Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Buchanan condemns Orange Hall blaze [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 30 October 2022.

DUP Mid Ulster MLA Keith Buchanan and DUP Councillor Anne Forde have called for political leadership from all parties in Mid Ulster after Ballynougher Orange Hall, outside Magherafelt, was seriously damaged by fire.

Mr Buchanan said,

“I visited the hall this evening as fire crews were battling to bring the blaze under control. One of the metal window-guards had been removed when the fire was discovered. The fire has seriously damaged the hall with the roof collapsed.

The police are investigating the circumstances. I call on anyone with information to contact the police in Magherafelt.

I also call on all political leaders to condemn those who continue to attack Orange Halls. It speaks volumes that this hall had to have metal sheets across all its windows and doors in the first place. There is no place for such hatred in society. The men and women of that lodge have every right to exist in Mid Ulster and live peaceably.”

Cllr Anne Forde said,

“This lodge is well rooted in the community and has been here for over 100 years. The folks in the lodge just want to be respected and be able to celebrate their Orange culture. Those who are so intolerant as to want the hall destroyed need removed from our streets. This is not an attack on bricks and mortar, it is an attack on the people who use that facility.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Lyons – progress is only made through consensus [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 30 October 2022.

DUP Director of Elections and East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons has said Sinn Fein is more focused on convincing us the IRA had ‘no alternative’ than they are on recognising the damage the Protocol will do to Northern Ireland.

Gordon Lyons said,

“Michelle O’Neill couldn’t care less about the view of unionists. She is playing dog whistle politics, but the facts speak for themselves. Sir Jeffrey made a speech on 1 July 2021 and another one on 9 September 2021 setting out how the Protocol was incompatible with devolution and the actions we were going to take. We then withdrew our First Minister several months before the Assembly election even took place. Our actions have nothing to do with the election result.

We all know Sinn Fein don’t want Northern Ireland to work but for those of us who do want Northern Ireland to prosper the Government should focus its energy on ensuring the Protocol is dealt with and Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market is restored.

Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. Not a single unionist MLA supports the Protocol. Sinn Fein doesn’t care about the view of unionists and still want the Protocol “rigorously implemented”. Indeed, Michelle O’Neill seems to care more about justifying the IRA than the fact our main hauliers say the Protocol would empty our shelves within 48hrs.

Sinn Fein should start listening to unionists because until the Protocol is replaced there will not be a sound and solid basis to see a return of devolved government.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Government should focus on dealing with the Protocol – Sir Jeffrey Donaldson [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 28 October 2022.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has called on the Government to focus on resolving the problem rather than dithering over an election.

Sir Jeffrey said:

“The Government and the NIO talked up an election and now no one knows what is happening. Parliament is sovereign and can of course legislate to keep Ministers if it so wishes.

It is now clear the Secretary of State’s boss, the Prime Minister, has not yet decided how to proceed.

The Government should focus its time and energy on ensuring the Protocol problem is dealt with and Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market is restored.

We are ready to fight an immediate election if one is called. An election will not solve the problem which is that until the Protocol is replaced there will not be a sound and solid basis to see a return of devolved government.

So our message to the Government continues to be that they need to get the Protocol replaced and then we will have the basis for establishing a devolved government that Unionists and Nationalists can support.

The Government has undermined its own credibility in recent weeks, instead of focusing on the underlying problem.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Violence and/or the threat of it is never acceptable [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 28 October 2022.

A DUP statement has emphasised that violence should have no place or influence in a democracy.

A DUP spokesman said,

“Progress is only made in Northern Ireland when unionists and nationalists are agreed. Northern Ireland always succeeds when we build on foundations and arrangements that are supported by both Unionists and Nationalists.

Politics and democratic processes are the only way that we will succeed in overcoming the challenges of the Protocol.

Violence and/or the threat of it is never acceptable and the DUP always advocates the democratic route as opposed to arguing that there was “no alternative” to violence as some have recently said. We have consistently condemned violence.”

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : RPEG – Strong regulation helping to protect environment [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 1 November 2022.

Environmental regulation is helping businesses to protect the environment and tackle the climate crisis, a new report reveals today (1 November), with more work needed to reduce serious water pollution incidents.

