Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Climate finance to flow to Kenya as UK Prime Minister agrees with President Ruto to fast-track KES 500 billion of British investment [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2022.
- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto met at the COP27 climate summit today [Monday 7 November].
- The leaders agreed to fast-track six green investment projects worth KES 500 billion spanning green energy, agriculture and transport.
- Sunak praised Kenya’s pioneering climate leadership and urged President Ruto to continue championing clean growth.
The UK and Kenya have agreed to fast-track six projects worth KES 500 billion to accelerate the flow of climate finance into Kenya after the UK Prime Minister and President Ruto met at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt.

These new, clean and green investments will become flagship projects of the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership – an ambitious five-year agreement that is unlocking mutual benefits for the UK and Kenya.

The projects include: new geothermal and solar energy generation at Menegai and Malindi; a KES 425 billion Public Private Partnership to deliver the Grand High Falls Dam, which will generate a gigawatt of renewable power and provide an area over twice the size of the Maasai Mara with drought-combating irrigation solutions; the green regeneration of central Nairobi anchored around a new central rail station; and a Ksh 32 billion investment in a climate-resilient agriculture hub for the Lake Victoria region in Kisumu that will create 2,000 direct jobs and provide an income for a further 20,000 farmers.

The UK Government will commit KES 2 billion to a new guarantee company that will lower investment risk and unlock KES 12 bn of climate finance for Kenyan projects over the next 3 years, through collaboration with CPF Financial Services and other private investors.

The Prime Minister praised President Ruto’s pioneering climate leadership and urged Kenya to continue along the path of green growth, urging all countries to deliver on the commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow.

Throughout its COP26 Presidency, the UK has worked with partners across Africa to deliver and build on the Glasgow Climate Pact, and to see commitments made at COP26 turned into action. For example, in Kenya since COP26 £5.4m has been committed and £2.8m will be spent to support Kenya’s energy transition, unlocking private sector investment in forest protection and the Kenyan Government’s ambitious 10% forest cover target.

But the UK recognises that there is further work to do. During his recent visit to Kenya, COP President Alok Sharma reaffirmed the need for progress on access to finance and transformational adaptation action by COP27.

British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott, said:

The UK and Kenya go far when we go together. By fast-tracking finance into these clean, green projects with honest, reliable investment the UK is supporting Kenya to advance and maintain its continent-leading climate credentials – with mutual benefits for both our countries.
November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : England’s treasured island seabird populations to be protected with new government funding [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 November 2022.
The UK government has today announced £156,000 to protect England’s much-loved island seabird populations against the threat of invasive predators.

This is one of the first instances globally of a central government providing funding to protect seabird islands against these specific threats, setting the UK as a global leader for seabird island biosecurity.

The UK’s islands such as Coquet Island and the Isles of Scilly are internationally important for millions of seabirds, with Coquet Island being the only breeding place in the UK for Roseate terns which are a red listed species. However, some key breeding populations are in decline due to multiple threats including invasive mammals such as stoats and mice.

The eggs and chicks of ground-nesting seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets, terns and European storm-petrels are particularly vulnerable, and their populations can quickly be decimated by invasive mammals.

The funding will be delivered through the AfterLIFE plan from July 2023. It will ensure existing biosecurity measures across England’s seabird islands are maintained and enhanced so we can continue to protect the recovery and secure the future of important seabirds.

It will also fund new measures including:

The employment of a full time Biosecurity Officer

A conservation detection dog team that will train dogs to search for and indicate the presence of brown rats

Information campaigns targeting island visitors

Training of volunteers to support biosecurity implementation across England’s seabird island Special Protection Areas

Frequent surveillance checks

These measures will build on the Biosecurity for LIFE project, which Defra has supported since 2018 and has implemented key biosecurity measures such as surveillance checks and volunteering programmes on seabird island Special Protected Areas.

Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs Lord Benyon said:

“British seabirds are part of what make our coastlines so beautiful, and it’s vitally important we continue to do all we can to protect each unique species and allow them to recover and thrive.

“Defra’s contribution to the AfterLIFE Plan will ensure important measures continue to safeguard our treasured seabirds against invasive mammals that have the potential to obliterate entire populations.”

