Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : New CEO appointed to drive Greater Cambridge growth [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 12 June 2026.
- David Hill named as Chief Executive to lead Greater Cambridge Development Corporation
- Appointment confirms government’s infrastructure-first approach to accelerate economic growth in Greater Cambridge
- New body will bring land together for development, invest in key sites and unlock stalled land to realise Cambridge’s full economic potential
David has been appointed today (Friday 12 June) as the first Chief Executive of the proposed Greater Cambridge Development Corporation – a new regeneration body being designed to drive infrastructure-first growth at scale and deliver thousands of new homes and jobs across the region.

David brings extensive senior experience from central government, including as interim Permanent Secretary at DEFRA and Director General with national responsibility for water policy. He has also served in local government as Director of Strategic Commissioning and Policy at Essex County Council. He will take up the role in September 2026.

Subject to parliamentary process, the Development Corporation will coordinate strategic delivery across Greater Cambridge – from community facilities and utilities to housing – giving the region certainty and securing its status as an engine of national growth. The statutory instruments establishing the Development Corporation have been laid before Parliament.

This is another step in realising the government’s ambitions for Cambridge and the wider OxCam Growth Corridor, building on the announcements made by the Housing Minister and Chancellor last week.

Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said:

“I am delighted that David has agreed to become the first Chief Executive of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation.

“Building on his strong track record in government, I know David will work closely with local partners to ensure the region is equipped with the powers and authority needed to deliver new housing, jobs and infrastructure at scale.”

Chief Executive of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation, David Hill said:

“I’m honoured and excited to be taking up this new role, and look forward to working with all our partners to deliver the jobs, infrastructure and homes needed to enable Cambridge to grow and to benefit local communities.”

Chair of the Cambridge Growth Company, Peter Freeman CBE said:

“I am delighted that David will become Chief Executive of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation in September. His experience will be invaluable in ensuring the Development Corporation is set up to succeed. Our overriding aim is to enable Greater Cambridge to deliver the economic growth the country needs by making it the most liveable city in Europe.”

The appointment supports the government’s mission to accelerate economic growth, ramp up housing supply and fast-track infrastructure delivery across England.

Further information

The Chief Executive appointment was made following a fair and open recruitment exercise carried out by Homes England and the Cambridge Growth Company.

Biography

David Hill has held Director General roles at Defra since 2019, leading on water, environment and strategy. He was interim Permanent Secretary from June to October 2025. Prior to joining Defra, David was Director of Strategic Commissioning and Policy at Essex County Council, leading a range of place-based initiatives. He has held senior roles across Government, including leading on apprenticeship reform at DfE, and served as Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and as Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister.
13/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UK statement on Ukraine to IAEA Board of Governors [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 June 2026.

Delivered to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting on June 2026.

I thank the Director General for his sobering report, and for the continued professionalism and courage of IAEA staff on the ground. Their presence remains indispensable in reducing risks and providing independent, credible reporting under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

The report points to a progressively degrading operating environment across Ukraine’s nuclear sites. However, developments since its issuance underscore that these risks are not static. They are worsening.

It is Russia’s illegal invasion and ongoing aggression against Ukraine that has created these conditions, forcing the Agency into the role of negotiating military pauses around nuclear facilities.

Chair, we are deeply alarmed by the recent drone strike against the Centralised Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility at Chornobyl. That a strike of this nature could occur without immediate radiological consequences should not reassure us; it underlines how narrow the safety margins have become, and how dependent they now are on circumstance rather than control.

This facility sits within a vast exclusion zone, well outside any immediate military necessity. Striking nuclear infrastructure in such an environment is not coincidence – it is reckless and wilful irresponsibility.

This is reinforced by the detail of the Director General’s report: persistent and widespread military activity across all of Ukraine’s nuclear sites, including ZNPP; ongoing grid instability; attacks on energy infrastructure; and repeated reliance on emergency systems to compensate for those failures.

The sheer volume of incidents is striking:
- One power line to Rivne NPP remained disconnected throughout the reporting period following earlier military damage;
- On 26 February, Chornobyl NPP lost off-site power, while Khmelnytskyy (and South Ukraine NPP each lost an off-site power line;
- On 14 March, Chornobyl experienced a prolonged disconnection requiring activation of emergency diesel generators;
- At ZNPP, continued reliance on a single power line and repeated losses of off-site power on 14, 16 and 26 April, and 28 May.
This brings the total number of LOOP events at ZNPP to sixteen since the start of the conflict.

