Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Two board members reappointed to the Charity Commission for England and Wales [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Two board members reappointed to the Charity Commission for England and Wales [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 20 February 2026.

    The Secretary of State has reappointed Rory Brooks CBE and Shrenik Davda as board members to the Charity Commission for a second term of 3 years from 27 March 2026 to 26 March 2029.

    Rory Brooks CBE

    Rory Brooks CBE is a British private equity investor and philanthropist who co-founded MML Capital Partners, a European mid-market growth capital firm with offices in London, Paris, Dublin, and New York.​ He served as its Chair until stepping down in 2023​. Rory established the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation in 2005 with his wife Elizabeth, directing resources toward alleviating social disadvantage, advancing education, supporting poverty research, and promoting the arts.​ Rory has held trusteeships or chairmanships at organisations such as the Centre for Social Justice, IntoUniversity, and the Quintessentially Foundation.

    Shrenik Davda

    Shrenik has almost 40 years of banking experience in the CEEMEA (Central Eastern Europe Middle East Africa) region helping to build market-leading franchises for prominent global financial institutions such as JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He has also established and or run several regulated financial advisory boutiques and notably co-founded New Europe Capital Partners Ltd, which was acquired by Deutsche Bank. He started his career with Gulf International Bank in Bahrain and received his formal credit training at Citibank. He is currently an independent member of the Supervisory Board of Nova Ljubljanska Banka dd, a universal bank active in South Eastern Europe. In 2022 he was appointed as Lay Member of the Board of IPSO, the independent regulator of the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Rory Brooks and Shrenik Davda have been reappointed for a second term of three years, commencing on 27 March 2026 to 26 March 2029.

    Board Members of the Charity Commission are remunerated £350 per day for approximately 24 days a year. 

    These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

    Rory Brooks has declared financial donations to the Conservative and Unionist Party, as recorded by the Electoral Commission, with the last donation taking place in November 2021. Shrenik Davda has declared no political activity.

    Notes to Editors

    DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.  To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Treasury launches recruitment campaign for Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Treasury launches recruitment campaign for Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility [February 2026]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 February 2026.

    HM Treasury has today launched a recruitment campaign for a new Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

    The OBR is the UK’s official independent economic and fiscal forecaster, responsible for examining and reporting on the sustainability of the public finances. The Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC), led by the Chair, has executive responsibility for the core functions of the OBR, including the judgements made in its economic and fiscal forecasts.   

    As with all appointments to the Budget Responsibility Committee, the Chancellor will make the appointment, subject to the consent of the Treasury Committee.

    Further information  

    • As set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011, appointments to the OBR’s BRC, including the Chair, requires the consent of the Treasury Committee. The candidate nominated by the Chancellor will therefore be subject to a pre-appointment hearing with the Treasury Committee.  
    • The Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 allows each term of a BRC member, including the Chair’s, to be up to 5 years and each member may serve a maximum of two terms.  
    • While the Chair’s post is currently vacant, the two current members of the BRC, Professor David Miles and Tom Josephs, will continue to lead the OBR.   

    About the OBR  

    The OBR was created in 2010 to provide independent analysis of the UK’s public finances. The OBR is led by the three members of the BRC who have executive responsibility for carrying out the core functions of the OBR, including any judgements made in the preparation of the economic and fiscal forecasts. They are supported in their work by the OBR’s permanent staff led by the OBR Chief of Staff. The current members of the BRC are:   

    • Chair (vacant)  
    • Professor David Miles  
    • Tom Josephs  

    About the recruitment process   

    HM Treasury will run an open and competitive recruitment campaign to find a new Chair. The successful candidate will be selected by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in line with the requirements set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 and in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code for Public Appointments. The appointment will then be finalised subject to the Treasury Committee’s consent.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New measures to help woodlands through improved deer management [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New measures to help woodlands through improved deer management [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 20 February 2026.

    Landowners, foresters and farmers across England will benefit from new measures to reduce the damaging impacts of deer on woodlands, under a new 10-year government plan announced today (Friday 20 February).

