders removed in October [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 November 2022.

The regular schedule of returns flights is an important strand of the government’s work to keep the public safe and tackle illegal migration, by speeding up the return of foreign criminals and illegal migrants with no right to be in the UK.

Last month’s removals include 22 people who were directly removed to their home country from Manston, the migrant processing centre in Kent.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The number of people reaching the UK illegally in small boats is at an all-time high and is putting our asylum system under intense strain.

By returning hundreds of people coming here illegally and dangerous foreign criminals in this way, we are sending a clear message that those with no right to be in the UK are not welcome here.

I have been clear that I am exploring every avenue at my disposal to accelerate their removal.

A total of 347 people were removed on five charter and multiple scheduled flights last month.

This included 230 foreign national offenders who were convicted of serious crimes including rape, assault, drug offences, possession of an offensive weapon and illegal entry.

The Home Office also returned 117 immigration offenders in October, including two people who arrived via small boats and were removed within 24 days, and another person who was removed within 27 days.

Of the 347 people returned, 118 were to Albania, 39 to Brazil, 38 to Romania, 26 to Poland, 20 to Lithuania, among returns to over 40 other countries.

To date this year, the UK has removed over 10,400 individuals via enforced and voluntary returns, including over 2,500 foreign national offenders. Within that time, the French authorities have prevented over 29,000 crossings and destroyed over 1,000 small boats.

The Home Office has arrested 244 people since the Nationality and Borders Act became law in June. A total of 175 people have been charged, and 94 have received convictions amounting to total combined sentences of 53 years. Of the 244 arrests, 72 have been for facilitation of small boats crossings.

As part of government’s wider work to tackle illegal migration, the Home Office announced on Sunday that it was rolling out a successful pilot which doubled the number of asylum cases progressed per week by streamlining and digitising the system to speed up processes. This resulted in faster decisions, in turn helping to save money, and the pilot will now be rolled out across the UK to help tackle the backlog of people awaiting a decision on their claim.

Figures for recent returns totals are sourced from provisional operational data. Comprehensive statistics on returns are published in the Home Office quarterly immigration statistics and migration transparency data, and the latest available data was published on 25 August.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Skills Bootcamps will help plug skills gaps, but improvements are needed [October 2022]

The press release issued by Ofsted on 9 November 2022.

Ofsted has today published findings from a thematic survey of the quality of education provided in Skills Bootcamps.

Ofsted’s survey found that, while learners value the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge on Skills Bootcamps, there are a number of areas that need to improve.

Skills Bootcamp courses run for up to 16 weeks and form part of the government’s commitment to helping adults learn the necessary knowledge and skills for new jobs in expanding sectors, such as digital, engineering, construction, manufacturing and green technologies.

Ofsted’s report finds that, overall, leaders have developed a wide range of digital and technical Skills Bootcamps to help people move into sectors where there are skills shortages. In most cases, they are responsive to meeting employers’ skill needs.

Most providers organised the curriculum appropriately and used learning resources and materials of a high quality. They included opportunities for learners to develop their personal and professional behaviours and gain a range of skills, in addition to learning the vocational content of the course.

However, we found that the quality of teaching was not consistently high and assessment practice was often weak. Too many providers did not carry out rigorous initial assessments, meaning leaders and managers cannot fully or accurately measure learners’ progress.

Among the other concerns identified, there were a minority of providers that were planning courses that do not allow learners enough time or opportunity to master skills or develop their understanding to a suitable level. Some leaders had not made sure that each learner was guaranteed a job interview. At a few providers, the overall purpose of the programmes was unclear.

Today’s report was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to help understand how well Skills Bootcamps are delivering a good-quality education. The report draws on findings from visits to 14 providers that were delivering the accelerated skills programme. The survey visits took place between January 2022 and March 2022.

We have agreed with the DfE to inspect Skills Bootcamps as part of our regular inspection of further education and skills providers, from April 2023.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

These courses provide good opportunities for adults to learn new skills in sectors vital to our economy, but it is important that all courses are of high quality and that they lead to jobs.

I welcome the DfE’s agreement for Ofsted to inspect Skills Bootcamps as part of our regular inspections. This will support the government’s approach to tackling skills shortages in England by ensuring that learners and employers benefit from well-planned and effective programmes.

November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : COP27 Finance Day – Building resilience for countries hit by natural disasters [November 2022]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 9 November 2022.
UK Export Finance will be the world’s first export credit agency to pause debt service payments for low-income countries and small island developing states when they are hit by climate catastrophes, such as hurricanes and floods

The Minister will also welcome the next step towards companies demonstrating how they will align their business with net zero, as UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce’s Disclosure Framework is published

Vulnerable countries hit by hurricanes and other climate catastrophes are set to be able to defer debt repayments, freeing up resources to fund disaster relief, as part of new UK-led initiatives unveiled at COP27 and in response to growing demands from developing countries for such innovations.

And today, UK Export Finance has become the first export credit agency in the world to offer this in its own direct lending to low-income countries and small island developing states.