RSPB’s Seabird Recovery Officer and Biosecurity for LIFE project executive Laura Bambini said:

“The Biosecurity for LIFE project has worked with a diverse range of organisations, communities and individuals to set up critical biosecurity measures in place on England’s internationally important seabird islands. Having worked with Defra, Natural England and key stakeholders in other UK nations to secure the maintenance of these measures in the long term, we are pleased now to see the development of national island biosecurity programmes underway across the UK. This is important for building resilience in our seabird populations which are in a precarious situation due to the pressures they face at sea.”

“This announcement is significant, ahead of the UN’s CBD COP in Montreal, as it sets the UK Government as leaders in island biosecurity, in one of the very few instances globally of a government using core funds to protect seabird islands from the threat of invasive non-native mammalian predators.”

RSPB’s Principal Marine Policy Officer Kirsten Carter said:

“The islands of the UK are amazing, their relative isolation has allowed seabirds and other wildlife to thrive. But these wild and sometimes rugged places are delicate, protecting them requires constant vigilance as the precarious balance that has allowed wildlife to flourish can be easily disrupted with catastrophic consequences.”

“We have seen how even just a single inadvertently introduced predator can have a devastating effect on an island where the native species have no natural defences. This is why today’s announcement to fund the Biosecurity AfterLIFE is so important, it enables the protection of these inspiring places for future generations.”

In light of the ongoing outbreak of bird flu, conservation efforts such as AfterLIFE are vital for boosting the resilience of our vulnerable seabird populations. This work aligns with Defra’s development of an English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Plan which will assess the vulnerability of and threats to England’s seabirds and propose actions to address them, due to be published in Spring 2023.
November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK announces major new package of climate support at COP27 [November 2022]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 November 2022.
- PM to launch major international climate package to deliver on the UK’s Glasgow legacy at COP27
- New announcements include £65.5m for green tech innovation and significant clean energy investments with Kenya and Egypt
- UK will also launch a new Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership and confirm more than £150m for protecting rainforests and natural habitats, including the Congo Basin and Amazon
- Rishi Sunak will reaffirm the UK’s steadfast commitment to supporting countries on the frontline of climate change
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will cement the UK’s COP legacy with a series of announcements on energy transition, climate financing and forest and nature preservation, as he hands over the baton to Egypt at COP27 today [Monday 7th November].

The UK continues deliver on our key funding commitments, spending £11.6 billion on international climate finance. Recognising the existential threat climate change is already posing around the world – from catastrophic floods in Pakistan to drought in Somalia – the Government will commit to triple funding for climate adaptation as part of that budget, from £500m in 2019 to £1.5bn in 2025.

The Prime Minister will also host an event later today to launch the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership. The new group, initially comprising 20 countries, will meet twice yearly to track commitments on the landmark Forests and Land Use declaration at COP26, which aims to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.

To support the forest agenda, the UK is committing £90m today for conservation in the Congo Basin, a vital tropical rainforest which is home to some 10,000 species of tropical plants and several endangered species, including forest elephants, chimpanzees and mountain gorillas.

The PM will also confirm £65 million in funding for the Nature, People and Climate Investment Fund, which supports indigenous and local forest communities, and new financing for Treevive, which is working to conserve and restore two million hectares of tropical forest.

As we hand over the Presidency of COP, the Government is focused in particular on partnering with the private sector to facilitate green innovation and energy transition, at home and around the world. As well as helping the drive for net zero, reducing the global demand for oil and gas cuts off the funds for Russia’s brutal war machine.

In support of this, the Prime Minister will announce a further £65.5 million for the Clean Energy Innovation Facility today, which provides grants to researchers and scientists in developing countries to accelerate the development of clean technology. Since the BEIS-led fund was launched in 2019 it has supported the creation of biomass-powered refrigeration in India, prototype lithium-ion batteries in Nigeria and clean hydrogen-based fuels for steel production in Morocco, among other innovations.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to tell COP27 later today:

The world came together in Glasgow with one last chance to create a plan that would limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees. The question today is: can we summon the collective will to deliver on those promises?

I believe we can. By honouring the pledges we made in Glasgow, we can turn our struggle against climate change into a global mission for new jobs and clean growth.

And we can bequeath our children a greener planet and a more prosperous future. That’s a legacy we could be proud of.