    An estimated one-third of England’s woodlands are now affected by deer damage, with excessive browsing and trampling preventing young trees from establishing, degrading habitats, and damaging crops. Without urgent action, this damage risks undermining woodland creation, nature recovery and domestic timber production.

    Native deer are an iconic feature of the English countryside and play a role in maintaining healthy, wildlife-rich woodlands. However, growing deer impacts – including from non-native invasive species – are placing unsustainable pressure on trees, woodland habitats.

    Overgrazing reduces the diversity of ground flora and scrub, including flowering plants essential for pollinating insects and fruiting shrubs that support birds and mammals such as dormice. Reducing deer pressure has been identified as a key management activity to support the recovery of nightingale populations, which have declined by more than 90% since the 1960s, due to habitat loss and changes in woodland management. Deer damage also affects wetlands, with recent surveys of the Norfolk Broads showing more than 10% of rare fen habitat has been impacted.

    Three of the six deer species present in England are invasive non-native, further intensifying pressure on sensitive environments.

    Current management approaches have not kept pace with rising impacts. There is a need to reduce reliance on fencing and tree shelters and increase effective, active deer management at landscape scale.

    Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

    “Our trees and native wildlife are under huge strain from deer damage, including from non-native deer species.

    “This government is helping landowners and farmers manage deer impacts more effectively so woodlands can flourish and crops are better protected.

    “These new measures will also help restore nature, boost our home grown timber industry and protect the millions of trees we are planting across the country”.

    The package of measures announced today will give land managers the tools and support they need to act quickly and effectively. This includes:

    • Dedicated deer officers to provide clearer, more accessible advice and coordination
    • Grant funding to support effective deer management activity
    • Streamlined licensing processes to cut red tape and enable faster action
    • This includes potential changes to night shooting and close season licensing, allowing land managers to better protect crops, timber and habitats where there is a clear need

    Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:

    “Deer damage is one of the biggest negative impacts on our trees and woodlands. Action has been long-overdue and these welcome measures will give land managers the tools they need to reduce pressures from excessive deer browsing to protect trees and restore biodiversity in our woodlands.

    “This will help trees, and other plants to thrive, enable nature to recover and provide much needed habitat for woodland birds and other wildlife. We can all help in this endeavour by eating wild venison, the most climate-friendly red meat there is.”

    Supporting the wild venison market

    To complement these measures, the government will also support the domestic wild venison market, helping to offset the costs of managing deer impacts by lethal control, including supporting the British Quality Wild Venison Standard, to boost consumer confidence. This includes support for the British Quality Wild Venison Standard to boost consumer confidence and exploring the use of public procurement to increase consumption. Wild venison is a healthy, high‑protein food, rich in essential amino acids and lower in cholesterol and saturated fats than many other red meats.

    Research and innovation

    The government will also support research to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of managing deer impacts, including the use of drone surveying to identify national priority areas and target action at a landscape scale.

    Together, these measures will make it easier for foresters, farmers and land managers to reduce deer damage, allowing woodlands to recover and thrive. This will benefit woodland species like dormice and nightingales and support the government’s wider nature recovery goals.

    The Deer Impacts Policy Statement follows Defra’s Grey Squirrel Policy Statement, published on 29 January, which set out measures to tackle damage to trees and woodlands caused by invasive grey squirrels and support native red squirrel populations.

    Effectively managing the impacts of wild deer and grey squirrels will support the government’s ambitious plans to successfully plant millions of new trees and increase woodland cover to at least 16.5% of total land area in England by 2050, including three new national forests.

    Additional information:

    Chris Packham said:

    “We live in one of the most nature-depleted nations on earth, composed of modified landscapes which need progressive management to restore and recover our treasured wildlife. The good news is we know how to do it and we can do it.

    “But to ensure we establish the richest mosaic of habitats, we unfortunately have to make some hard choices and managing a burgeoning population of deer is one of them. And let’s be clear, this is not sports shooting or hunting, this is about culling, management.  