Chair, these incidents do not need to result in an immediate radiological release to be serious: each loss of off-site power and each disruption to grid stability further erodes defence-in-depth and reduces the safety margins on which secure nuclear operations depend.

IAEA reports of a drone strike on the turbine hall at ZNPP further demonstrate how even incidents without immediate radiological impact contribute to worsening risk environment driven by Russia’s illegal invasion.

We commend the Director General for his sustained efforts to broker temporary ceasefire arrangements to enable critical repair work at ZNPP. These are important and necessary measures to reduce immediate nuclear risk.

However, let me be clear: we should not be in this position at all.

The simplest way to reduce nuclear risk is for Russia to cease its aggression and withdraw from Ukraine. Nothing less will deliver the conditions required for safe and secure nuclear operations.

Thank you.
13/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : New natural history GCSE to grow next generation of green careers [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 June 2026.

Biodiversity, conservation and human influences on the natural world among the topics of study, as public encouraged to have their say on the new qualification.

In a landmark moment for education, young people will soon be able to grow the knowledge and skills they need for future careers shaped by science, technology and environmental change, as the new Natural History GCSE is one step closer to being taught in classrooms.

The new qualification will see pupils’ study three core areas: habitats and wildlife in the UK, human influence on the natural world, and will include the study of climate change, biodiversity loss and conservation. It will also include time outside of the classroom for fieldwork giving them an opportunity to get their hands dirty and apply their knowledge and skills by studying real habitats in their local area.

The government is seeking views from pupils, parents, teachers and the green industry, as it launches a 12-week consultation on the proposed subject content.

It comes as jobs in sustainable sectors and green careers continue to rise in demand, with around 900 UK businesses in nature-related sectors raising £2.8 billion in 2025, supporting 21,000 jobs.

With the UK’s natural capital asset value estimated at around £1.6 trillion, the new GCSE will ensure that children are equipped with the highly sought after skills for the workforce of a changing world and contributes to the wider commitment across government to cut the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

This forms part of the Education Secretary’s wider reforms to bring the national curriculum into the modern day and better prepare young people for life and work in today’s world and beyond.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

As we move into a world where careers are being increasingly shaped by science, technology and environmental change, it’s crucial young people have the skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

This new GCSE will help students build a strong understanding of the natural world, alongside the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience to access careers in some of the UK’s fastest growing sectors.

With extensive fieldwork built in, the GCSE will also get young people out and about exploring local parks, rivers and more – a critical part of childhood as more and more of our worlds are taken up by screens.

At the heart of the new GCSE is a deep understanding of UK habitats and wildlife pupils will find around them – urban, freshwater, woodland, grassland, farmland and marine.

By learning to use scientific models such as taxonomic keys and food webs, the GCSE will ask students to understand how habitats form, and how changes on Earth affect forms of wildlife differently.

Pupils will also learn how the UK’s landscape has changed over time, giving young people the historical context to make sense of changes happening today, including shifts in migration patterns and species extinction.

Director of the Natural History Museum, Dr. Doug Gurr, said:

It was fantastic to welcome the Secretary of State to the Museum to mark the consultation launch of the proposed Natural History GCSE. We know there is strong demand from young people and educators to learn more about nature. Through the Museum-led National Education Nature Park (NENP), thousands of schools, nurseries and colleges across England are already taking practical action to boost biodiversity. Together, the proposed GCSE and the NENP can help equip a generation with the knowledge, skills and confidence to create a future in which people and planet thrive.

The subject content will also examine human influences on the natural world, such as urbanisation, fishing and deforestation, as well as conservation approaches, while exploring how everyday actions – from wildlife-friendly gardens to reduced mowing of roadside verges – can support biodiversity.

Naturalist, explorer, presenter and writer, Steve Backshall, added:

I’ve spent my life exploring the furthest reaches of the globe – from ocean depths to mountain summits – and the natural world never stops surprising me. That sense of discovery is something every young person deserves to feel, and this GCSE could be the thing that sparks it.

Getting students outside for real fieldwork – studying everything from urban parks to coastal salt marshes – is exactly how you build a genuine connection with nature. That hands-on experience isn’t just brilliant for the soul, it builds the kind of scientific and analytical skills that will serve them well in future life.