As well as supporting innovation, the UK is working with G7 allies to provide countries with reliable, transparent sources of sustainable infrastructure financing. Ahead of an expected meeting later today between the Prime Minister and President Ruto, the UK and Kenya have reaffirmed their commitment to the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership and agreed to progress a number of flagship green investment projects.

The projects include new and expanded solar and geothermal power plants in Kenya backed by British International Investment, UK export financing for Nairobi’s ground-breaking Railway City and a major Public-private Partnership on the $3 billion Grand High Falls Dam hydropower project led by UK firm GBM Engineering.

The UK will also confirm new financial support for Egypt’s flagship COP27 initiative, the ‘Nexus on Food, Water and Energy’. The funding will develop projects including solar parks and energy storage innovations, and is expected to mobilise billions in private sector finance.

The Prime Minister is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings at COP27 today, including with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

He will also attend a roundtable discussion focused on energy transition partnerships, and will deliver a national plenary statement later in the day setting out the UK’s climate commitments.
November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : PM pledges to make UK a clean energy superpower ahead of COP27 [November 2022]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 November 2022.
- PM to travel to Egypt to galvanise action on the climate commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow
- Rishi Sunak will pledge to speed up the transition to renewables to create new high-wage jobs, protect UK energy security and deliver on net zero
- UK to chair a high-level meeting on forests and announce new support for climate-vulnerable countries
The Prime Minister will urge countries to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact and set out his intention to make the UK a clean energy superpower when he travels to COP27 in Egypt today [Sunday 6th November].

The UK has already cut carbon emissions faster than any other G7 country, with renewable sources like wind and solar now making up more than 40 percent of our energy supply – a four-fold increase on a decade ago.

Addressing COP27 tomorrow, Rishi Sunak will say that in light of the shock to the energy markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK will work with international allies to go further and faster to transition to cheaper, cleaner and safer sources of energy. We will only be able to ensure households and businesses have reliable, affordable fuel by solving the climate crisis and ensuring renewables are at the heart of our energy security.

There are already around 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country, supported by £30 billion in government support for the Green Industrial Revolution in the last 18 months. The transition to renewables will create more high wage, high skill jobs across the UK in the industries of the future.

As the UK hands over the presidency to Egypt, Rishi Sunak will urge leaders gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh not to backslide on the promise of COP26, where countries came together to sign the landmark Glasgow Climate Pact.

The Prime Minister will hold meetings with fellow world leaders to discuss new partnerships on energy security, green technology and environmental protection, and is expected to announce further funding for conservation in threatened tropical rainforests and support for countries on the frontline of climate change.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

When the world came together in Glasgow last year, nations agreed an historic roadmap for preventing catastrophic global warming. As I travel to COP27 in Egypt today, it is more important than ever that we deliver on those pledges.

Fighting climate change is not just a moral good – is it fundamental to our future prosperity and security. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and contemptible manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels.

We need to move further and faster to transition to renewable energy, and I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this global movement as a clean energy superpower.

The Prime Minister is expected to chair a meeting of world leaders on forests and nature, to drive progress on the landmark pledge signed by more than 100 countries last November to halt and reverse deforestation and damaging land use by 2030.

He will also attend a roundtable on energy transition partnerships, which are utilising public and private sector funds to support low and middle-income countries like South Africa to move away from fossil fuels and grow their green economies.

UK COP President Alok Sharma is in Sharm el-Sheikh today for handover ceremony to Egypt, ahead of two weeks of intensive climate negotiations. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will also travel to COP27 with the Prime Minister, and other ministers are expected to attend throughout the summit.
November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Stephen Dunne helps mark 100 years of policing at Stormont [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 4 November 2022.

North Down MLA Stephen Dunne has paid tribute to the “legacy to be proud of” in 100 years of policing. The DUP MLA hosted an event for the NI Retired Police Officers Association at Stormont on Thursday evening.

The guest of honour at the event was former Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan GBE QPM.

Speaking after the event Mr Dunne said, “It was a real honour and privilege to host members of the NIRPOA at Stormont, marking 100 years of policing. The strapline for the event was a “legacy to be proud of” and there can be no more fitting summary for all those who have served our community throughout the last century.