    “If we want to reforest, if we want sustainable populations of woodland birds and butterflies, we currently have no other options. A joined up national policy implemented and supported by science will make a difference for biodiversity.”

    Rebecca Chaney, Lead Policy Advocate (Tree Health and Invasive Species) at the Woodland Trust, said:

    “Our native deer species are a much-valued part of our biodiversity. Sadly, with no natural predators to keep numbers of both native and non-native species at sustainable levels, they are causing serious damage to woodland habitats and their associated wildlife, right across the country. These habitats are already under enormous pressure from disease, fragmentation, and climate change.

    “A strategic, joined-up approach to sustainable deer management is essential. The measures outlined in this plan recognise the need for coordination and incentives to support landowners to manage deer at a landscape scale. We particularly welcome commitments to deer management plans on publicly owned land, the identification of national priority areas, and the continuing provision of grants.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 24 February 2026.

    New surveillance, detection and investigative capabilities rolled out by Environment Agency to tackle waste crime.

    Waste criminals will be detected and stopped before they even get started, thanks to a new package of surveillance and investigative measures announced by the Environment Agency (EA) today (Friday 20 February 2026).  

    As part of a major crackdown on waste crime, an enhanced 33-strong drone squad will now track down illegal dumps from the air. The drones, some of which are being upgraded to carry laser mapping technology, will capture evidence to help secure successful prosecutions.  

    The Environment Agency has also developed a new screening tool that enables EA officers to scan and cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records – with suspect operators flagged before they have a chance to move waste illegally. 

    The new capabilities are backed by a reinforced Joint Unit for Waste Crime – now a 20-strong group of specialists working closely with law enforcement partners to dismantle organised criminal networks. This builds on a record year for waste enforcement, with 751 illegal waste sites shut down.  

    Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit said: 

    Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.  

    With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them. 

    Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: 

    This Government is aggressively pursuing waste criminals and bringing offenders to justice. 

    By increasing the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6 million, we’re investing in cutting-edge technology that allows us to shut down illegal operators faster and more effectively. 

    From advanced laser-mapping to drone surveillance and new vehicle-scanning tools, this technology is helping us track, expose and stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account. 

    Greater drone surveillance and Lidar mapping  

    The Environment Agency has stepped up its use of drone surveillance, with a total of 33 trained pilots putting a greater focus on waste crime. Since July last year, the EA’s drones were in the air for 272 hours. 

    Drones will soon be equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, which fires millions of laser points per second towards the ground below to create highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites. 

    Currently flown from a dedicated aircraft mainly to capture flood information, moving Lidar onto drones will allow even more precise mapping, pinpointing exactly where waste has been dumped. These maps can be used as evidence in court to and help bring waste criminals to justice.  

    New screening scans Office of the Traffic Commissioner data  

    Each week, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner publishes reports, listing all new applications for Heavy Goods Vehicle operator licences.  

    New software checks those applications against the EA’s public register, identifying which operators hold waste permits and waste carrier licences. This enables EA officers to identify and target potential offenders before they begin operating.  

    The new tool has already been trialled successfully in East Anglia, where it helped the agency uncover a waste company that had secretly relocated its HGV operations to evade enforcement. The software flagged the new operating centre within a week, allowing EA officers to intervene before a licence was approved.  

    Recruiting more officers to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime  

    The Environment Agency has also increased the size of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime from 13 to 20 specialists, including former police officers. 

    Alongside EA enforcement officers across the country, the Unit brings together multiple organisations, including police forces and the National Crime Agency, to disrupt serious and organised waste crime. 

    This builds on enforcement action taken by the EA up to March 2025, which included 221 prosecutions against waste criminals.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government ends runaway independent special school fees [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government ends runaway independent special school fees [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 February 2026.

    Children’s progress put first as government ends runaway independent special school fees.

    Thousands more children with SEND will get the support that helps them achieve and thrive under new government action to end spiralling independent special school costs and reinvest funding where it makes the biggest difference to pupils’ life chances. 