We’re asking this generation to confront some of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced – biodiversity loss, climate change, species extinction. This qualification gives them the knowledge and the tools to not just understand those challenges, but to be part of the solution.

Nature Minister, Mary Creagh said:

Our iconic British wildlife is under pressure from climate change, and this new Natural History GCSE will help reconnect our young people to the natural world.

As this Government steps up action to plant forests and reintroduce birds and wildflowers we are seeing a skills gap open up across the country. This new qualification will inspire our young people with the knowledge and skills they need to protect the world around them.

Young people will carry out a minimum of 20 hours of fieldwork – alongside building a connection with nature, this element will grow the scientific and analytical skills increasingly valued by employers in environmental sectors.

Similarly, the GCSE will develop practical skills in data collection, statistical analysis, and evidence recording – skills directly relevant to careers in environmental science, conservation, land management and data-driven green industries.

It follows the announcement of new V Levels, the biggest transformation to vocational education in a generation. From 2029, 16-19-year-olds will be able to study a V Level in Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care, giving them hands-on experience and providing an opportunity for further study of the natural world.

The qualification is expected to be first taught in schools at the same time as the teaching of the revised GCSEs following the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

13/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Armenia’s Parliamentary Elections of 7 June 2026 – UK statement to the OSCE [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 June 2026.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford welcomed ODIHR’s preliminary findings that Armenia’s parliamentary elections were orderly and professionally conducted, congratulated Prime Minister Pashinyan, and affirmed UK support for strengthening democratic resilience.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

I thank our Armenian colleagues for their update on the outcome of Armenia’s parliamentary elections.

The United Kingdom welcomes ODIHR’s preliminary findings, which note that election day was orderly and professionally conducted, with voting largely proceeding smoothly across polling stations. We commend Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission for administering the elections, and congratulate Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his victory.

The UK values ODIHR’s important role in offering independent assessments of electoral processes and was proud to be among the 42 participating States that contributed observers to the mission in Armenia. We remain committed to supporting Armenia to strengthen its democratic resilience and trust that the authorities will engage constructively in addressing the areas identified by ODIHR for further strengthening electoral integrity for future elections.

The UK looks forward to working with the new, democratically elected Armenian government to deliver on our Strategic Partnership, strengthen regional stability and develop closer relations with European partners.

Thank you.

13/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Cycling and walking boom with £4.5 billion for thousands of new routes and safer crossings [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 12 June 2026.

Strategy aims to deliver 5,000 new walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 safer crossings over the next 5 years.
- more than half (55%) of short journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2035 under ambitious new targets
- a record £4.5 billion is projected to be invested over next 5 years for thousands of new routes and safer crossings connecting homes with schools, high streets and local services
- new routes will save households money, improve public health, cut carbon emissions, reduce congestion and boost local economies
More than half of short journeys in towns and cities will be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035 under new national targets announced by the Department for Transport today (12 June 2026).

The new cycling and walking investment strategy sets a national target for people to hit the pavement or pedals for 55% of short trips in towns and for 60% of children aged 5 to 16 to travel actively to school by the same year.

The government is projected to invest over £4.5 billion in active travel over the next 5 years, and will work with Active Travel England and local authorities to deliver:
- 5,000 new walking, wheeling and cycling routes
- 10,000 safer crossings, connecting homes with schools, high streets and local services by 2030
This will also encourage people to walk or bike to public transport hubs, such as train stations, making them more achievable and in line with the way people travel every day.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don’t feel they have safe and convenient options to do so.

Our new cycling and walking investment strategy sets out how we will change that, with ambitious targets, record levels of investment and a clear plan to make active travel a practical choice for millions more journeys.

This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone.

Secretary of State for Health, James Murray, said:

The benefits of walking and cycling for our physical health, mental wellbeing and our communities are clear, and even small increases in physical activity can make a big difference. This investment will help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS.

The cycling and walking investment strategy demonstrates how we’re working across government to deliver for our communities and reduce health inequalities, while helping fulfil our commitments as set out in the 10 Year Health Plan.

Published alongside Active Travel England’s Worth Every Step delivery plan, the strategy sets out how investment in active travel can save households money, improve public health, cut congestion, reduce carbon emissions and support local economies.

By getting more people adopting healthier lifestyles, it would free up around 1.7 million GP appointments every year and lead to 4.4 million fewer sick days.