For the vast majority of that time they served under the banner of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and over many decades that brought with it a significant threat. That service and sacrifice was recognised through the award of the George Cross, but it is important that we continue to remember and highlight the proud history of policing here.

Northern Ireland has made significant progress and whilst there are still many challenges that we face, we are able to build on the foundation laid for us by all those who served to protect the community and uphold the law here.

November 7, 2022
Carla Lockhart – 2022 Statement on Meeting with Chris Heaton-Harris

The statement made by Carla Lockhart, the DUP MP for Upper Bann, on 2 November 2022.

It is deeply regrettable that the Secretary of State has continued down the pathway of Brandon Lewis by commissioning abortion services here in Northern Ireland.

This is a devolved matter. It is for those elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, and those appointed to serve in any future Executive, to decide on the law regarding abortion in this part of the United Kingdom.

In a society where there are such deeply held views, on both sides of the argument, it is not surprising that reaching consensus on this issue at Stormont has been elusive. However, the answer to that is not to impose the pro-abortion minority viewpoint, when the clear majority in Northern Ireland are against the liberal abortion regime being pursued by the Secretary of State.

We made this point forcibly to the Secretary of State and that his actions undermine both the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland and how devolution might be viewed by many people. The Secretary of State should be working to see the return of devolution and local decision making in Northern Ireland, not stripping away key decisions.

November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Business secretary urged to honour commitment on £400 payment in Northern Ireland [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 2 November 2022.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pressed the Government to honour the commitment made by the previous Prime Minister that households in Northern Ireland would receive their £400 energy payment in November, and certainly before Christmas.

He was speaking after a meeting today with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Sir Jeffrey said, “The cost of living crisis is impacting families across every corner of the United Kingdom, and it is vital that the support from our UK Government benefits all those families equally.

The previous Prime Minister was clear in her commitment that households in Northern Ireland would receive the £400 energy bill discount in November. The current Prime Minister has also been very clear in his resolve to ensure that the UK will support those in need during this crisis.

Comments from the Utility Regulator that payments may not be made until January have caused great concern for many people and the Government must act to reassure people in this part of the United Kingdom. Given the delay and the urgency, the £400 should also be made as a single payment rather than in a number of instalments.

I have urged the Business Secretary to end this uncertainty and offer reassurance to households in Northern Ireland. As we approach ever-darker and colder days, the need for energy support increases. We are already in the midst of this crisis and people must have certainty when they attempt to prepare their family budget.”

November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary at COP27 pledges new support for developing countries to deal with climate change [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2022.
- Foreign Secretary travels to Egypt for COP27 climate change conference
- James Cleverly will today announce a range of investments worth over £100 million
- He will also urge international partners to speed up progress towards delivering on COP26 targets.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is in Sharm el-Sheikh at COP27 today to call for tangible action to deliver on the commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow and support developing economies to tackle the impacts of climate change.

The Foreign Secretary will today announce a range of significant UK investments worth more than £100 million to support developing economies to respond to climate-related disasters and adapt to the impacts of climate change, delivering on targets set at COP26.

The Prime Minister is expected to make a raft of adaptation-related announcements at the conference later today, including that the UK will triple funding for adaptation programmes from £500 million in 2019 to £1.5 billion in 2025

Mr Cleverly will also argue that long-term prosperity depends on taking action on climate change and ramping up investment in renewable energy across the world, pointing to the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on the global economy.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The Glasgow Climate Pact gave the world the tools to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees and build a secure and sustainable future.

Now is the time for all countries to step up their action on climate change and deliver the tangible change needed.

The UK will continue to play a leading role in this mission. The funding we have announced will support countries which are facing the devastating impact of climate change, to adapt effectively.

The Foreign Secretary will announce today that the UK will provide £20.7 million in Disaster Risk Financing to support countries which face climate-related disasters, helping them to afford insurance and to access reliable funding, more quickly, after a disaster.

As an example, this funding will allow the World Food Programme to insure food supplies for almost 5 million people across 23 vulnerable countries in cases of climate-related disasters, and will help small island developing states build resilience to extreme weather events.

This support is part of the commitment made in 2021 at the UK G7 in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, to spend £120 million on Disaster Risk Financing.

