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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Update on Enhanced UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement negotiations [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Update on Enhanced UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement negotiations [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 14 October 2025.

    An update following the second round of negotiations on an Enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Turkey.

    The second round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey took place in London during the week commencing 15 September 2025. 

    The UK and Turkey have a strong economic relationship, with trade between the two totalling around £28 billion in 2024, making Turkey the UK’s 16th largest trading partner. Trade with Turkey’s growing market of 86 million people directly supported around 57,100 jobs across the UK in 2020.   

    Economic growth is our first mission in government and FTAs have an important role to play in achieving this. A stronger trade relationship with Turkey will contribute to jobs and prosperity in the UK.  

    Negotiations were productive, with positive progress being made in a number of areas, including digital trade, financial and professional business services, as well as investment. The UK continues to seek commitments that will support opening new opportunities for services trade, which is not covered by the existing UK-Turkey FTA. 

    The round included talks on Goods Market Access, Environment, Labour, and Anti-Corruption provisions, building on initial conversations held in Ankara during the first round of negotiations. Both sides continued to assess scope for areas of cooperation, including reaffirming relevant international commitments and building on identified shared priorities.  

    Positive talks were also held on Dispute Settlement, Intellectual Property, Government Procurement, Customs, and Consumer Protection; productive initial discussions on Trade Remedies and Good Regulatory Practice also helped build a shared understanding of both countries’ initial positions.  

    The UK will only ever sign a trade agreement which aligns with the UK’s national interests, upholding our high standards across a range of sectors, including protections for the National Health Service. 

    The third round of negotiations is expected to take place in late Autumn of 2025. Ministers will update Parliament on the progress of discussions with Turkey as they continue to progress. 

  • PRESS RELEASE : WTO General Council – UK Statement [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : WTO General Council – UK Statement [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 October 2025.

    UK Statement at the World Trade Organization’s General Council. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and the UN, Kumar Iyer.

    Agenda item 4.1. WTO Reform – Report by the Facilitator

    The UK supports the work of Ambassador Ølberg; we welcome the report and we support his engagement with the G20 process. We welcome also the focus on MC14 as a reform Ministerial Conference and the UK stands ready to support the process as needed and we will update the membership later on in our information item on the Wilton Park conference last week.

    The UK continues to believe like, the majority of Members, that now is very much the time for reform, and the credibility of this organisation rests on it. We all have different priorities but that underlines again the value of the facilitator’s process and the need to engage with it constructively. The UK is keen to move to focussed, detailed discussions on areas identified by the facilitator. The sooner we can get to open, frank, and hopefully constructive discussions, the better. The sooner we can engage with specifics, the more we can minimise the asks of our ministers at MC14, and we recognise the need to be pragmatic in scope to achieve that.

    The priorities for the UK remain decision-making, Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) and market-distorting practises, but we recognise the wider interests of the membership and the need for the facilitator to accommodate those. Thank you.

    Item 9

    Thank you Chair. We’d like to be brief: the UK would like to note that we really welcome this innovation. Simplifying global trade for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a really value-added role that the WTO can provide.

    The UK Trade Commissioner was able to be present directly. Our focus in our interventions was around SMEs’ access to finance and the green transition. We would also like to know that we support the road map produced and support its implementation. Thank you.

    Item 10

    Thank you, Chair. The United Kingdom welcomes the initiative and the establishment of the website as a record for members to refer to. We reaffirm that the UK encourages further work on this important topic. The UK stands ready to engage constructively with all Members as these conversations develop. Thank you.

    Item 11

    Thank you, Chair.

    From the 1st to the 3rd of October, the United Kingdom hosted delegates from across the WTO membership at a conference at our Wilton Park venue to discuss the future of the multilateral trading system and WTO reform within this context. Whilst English country houses are both large and charming, sadly they cannot accommodate the whole membership. In the interest of transparency, we wanted to provide this report and are happy to discuss further any detail with any interested members.

    We were joined at the conference by the Director-General and the WTO Reform Facilitator, and we invited representatives from the full cross section of the membership or group coordinators and a strong regional mix. We would like to thank all delegates for their attendance and, in particular, for the quality, openness and depth of conversations that we had. There were no clocks. There were no cameras and, after a while, there were no statements either. The conference itself was held under confidentiality terms, but I will try and draw out a few points to report back on general comments and observations.

    The first was, unsurprisingly, there was a very wide divergence of views. There was a divergence in the problems that people saw, and there was a divergence in the value people saw in the WTO. However, in response to your question from yesterday and your challenge, DG: everyone saw some form of value in the WTO, it just wasn’t necessarily the same thing.

    The second is an observation around stability. There was a general agreement that there was value in some stability for businesses to operate and for that we would need some agreed rules, but again, disagreement that the current rules necessarily were the right ones under which to operate.

    The third observation being there were the beginnings of proposals and ideas that were raised. There were no particular agreements, that was not the objective of this. But hopefully in the frank and open discussions that Members had, they were able to evolve their thinking so that we could listen to each other and hopefully develop better ideas in that process. I’m sure in the coming weeks and months, those Members will want to bring those ideas to this Chamber.

