Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Businesses to be given UK product marking flexibility as CE marking extended [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 November 2022.
- Government to continue to recognise the CE product marking in Great Britain for a further 2 years, allowing business to use either UKCA or CE markings
- move will cut costs for businesses and remove potential disruption
- future product marking plans to be reviewed to minimise costs and burdens for business in the longer term
Businesses will be given an additional 2 years to apply new product safety marking, giving thousands of businesses the freedom to focus on growth, Business Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today (Monday 14 November).

The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking has been introduced as part of the UK’s own robust regulatory framework. It shows that products comply with our product safety regulations which are designed to protect consumers.

However, given the difficult economic conditions created by post-pandemic shifts in demand and supply, alongside Putin’s war in Ukraine and the associated high energy prices, the government does not want to burden business with the requirement to meet the original (31 December 2022) deadline.

The government will continue to recognise the CE marking for 2 years, therefore allowing businesses until 31 December 2024 to prepare for the UKCA marking. Businesses can also use the UKCA marking, giving them flexibility to choose which marking to apply.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The government is determined to remove barriers to businesses so they can get on with their top priorities, like providing quality customer service, enabling growth and supporting their staff.

This move will give businesses the breathing space and flexibility they need at this crucial time and ensure that our future system for product safety marking is fit for purpose, providing the highest standard for consumers without harming businesses.

To support manufacturers, the government is also reviewing the wider product safety framework, ensuring we minimise the burdens on business while keeping our system up to date with new innovative methods such as e-labelling.

As part of this, the government will make it easier than ever for businesses to apply product markings.

This package will give thousands of businesses, including electronics and lift manufacturers, additional time to focus on delivering growth and creating jobs, while giving them flexibility in how they meet their legal obligations.

There will be different rules for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products, and marine equipment. Government departments responsible for these sectors are making sector specific arrangements.
November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Nurses should only expect minor improvements in the government’s pay offer [November 2022]

The press release issued by the IEA on 11 November 2022.

Commenting on the ongoing NHS nurses’ pay dispute, Professor Len Shackleton, labour market expert at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

“Excessive union pay demands backed with strike threats are a staple of collective bargaining. So is initial employer intransigence. Disputes are, however, usually settled somewhere between the extremes as both sides learn more about their counterparts’ real position.

“This is an elaborate game, played out for more than a century in countless disputes. The RCN, however, is new to the game, and seems to be relying on public gratitude for the care which nurses provide to shift the final settlement closer to its own position than that of a government which has plumbed new depths of unpopularity.

“They may have got this wrong, however. If a strike actually occurs, and hundreds of thousands of patients find their treatment postponed and waiting lists expand beyond the seven million or so we already have, that gratitude could disappear pretty quickly.

“On the other side, the government knows that offering even half of what the nurses are asking for would be difficult at a time when belts are being tightened right across the public sector.

“As nurses constitute only about a third of the workers covered by the recent NHS Pay Review, there would be pressure from everybody from doctors, to radiographers, to porters for an equivalent pay hike. There are also many in the wider public sector doing vitally important jobs – the police, the fire service and so on – who would feel aggrieved. These were people who suffered from the public sector pay freeze last year and didn’t get the special uplift which NHS workers received. At the same time, there are very many private sector workers who may have lost jobs and pay during lockdown and furlough, while NHS workers did not.

“There is room for some minor improvements in the government’s offer, perhaps around the detail of pension contributions, but nurses expecting their new-found militancy to lead to anything like a 17 per cent pay increase are surely going to be disappointed.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Economic downturn should keep the Chancellor cautious [November 2022]

The press release issued by the IEA on 11 November 2022.

Commenting on the latest UK GDP figures published today, Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

“The latest UK GDP figures were not as bad as many had expected, but the downward trajectory is clear. The Chancellor needs to tread very carefully in his Budget next week.