Some 97% of industrial sites overseen by the Environment Agency are in the top compliance bands when it comes to protecting the environment, based on a five-year moving average, helping to ensure our air, land, and water is protected from harm.

The data is revealed in the EA’s Regulating for People, Environment and Growth report (RPEG) 2021, which shows improving trends in environmental compliance.

Since 2010, there has been a 72% decrease in NOx emissions, and a 90% decrease in SOx emissions, from sites the EA regulates. There has also been a 50% decrease in emissions of greenhouse gases from sites the EA regulates during the same period.

And last year, the Environment Agency’s regulation led to the closure of 561 illegal waste sites and uncovered 445 new sites. It also ensured a nine million tonne reduction of CO2 compared to 2020 through the climate change emissions trading and energy efficiency schemes it manages.

This is alongside a record 99% of bathing waters in England meeting or exceeding the minimum quality standard last year.

The report comes as Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, delivered a speech on the future of regulation to the Whitehall and Industry Group today.

Sir James said:

Do we want clean water, air that’s safe to breathe, a green country, jobs and growth? Yes – and those are some of the things you get from regulation when it’s done right.

Good regulation is essential for most of the things we all want. The report we are launching today, Regulating for People, the Environment and Growth sets out what the EA does to support those things.

But no regulatory system is perfect, including ours. Brexit is a massive opportunity to rethink how we do regulation in this country. The government has embarked on that process, and we welcome the debate.

As an example of improving the regulatory system in a post-Brexit UK, he said opportunities lie in repealing the Floods Directive and reforming Water Framework Directive.

He said:

There will be examples of laws we find we don’t really need. There will be examples where changing the law will allow us to achieve better outcomes for the environment and nature and support economic growth. And there will be some laws that it will make eminent sense to keep.

The RPEG report, comprising data from regulatory activities in 2021, also reveals:
- Fines totalling £105 million were issued by the courts as a result of over 100 environmental prosecution cases brought by the EA in 2021
- Environmental groups have received £15 million over the past five years as a result of enforcement undertakings accepted by the EA
- Last year, we saw a reduction in CO2 of 9 million tonnes compared to 2020
- Since 2010, emissions of greenhouse gases from the sites we regulate under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) have decreased by 50%. Methane emissions from these sites have decreased by 51%
- Since 2017, through reviewing, changing and revoking abstraction licences, we have removed the risk of the potential abstraction of 1.7 trillion litres of water from the environment
However, the report also showed that in 2021, the environmental performance of England’s water and sewerage companies was the worst seen for years. Serious pollution incidents increased to their highest total since 2013, while monitors on storm overflows – installed at Environment Agency insistence – are highlighting that untreated sewage flows into our rivers too frequently.

Sir James has also welcomed the record £90 million fine imposed on Southern Water for widespread pollution last July; a clear signal that this is not what the EA or the public expect from companies whose job it is to treat sewage and protect the environment.

Sir James added:

Strong regulation needs strong regulators. If regulators are going to do their jobs they need the right powers, the right resources, the right laws and the right support.

Regulation doesn’t exist to protect us from ourselves. It exists to protect things we value – people, nature, our economy – that would not otherwise be protected. Let’s have no more regulation than we need, and let’s have the right kind. But when we need it, let’s make sure we have it.

The Environment Agency’s vision of promoting green growth and a sustainable future is a key strand of the EA’s five-year action plan, entitled ‘EA2025’.
November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Trade Secretary sets out plan to ‘future-proof UK economy’ [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 1 November 2022.
- Gateshead goes green as the North East hosts top global execs at landmark Trade Expo to secure new investment in UK industries of the future
- Trade Secretary says “now is the time to future-proof our economy” and hails £20 billion of job-creating, decarbonising investment in past two years
- Announcements at the Expo include £26 million finance package to export Northern Ireland-built zero-emission buses around the world
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch MP will call investment in clean energy “the future-proofing force that will help us create a better tomorrow” at a landmark trade event in the North East of England.

Speaking to an audience of global investors and executives at the Green Trade and Investment Expo in Gateshead, she will set out a three-pronged approach to using trade to ensure the UK is ready to tackle crucial global challenges.

Growing and innovating industries to combat climate change, protect our energy security and create high-paying jobs in industries of the future will form the core of UK’s green trade approach, backed by significant international investment.