If households give up a second car in favour of active short trips, it could save families around £1,700 per year on average – that’s more than £17,000 over 10 years.

National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman said:

Every journey made on foot, wheeling or cycling, delivers value – to the person making it, to the community around them and to the economy. It keeps money in our pockets, makes us healthier and happier and boosts our local economy.  

Yet too many of our streets do not yet make those journeys feel safe, easy or inviting. Our Worth Every Step delivery plan will change that. And it starts with where we’ll get the biggest impact: a more active school run and simple zebra crossings to transform local trips.

It’s time to make the cheapest and healthiest way to travel, the easiest way to travel. When streets work for people, everything else follows.

The strategy marks a new cross-government approach to active travel, bringing together transport, health and investment while giving local leaders a greater role in shaping delivery to meet the needs of their communities.

This forms part of the government’s new Pride in Place programme, empowering communities to take greater control over the renewal of their neighbourhoods, including the introduction of 13 new bathing sites in England.

It also includes plans to develop a coherent transport network designed to make active travel a realistic option for more journeys across England.

Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer:

Increasing physical activity plays a key role in improving health. The greatest health gain from physical activity comes from those who do none starting to do some, and those who do some increasing their level of activity. Walking, wheeling and cycling are great ways to incorporate physical activity to everyday life, across the life course – to encourage this we must make routes practical, safe and equitable. Active Travel England’s work is important in delivering this, and it is encouraging to see this set out in Worth Every Step.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:

I am delighted to support the launch of Worth Every Step and the cycling and walking investment strategy. We are working to double the number of School Streets in the West, so I am particularly pleased to see the national focus on greener travel to school.

The West of England is proud to now be a top-rated regional authority for active travel. Tens of millions of pounds of regional investment will mean almost 100 miles of new and improved routes, empowering more people to be able to walk, wheel, and cycle – which is better for our health and for our planet.

Active travel is an important part of getting the West moving. Working together, we can connect our schools and homes with jobs and transport hubs while we roll out better buses and more trains and develop our mass transit plans.

Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester said:

This is a strong national commitment to invest in making walking and cycling safe, accessible and a realistic choice for everyday journeys, and I welcome the particular focus on ensuring safe journeys to school.

Across Greater Manchester, the focus is on enabling people to have more choice in how they travel – making sure all active modes work as part of a joined-up Bee Network. This integrated approach is already making a difference, with around a third of all journeys made actively and 90% of people walking as part of their public transport journeys.

Across the region, connected public transport and active travel journeys are now more cost effective and convenient than they’ve ever been and alongside work being done to reduce road danger, Greater Manchester’s ten local authorities and Transport for Greater Manchester are enabling safer streets, including School Streets which help more children and families travel actively to and from school.

With this continued investment, I know even more can be done to help more people choose walking, wheeling and cycling every day.

Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets said:

This third strategy is bigger and braver than we’ve seen before. As the charity behind the country’s first-ever zebra crossings, we’re delighted there will be 10,000 more on our streets. Side road zebras and the commitment to deliver 5,000 safer routes to school will make healthier travel choices for families much easier.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard, said:

My ambition is for South Yorkshire to be the healthiest region in the country – that has to start in our neighbourhoods and around our schools. That’s why I made a commitment to make South Yorkshire the best place in the country for children to walk, wheel and cycle, starting with safer journeys to school.

We’re already delivering on that ambition, working with more than 170 primary schools this year alone through my Mayor’s Walk and Wheel Challenge. We’ll work with hundreds more in the years ahead to help build lifelong healthy habits.

I welcome the ambition set out in the government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy because it focuses us on something fundamental: quite simply, every parent should feel confident their child can get to school safely. And in South Yorkshire we’re getting on with making that vision a reality through investing tens of millions in safer crossings, safer routes to schools, school streets and trialling innovative simple zebra crossings.

Working with other Mayors and Active Travel England, we’re showing how devolution can deliver – creating safer neighbourhoods, healthier journeys, and better connections to jobs, opportunity and each other, so everyone in South Yorkshire can stay near and go far.

Steve Edgell, Chair of the Cycle to Work Alliance, said:

The new cycling and walking investment strategy is a major vote of confidence in active travel and recognises the role cycling can play in creating healthier communities, reducing emissions and improving connectivity. The investment in safer routes and crossings is hugely welcome, particularly as we know many people are deterred from cycling because of safety concerns.