“The 0.2 per cent fall in GDP in the three months to September was smaller than the 0.5 per cent pencilled in by the Bank of England, partly due to upward revisions to monthly GDP in both July and August. The economy might not have shrunk at all without the extra Bank Holiday for the Queen’s funeral.

“Nonetheless, the data for the third quarter were also flattered by large positive contributions from government spending and from net exports. Household spending and business investment were both much weaker, and the more timely consumer and business surveys point to further declines in the fourth quarter.

“Whatever the official numbers say, this will feel like a recession to those struggling to pay their bills over the winter. There are early signs too that the labour market is softening.

“The Chancellor should therefore take a more flexible approach to the Budget. The pendulum appears to be swinging too far from the botched ‘pro-growth’ strategy of Truss and Kwarteng back to the old ‘doom loop’ of tighter fiscal policy and a deeper recession. The Chancellor is also in danger of fetishising estimates for the size of the fiscal ‘black hole’, which is highly uncertain.

“If the Chancellor is determined to press ahead with austerity, whether through tax increases or spending cuts, he should at least time the measures carefully. It would make no sense to slam the brakes on straightaway when the economy is so fragile.

“Instead, he should delay the bulk of the hit until the back end of the five-year horizon. This should still allow him to present a credible medium-term plan to keep the financial markets on board, and therefore reduce the upward pressure on interest rates, without tipping the economy over now.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : PM sets out five-point economic action plan for the G20 [November 2022]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 November 2022.
- The Prime Minister arrives at the G20 Summit in Indonesia today (Monday) for talks with the leaders of the world’s biggest economies
- He will stress the need for coordinated global action to bring down the cost of living and end the war in Ukraine, which is devastating the global economy
- Summit will be the first encounter between a British PM and a Russian representative since the brutal invasion in February
The Prime Minister will call for coordinated global action to address international economic instability and the rising cost of living when he attends the G20 Summit this week. The meeting in Indonesia comes as countries around the world face huge economic difficulties, caused or exacerbated by the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Every household on the planet is feeling the impact of Putin’s war. Global food prices have been driven up by his attempts to choke off the Ukrainian grain supply, energy bills have skyrocketed thanks to Russia turning off their gas taps and the World Bank predicts the economic aftershocks will ripple around the world for years to come.

This week’s meeting will be the first time a UK Prime Minister has met a representative of the Russian regime since Putin’s full-scale invasion in February. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is expected to attend the talks instead of Putin.

The Prime Minister will use the G20 as an opportunity to call out Putin’s barbarism and force Russia to confront the global suffering caused by this senseless campaign of violence.

The best and quickest way to alleviate these problems is for Putin to withdraw from Ukraine. But while this war continues, the world’s most powerful economies have a crucial role to play in addressing the desperate global economic situation.

G20 leaders first met during the global financial crisis in 2008, in recognition of the fact that our complex and international economic system cannot function without coordinated action from the most powerful economies. This year, the world is looking to the G20 again to ensure the stability of international markets and alleviate the burden on the world’s poorest people.

Ahead of this week’s summit the Prime Minister has set out a five-point economic action plan for leaders to address the current global instability, covering changes to the global energy market, international food supply and the world financial system.

This action will ensure a firm platform for the domestic measures the Chancellor will set out in this week’s Autumn Statement.

The Prime Minister said:

Later this week the Autumn Statement will set out how we will get this country on the right path, put public finances on a stable footing and get debt falling.

Creating a stable international system that protects the most vulnerable will be a core part of that work.

But addressing the biggest economic crisis in a decade will require a concerted effort by the world’s largest economies – these are not problems we can solve alone. At the G20, leaders need to step up to fix the weaknesses in the international economic system which Putin has exploited for years.

Under the five-point economic action plan, the Prime Minister will call on fellow leaders to:

Direct government support to where it’s most needed. Using government support effectively to prioritise the most vulnerable, both in our own countries and internationally.