    Chair, I think there is probably a real value add of those discussions and one for us to remember in this Chamber: that depth of understanding is a prerequisite for any progress. In Geneva we talk all the time to each other. Sometimes we don’t always listen, but we do talk. One of the advantages at Wilton Park was over that period of time we were forced to listen to one another and whilst we may talk here, colleagues from capitals do not always get the chance, and the invitees from capitals saw value in that. I will pause there and on our report. Thank you, Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Deprived communities to get new flood defences faster [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Deprived communities to get new flood defences faster [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 October 2025.

    A record £10.5 billion investment in flood defences will defend nearly 900,000 properties in England, with new rules to get defences built more quickly.

    Deprived communities across the country will benefit from new flood defences, under sweeping reforms unveiled by the government today (Tuesday 14 October), safeguarding England’s renewal by better protecting homes and businesses from flooding. 

    The last time rules on allocating flood defence funding were updated was in 2011. Since then, the system has failed to support more innovative solutions, like natural flood management, and was based on outdated evidence.  

    On top of that, the rules required a complex application process which put councils with limited resources at a disadvantage, meaning poorer communities struggled to build the defences they need.   

    In a major shift, the government has overhauled that complex approach and committed a record £10.5 billion to flood defences to protect nearly 900,000 properties.

    The new rules – which will be used for the next flood programme starting in April 2026 – ensure that all prioritised flood projects valued at £3 million or less are eligible for full funding by the government. Prioritised projects valued higher than this will be eligible for the first £3 million of support upfront, and 90% of the costs thereafter.  

    For example, if an eligible scheme valued at £10 million was approved and prioritised for investment, the scheme owners would only need to provide £700,000 to get spades in the ground, as the government would contribute £9.3 million to the project’s costs.   

    The move will bring confidence and security to local businesses and investors, helping to kickstart economic growth as part of the Plan for Change and safeguard the government’s plans to deliver national renewal.  

    Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:   

    For too long, deprived towns and cities struggled to secure the vital money needed for flood defences due to a complicated and outdated process.   

    Our reforms will rip this up and help communities get back on their feet after floods – by unlocking economic growth, building new homes and creating new jobs.  

    This government will be investing a record £10.5 billion into new flood defences and repairing existing assets to protect more people from the devastation of flooding.

    At least 20% of future investment will also be set aside to help protect the most deprived communities in England over the next ten years. 

    Together, these reforms will break the cycle of towns struggling to recover from flooding, with increased protection from new flood defences helping to grow the local economy, create jobs and protect high streets against billions of pounds in damages.   

    This long-term investment in the nation’s infrastructure will bring with it economic growth and secure national renewal for decades to come, as well as boosting our resilience to a warming climate.   

    In a move to ensure government investment goes even further, new projects will be prioritised based on value for money, with the contributions from partners – such as businesses, wildlife groups or farm clusters – being better recognised and boosting the chances of projects being approved.  

    These changes will ensure government funding unlocks external investment, making every pound of taxpayer money go further. 

    Caroline Douglass, Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, said:  

    Our changing climate means it has never been more important to ensure communities are better protected from the devastating impacts of flooding.   

    We welcome the government’s new approach to flood and coastal erosion investment, enabling a wider range of projects such as natural flood management and property flood resilience to be supported. Together with our partners, we will work to deliver these ambitions on the ground.

    The biggest overhaul in 15 years of the government’s approach to flooding will see a number of previously neglected approaches prioritised – reflecting better understanding of flood risk across the country.  

    For the first time, refurbishment of existing flood defences will be treated on an equal footing with new projects. This recognises the growing pressure on ageing defences and ensures vital repairs get the funding they need.   

    Natural flood management projects supported by the government are cost effective, while delivering environmental benefits in addition to flood protection. The largest ever investment in natural flood management, delivered over the next decade, will form a key part of the new, overhauled approach to managing flood risk. 

    In its first year in power, the government has delivered 151 flood schemes, better protecting more than 24,000 homes and businesses from flooding across England. This includes the Pevensey Bay Sea Defences in East Sussex, which has better protected 3,225 properties.   

    This action forms part of the government’s record investment of at least £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history – to construct new flood defences and repair existing defences.  

    Recognising flood defences were inherited in their worst condition on record, £108 million was reprioritised for urgent maintenance works, which halt the decline of major assets and make communities confident that they are protected.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New agency chair appointed to crack down on minimum wage underpayment and worker exploitation [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : New agency chair appointed to crack down on minimum wage underpayment and worker exploitation [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Business and Trade on 14 October 2025.

    Matthew Taylor to lead Government’s new Fair Work Agency from April 2026.

    • Taylor Review author Matthew Taylor appointed as first Fair Work Agency chair to support the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.
    • New agency to transform labour market enforcement, protecting workers from bad employers who flout minimum wage and other labour laws, levelling the playing field for businesses that pay fairly.
    • Better enforcement will put more money in the pockets of working people, improving living standards as part of the Plan for Change.