If we want more people choosing active travel, we need both safe infrastructure and affordable access, and this strategy is an important step towards delivering both. The Cycle to Work Scheme has already helped well over 2 million people access a bike, and with 38% of participants new to commuting by bike, it demonstrates that when barriers to cycling are removed, people are keen to make the switch.

By combining long-term investment in infrastructure with initiatives that make cycling more accessible, the government has an opportunity to drive lasting behaviour change and help more people choose healthier, more sustainable journeys.
12/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement by the Foreign Minister of Australia and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom on Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 June 2026.

Joint Statement by the Foreign Minister of Australia and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom on Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.

We, the Foreign Minister of Australia and Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, reaffirm our shared commitment to end all forms of gender-based violence. Protecting against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment – including in development, humanitarian and peacekeeping contexts – is a cornerstone of our foreign policy.

Gender-based violence remains a pervasive human rights abuse, experienced by one in three women globally. This widespread violence has profound social and economic costs, estimated at around USD1.5 trillion – two per cent of global GDP – each year.

As digital technologies reshape our societies, these harms are being replicated and amplified online. Men and boys are increasingly engaging with misogynistic content that normalises and promotes gender-based violence.

Technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence is a national security threat. It is increasingly linked to the exploitation of online spaces to spread harmful norms, coordinate abuse, and undermine democratic institutions and women’s social, political and economic participation and gender equality gains. These actions present risks to social cohesion and national security.

In response, Australia and the United Kingdom are intensifying our efforts to ensure that all women and girls are safe from gender-based violence, and to ensure that perpetrators – online and offline – are held to account. In May, the United Kingdom and Australia came together to launch a new International Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls, in partnership with six other countries to drive sustained attention and action at national, regional and international levels.

Two years on from signing the Australia-UK Memorandum of Understanding to Collaborate on Ending Gender-based Violence, together, we reaffirm our commitment to its full implementation, including through:
- Prevention and addressing the root causes of violence, including through evidence-based action to challenge harmful norms, behaviours and systems that enable violence against women and girls in all contexts.
- Holding perpetrators to account and supporting victim-survivors, including strengthening justice responses, improving access to services, and ensuring survivor-centred approaches across both offline and online settings.
- Coordinated international advocacy to drive a more concerted collective response, including through joint leadership in multilateral fora and initiatives such as the International Coalition to End Violence against Women, the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, and the upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Summit, to mobilise greater ambition, alignment and accountability.
Together, we will also strengthen our collaboration on online safety, working to drive renewed international momentum to address the online and technology-facilitated abuse of women and children. This includes addressing some of the most prevalent and fast-growing harms such as non-consensual intimate image abuse, which is increasingly facilitated by generative AI. We will work with partners to align standards, promote safety-by-design and scale proven solutions. Practical actions include piloting and securing endorsements for the Preliminary Model National Framework for Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII), working together through the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, and launching a new round of the Tech Safety Showcase in partnership with UNFPA.

These efforts align with and advance the objectives of the 2024 Australia-UK Memorandum of Understanding on Online Safety and Security and reinforce our shared commitment to a safer digital environment for all.

Australia and the United Kingdom remain deeply committed to working together – across both foreign and domestic policy – to ensure all women and girls can live free from gender-based violence.
12/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom and Minister for Trade and Investment of New Zealand [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 11 June 2026.

Ministers from the UK and New Zealand make joint statement on the New Zealand-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement.

This Joint Statement follows the meeting of the Minister for Trade and Investment of New Zealand and Secretary of State for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom on 1 June 2026.

At their meeting, the Ministers opened the third Joint Committee of the New Zealand-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and reaffirmed the strength of the New Zealand–United Kingdom trade relationship which reached a record £4.0bn or NZ$7.4bn of trade in goods and services in 2025.

They noted this reflects the strength of the FTA, which celebrated three years since its entry into force on 31 May 2023, and its continued delivery of tangible benefits to businesses and consumers.

In 2025, £675.1m or NZ$1,529.6m of traded goods successfully used preferential tariffs; i.e. around 91.5% of goods traded between the UK and New Zealand made use of preferences where one was available. High utilisation of preferential tariffs shows businesses are taking full advantage of the benefits of the FTA – reducing costs, improving market competitiveness and supporting trade growth.