    It comes ahead of the Government’s schools white paper, which will be a golden opportunity to change the course of children’s lives for the better, moving away from a one size fits all approach to one where every child belongs and where high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin.

    Independent special schools charge an average of £63,000 per child per year – more than twice the £26,000 cost of a state special school. Yet there is no evidence children do any better. Over 30% of these schools are backed by private equity firms, with public money intended for children and young people with the most complex needs instead flowing into private profit.

    For the first time, clear national price bands and strengthened standards will ensure every specialist placement delivers real progress for children – not higher bills for councils – ending the postcode lottery that families have faced in securing high-quality SEND support.

    Demand for SEND support has risen sharply in recent years, driving an over-reliance on expensive independent special school placements. Today’s measures will reset the specialist sector so that funding is focused on what matters most – high-quality education, better progress and stronger life chances for children. 

    And for those children who we know can thrive in mainstream schools with the right support, new research shows that children with SEND perform half a grade better at GCSE than their peers in special schools.

    Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

    For too long, families have faced a postcode lottery – fighting for support that depends on where they live, not what their child needs. That ends now.

    We’re cracking down on providers who put profit before children. New standards and proper oversight will ensure every independent special school placement delivers real outcomes for children – not unreasonable bills for local authorities.

    This is about building a system where every child with SEND can achieve and thrive, at a school that’s right for them and delivers the life chances they deserve.

    Under the plans: 

    • New national price bands will end unjustified fee variation for the same provision, giving councils the confidence to challenge poor value placements. 
    • New statutory SEND-specific standards will ensure every independent special school delivers consistent, high-quality support and clear outcomes for pupils. 
    • Full cost transparency will show exactly how public money is spent. 
    • Local authorities will have a formal say on new or expanding independent provision so places are created where children actually need them. 

    Where special schools are the right setting for children with the most complex needs, the new framework will ensure places are high-quality, locally planned and financially sustainable. 

    Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the LGA, said:

    It is good the Government has set out plans to regulate independent special schools and measures to control costs.

    While in some cases an independent school can be the best place for a child to attend, it is wrong that when councils’ own costs are soaring that some providers are setting unreasonably high prices and making significant profits from state-funded placements.

    To reduce the reliance on independent special schools, we look forward to the Government’s Schools White Paper ensuring more children with SEND get the care and support they need in schools and other mainstream settings. 

    These measures complement work already underway to create an inclusive education system, including £3.7 billion to deliver 60,000 specialist places in mainstream schools and £200 million to train all teachers and teaching assistants to support pupils with SEND. 

    This forms the foundations of the government’s reform plans, centred around the belief that children with SEND can thrive in mainstream settings with the right support.

    For example, when looking at comparable pupils with EHCPs, the data shows that not only are those in mainstream schools considerably more likely to be entered into GCSE exams, but those who are, achieve around half a GCSE grade higher in English and maths than their peers in special schools. 

    That’s a half a grade which could mean the difference between a pass or fail at one of the most important academic milestones. 

    The forthcoming Schools White Paper will build on these reforms, setting out further action to strengthen oversight, improve inclusion and ensure public funding is directed to the support that delivers the best outcomes for children and young people.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Let this be the time that the world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed in Sudan – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Let this be the time that the world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed in Sudan – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

    Statement by The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

    Two weeks ago, I stood in Adré, on the Chad-Sudan border. 

    A camp of over 140,000 people who have fled Sudan’s conflict – and 85% of them are women and children. Women I met who are teachers, nurses, students, small businesswomen, market traders, mothers back home but whose lives and whose families are ripped apart,

    I spoke to a mother who didn’t know whether her children are still alive.

    A Sudanese young woman told me that most women she knew had experienced what she termed ‘bad violence’ that no one wanted to talk about it because of the shame.

    A Sudanese community worker told me she thought more than half of the women had been subjected to sexual violence. And other community workers who have told yet more distressing stories one about three sisters arriving at the Sudanese Emergency Response Room facility who had all been raped. The oldest sister was 13. The youngest was 8.