    Once in a generation employment rights reforms that will benefit over 15 million UK workers came a step closer today as ministers confirmed Matthew Taylor CBE will chair the brand-new Fair Work Agency. 

    A key part of the government’s Make Work Pay plans, the Fair Work Agency will transform how employment rights are enforced across the UK.

    From using new powers to ensure the estimated 900,000 people who have holiday pay withheld each year finally receive it, to cracking down on those employers failing to pay the minimum wage, the Fair Work Agency will finally bring the ambition needed to properly tackle worker exploitation in the UK. 

    It will bring together the responsibilities of three existing enforcement bodies to create a single agency, ending the current fragmented system so that workers and employers know where to turn to for support. 

    Matthew Taylor led the influential Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices in 2016, which provided the foundation for many of the transformative reforms now being delivered through the Employment Rights Bill. His work on this review led to him being recognised in the 2019 Birthday Honours list, being appointed a CBE.  

    Since 2021 he has also served as Chief Executive of both the NHS Confederation, following a stint at the RSA and an interim period as Director of Labour Market Enforcement. This means he brings exceptional experience to this role.  

    Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: 

    The current enforcement system doesn’t deliver for businesses or working people. Our Fair Work Agency will be a game-changer in ensuring rights are properly enforced, whilst backing those businesses that already do the right thing. 

    Matthew brings exceptional leadership experience to this pivotal role and I look forward to working with him to deliver our Plan to Make Work Pay and put more money into the pockets of workers across the country.

    Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: 

    Matthew Taylor’s extensive experience will be vital in ensuring this new agency delivers real change for people who’ve been let down by poor employment practices for far too long.  

    Our Fair Work Agency will make a real difference, providing a single point of contact for workers and employers, and crucially, having the teeth to take action against businesses that flout the rules.  

    This is about creating workplaces where people are treated with dignity and respect. It’s exactly the kind of backing working people in this country deserve.

    New Fair Work Agency Chair Matthew Taylor CBE said: 

    For years inside and outside Government I argued that employers and workers need a single enforcement body for employment rights.  

    It is an honour to be asked to be the first Chair of the Fair Work Agency, the body that will meet that need.  

    The Agency has a vital job in strengthening labour market compliance and enforcement. This is essential to provide workers with protection and employers with a supportive and level playing field on which to invest and grow.

    TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 

    The Fair Work Agency is a vital opportunity to turn the page on the era of inadequate enforcement. For too long, bad bosses have got away with flagrantly breaking the law. This isn’t right – it fails workers and the many decent employers who play by the rules.

    That’s why the Fair Work Agency is so important. It is a chance to create a properly resourced body with real teeth to help good employers comply with the law and come down hard on those who refuse to do right by their staff.

    We look forward to working with Matthew Taylor in his role as chair to realise the Agency’s full potential, protect workers in every corner of the country and work with unions to drive up the quality of work.

    Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said:

    Matthew Taylor will bring a combination of deep care for workers being treated well and an understanding that work itself is changing fast. Both workers and businesses need flexibility that goes beyond the structures of the past, while ensuring we avoid exploitation.

    The new Fair Work Agency is vital to this, so long as it builds on the expertise of its predecessor bodies, in particular the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. For too long, employment laws have been passed that the vast majority of firms comply with, absorbing the costs of adoption in the interests of fair treatment. But those who flout the law have found it too easy to get away with it.  That damages great firms and exposes workers to poor treatment.

    We look forward to working with Matthew and the FWA team to address this in the interest of compliant businesses across the country.

    Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said: 

    The appointment of Matthew Taylor as chair of the new Fair Work Agency is an important step toward building a more coherent, fairer system of labour market enforcement. His experience and leadership will be crucial in driving forward the agency’s mission to prevent exploitation and promote fair treatment for all workers.

    To ensure its success, the Fair Work Agency must be equipped with the right resources and a strong employer-side voice from the outset. Employers – particularly smaller businesses – need clear guidance and support to comply with the new Employment Rights Bill. At the CIPD we look forward to working with Matthew to help the Fair Work Agency deliver on its ambition.

    Notes to Editors

    • Matthew Taylor was appointed chair following a fair and open recruitment process. 
    • The Fair Work Agency will launch in April 2026. Matthew will continue in his role as CEO of the NHS Confederation until then while also working with Government, business and unions helping to shape the strategy of the new organisation.
    • The Fair Work Agency will have robust powers to investigate and tackle employers flouting the law, including workplace inspections, civil penalties for underpayments, and the ability to bring proceedings on workers’ behalf. It will also provide support to businesses on following employment laws, helping create a level playing field for all where those who want to do the right thing aren’t undercut by those who don’t. 
    • Research shows the scale of the challenge the Fair Work Agency will address: 900,000 UK workers annually have their holiday pay withheld, worth around £2.1 billion, whilst nearly 20% of minimum wage workers are underpaid.
  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and NATO nations ramp up response to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and incursions into Europe [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and NATO nations ramp up response to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and incursions into Europe [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 14 October 2025.

    More than 85,000 military drones have been delivered by the UK to Ukraine in just six months this year by accelerating production from British companies.