End the weaponisation of food production and distribution. Taking immediate action to support the global food trade to reduce the cost of living for all and save the lives of those at risk of starvation. This includes calling for the Black Sea Grain Initiative to be renewed on 19th November and a G20-wide commitment never to weaponise food production and distribution.

Strengthen our energy security and reduce energy dependence on Russia. We must bring an end Russia’s stranglehold over international energy prices. As part of these efforts we will work with partners to unlock the investment needed to accelerate the green transition – the best way of protecting ourselves from those who have perpetually used hydrocarbons to bully and coerce.

Open up global trade. This includes by advancing bilateral free trade agreements and through reform of the World Trade Organization. We need a WTO fit to release the opportunities of the 21st century while tackling the manipulation of global markets by malign actors.

Providing honest, reliable finance to help developing countries grow sustainably. Ensuring that the international financial system has the firepower needed to help developing countries grow without becoming dependent on their lenders. This includes rapid action to help poor countries better manage their debt burdens and providing an alternative to developing countries borrowing from exploitative sources.

These efforts form part of the Prime Minister’s drive to place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda. That means being a constructive and reliable member to the global economy, and using our influence to create a stronger international economic system.
November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Executive support needed for hospitals which are at breaking point – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 13 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA and party chairperson Declan Kearney has said he is deeply concerned at the temporary closure of the Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital during the night.

The South Antrim MLA said:

“A Major Incident was declared at the hospital last night as a result of the number of critically-ill patients being treated and the Emergency Department was temporarily closed down.

“Hospital staff are doing all their power to discharge patients today to free up much-needed hospital beds.

“I urge the public to continue to co-operate with hospital staff and people should definitely attend the ED if their condition is urgent or life threatening.

“Unfortunately the knock-on impact of last night’s closure will be that those who attend with conditions which are not urgent may endure a long wait to be seen.

“This latest incident in our hospitals is deeply concerning with pressures increasing as we move into winter.

“Our health service and staff are under huge stress because of a decade of Tory cuts and underinvestment, and the DUP’s blockade of the Executive.

“Health service staff and patients need an Executive up and running, to put one billion pounds extra investment into health, to tackle waiting lists, recruit more doctors and nurses, and fund cancer and mental health services.

“The reckless actions of the DUP are blocking this vital funding from being released into the health and social care system. Hospitals such as Antrim Area are now at breaking point as a result.

“The DUP should get back to work and ensure that health workers have the resources needed to tackle the huge pressures across our hospitals, emergency rooms, our GP surgeries, and the entire health care system.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : People need promised energy and oil payments now as winter closes in – Conor Murphy [November 2022]

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 13 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy said today that workers and families in the north need energy and oil payments promised by the British government to be delivered urgently as we move deeper into winter.

In a letter to the British Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, Grant Shapps, Conor Murphy said that people in the north still don’t know when they will receive the £400 energy discount or the £100 heating oil payment.

Conor Murphy said:

“It is now more than six months since people in the North were promised a £400 discount on their electricity bill.

“This payment was rolled out to people in Britain last month, yet people here still don’t know when they will receive their discount.

“I told Grant Shapps that this delay is unacceptable and it’s vital the £400 is now paid out in one lump sum rather than instalments.”

The former Finance Minister also said that the two-thirds of people using home heating oil in the north were being treated less favorably than people using gas.

“The British government has also failed to confirm when the £100 payment promised to people who use home heating oil will be delivered.

“Two-thirds of people in the North use oil to heat their homes.

“I made it clear to the British Treasury in my previous role as Finance Minister that the £100 payment should be increased. I provided information that people using oil were being treated less favourably than those using gas.

“The DUP’s blockade of the Executive has made it more difficult to get these schemes out the door.

“However, the British government agreed to take responsibility for these schemes and people urgently need this money now as we move deeper into winter.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Chris Hazzard tells British Secretary of State to give urgent clarity on £400 energy payment date [November 2022]

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 8 November 2022.

Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has challenged the British Secretary of State for clarity on when workers and families will receive the £400 energy support payment.