    There is a war being waged on the bodies of women and girls, and I told the women that I spoke to in Adre that I would bring their voices and their stories to the United Nations and to the world and that is what we are doing today because the world must hear the voices of the women of Sudan, and not the military men perpetuating this conflict.

    Voices that ensure this Council confronts the bitter truth, because the world has been catastrophically failing the people of Sudan.

    This is the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.

    A war that has left 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 14 million people forced to flee their homes, famine stalking millions of malnourished children and a conflict that embedded in vested interests and regional rivalries with implications that go far beyond Sudan’s borders.

    Yet too often the world has looked away. We must shine a spotlight on the suffering in Sudan. And that is why in the Human Rights Council in November the UK led work across countries to commission the fact-finding mission into El Fasher and the siege and capture of the city the RSF, and that report is now published today. That report is now published today and I am bringing its evidence and conclusions before this Security Council. Page after page of the most distressing accounts imaginable. It is horrific.

    Quotes which say:

    “Survivors consistently spoke of widespread killings, including indiscriminate shootings and point-blank executions of civilians in homes, streets, open areas or while attempting to flee the city.”

    “A pregnant woman was asked how far she was in her pregnancy. When she responded, “seven months”, he fired seven bullets into her abdomen, killing her”.

    “Hospitals, medical personnel, the sick and wounded were not spared.”

    “And survivors reported being raped in front of their relatives, including their children.”

    “Ethnic targeting.”

    And calls for, as it says, “extermination.”

    So why are we here, in this Council, when we see a report concluding that the violence bears “the hallmarks of genocide.”

    This Council, whose mandate and purpose is to confront such shocking crimes and to drive action.

    Because El Fasher should have been a turning point. Instead, the violence is now continuing.

    More than three months after the fall of El-Fasher, we continue to hear and see reports of continued violations of international humanitarian law or human rights abuses unfolding.

    Aid agencies still facing barriers to getting in, schools, hospitals, markets and humanitarian convoys being destroyed. 

    Four attacks on the World Food Programme since the start of this month alone. There have been reports of strikes on aid operations by both RSF and SAF and the real risk of further escalation now across Sudan and beyond as fighting spreads to the Kordofan regions.

    This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it is a regional security crisis and a migration crisis too.

    We have seen the impact for regional security on neighbouring countries and on the whole of the Horn of Africa and along the Sahel, opportunities for extremists to exploit and terror groups to take hold.  And millions displaced from their homes, the risk of increased migration destabilising nations nearby but also across and into Europe as well.

    This affects all of us.

    And that is why we need action and we need the United Nations to be a force for countries to come together from across the world to demand peace.

    First it means demanding unimpeded humanitarian access and far greater humanitarian support, protection for civilians and for aid workers. Both warring parties must lift the restrictions on aid.

    The UN 2026 appeal is just 13 per cent funded — leaving frontline agencies without the funding they need to save lives.

    The UK is the third largest Sudan donor, providing $200 million dollars this year, plus $54 million dollars for Sudanese refugees. And in Chad, I announced a further $27 million dollars to support survivors of sexual violence. But aid alone won’t stop this.

    We need an immediate humanitarian truce and a pathway to a permanent ceasefire, so I commend the work of the US and President Trump’s Special Advisor who has convened the Quad of nations with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to discuss plans for peace, and the commitment from the Quintet, from the African union, and the European Union and others  to support plans for peace.

    But we will need pressure from every UN member state, and I urge all of those with influence on both the RSF and the SAF not to fuel further conflict but instead to exert maximum pressure on them to halt the bloodshed, to pull back and to pursue a plan for peace.

    A plan which includes rebuilding Sudanese civil society, supporting civil society groups and a civilian transition because it should be the people of Sudan who determine Sudan’s future.

    And that means we also need an end to the arms flows.

    There is no military solution to this conflict, but the reason that the military men still convince themselves there is a military solution is because they can still obtain ever more lethal weapons. External support from at least a dozen states funding, manufacturing, transit, training that is perpetuating the conflict and the misery.