    It comes as Defence Secretary John Healey confirms, for the first time, that £600 million has been invested by the UK this year to accelerate drone delivery for Ukraine’s Armed Forces, including tens of thousands of short-range first-person view (FPV) drones that are crucial to supporting Ukraine’s front line.  

    These drones are being used for precision strikes, reconnaissance, and disrupting Russian activity behind the frontlines, countering Russia’s own attempts at massed drone tactics. 

    The Defence Secretary will say to allies that we need to “ramp up drone production to outmatch Putin’s escalation” following increased drone strikes in Ukraine and dangerous incursions into Europe.  

    National security is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change, and the UK is stepping up on Euro-Atlantic security, underpinned by the historic increase to defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027.   

    Last month in Kyiv, the Defence Secretary and his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal signed a first-of-its-kind industrial partnership through which the UK is jointly developing an inceptor drone already been used by Ukraine to protect civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian drones.  

    New data from the Ukrainian battlefield is now being implemented to help mass produce the Octopus interceptor, with a target to provide thousands of new-improved interceptor drones back into Ukraine each month. 

    Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said: 

    Putin’s dangerous escalation in Ukraine and across Europe must be matched by ramping up our drone production and strengthening NATO’s air defences. 

    The UK is stepping up our support to Ukraine by delivering over 85,000 drones in the last six months and signing new industrial partnerships to rapidly develop thousands of new interceptor drones to shoot down Putin’s attacks. This is growing jobs in both the UK and Ukraine. 

    I am also extending the UK’s commitment to NATO’s Eastern Sentry air policing mission to the end of the year to continue to deter Putin from further testing the Alliance. 

    The Defence Secretary will also attend a meeting of NATO’s Defence Ministers, where he is expected to confirm the extension of the Royal Air Force’s contribution to NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission to the end of 2025. British Typhoon fighter jets have been taking part in defensive flights over Polish airspace following dangerous Russian drone incursions. 

    In total, the UK has spent £600 million this year on military drones for Ukraine – drawn from the record £4.5 billion commitment by the government this year to support Ukraine’s defence. This includes logistical drones for transporting equipment to the frontline, one-way attack drones, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance drones.  

    Significant amounts of this spend is with UK companies, supporting hundreds of specialist jobs around the country from suppliers including Tekever, Windracers, and Malloy. 

    The Drone Capability Coalition, which the UK co-leads with Latvia, is also using funding from a range of nations to procure advanced drone-interceptors to help Ukraine counter the threat of the Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones.  

    Interceptors are being tested on the battlefield right now, with the Drone Capability Coalition expected to award new contracts very soon to provide Ukraine with further kit, including around 35,000 new interceptor systems in the coming months. 

    An upcoming deployment of British military counter-drone experts to Moldova will take place this month, where they will help scope requirements for Moldova’s armed forces in counter drone tactics.

    Both the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have been clear that the UK’s national security – the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change – starts in Ukraine.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to repeal and replace Legacy Act [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to repeal and replace Legacy Act [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 14 October 2025.

    The new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will put in place a fair and transparent system that enables families of victims, including those who never came home from service in Northern Ireland, to seek answers.

    • The legislation will implement reforms to build a fair, proportionate and transparent system to those seeking answers, repealing the previous legacy arrangements.
    • New measures will end the former Government’s immunity plan which would have offered immunity to terrorists
    • Veterans who served in Northern Ireland will benefit from 6 protections and safeguards which were not in place in the previous flawed Act.

    The UK Government introduces legislation today to repeal and replace the Legacy Act 2023. The new Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will put in place a fair and transparent system that enables families of victims, including those who never came home from service in Northern Ireland, to seek answers.  

    The  Bill (‘The Troubles Bill’) will establish a reformed Legacy Commission and pave the way for new information-sharing arrangements with the Irish authorities – a first which delivers on the spirit and promise of the Good Friday Agreement.

    We will deliver new protections and safeguards specifically designed and put in place for veterans who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.   

    The Troubles Bill will also address the UK Supreme Court ruling in Adams regarding the application of the Carltona principle in the context of interim custody orders, making clear that such orders could be made by junior Ministers as well as by the Secretary of State.

    The Bill follows extensive consultation with victims and families, community organisations and civil society, the Northern Ireland political parties and our Armed Forces community.

    It also reflects the Joint Framework that was recently announced between the UK and Irish governments, which saw unprecedented commitments made by the Irish Government to bring forward its own legislation and to co-operate with a reformed Legacy Commission. These reciprocal commitments will help deliver the Good Friday Agreement’s unrealised ambition to “address and acknowledge the suffering of victims and survivors”.

    The Government has also today introduced a draft Remedial Order which will remove from statute the previous government’s immunity scheme which proposed to allow terrorists to seek immunity from prosecution. 