The UK will also announce several new funding allocations to support countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change over the longer-term. The UK will spend £13 million to support vulnerable countries to adapt to climate impacts, and towards efforts to avert, minimize and address loss and damage, including through new funding for the Santiago Network, an organisation set up to support vulnerable countries to access technical assistance on adaptation.

In Nigeria, the UK will provide a £95 million investment to support the development of climate-resilient agriculture programmes, for example through scaling up heat tolerant crop varieties. The funding will support more than 4 million people, including 2 million women, to increase productivity while reducing emissions.

At a meeting with his Colombian counterparts, the Foreign Secretary will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Colombia to renew their “Partnership for Sustainable Growth”, deepening bilateral cooperation on climate change and increasing efforts to protect and restore nature and biodiversity in land and marine ecosystems.

Under the UK’s COP Presidency, almost all developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking climate finance commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling support for developing countries to take climate action.

The Climate Finance Delivery Plan Progress Report has reaffirmed that the climate finance goal will be met by developed countries by 2023 latest, with over $500bn mobilised over the 5-year period 2021-25.
November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Arrests made ahead of planned motorway protest activity [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Met Police on 6 November 2022.

The Met has launched a significant proactive policing operation to identify and arrest people we have strong reason to believe are intent on causing reckless and serious disruption to the public.

We have worked with surrounding forces and the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) to ensure that there is a joined up response to this clear threat.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “Acting on intelligence, this operation is fast-moving and will continue this evening and overnight with multiple arrest enquiries underway. So far this evening we have made three arrests linked to this activity.

“This is an evolving situation and we suspect the intent of these individuals is disproportionate to any legitimate right to protest and clearly crosses the line into unlawful activity.

“Our investigation has strong reason to suspect the Just Stop Oil group intend to disrupt major motorway road networks which would risk serious harm to the public, with reckless action to obstruct the public on a large scale.

“All those arrested are suspected of engaging in conspiracy to cause public nuisance contrary to Section 78 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

“There remains a possibility outstanding suspects are still intent on causing unlawful disruption to the public. The Met has mobilised specialist teams and drawn police officers from across the capital to respond.

“We are calling on the public to assist us. Remain vigilant – if you see something suspicious or witness an attempt to cause disruption call 999 immediately.

“Operations like these come at a cost. Since the start of October we have used more than 10,000 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 of those who conspire to cause significant and unreasonable disruption to London, or cause damage to buildings, property or valuables. It’s what the public expects, and we’ll work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and Courts to make sure this happens.”

November 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : PwC comments on the latest Bank of England interest rate decision [November 2022]

The press release issued by PWC on 3 November 2022.

Barret Kupelian, Senior Economist at PwC, comments on today’s BoE interest rate decision:

“Surprising no one, the Bank of England today increased its policy rate by 75 basis points to 3% which is its biggest hike for thirty years. At the same time, the Bank also released its Monetary Policy Report, which contains its latest thinking on the good, the bad and the ugly of the UK economic outlook. We summarise below.”

“The good: Consistent with our own forecast, the Bank thinks consumer price inflation will peak by the end of this year and gradually fall from early next year as the energy price falls out of the annual comparison. In its main scenario, the inflation rate falls under target by the second quarter of 2024 using market-determined interest rate paths, or slightly later when conditioned against a more accommodative policy rate of 3%.”

“The bad: The Bank expects Sterling’s effective rate to remain around 5% lower than its 2020/1 average or around 25% lower than its pre-financial crisis rate for the foreseeable future. However, the Bank also expects UK consumers and businesses to be hit with all the downsides of cheaper sterling (i.e. more expensive imports with import inflation expected to peak at 16% by the end of the year), but with very little of the upsides (i.e. higher volume of goods and service exports). In net terms the Bank expects virtually no growth spurt from cheaper sterling.”

“And the ugly: The Bank of England predicts that there will be virtually no growth in the next couple of years and a prolonged period of recession.This is a significantly worse economic performance compared to our peers, i.e. the US and the Eurozone. More worryingly, the Bank expects no growth in labour productivity and a fall in business investment, all of which make the UK a less attractive place to do business. Precisely because of the lack of growth, the Bank expects the unemployment rate to steadily increase to just around 6.5% in three years’ time.”

November 7, 2022