Speaking after meeting Chris Heaton Harris in London today, Chris Hazzard said:

“Today, we challenged the British Secretary of State over delays in getting the £400 energy support payment out to households in the north.

“Workers and families are struggling to pay their bills. They need help now to get through a cold and difficult winter.

“It’s not good enough they still have no clarity on when they will get the money they were promised and are entitled to.

“This money has been held up enough by the DUP’s cruel boycott of the Executive. There must be no more delays. People need this money quickly.”

The South Down MP made it clear to the British government that the prolonged state of limbo they have created is failing people in the north.

“I also made it clear to Chris Heaton Harris that the prolonged state of limbo facing our politics from British government indecision is failing people here.

“It’s totally unacceptable that the Tories, along with the DUP, are fuelling instability and chaos and leaving people with no support during a cost-of-living crisis.

“People want parties working together in an Executive to put money in their pockets and fix the health service. That’s why they voted in May.

“The British Secretary of State must clearly and quickly outline what the next steps are now and end the dithering and delays.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : British government should engage in good faith with EU to reach agreed resolution – Declan Kearney [November 2022]

The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 7 November 2022.

Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney MLA has called on the British government to ‘demonstrate political will’ and engage in good faith with the EU to reach an agreed resolution on implementation of the Protocol.

Speaking before attending a meeting at Westminster of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly between Britain and the EU, the Sinn Féin Brexit spokesperson said:

“It’s very clear from our discussions with local businesses that they want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future and continue to create good jobs and attract investment.

“Key to that is their ability to maximise the full advantages which the Protocol affords, including unique access to the EU single market which is already creating jobs and helping businesses to expand.

“The British government must now demonstrate it has the political will to reach a genuine agreement on the way forward with the European Union. There is no credible alternative to the Protocol. That is the reality.

“Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these talks.

“Despite that, the DUP is punishing the public by blocking restoration of our political institutions and compounding people’s suffering during a cost-of-living crisis.

“We need an Executive to support workers and families with rising household bills, and to invest £1 billion in the health service to cut waiting lists so that people are not suffering for years waiting on medical treatment.

“Following on from positive discussions between the new British Prime Minister and the EU Commission President last week, the next step should be to immediately resume urgent political talks between London and Brussels to find a pragmatic way forward, and a durable agreement.”

November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK funding to help repair Ukraine’s damaged energy systems and get power back to Ukrainian people [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 November 2022.
- The support will help with essential repairs to critical energy infrastructure following ongoing Russian attacks,and will reconnect households and key facilities to power supply.
- The UK is the largest donor to the Fund so far, along with sending hospital generators and a financial guarantee for Ukraine’s state-owned energy provider.
Ukraine will have further UK support to keep the lights on across the country and repair energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced today.

The UK is so far the biggest donor to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. This latest funding will provide specialised energy equipment to keep critical national infrastructure up and running – a priority request from the Government of Ukraine.

Since October 2022, Russia has carried out widespread missile and drone strikes, particularly targeting Ukraine’s power supplies. More than 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including transmission lines, power stations and pipelines, has been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks. This has left millions of Ukrainians across the country living without electricity or experiencing rolling blackouts.

Recently the UK has also provided £7 million for over 850 generators so that vital facilities, such as hospitals, have power and a further £5 million for safety and security equipment for the civil nuclear sector. In addition, the UK has put up a $50 million guarantee for financing for Ukraine’s state-owned energy provider, Ukrenergo, through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which will help Ukraine continue to supply electricity to its citizens.

The Foreign Secretary is due to sign the agreement today with Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, alongside Energy Community Secretariat Deputy Director Dirk Buschle, to transfer the first £5 million of the UK’s £10 million commitment to the Energy Community’s Ukraine Energy Support Fund.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia’s attacks on vital infrastructure show that Putin is resorting to desperate measures. But even in the face of missile attacks and blackouts, the resolve of the Ukrainian people remains unbroken.