    The Troubles Bill will: 

    • Establish a reformed Legacy Commission, with strengthened governance arrangements, new conflict of interest duties, and a statutory oversight board. 
    • Give the new Commission enhanced investigative powers and a fairer disclosure regime, ensuring it has all it needs to find answers for families, and the maximum possible information can be made public, subject to proportionate safeguards. 
    • Allow a small number of inquests already started to continue, with no fresh inquests beyond those already in the system. Inquests that were stopped part-heard by the Legacy Act will be able to resume. Other inquests that were halted by the Legacy Act will be referred to the Solicitor General to independently consider whether, in each case, they are most appropriately dealt with by a reformed Legacy Commission or via the coronial system.
    • Provide for new proceedings within the Commission, for cases that transfer in from the coronial system. The new mechanism, consistent with the approach in the Inquiries Act, will have provision for public hearings, the ability to consider sensitive information in closed hearings, and provide effective next of kin participation, including through legal representation;
    • Establish an Independent Commission for Information Retrieval, jointly with the Irish Government, and consistent with the Stormont House Agreement. This will, initially on a pilot basis, provide families with an additional means to retrieve information. The ICIR will not have powers to investigate; its purpose will be to privately receive information about individual cases on behalf of families.

    Included within this legislation will be robust protections for veterans who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.  These measures include: 

    • Right to stay at home – Changing the law to create a presumption in favour of remote evidence, so that veterans are not forced to travel to Northern Ireland to give evidence to the Commission or to an inquest.
      Protection from repeated investigations – The Commission will be under a requirement not to duplicate the work of any previous repeated investigations unless there are compelling reasons that make such duplication essential. 
    • Protection in old age – we will legislate through this Bill to require the Commission and coroners to consider the health and wellbeing of elderly witnesses – including whether it would be inappropriate for them to give evidence at all.
    • A right to anonymity – We will legislate that any veteran seeking anonymity when giving evidence will now be granted.
    • Right to have Veterans’ voices heard – There will be a statutory advisory group that will provide an opportunity for the voices of all those victims and survivors of the Troubles to be heard, including those from the armed forces and police. In addition to this, the MOD will put forward an independent advisor with operational experience to support investigations, to remove the need for veterans to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.

    Separately to the legislation, the Government is ensuring that veterans will be protected from cold calling through two new protocols. These will ensure they are only ever contacted with the support of the MoD, meaning that from the moment of contact they are supported by the state that asked them to serve.

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said: 

    The Government will now put into legislation the commitments that we have made both as part of the Joint Framework and to our Armed Forces veterans.

    The purpose of all this is to help families who have waited too long to find answers about what happened to their loved ones during the Troubles.

    This is our opportunity to deliver on this final part of the Good Friday Agreement and help Northern Ireland politics and broader society to find those answers and move forward.

    The Minister for Armed Forces, Al Carns, said: 

    We promised our veterans who served with honour in Northern Ireland that we would put proper protections in place, and today’s legislation delivers on that commitment.   

    After the false promises of the last government, we are putting in place real, workable protections for veterans that the failed Legacy Act never did. We will not allow the process, like so many times before, to become the punishment for our veterans.  

    Having served for 24 years and as a serving reservist myself, I understand the importance of avoiding an endless cycle of investigations. These robust safeguards will ensure the rights of those who served their nation so honourably are protected whilst providing families with a fair and transparent system to seek answers.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and US take joint action to disrupt major online fraud network [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and US take joint action to disrupt major online fraud network [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 October 2025.

    Alongside the US Government, the UK has today sanctioned a network that operates illegal scam centres across Southeast Asia.

    A network that operates illegal scam centres, which trick victims across the world out of substantial sums of money and torture their trafficked workers, is today (14 October) sanctioned by the UK and US governments. 

    Across Southeast Asia, scam centres are using sophisticated schemes, including scams in which people are lured into fake romantic relationships, to defraud victims on an industrial scale, including in the UK. Those conducting the scams are often trafficked foreign nationals, trapped and forced to carry out online fraud under threat of torture. 

    As part of the crackdown, a £12 million mansion in North London, owned by a multi-national network responsible for using forced labour to conduct online scams, has been frozen. 

    The leader of the network, Chen Zhi, and his web of enablers have incorporated their businesses in the British Virgin Islands and invested in the London property market, including a £12 million mansion on Avenue Road in North London, a £100 million office building on Fenchurch Street in the City of London, and seventeen flats on New Oxford Street and in Nine Elms in South London. 

    The sanctions will freeze these businesses and properties with immediate effect, locking Chen and his network out of the UK’s financial system. 

    Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 

    The masterminds behind these horrific scam centres are ruining the lives of vulnerable people and buying up London homes to store their money. 

    Together with our US allies, we are taking decisive action to combat the growing transnational threat posed by this network – upholding human rights, protecting British nationals and keeping dirty money off our streets.