Between Jan and Dec 2025:
- 88.5% of goods imports into New Zealand from the UK used preferential tariffs. Had this trade occurred at standard Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates, it could have encountered an additional £7.9m or NZ$17.9m in duties.
- 92.4% of goods imports into the UK from New Zealand used preferential tariffs. Had this trade occurred at standard MFN tariff rates, it could have encountered an additional £98.4m or NZ$222.9m in duties.
Ministers noted continued progress under the FTA and ongoing cooperation across its breadth.

They welcomed advancements on a tariff rate quota data sharing arrangement between the New Zealand Meat Board and HM Revenue and Customs and noted the Joint Understanding reached by the UK and New Zealand on improving the terms of trade for dealcoholised and partially dealcoholised wines and committing to make as much progress as possible towards a mutually satisfactory outcome over the next year. Ministers also welcomed significant progress on the review of the digital chapter and look forward to concluding discussions and agreeing an outcome that supports shared ambitions for digital trade growth.

They agreed that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) strengthens connections between the UK, New Zealand, and other Parties to the Agreement. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the CPTPP’s expansion via the accession of economies able to meet the Agreement’s high standards, the upgrading of the Agreement to ensure it remains of a high quality, and expanding the reach of the Agreement through the CPTPP-EU and CPTPP-ASEAN Dialogues to facilitate trade and support the international trading system.

In an increasingly uncertain global environment, the Ministers underscored that open and rules-based trade is central to prosperity and economic security, and reaffirmed their commitment to defend, strengthen, and modernise the rules-based multilateral trading system.

They reaffirmed the importance of a strong and effective World Trade Organization, at the core of the multilateral trading system, and the need to work together with urgency to progress, an inclusive and transparent WTO Reform agenda.

Ministers noted the importance of advancing gender equality through trade. The UK announced its intention to begin the formal process to join the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA), underscoring the UK’s commitment to ensuring that international trade works for everyone.

They welcomed the signing of a new bilateral Double Tax Agreement to better promote cross border trade and investment between the UK and New Zealand, by eliminating double taxation and improving certainty for taxpayers.

Ministers committed to continued engagement to progress opportunities under the FTA and identified environment, inclusive, digital and services trade as priorities for further cooperation in the year ahead.
12/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : New Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions Appointed [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 June 2026.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Dame Sarah Healey as the new Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Sarah will replace Sir Peter Schofield, who is stepping down from the role in July 2026.

Sarah is currently Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and has previously been Permanent Secretary at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Sarah has extensive experience of leading and reforming government departments to deliver better services for the public. She will bring this experience to oversee DWP’s vital work reforming the welfare system, overhauling UK pensions and opening up more employment opportunities – especially for young people.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, said:

I’m delighted to welcome Sarah Healey as Permanent Secretary of DWP. She has an outstanding record across government, and that experience is exactly what’s needed as we work to support people to realise their potential at every stage of life – providing opportunities to those who can work and security for those who cannot.

Sarah will take forward our agenda to improve outcomes for customers through modern, connected, personalised services. I’d also like to pay tribute to Peter Schofield for his extraordinary commitment to public service over 35 years and wish him all the best for the future.

The Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, said:

I am delighted to announce Sarah’s appointment as Permanent Secretary of DWP. Sarah’s impressive track record as a Permanent Secretary and Civil Service leader following a 25 year career in the Service makes her an excellent fit to deliver welfare and pension reform, as well as boosting employment opportunities.

I would like to thank Peter Schofield for his 35 years of stellar public service and his excellent leadership of the Department over the last eight years. Peter was instrumental in steering the department through the pandemic, as well as the transformation agenda to complete the Universal Credit programme. Peter has also made a major contribution to the collective leadership of the Civil Service in his eight years as a Permanent Secretary.

Commenting on her appointment, Sarah Healey said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as Permanent Secretary of DWP. The department touches millions of lives and I am excited by the opportunity to lead its ambitious reform agenda.

I leave MHCLG with great pride in what we have accomplished together in the last 3 years, and sincere thanks to my colleagues there for their outstanding commitment and professionalism.

Sarah will take up her new post on 1st August. The Cabinet Secretary will announce arrangements for her replacement as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government shortly.

11/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : £4,500 bonus to attract graduate teachers to deprived nurseries [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 June 2026.

New push to get qualified nursery teachers into England’s most deprived communities so nurseries can offer more childcare places, helping families save money.

More qualified nursery teachers will be attracted to England’s most deprived communities with £4,500 bonuses – ensuring tens of thousands more children get the best start in life.