In a speech in Egypt at COP27 Finance Day, Treasury Minister James Cartlidge announced publication of key design principles which will underpin Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDCs) for use in private sector lending, and called for all creditors – including private banks, other bilateral lenders and the international financial institutions – to explore adopting these clauses.

This follows work spearheaded by the UK in recent months in collaboration with private sector institutions. A ‘model term sheet’ for private lending including CRDCs has been developed and is published today on the International Capital Markets Association website.

This is part of the UK’s wider commitment at COP26 to support developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and for the UK to be the world’s first net zero-aligned financial centre.

The UK continues deliver on our key funding commitments, spending £11.6 billion on international climate finance. At COP27, the Prime Minister announced that the Government will commit to triple funding for climate adaptation as part of that budget, from £500 million in 2019 to £1.5 billion in 2025.

This builds on the success of COP26 in Glasgow, which brought together nearly 200 countries and over 120 world leaders and saw nations adopt the Glasgow Climate Pact – the blueprint for accelerating climate action during this critical decade.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Cartlidge, said:

Climate shocks are increasing in frequency and severity which is why we are supporting countries hit hardest. In the wake of a disaster, they face painful trade-offs between rebuilding their communities and making debt repayments.

Today is a significant milestone in our work to find innovative solutions to these global challenges, and I am proud that UK Export Finance is the first export credit agency in the world to offer loans which suspend debt service payments for countries hit by climate catastrophes and natural disasters.

Building on our COP26 legacy, we are committed to climate-resilient development, as the UK continues to play a leading role in reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

Speaking at COP27 Finance Day, Tim Reid, UK Export Finance’s Director of Business Group will say:

Some countries are now facing tough choices between protecting their citizens as they respond to climate shocks or paying down their debts. UKEF can play an important role in helping governments navigate these decisions. By suspending the debt service payments, UKEF will enable borrowing countries to focus on responding to and recovering from a crisis.

We encourage other official creditors to consider including similar provisions in their own lending to countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy to Barbados Prime Minister Mottley on Climate Finance, said:

Adopting Natural Disaster and Pandemic clauses in debt instruments is the single most impactful way of making the international financial system fitter for the new world of shocks and for international development. And they don’t cost borrowers or creditors a penny. We have them in our bonds. They can free up fiscal space for borrowers just when they need it most without hurting creditors on a net present value basis. I cannot welcome and commend this initiative by the UK Government enough.

On top of this, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have agreed to collaborate through an informal working group to further explore CRDCs and other approaches, building on the Inter-American Development Bank’s leadership in this area. The UK is calling on all other lenders to explore adopting these flexibilities in loan contracts.

Earlier in the day, the Treasury Minister also welcomed the next step towards companies demonstrating how they will align their business with net zero. The publication of the UK Transition Plan Taskforce’s Disclosure Framework and Implementation Guidance for consultation sets out how companies can show consumers, investors and the public what steps they are taking to align their business with net zero. These documents set out clear recommendations for how firms can prepare and disclose their plans in the short-medium term.

The Government launched the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) in May to create the gold standard for transition plans. This comes after the Government committed at COP26 to move towards mandatory transition plan disclosures, with the FCA already introducing initial disclosure rules for transition plans from January.

The Government has taken world-leading action to green the global financial system, with London having ranked first in the world for a third consecutive year as a leading hub globally for sustainable finance, according to the Global Green Finance Index 10.

On top of this, the UK has raised over £20 billion from green gilts and NS&I’s Green Savings Bonds since September 2021 to finance projects in the UK and across the world to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges. Transactions in May and September contributed over £4 billion towards this.
November 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Further 16 activists arrested as police tackle unacceptable motorway disruption [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Met Police on 8 November 2022.

Officers from the Met and neighbouring forces have arrested 16 activists as part of an ongoing proactive operation to tackle efforts to seriously disrupt the M25.

At 08:00hrs on Tuesday, a man climbed onto the overhead gantry at junction 14 of the M25. This reckless action led to the road being closed, interrupting traffic and causing significant disruption around Heathrow.

Officers responded quickly, arriving on the scene at 08:10hrs.

By 08:30hrs, the man was removed and arrested. He was taken into custody at a south London police station. By 08:46hrs, the road was reopened and traffic was moving.

A total of 16 activists were arrested on Tuesday as part of the joint operation with neighbouring forces including Essex Police, Surrey Police and Kent Police.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “The Met, in a joint operation with neighbouring police forces, has again responded swiftly and robustly to today’s attempts by Just Stop Oil activists to disrupt the M25.

“We are all absolutely committed to providing a quick and effective response to those activists who continue to significantly disrupt people’s daily lives.

“Operations like these come at a cost. Since the start of October we have used more than 11,000 officer shifts to police Just Stop Oil protests. These are officers who would otherwise be dealing with issues that matter to local communities such as knife crime, safeguarding and responding to burglaries.

“We are determined to bring to justice all those who conspire to cause significant and unreasonable disruption to London and the motorway network and we’ll work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts to make sure this happens.”

22 people have already been charged as part of this ongoing operation.

November 9, 2022