    The individuals and entities targeted today include: 

    • The Prince Group and its Chairman Chen Zhi – The Prince Group is a high-profile, multi-billion-pound conglomerate with extensive business activities across Cambodia and beyond. Chen and the Prince Group have constructed casinos and compounds used as scam centres, maintain links to their operations through corporate proxies, and are implicated in laundering the proceeds
    • Jin Bei Group – A leisure and entertainment business linked to the Prince Group, whose properties include a flagship seven-storey hotel and casino in the Cambodian tourist hub of Sihanoukville, as well as multiple scam centres
    • Golden Fortune Resorts World Ltd. – The company behind a large scam compound on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, built by a Prince Group subsidiary and disguised as a “technology park”
    • Byex Exchange – A cryptocurrency platform with links to Jin Bei and Prince Group

    Scam centres in Cambodia, Myanmar and across the region use fake job adverts to attract foreign nationals to disused casinos or purpose-built compounds, where they are forced to carry out online fraud under threat of torture. Scams often involve building online relationships to convince targets to ‘invest’ increasingly large sums of money into fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes. The proceeds are then laundered using a sophisticated financial ecosystem that includes seemingly legitimate front businesses and online gambling platforms. 

    Today’s sanctions are being coordinated with sanctions by the US to ensure maximum impact, and follow extensive investigations by the FCDO and the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). 

    Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said:

    Fraudsters prey on the most vulnerable by stealing life savings, ruining trust, and devastating lives. We will not tolerate this.

    These sanctions prove our determination to stop those who profit from this activity, hold offenders accountable, and keep dirty money out of the UK. Through our new, expanded Fraud Strategy and the upcoming Global Fraud Summit, we will go even further to disrupt corrupt networks and protect the public from shameless criminals.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Knife robberies continue to fall under taskforce crack down [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Knife robberies continue to fall under taskforce crack down [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 14 October 2025.

    The number of robberies involving a knife, or the threat of one, continues to fall in England and Wales.

    The government has pledged to halve knife crime over the next decade, as part of the Plan for Change. 

    The new figures show a 10% reduction in offences under this government across the 7 police forces most impacted by knife crime, with areas like West Midlands seeing a 30% drop, following targeted policing efforts.  

    Interventions include the use of hotspot policing, acting on better intelligence on offenders, increased patrols using knife arches, drones and plain clothes officers. 

    A dedicated taskforce was set up in October 2024 for an initial 6 months to turbocharge this work after seeing a stark rise in incidents between July 2023 and June 2024, bringing together the Metropolitan Police, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset, and British Transport Police.  

    With efforts continuing throughout the past year, all 7 police force areas are now seeing a reduction in robberies involving a knife since June 2024, collectively turning a 14% year-on-year increase in knife-enabled robbery into a 10% year-on-year reduction. 

    Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said: 

    Those who have been robbed at knifepoint know how terrifying and traumatic that experience can be, and this government took immediate action through the Plan for Change to reverse this troubling trend.  

    Through relentless focus, targeted policing and strong partnerships, we are turning this worrying rise into a sustained fall, and we have also started to see a reduction in overall knife crime for the first time in 4 years. 

    But there is so much more to do, which is why we are bringing in the toughest measures yet to crack down on the online sale of weapons and invest in the futures of our young people to set them on a better path.

    As the latest figures show, between the year ending June 2024 and the year ending August 2025: 

    • West Midlands Police saw a 30% reduction, the largest percentage fall, with 771 fewer robberies
    • the British Transport Police also reported a notable fall of 107 offences, down 26% 
    • Avon and Somerset recorded a 14% drop, or 82 fewer offences 
    • South Yorkshire saw a reduction of 8%, or 49 offences
    • West Yorkshire saw a 7% decrease with 66 fewer cases
    • the Metropolitan Police recorded a 5% drop in knife-related robberies, or a decrease of 484 offences 
    • Greater Manchester Police reported a decline of 3%, or 35 offences

    The fall in these types of robberies comes alongside a series of major interventions by the Home Office and police forces to tackle knife crime more broadly.  

    In August it became illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or import ninja swords. This measure, introduced under Ronan’s Law, followed years of campaigning by the family of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was murdered with a ninja sword in 2022.  

    Pooja Kanda, knife crime campaigner and mother to Ronan Kanda, said: 

    The statistics show that the government has taken a proactive approach to reducing knife-enabled robberies.  

    The significant drop we are seeing is a positive sign and a step closer to the government’s mission of halving knife crime within a decade – something I’m confident we will achieve with the continued support and hard work of campaigners and the government alike.

    This coincided with a nationwide weapons surrender scheme that saw thousands of deadly weapons handed in by members of the public. 

    The scheme included 37 new surrender bins and a mobile surrender van operated by FazAmnesty, and reached high-risk areas like London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.  

    Beyond the ban, Ronan’s Law is introducing age verification for online knife sales, fines for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife content, and new offences for possession with violent intent. 

    The government is also piloting new multi-agency Prevention Partnership Panels to proactively identify and refer vulnerable teenagers – who may currently be falling through the net – to a range of different support services much earlier, including Young Futures Hubs. 

    Backed by a £2 million cash injection, 8 of these hubs will launch this year in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour, offering a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next 4 years. 

    Patrick Green, CEO for the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: 

    Reducing knife crime is about more than just bringing down crime statistics; it’s about making a profound investment in public safety and the future of our young people. When we successfully drive down knife-enabled robbery, we actively remove the fear that can often make people feel unsafe. Critically, this also helps dismantle the dangerous misconception that leads some young people to believe they must carry a weapon for ‘protection’.