The speech will celebrate figures which show the UK’s progress toward clean and sustainable energy is delivering huge economic benefits for the UK. In the past two years, the Government has secured £19.8 billion in new investment, creating over 11,000 new jobs. Total foreign investment has created nearly 85,000 new jobs for people across the UK in 2021-2022 alone. An unprecedented £100 billion of private sector investment is expected to support nearly 500,000 new jobs by 2030.

Ahead of the speech, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

We know trade and investment grows our economy, creates jobs, and puts money in people’s pockets – but it also has the power to tackle the challenges we see around the world.

Now is the time to future-proof our economy by investing in cutting-edge green technology, protecting our long-term energy security and creating thousands of jobs in industries of the future.

In just two years we’ve helped to secure £20 billion in green investment from everywhere from Spain to South Korea, creating over 11,000 jobs. I am committed to continuing to bang the trading drum for Britain to boost economic growth and level up the UK for generations to come.

Hosted by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Expo brings together UK businesses and global investors to capitalise on the commercial opportunities stemming from the UK’s journey to net zero.

Minister of State for Climate Change Graham Stuart said:

The UK is number one in Europe for renewable investment opportunities, with the highest offshore wind capacity, one of the largest potential CO2 storage bases, and a fast-emerging centre of excellence for hydrogen propulsion and EV batteries.

The deals struck here in Gateshead will not just bolster our country’s green transition and energy security, but will grow the UK’s economy – supporting livelihoods and helping in our fight against climate change.

Announcements expected at the Expo include Northern Ireland-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus who have secured an £18 million Green Trade Loan and £8 million Green Bank Guarantee, with an 80 percent guarantee from UK Export Finance (UKEF). This will enable them to export cutting-edge net-zero buses to new export markets, building on their existing contracts across the globe, including to Australia and Germany.

Joerg Hofmann, CEO at Wrightbus, said:

At Wrightbus, we are entering the next stage of our ambitious growth plan, significantly growing our export volume from our UK base and becoming one of the leading battery electric and hydrogen bus manufacturers in Europe. UKEF’s support will strongly help us on our future global growth path.

Flogas will confirm a £50 million investment to upgrade Avonmouth terminal to store liquid petroleum gas and future-proofing the site to handle renewable biogas and hydrogen, opening up a potential global supply of renewable fuels to the UK.

Ivan Trevor, Managing Director, Flogas Britain Ltd, said:

The £100 million investment into the Avonmouth LNG Terminal and pipeline near Bristol will link the UK to an unparalleled supply of off-grid gas, providing security and affordability for off-grid homes and businesses across the UK.

With plans to handle fully renewable green gas alternatives and enable emerging fuels to be imported and exported more easily, it will also play a vital role in creating a lower carbon future and help the Government meet its net zero emissions target.

GTIE falls on day two of International Trade Week, a week-long series of business and sector-led activities, events and workshops available to businesses of all sizes and sectors across the UK, completely free of charge. The week is aimed at businesses looking to maximise their global potential, giving them the advice and confidence they need to take the next steps to grow their business and access new international markets.

24 businesses will be showcasing at the Expo, from North East powerhouse Rolls Royce to Proto, a North East England hub for innovation that is opening the first digital production facility in Europe to help organisations to transition to Net Zero using new technology.

The Green Trade and Investment Expo will be sponsored by Principal Partners bp and SSE, and Official Partners, Amazon, Barclays and Atkins, who are crucial stakeholders in the UK’s transition to secure, clean and affordable energy.

Tom Samson, CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR, said:

For the first time in over 20 years, the UK has a domestic nuclear energy technology supplier and the GTIE presents a fantastic opportunity for Rolls-Royce SMR to showcase this industry leading decarbonisation solution. Rolls-Royce SMR has an ambition to build factories and strengthen the UK nuclear supply chain to deliver significant and sustained levelling up and energy security benefits.

We welcome the Government’s leadership on net zero and its support to deliver 24GW of nuclear capacity by 2050.

Alex Cook, Innovation Manager at PROTO, said:

We were delighted to be able to work with Invest North East England and local tech businesses MAADigital, FuzzyLogic and AIS Survivex to create a strong submission for the Expo, and we look forward to showcasing our selection of immersive demonstrators.