    The Fact-Finding Mission has said that it will report back further on investigations into breaches of the UN arms embargo into Darfur, but arms restrictions need to be enforced and extended, so again I appeal to all nations – now is the time to choke off the arms flows and exert tangible pressure for peace.

    And we need accountability, it is time for more sanctions against the perpetrators of these vile crimes. The UK has already sanctioned several senior RSF commanders linked to the atrocities committed in El Fasher. 

    And this week we joined the US and France in proposing they be designated by the UN Security Council too. We are confronting impunity by supporting the ICC’s Sudan investigation so we can bring perpetrators to justice.

    Last September at the UN General Assembly the energy and determination in this Security Council but right across the UN around the peace process for Gaza, rightly, was immense. We could see and feel countries across the world coming together – countries who normally disagree coming together– to back a peace process. That is what made it possible for the US-led plan to deliver a ceasefire within weeks

    We need that same energy and determination we have rightly brought to the peace process for Gaza now to bring peace for Sudan, so that we can secure an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian truce and so that those responsible for atrocities are held to account.

    Let this be the time that world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed and to pursue a path to peace.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 19 February 2026.

    Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction.

    • £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction
    • Wearable tech, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality projects to be considered
    • Part of the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme to save and improve lives

    Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.

    Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.

    Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.

    Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said: 

    Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery – of hundreds of thousands of people.

    Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing, including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.

    Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.

    Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs.

    Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects, which costs England an estimated £47 billion each year.

    The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards – part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences – will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and AI‑enabled tools.

    These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.

    Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

    This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.

    Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, said: 

    Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause.

    To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care.

    These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery.

    Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate UK, said:

    Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services.

    By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.

    Applications open today (16 February 2026), with awards of up to £10 million available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects that can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval.

    These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.

    A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.

    Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.

    How to apply

    Applications for funding close on 6 May 2026.

    More information about the funding available and where to apply is on Innovate UK’s website: supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.

    An online briefing event will be held on 19 February to guide organisations through eligibility, scope and the application process. Register for the online event

    Background information

    The AHG programme is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences, alongside the dementia, mental health, cancer and obesity Healthcare Goals.

    The AHG is working to make the UK a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions, save lives and benefit society.

    Other opportunities from AHG include the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme, with over £10 million of funding available, to support career development and training for a pipeline of future leaders in addiction research across the UK.

    The AHG programme forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s ambition to deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system for people experiencing drug and alcohol addictions.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2026.

    Government announces a record £73.4 million in funding in 2026 to 2027 for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other faith sites.

    Faith communities across the UK can feel safer, thanks to record levels of funding for protective security announced today.

    Up to £73.4 million in funding will be available in 2026 to 2027 through the government’s different protective security schemes for Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites. This funding will pay for on-site security staff and equipment such as CCTV, fencing, intruder alarms and floodlights. 

    Up to £28.4 million will be available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is managed by the Community Security Trust (CST), for measures at synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres. 

    Up to £40 million will be available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, which supports mosques, Muslim schools and community centres.

    Eligible organisations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office. 

    Last October, the Prime Minister announced the Jewish and Muslim protective security schemes would receive an additional £10 million uplift in 2025 to 2026 to respond to increased threats. Today’s announcement confirms those record funding levels will be maintained through next year.

    Meanwhile, the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, which is for all non-Jewish or Muslim faiths, will receive an uplift of £1.5 million, bringing the total available to protect Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other faith sites to a record £5 million.

    The next application window for this scheme will open later this year.

    Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

    Nobody should be forced to live a smaller life in this country because of their faith. 

    The funding we have announced today will protect places of worship, faith-based schools and community centres across the country. 

    This government will never tolerate religious hatred or intimidation.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    We are ensuring record funding to protect faith communities all across the UK.

    This goes further than cameras and alarms, it’s about restoring peace of mind and sending the message: religious persecution and intolerance has no place in Britain.