    The government’s targeted strategy to reduce knife-enabled robberies is crucial, because it also addresses the clear and harmful connection between robbery and the fear it can instil in young people.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Pro-growth package unshackling Britain to get building [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Pro-growth package unshackling Britain to get building [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 13 October 2025.

    Pro-growth changes to the government’s landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill to get Britain building faster.

    • New measures to slash delays and get Britain building faster through landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill 
    • New powers for Secretary of State could stop councils rejecting planning permissions, tackle blockers in the courts, alongside plans to accelerate reservoirs, windfarms and large housing schemes   
    • Turbocharging the Plan for Change to create high-paying jobs, put money back into people’s pockets, and secure more homegrown clean energy

    New homes, more clean energy, and greater water security will be within reach for hundreds of thousands of working people and families, as the government vows to sweep aside blockers standing in the way of growth and dismantle barriers to get Britain building.   

    A pro-growth package announced by the government this week (Tuesday 14 October) will look at supporting the full potential of the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill – a key driver for growth to slash planning delays currently shackling the UK economy.    

    If voted through, Ministers will get new powers to prevent applications being rejected by local councils while they consider using ‘call-in’ powers to decide whether or not they should be approved. Currently some councils are dragging their feet to get on and build with nearly 900 major housing schemes blocked in the past year alone.    

    New proposed measures would greenlight reservoirs faster, pumping fresh water into the taps of people’s homes, and unlocking new opportunities for housebuilding after more than 30 years without a new reservoir in the UK.  

    Pro-growth changes will pave the way for cleaner energy, including onshore windfarms, to drive millions of pounds of investment into local areas, prevent bill hikes and create thousands of new jobs.  

    Allowing Natural England to streamline its role by freeing it up to make sensible choices on when to provide advice to local authorities will free up valuable resources. This will enable the organisation to focus on higher priority planning applications and nature recovery, helping to accelerate approvals for new homes and infrastructure.   

    Under government plans builders will also receive a helping hand to stop planning permissions from being timed out on vital housing projects tied up in the courts, accelerating and unlocking stalled schemes so money can be better spent on getting spades in the ground rather than starting back at square one. 

    If passed, each of these pro-growth changes will accelerate the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes, achieve clean power by 2030, raise living standards in every corner of the country and put more money back into working people’s pockets.

    Housing Secretary, Steve Reed said:

    “Britain’s potential has been shackled by governments unwilling to overhaul the stubborn planning system that has erected barriers to building at every turn. It is simply not true that nature has to lose for economic growth to succeed. 
      
    “Sluggish planning has real world consequences. Every new house blocked deprives a family of a home. Every infrastructure project that gets delayed blocks someone from a much-needed job. This will now end.    
      
    “The changes we are making today will strengthen the seismic shift already underway through our landmark Bill. We will ‘Build, baby, build’ with 1.5 million new homes and communities that working people desperately want and need.”

    As the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill rapidly continues its way through Parliament and is set to become law this year, this week’s wide-ranging package fully embraces the government’s drive to go further and faster in unleashing the biggest era of building in the country’s history. Key changes include:

    • Ministers will be able to issue ‘holding directions’ to stop councils refusing planning permission whilst they consider using their ‘call-in’ powers. Under existing rules, they can only issue these holds when council are set to approve applications. This will ensure Ministers can properly use their call-in powers where necessary to boost growth and build more homes.  
    • Speeding up the approvals for large reservoirs by enabling non-water sector companies to build reservoirs that are automatically considered as nationally significant infrastructure projects.  
    • Unlocking more onshore windfarms, securing around 3GW of onshore wind and up to £2 billion extra investment for UK based businesses, whilst safeguarding UK defence and seismic detection capabilities.
    • Stopping planning permissions from being timed out for approved major housing schemes facing lengthy judicial reviews, building on existing measures to cut back meritless legal challenges for major infrastructure projects from three to one and slashing a year off the statutory pre-consultation period.    
    • Securing a win-win across land and sea by allowing the Nature Restoration Fund to support the delivery of marine development, securing better environmental outcomes for marine habitats whilst accelerating the construction of coastal projects.  
    • Natural England is currently wasting precious resources because they are required by law to respond to every query from local authorities that relates to nature. Streamlining Natural England’s role will speed up approvals for new homes and infrastructure by reducing unnecessary duplication and allowing greater discretion to focus on applications that pose higher risks or present stronger opportunities for nature recovery, with standard guidance provided to local authorities for straightforward cases.

    Thanks to new pro-growth reforms, the government remains firmly on track to make 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects, with a record breaking 21 decisions in the first year of any Parliament, and has already greenlit projects including hot-off-the-wheels Gatwick airport expansion and the long-awaited Lower Thames Crossing.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    “The outdated planning system has been gummed up by burdensome bureaucracy and held to ransom by blockers for too long.  

    “Our pro-growth planning bill shows we are serious about cutting red tape to get Britain building again, backing the builders not the blockers to speed up projects and show investors that we are a country that gets spades in the ground and our economy growing.”