The move will also help more families access their funded childcare entitlement, worth up to £8,000 a year, by giving nurseries the qualified staff they need to open more places.

Fewer than one in ten nursery staff currently hold a graduate teaching qualification – yet evidence shows that the more highly qualified the staff, the better the outcomes for children.

The extra cash bonus will help recruit and retain the best teachers in the communities that need them most, raising the quality of teaching for every child who walks through the door.

The first wave launches today in 10 areas – including Sandwell, Middlesbrough and Rochdale – with expansion to 30 communities later this year. Areas were selected based on deprivation, teacher shortages and school readiness levels.

Just 58% of children in the most deprived communities reach the desired level of development by the end of reception, compared to 77% in the least deprived areas. This targeted scheme puts more qualified staff into the communities that have been left behind – levelling the playing field for every child.

Today’s announcement exceeds the government’s initial pledge – backing nursery teachers across 30 communities, up from the 20 areas first announced last July – delivering on the Education Secretary’s core belief that background should never mean destiny

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

It shouldn’t matter if you’re born in Sandwell or Middlesbrough, in Rochdale or Rotherham – every child deserves the best teachers, with the best tools at their disposal, to give them the very best start in life.

These measures will help nurseries attract and keep more qualified staff — so they can deliver the funded childcare that saves families up to £8,000 a year in the communities that need it most.

Alongside the bonus, new partnership grants will for the first time fund nurseries, childminders, and schools to formally work together. Staff will be able to visit each other’s settings, share teaching approaches and build stronger links with families so children arrive at school confident and ready.

18 new hubs of excellent nursery teaching have also been confirmed today – doubling the network to 36 across England. The Early Years Stronger Practice Hub programme is designed to bring the best nurseries and childminders together to share what works and will host specialist advisors and leads in early language, maths and personal, social and emotional development, delivering tailored training to early years educators so the highest quality teaching and practices reach more children in more communities.

Further work will follow, including a consultation on how to raise the status and recognition of early years teachers, removing barriers to increased pay in relevant settings.

This work is part of the mission to get tens of thousands more children school-ready by 2028, combining efforts to upskill the workforce through the Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship and attract new nursery staff via the Do Something Big campaign.

It will also help families with 30 hours of funded childcare, worth up to £8,000 a year, helping with the cost of living while expanding places through new school-based nurseries in the communities that need them most.

ENDS

Additional quotes

Executive Director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition Sarah Ronan said:

When disadvantaged children start school 4.7 months behind their better off peers, it’s right that we do everything we can to close that gap as early as possible. Research shows us that graduate teachers can have a positive impact on child development particularly for those at risk of being left behind.

We welcome this incentive to attract more graduates to work in communities where they can make a difference and change lives and we are particularly pleased to see the Government offer this bonus in even more areas. The expansion of Stronger Practice Hubs is also welcome. A well-trained and supported workforce is the most important lever we have in driving outcomes for children. An investment in early years professionals is an investment in our children.

11/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Support for the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s comprehensive security work and reform agenda – UK statement to the OSCE [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 June 2026.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford welcomes the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s report and commends its practical support to Kazakhstan across security, governance and economic and environmental dimensions, highlighting the need for impact, sustainability and alignment with OSCE commitments amid constrained resources.

Thank you Chair and thank you, Ambassador, for your report. Thank you also to you and your team for your support and hospitality to my Ambassador during his recent visit to Astana, where he saw first-hand the work you are doing across all three dimensions of security.

The UK supports this balanced approach in many of the areas noted in your report. I won’t list them all here, but they stretch from judicial reform, to the fight against human trafficking, to regional cooperation on environmental issues and water governance.

The Office’s range of work reflects the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security and evidently delivers tangible benefits for Kazakhstan and the wider region.

Ambassador, the UK supports your Office’s practical assistance to Kazakhstan, including the work on borders, cybercrime, our shared Vienna Document commitments, and security sector reform.

We also welcome the Office’s partnership with your hosts on democratic governance, human rights and the rule of law.

We remain a strong supporter of your mandate. As with all field missions we encourage continued focus on impact, sustainability and close alignment with OSCE commitments, particularly in a constrained resource environment. We reiterate our thanks to the Swiss Chairpersonship for beginning the discussion about the future of field missions throughout the network. We look forward to further substantive discussions on this matter over the coming months.

Thank you.

11/06/2026