The Government of Ukraine said it needed specialised energy equipment to repair critical national infrastructure, and the UK is delivering on their request.

The UK has made the largest donation to date to this Fund. We need all partners to step up their support and show Putin that his attempts to destroy Ukraine will be met with fierce resistance.

Ukrainian Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko said:

Russia is trying to break us by shelling the energy infrastructure to leave Ukrainians on the eve of winter without heat and light. These days the support of international partners is more important than ever.

UK has been helping Ukraine’s energy sector since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Today it is making a significant contribution to the Energy Support Fund.

This will make it possible to purchase the necessary equipment for our energy companies, which is difficult to do as a part of humanitarian aid.

Many thanks to our British partners and the Energy Community Secretariat for the help in the fight against Russia on the energy front.

The private sector also has an important role in supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction. That’s why the Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps is issuing a call to action to UK industry today to consider supplying emergency energy equipment, such as power generators, transformers, and cables-wires and connectors.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

We cannot stand by and watch millions of innocent Ukrainian citizens continue to suffer due to barbaric Russian air strikes. Today’s intervention from the UK Government will be critical in helping to get Ukraine’s power back up and running.

But this alone simply won’t suffice. In Ukraine’s hour of need, I call on the generosity of the UK industry to join the Government in donating emergency energy equipment and resources through the Energy Support Fund. This will help rebuild what has been damaged by Putin’s illegal invasion as we continue to stand with the people of Ukraine.

The Department for International Trade is also working with relevant UK trade associations and Ukrainian energy companies to identify areas where UK expertise and equipment can be provided to help with vital maintenance of Ukraine’s energy supply infrastructure.

The Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, Artur Lorkowski, said:

With hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian families without electricity, heating and hot water as winter sets in, support to Ukraine is needed more than ever. The Ukraine Energy Support Fund is a transparent and efficient vehicle for international donors seeking to help Ukraine repair and rebuild its energy infrastructure which has been brutally damaged by Russia.

The donation of the United Kingdom is a great show of solidarity and will bring essential aid to Ukraine by allowing the purchase of much needed tools and critical equipment needed to restore essential electricity and gas services to Ukrainian citizens.
November 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Hardy Sikh prayer book revived after 100 years to help personnel practice faith in the field [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 14 November 2022.

Waterproof and tearproof, the Nitnem Gutka (Sikh Daily Prayers) is designed to be used in modern tactical environments. Nitnem translates to Daily Routine, and the collection of Sikh meditations will allow Sikh personnel to practice their faith at 3 different times of the day, wherever they are and in any conditions.

There is a long tradition of Sikhs carrying their religious text with them into conflict. In World Wars 1 and 2, Sikhs made up 20% of the British Indian Army. Over 120,000 Sikhs died and many more were injured from the trenches in France to the Jungles of Burma, and records from the time show Sikh troops with their prayer books in the deserts of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Provided by the Defence Sikh Network, the modernised Nitnem Gutka is designed to be hardy so it can cope with use on operations.

Made from a tactical nylon paper, called Polyart paper, it is water and tearproof, and is thread bound for ultimate strength.

It comes in two versions –camouflage for Army personnel and blue for the Navy and Air Force.

The Nitnem Gutka has been written in 3 languages; Gurmukhi the original form of Sikh text, Romanised English, and English translation to make the Nitnem Gutka as accessible as possible.

It also includes instruction and guidance on how to keep the Sikh scriptures in accordance with Sikh scripture code of conduct.

Maj Daljinder Singh Virdee, who led the project, said:

“I was inspired to undertake this initiative when I saw old images of Sikh soldiers conducting their prayers in uniform. It has been a two-year journey to get to this point but makes all the efforts worthwhile knowing that Sikhs in UK Defence no matter where they serve across the world in whatever conditions can connect to their faith and find spiritual support through this Nitnem Gutka, for generations to come”.

The project has opened the door for other faith communities in Defence to create a similar product, such as the Hindu Gita.

November 14, 2022