    This announcement follows the Housing Secretary’s commitment to ‘Build, baby, build’, as the government begins to embark on the next phase of reforms to remove every barrier to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament as well as accelerate the construction of major infrastructure including roads, railways, and solar farms.    

    Planning reforms already made by the government will alone drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years, and this does not account for measures to be brought forward through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  

    The government’s own analysis confirmed earlier this year that changes to get Britain building could benefit the economy by up to £7.5 billion over the next 10 years.

    Further information:

    The government’s package of amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill can be read in full here.

    The landmark Bill is set to return to the House of Lords for its Report Stage on Monday 20 October.

    John Foster, CBI Chief Policy & Campaigns Officer, said:

    “The CBI welcomes the latest amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as an important signal that the government wants to go further and faster in reforming our inefficient planning system.  

    “Action that cuts delays to planning processes and simplifies environmental approvals is critical to getting projects moving faster and unlocking the economic growth the country needs. 

    “Allowing ministers to act decisively on major applications, streamlining Natural England oversight, and broadening investment to key assets like reservoirs will unlock significant investment across the country.” 

    Vicky Evans, UKIMEA Cities, Planning and Design Leader, Arup, said:

    “Investing in critical infrastructure, such as housing, clean energy, and water security, is crucial to unlocking economic growth and building a sustainable, low-carbon future. 

    “The amendments put down by the government today are an important step forward in streamlining the planning system which will help significantly to speed up the delivery of water and energy infrastructure, and new homes.” 

    Ana Musat, RenewableUK’s Director of Policy and Engagement said:

    “We have ambitious targets across various clean technologies and our grid infrastructure to ensure we deliver the government’s Clean Power 2030 mission, and the measures outlined today represent a vital step towards realising these whilst protecting our environment and enabling local businesses and billpayers to directly feel the benefits. 

    “Onshore wind is one of the quickest and cheapest technologies to build and we welcome these proposals to ensure we can fully capitalise on this through a more efficient planning process, potentially enabling up to 3GW of capacity and £2 billion in additional investment for local businesses. Additionally, we welcome the introduction of the Nature Restoration Fund, which will work alongside the upcoming Marine Recovery Fund to deliver a joined-up approach to protecting the UK’s precious species and habitats while we construct and connect our substantial pipeline of clean energy projects. This will dovetail with the reduced administrative burden on Natural England, which will be freeing up its resources to work collaboratively on solutions to support the deployment of renewables.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : MI5 issues guidance on countering espionage and interference [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : MI5 issues guidance on countering espionage and interference [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 13 October 2025.

    MI5’s National Protective Security Authority issues new security guidance to protect democratic institutions from espionage and foreign interference.

    MI5’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) has today published new guidance to help protect the UK’s democratic institutions from foreign interference and espionage threats.

    The guidance outlines how state backed actors and their proxies attempt to manipulate, discredit or secretly gather information on political figures at all levels. This is done often through subtle and deceptive means that blur the line between legitimate engagement and malign activity. 

    The guidance is designed to help MPs, peers, councillors, Parliamentary staff and candidates understand the threat and take simple, effective steps to protect themselves, their teams, and the integrity of the UK’s democracy.

    While the guidance highlights that the UK is a target of strategic foreign interference and espionage from elements of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian states, it takes an actor-agnostic approach, focusing on the behaviours, methods and warning signs that should raise red flags, regardless of where the threat originates from.

    Minister for Cabinet Office and Home Office, Dan Jarvis, said: 

    I urge anyone working in government, public service or politics to be alert and trust their instincts if something does not feel right, and follow NPSA’s guidance. Foreign intelligence officers frequently operate covertly and exploit professional networking sites and personal vulnerabilities to build influence.

    This new guidance builds on the work we are already doing to tackle these issues. Those engaging in political influence on behalf of foreign powers must register under the Foreign Influence Registration scheme, as Parliament and the public have a right to know who is seeking to influence political outcomes, and in whose interests.

    Elected representatives and those who work with them may be targeted for their access to information, their ability to shape policy or public opinion, or their relationships with others of interest. This includes not only classified material but also privileged or insider knowledge that foreign intelligence services find valuable. This could be through attempts to exploit overseas travel, online activity, and financial donations as routes to access and influence.

    MI5 Director General, Sir Ken McCallum, said: 

    When foreign states steal vital UK information or manipulate our democratic processes they don’t just damage our security in the short-term, they erode the foundations of our sovereignty and ability to protect our citizens’ interests.

    Everyone reading this guidance cares deeply about the role they play in UK democracy. Take action today to protect it – and yourself.

    We have seen previous cases of political interference, including most recently the case of the former Member of the European Parliament, Nathan Gill, and previously Christine Lee, a lawyer who was working in coordination with an arm of the Chinese Communist Party.

    The guidance details key threat behaviours, including cultivation through long-term relationship building, blackmail, phishing attacks and disinformation activity.

    We encourage individuals to trust their instincts, remain alert to subtle changes in behaviour or intent, and report any suspicious interactions – however apparently minor – to their security teams.

    Engagement will now take place across Parliament, devolved administrations and local government.