    Hate crime sits at unacceptable levels across the UK. The 2025 hate crime statistics for England and Wales show overall religious hate crime was at all-time record levels. Jewish people were proportionately more affected by these shameful crimes, while 45% of all religious hate crimes last year targeted Muslims. Meanwhile, statistics published by the CST last week show that antisemitic incidents in 2025 were at their second-highest levels since the CST began keeping records.

    Local police forces have also stepped up patrols in at-risk areas, and we have given police more powers and resources to manage repeat, intimidating protests, investigate religious hate crimes, and support communities who feel targeted.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

    Joint Ministerial Statement from the UK and partners on the Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan.

    We express grave concern over the continued deadly unlawful attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations as heavy fighting across the Kordofan and Darfur States continues. The recent severe escalation in drone and aerial attacks including those affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, food convoys and areas near humanitarian compounds have resulted in a significant number of civilian deaths and injuries and is further disrupting humanitarian access and supply lines.

    In recent weeks alone, drone and rocket strikes on trucks and warehouses of the World Food Programme, as well as on health facilities, have resulted in the deaths and severe injuries of civilians and humanitarian personnel and the destruction of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and infrastructure. Intentional attacks against humanitarian personnel, vehicles, or supplies, as well as wilfully impeding relief supplies, are contrary to international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.

    The Darfur and Kordofan States remain at the epicenter of the world’s largest humanitarian and protection crisis. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, famine is confirmed and severe hunger continues to spread. Up to 100.000 people have been displaced in recent months in the Kordofan states alone. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, violations and abuses committed by the RSF and its allied militias in and around El Fasher last October risk being repeated in the Kordofan region. We urgently repeat our call to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militias to immediately cease hostilities.

    We condemn the abhorrent violence against civilians, particularly women and children and all serious violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest terms. These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be promptly and impartially investigated, with those responsible for international crimes brought to justice.

    All parties must respect international humanitarian law which includes an obligation to allow and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded access of food, medicine, and other essential supplies to civilians in need. Civilians including humanitarian personnel must be protected at all times, particularly women and girls, who remain at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Those fleeing must be granted safe passage.

    We stand with the people of Sudan and humanitarian organisations – local and international – who are working tirelessly and under extremely challenging conditions to assist them.

    This statement has been signed by:

    Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany

    Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

    Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy

    Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

    Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria

    Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus

    David van Weel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands

    Dr. Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta

    Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland

    Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

    Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

    Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

    Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain

    Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

    Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

    Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

    Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

    Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium

    Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

    Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand

    Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

    Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia

    Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia

    Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

    Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minster for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg

    Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal

    Dominik Stillhart, Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Deputy Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation

    Jiri Brodsky, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

    Nikolay Berievski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

    Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

    Croatia

    Poland

  • PRESS RELEASE : Serial waste crook, Varun Datta, forced to pay over £1.4 million for widespread illegal dumping [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Serial waste crook, Varun Datta, forced to pay over £1.4 million for widespread illegal dumping [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 February 2026.

    Company boss handed suspended prison sentence and massive bill for illegally dumping thousands of tonnes of waste across England.

    A prolific waste criminal has been ordered to hand over more than £1.4 million for illegally dumping in excess of 4,275 tonnes of waste across England.

    A nationwide investigation by the Environment Agency uncovered a network of 16 illegal dumping sites, stretching from the northeast to the south coast. Farms, a historic manor house and a nature reserve were among the locations trashed.

    Varun Datta, 36, of Little Chester Street, London, must now pay £1.1 million, reflecting the financial benefit from his crimes, plus £100,000 in compensation and £200,000 in prosecution costs. He was also slapped with a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months, as well as 30 days’ rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

    The shocking case, which concluded in Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (13 February), involved the prosecution of two other men, with one being fined and the other facing a suspended sentence, rehabilitation and unpaid work. Warrants for the arrest of two other men are still active.

    Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager in the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit, said:

    We are glad to see the perpetrators brought to justice in this appalling case.