The North East is home to an exciting cluster of immersive tech companies and our showcase will allow investors to experience first-hand how these technologies can have a real impact in the energy sector by streamline processes, reducing emissions and allowing companies to de-risk hazardous training exercises by training staff in virtual environments.
November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Free legal advice piloted to help people facing financial difficulties [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 November 2022.
- Free early legal advice for thousands facing debt, housing and welfare benefit difficulties
- Legal advice to help stop people falling into further debt and having to appear in court
- Five-month pilot test phase launched in Manchester and Middlesbrough
The pilot in Middlesbrough and Manchester expands the scope of legal aid funding to more people who previously would not have been eligible for free legal advice, to help them address issues before they become more complex or costly.

The aim is to ensure people have a better chance of swiftly resolving legal problems, stopping them from spiralling into further difficulties.

Currently, many people do not access legal advice until too late, causing further problems, such as having to appear in court, increased debt, and even homelessness. The pilot will explore if these issues can be avoided by providing legal advice earlier.

The pilot advice will be offered to individuals struggling with housing issues, paying bills or experiencing problems with their benefits, with no means or merits tests required. To understand what difference the pilot service makes, participants of the pilot will either receive up to three hours of free legal advice and support or be signposted to existing advice services.

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy KC said:

Early legal advice can be invaluable for people that find themselves in difficult and stressful situations, helping struggling individuals avoid falling further into debt or ending up in court.

Through this pilot we are paving the way for more people to receive free legal advice, at an earlier point in time so that their problems can be addressed before they worsen.

A legal adviser can explain issues like council tax arrears, and provide further information about housing rights and how to apply for Universal Credit, if required.

Invitations to the scheme will be sent out to people who have fallen behind on council tax payments by Manchester City Council and Middlesbrough Council. Invitees will then be asked to complete a confidential survey to determine whether they have a legal issue that requires support.

After the 5-month initial testing phase, the Ministry of Justice will review evidence collected through the evaluation and use this to inform the design of a future larger-scale pilot.
November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : New £155m facilities management contract comes into service in Gibraltar [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 1 November 2022.

The £155 million contract, which provides maintenance work, repairs, servicing, and hard facilities management to the MOD’s estate in Gibraltar, was awarded to Mitie in May by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). It will cover every part of the MOD estate in Gibraltar, from the harbour and the runway to offices and accommodation.

It is the first contract to come into service under DIO’s new Overseas Prime Contracts (OPC) programme, which will also see further contracts come into force at Defence sites including Cyprus, Germany, the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island. The contract is for an initial period of seven years and aims to be more flexible and responsive to the needs of service personnel and staff in Gibraltar, allowing them to focus on their work in the knowledge that they have safe and resilient infrastructure to work from.

The new contracts have been developed taking into account recommendations for improvements to the current arrangements and will mean a better service for hundreds of military personnel based overseas. They seek to provide better value for money and quicker repairs, reducing bureaucracy and unnecessary processes to keep the estate operational.

Greater alignment to current industry standards will mean increased collaboration between DIO and its suppliers and allow for services to be better tailored to the requirements of specific sites. A new, integrated software system will enable information to be shared more effectively.

The contracts have been designed to promote more efficient processes and the quicker delivery of high volume, lower value works, ensuring increased value for money. Performance targets will encourage a high standard of repairs and reduce the need for repeat visits.

The contract is expected to directly sustain around 200 jobs in Gibraltar.

DIO’s Chief Operating Officer David Brewer said:

DIO is committed to supporting people across the Armed Forces who depend on us to provide facilities and essential services which allow them to work safely and securely.

This important milestone follows years of hard work to design a contract that builds on the successes of existing hard facilities management arrangements while adding additional services and improvements to improve the quality of life for our Armed Forces in Gibraltar.

Commodore Tom Guy, Commander British Forces Gibraltar, said:

I look forward to the new contract coming into effect, and the benefits it will bring to our people, both uniformed and civilian, here in Gibraltar. I am particularly pleased to hear of the promised improvements, which I hope will do two things: firstly help us to execute our mission effectively, while preparing Gibraltar better for the future, and secondly, to improve the daily lived experience for all our people.

Brian Talbot, Managing Director, Central Government & Defence, Mitie, said:

As proud supporters of the British Armed Forces, we are delighted to be running the new Overseas Prime Contract for Gibraltar. We are committed to working with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to improve services for our Armed Forces based in Gibraltar, delivered by our exceptional colleagues and building on the technology solutions we have implemented on our Future Defence Infrastructure Services contract in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The next OPC contract to be awarded will be for hard facilities management in Cyprus in early 2023, with the final contract to be the South Atlantic Islands in summer 2024.

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK boosts Ukraine’s cyber defences with £6 million support package [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 November 2022.
- UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme is protecting the Ukrainian Government and its critical national infrastructure from malicious cyber attacks.
- Partnership with industry is preventing Russian malign actors from accessing vital networks and providing forensic capabilities to the Ukrainian authorities.
- An initial £6.35 million package was mobilised in response to an increasing tempo of Russian cyber activity in the days following the invasion of Ukraine.
A £6.35 million support package from the UK Government is protecting Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure and vital public services from cyber attacks, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has revealed.

The UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme was mobilised shortly after Putin’s invasion in February to protect against increased Russian cyber attacks. The programme has not been made public until now to protect its operational security.

Utilising the expertise of world-leading cyber security providers, the UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme has to date:
1. Provided incident response support to Government of Ukraine entities, protecting them against destructive cyber attacks, including malware such as Industroyer2. This is preventing malicious actors from accessing vital information relevant to the war effort.
2. Limited attacker access to vital networks and supported Ukraine to harden their critical infrastructure against future attacks.
3. Delivered frontline cyber security hardware and software including: firewalls to prevent attacks taking hold; DDoS protection to ensure Ukrainian citizens can continue to access vital information; and forensic capabilities to enable Ukrainian analysts to fully understand system compromises.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is not limited to its horrific land invasion. It has also persistently attempted to invade Ukraine’s cyberspace, threatening critical information, services and infrastructure.

The UK’s support to Ukraine is not limited to military aid – we are drawing on Britain’s world-leading expertise to support Ukraine’s cyber defences. Together, we will ensure that the Kremlin is defeated in every sphere: on land, in the air and in cyber space.

Lindy Cameron, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said:

The NCSC is proud to have played a part in supporting Ukraine’s cyber defenders. They have mounted an impressive defence against Russian aggression in cyberspace, just as they have done on the physical battlefield.

The threat remains real and the UK’s support package is undoubtedly bolstering Ukraine’s defences further.

Russian actors have a long history of hostile and destabilising activity against Ukraine, including:
- Shutting off part of Ukraine’s electricity grid in December 2015, leaving 230,000 people without power for up to 6 hours.
- Destructive cyber attacks in 2017 targeting Ukraine’s finance and energy sectors and government services, leading to knock-on effects on other European partners.
- Kyiv metro and Odessa airport disrupted by ransomware that encrypted hard drives.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on 15-16 February 2022, which the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) judge were the work of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
- A series of cyber attacks since the invasion, including against commercial operators such as Viasat in March which had a serious impact on access to internet and other services across both Ukraine and other parts of Europe.
The tempo of Russian cyber attacks against Ukraine increased significantly following its illegal invasion in February 2022, seeking to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and strategic advantage in the war.

The UK’s support is strengthening Ukraine’s cyber defences and improving collective long-term cyber resilience.
November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : The United Kingdom will continue to stand with Somalia [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Somalia.

Thank you, President.

This vote today sends a powerful message of Security Council support not just to UNSOM but to President Hassan Sheikh and all Somalis.

UNSOM has played an important role in Somalia since its inception. The recent strategic review found its mandate well aligned with Somalia’s national priorities. Its recommendations will enable the Mission to keep supporting Somalia through a new era.

The successful conclusion of the electoral process and the peaceful transition of power gives Somalia an opportunity to make progress in achieving its national objectives and in the fight against Al-Shabaab. We encourage all Somalis to work together and seize this opportunity.

The United Kingdom will continue to stand with Somalia and we commend President Hassan Sheikh’s determination to defeat Al-Shabaab.

Finally President, let me take this opportunity to thank SRSG Swan for his extraordinary leadership and commitment during this critical transition phase. And I also thank all colleagues for their engagement on this resolution, and to the work of my team. Thank you.

October 31, 2022