    Despite their attempts to conceal their criminality, our in-depth investigation spanning the length and breadth of the country ultimately uncovered those responsible.

    We will never stop fighting to end the scourge of waste crime which scars our environment and communities.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

    This is a shocking case of illegal waste dumping, orchestrated by a group of shameless crooks who thought they could operate above the law.

    I welcome the punishments secured by the Environment Agency – which send a clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide.

    This government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country by boosting funds to tackle waste crime and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law.

    In 2018, the Environment Agency seized £131,520 in cash from Datta’s home address. In 2022, a restraint order was applied to two bank accounts ensuring that any future confiscation order could be paid. After pleading not guilty in 2023, Datta subsequently pleaded guilty in June 2025 to knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at sixteen sites. The total weight of the waste was around 4,275 tonnes – roughly the weight of 600 African elephants.

    The offences were branded “reckless” by Judge Paul Farrar KC. “Smell and flies were a feature at some of the illegal sites and caused a localised adverse effect to air quality,” he said, with landowners “forced to incur substantial costs in removing the illegal waste.” No environmental permit or valid exemption was in place at any of the sites, which were spread across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Kent, Surrey, Rutland and Middlesborough.

    The court heard that Datta became a registered waste broker through his company, Atkins Recycling Ltd, in 2015. He acted recklessly by claiming the waste the company handled was being sent to a legal site at Kiveton Park, near Sheffield. However, the loads were actually diverted to unlicensed dumps around the country. It is alleged that an associate, Sandeep Golechha, 55, of Wheatley Close, London, helped to falsify weighbridge documents to cover up the illegal acts.

    The £100,000 in compensation to be paid by Datta relates to the dumping at the former Sulzer Dowding Mills Factory site in Middlesbrough, as well as the Middleton Nature Reserve in Lancashire. Middlesborough Council will receive £70,000 towards the cost of the clean-up, while £30,000 will be awarded to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust for the future management of the Middleton Nature Reserve.

    Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is asked to report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline – 0800 80 70 60 – or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    NOTES FOR EDITORS

    • Datta has been ordered to pay £1,116,432.78 by way of a Confiscation Order. This figure was agreed by the parties. It represents the financial gain to the defendant from knowingly causing the deposit of waste.
    • Mohammed Saraji Bashir, 45, of Windmill Street, Peterborough, had pleaded guilty on 3 June 2025 for knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at three sites. He was given a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.
    • Robert William McAllister, 55, of Iveagh Close, Northwood, London, had pleaded guilty on 7 November 2024 for failing to comply with the duty of care imposed on brokers of waste, in relation to controlled waste that was deposited at two sites. He was fined £750.
    • The Court was told that Bashir and McAllister acted as brokers. They both failed to ensure that the waste transferred was going to permitted sites.
    • Warrants for Sandeep Golechha, 53, of Wheatley Close, London, and Jason Newman, of no fixed abode, are still active.
    • The majority of the waste dumped was mixed municipal waste, wrapped in plastic to form bales.

    The Sites

    1. Unit P, Continental Approach, Westwood Business Park, Margate, Kent
    2. Trelawny House, Straight Drove, Farcet, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
    3. Somersbury Manor, Horsham Lane, Ewhurst, Cranleigh, Surrey
    4. The Drift, Sewstern, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    5. Stockenhall Farm, Stretton, Rutland
    6. Yaxley Lodge Farm, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire
    7. Conquest Drove, Farcet, Cambridgeshire
    8. Humby Mills Farm, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    9. Sycamore Farm, Lower Bassingthorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    10. Peacock Farm, Muston, Leicestershire
    11. Lime Tree Farm, English Drove, Thorney, Lincolnshire
    12. Gill Bridge Farm, Boston, Lincolnshire
    13. The Limes, Spalding, Lincolnshire
    14. The Former Sulzer, Dowding and Mills Factory, Lower East Street, Middlesbrough
    15. Middleton Nature Reserve, Lancashire
    16. Rhyddings Mill, Stonebridge Lane, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire