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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : DWP unveils plans for £1.4 trillion in pension assets to deliver for savers and economy [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : DWP unveils plans for £1.4 trillion in pension assets to deliver for savers and economy [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 February 2024.

    Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) outlines plans to make £1.4 trillion in pension schemes work better for savers and the wider economy.

    • Options include making surplus extraction easier and designing a public sector consolidator

    The DWP today set out plans to ensure the £1.4 trillion held by pension schemes delivers for savers and the economy.

    Plans include making surplus extraction easier for well-funded Defined Benefit (DB) schemes, alongside a public sector consolidator operated by the Pension Protection Fund.

    The consultation – which runs from today (Friday 23 February) until Friday 19 April – seeks views on how the money held in DB schemes can be best unlocked in the interest of savers and for sustainable investment in the wider economy.

    Minister for Pensions, Paul Maynard said:

    We are in a welcome position with DB pension schemes enjoying high levels of funding, and we want to make this money work harder for savers and the wider economy. I welcome industry views on our plans to reform the pensions market.

    Over the last decade most DB schemes have become better funded, with the average scheme having a funding level of 113% in 2022, compared to 104% in 2010. This has led to an aggregate surplus of £200 billion.

    By supporting these schemes to invest surplus in UK productive finance assets, it is believed the schemes can help boost the UK’s leading position as a leading financial centre, creating wealth to help fund public services.

    Additionally, with around 5,000 schemes operating in the UK, consolidation of the market could also further the productive finance agenda – providing greater opportunity to strengthen the economy through increased investment.

    Consolidation could also continue to strengthen security for savers through economies of scale and improved governance – ensuring better outcomes for savers remain at the heart of the proposals.

    Further Information

  • PRESS RELEASE : Respect for sovereignty lies at the heart of the international system: Foreign Secretary at the UN Security Council [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Respect for sovereignty lies at the heart of the international system: Foreign Secretary at the UN Security Council [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 February 2024.

    UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron spoke at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, marking 2 years since Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

    Thank you, Madam President, and Mr Secretary General.

    We meet 2 years since Vladimir Putin ordered a wholly unprovoked invasion of a sovereign member of the United Nations. Airstrikes at dawn. Tanks rolling across the border. Preposterous claims this was not a declaration of war.

    In many ways, the most remarkable thing was the total lack of any justification whatsoever of any threat from Ukraine. The abject disregard for the laws that bind nations, and for the principles of this United Nations. The brazenness with which Putin still claimed this was somehow legitimate.

    Days after February the 24th, the United Nations General Assembly declared that the invasion was wrong and that Russia must withdraw immediately. Two years on, this has not changed. And so today, I want to pose 2 questions.

    My first, to the Kremlin.

    My first visit as Foreign Secretary was to Ukraine.  I stood in the wreckage of Odesa’s bombed-out cathedral. I saw brave Ukrainians kissing loved ones goodbye as they left to defend their homeland.

    And I know that such scenes are not limited to Ukraine. Russian mothers too have had to bid farewell to Russian sons, Russian cities too now bear the scars of war.

    So my question to Putin is simple. Why? His government claims this to be a battle between brothers. What twisted form of brotherhood is this, for which so many lives must be ruined?

    How is Russia living up to its responsibilities as a permanent member of this Council to uphold international peace and security? And how many ridiculous explanations have we now had for the invasion? Are they criminals, or fellow Russians?

    One minute Ukraine is an existential threat. The next we’re told it doesn’t exist. Are you fighting stooges of NATO, or Nazis?

    The only people behaving like Nazis are the Putin regime: invading another country and hoping the world will be weak and let you get away with it. That is the simple truth: Putin believes he can take territories, re-draw borders, exercise force to build his empire. And we must not let this stand.

    We know Ukraine’s answer. We saw the courage of President Zelenskyy 2 years ago.

    And I say to the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, he is quite capable, and the Ukrainian people are quite capable, of making up their own mind about whether they should surrender part of their country to your illegal invasion.

    And today, we admire the perseverance of the Ukrainian people, day in, day out. They won’t falter.  Indeed, they are continuing to push Russia back, liberating half the land Putin has seized and driving the Russian navy out of its base in Sevastapol.

    The course of the war may ebb and flow. But the seizure of a small town does not change the reality of Russia’s situation. The Russian military is being drained of its modern equipment. You’re having to rely on poor quality shells from Pyongyang.  And you’ve sent a generation of Russian boys into the meat grinder. What do you tell their mothers they died for? Or don’t you even bother?

    The Kremlin expected Ukraine to fold. But they are standing firm for their freedom. And you should all know Britain’s answer as well.

    Last month, the Prime Minister was the first foreign leader to address the Rada. We are the first country to have signed a security pact with Ukraine.

    And yesterday we imposed further sanctions, clamping down on Russia’s military-industrial complex and those enablers seeking to keep it running. These sanctions are a reminder. We won’t falter. We will stand firm for Ukraine’s freedom.

    And the world has also seen Alexei Navalny’s answer. He showed incredible courage in returning to Russia. He didn’t falter. And he has now suffered terrible consequences for standing firm for Russian democracy.

    And today is an opportunity, Secretary General,  to give the world’s answer.

    All of us abhor needless suffering. None of us have escaped the economic consequences of the war. And yet, we all know what is at stake here.

    In acting so brazenly, Putin is not only trying to seize a chunk of his neighbour’s territory. He is not only trying to extinguish the Ukrainian people’s right to self-determination. He is openly trying to upset the international order, replacing it not with some progressive vision of equality of nations but with a return to a 19th century ideology where might – particularly his might – is right.

    This is why we all must stand up to Putin. Not just out of sympathy for Ukraine. But because his actions in Ukraine are so dangerous for everyone else.

    If we give into the idea that one country can invade another with impunity, then we will be left in a dreadful situation where any country could face a similar fate. Respect for sovereignty lies at the heart of the international system. At the heart of the United Nations.  Nothing matters more to its members than having our borders treated as inviolable.

    And that’s why nothing should matter more to us than seeing Putin fail. We must not falter. We must stand firm.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : First black NHS matron, Beatles icon and pioneering ceramist to receive first official blue plaques outside London [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : First black NHS matron, Beatles icon and pioneering ceramist to receive first official blue plaques outside London [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 23 February 2024.

    Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson unveils first official blue plaque outside London — to Daphne Steele, the first black matron in the NHS — in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

    • Beatles guitarist George Harrison and ceramist Clarice Cliff set to receive the next two blue plaques under the national expansion of the scheme
    • Public nominations for local figures to get blue plaques to open in the summer

    A woman who made history by becoming the first black matron in the NHS is the first person to be commemorated with an official blue plaque outside London.

    Daphne Steele, the first black matron in the NHS, is being honoured with the first blue plaque in the new national scheme which is delivered by Historic England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

    Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, together with representatives of Historic England and the son of Daphne Steele, celebrated the trailblazing NHS matron’s life by unveiling the plaque at the former St. Winifred’s maternity home in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

    Daphne arrived in Britain in 1951 from Guyana. Despite the challenges she faced, she helped to break down barriers and paved the way for nurses from a wide range of backgrounds to play a vital part in running the National Health Service. Her appointment as matron in 1964 attracted national attention and acted as a turning point in the history of the NHS.

    The next two blue plaques outside London will be dedicated to the music icon, songwriter and humanitarian George Harrison, and to Clarice Cliff, regarded as one of the most influential ceramists of the 20th century to mark their contributions to national life. They will be unveiled in the coming months.

    These first three plaques outside London will help to inform the new national scheme, made possible thanks to a change in the law last year. This summer, nominations will open so the public can put forward their own suggestions of people who should be recognised in their local area.

    Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

    Daphne Steele made a huge contribution to our National Health Service — not just through her work here in Ilkley, where she delivered hundreds of babies a year, but in paving the way for so many others from a wide range of backgrounds to play their vital role in that cherished national organisation.

    I am delighted that she can be commemorated with the first official blue plaque outside London, and hope her story will continue to inspire people across Yorkshire and far beyond.

    The national expansion of the famous blue plaque scheme is all about recognising people who made their mark on national life, wherever they happened to live. I look forward to celebrating more such inspirational figures, including Clarice Cliff and George Harrison, in towns and cities across the country in the coming months.

    Robert Steele, Daphne Steele’s son, said:

    My mother saw herself as a nurse and midwife. As far as she was concerned, she was just getting on with her job. She would be speechless, mind-blown, to see a plaque dedicated to her and to know that she had made such a difference to so many people.

    Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:

    We are delighted to dedicate the first Historic England blue plaque to Daphne Steele, a ‘quiet revolutionary’ who, nearly sixty years ago, changed history when she became the first black matron in the NHS.

    Our national blue plaques scheme is a fantastic opportunity to tell the stories of inspirational people, like Daphne, who have helped make the world a better place. Blue plaques are well known and loved. They help people and communities feel pride and connection to their local and national heritage.

    This summer, we will be inviting people across England to nominate the individuals they believe deserve a blue plaque and I look forward to seeing the stories this uncovers.

    Chief Nursing Officer, Dame Ruth May said:

    It is wonderful that Daphne Steele is being honoured with the first official blue plaque outside of London – Daphne had a remarkable career in nursing, midwifery and as a health visitor, and like so many from the Windrush generation, she made an enormous contribution to the NHS.

    This is a fitting tribute to an inspiring woman who no doubt paved the way for many other nurses and midwives to follow in her footsteps when she became the first black matron in the NHS.

    Health Minister, Andrew Stephenson said:

    Daphne was an inspiring and dedicated midwife, and I am delighted to see her pioneering contribution to the NHS recognised in this way.

    I hope this blue plaque ensures more people from all backgrounds hear her story and are inspired to join the NHS.

    Our NHS is as diverse as it’s ever been and its Long Term Workforce Plan will see us continue to recruit more staff from diverse and traditionally hard-to-reach backgrounds, for instance by boosting the number of nursing and medical apprentices entering the health service.

    The national expansion of the official London Blue Plaque scheme was announced in September 2023. A change in the law underpinning the scheme was made through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

    For the past century and a half, the official blue plaques scheme has been London-only. While there are a number of local schemes operating across the country, this expansion will see one cohesive, official scheme, run by Historic England, operating equally across England.

    The expansion is an opportunity for people to research their own local history and nominate figures from their communities who have helped define the towns, villages and cities in which they live.

    If successfully nominated, the buildings where local figures lived, worked or stayed will be marked with a blue plaque, which will shine a spotlight on our shared heritage across the country.

    Notes to editors:

    • The inscription on the plaque reads: ‘DAPHNE STEELE. 1927-2004. Guyanese nurse and midwife. Pioneering Black matron in the NHS lived and worked here’.

    About the new national blue plaque scheme, run by Historic England

    • The new national blue plaque scheme was announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in September 2023
    • From early summer 2024, the public will be invited to submit their own nominations
    • The eligibility criteria for nominations follow similar criteria to the English Heritage scheme: at least 20 years must have passed since the candidate’s death, they must have made a significant contribution to human welfare or happiness, at least one building associated with the figure must survive in a form that the commemorated person would have recognised and must be visible from the public highway
    • Together with people across England, the Historic England blue plaque scheme will celebrate individuals who have made the world a better place

    About the London blue plaque scheme

    • London’s famous blue plaques link people of the past with buildings of the present
    • The London blue plaques scheme was started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world. English Heritage has run the London blue plaques scheme since 1986 It has inspired many similar schemes in the UK and around the world

    About Daphne Steele

    • Daphne Steele was born in Guyana – then known as British Guiana – in October 1927
    • She travelled to England in 1951 at a time when the newly formed National Health Service (NHS) was keen to recruit staff from across the British Empire
    • She enrolled on a nursing course at St James’s Hospital, Balham, South London, and completed her nursing training in 1953 and midwifery training in 1954
    • Over the next ten years, she worked as a nurse and midwife in America and then in Oxfordshire and Manchester, before applying for the post of matron at St. Winifred’s maternity hospital in Ilkley
    • Her appointment as matron in August 1964 attracted national attention and acted as a turning point in NHS history
    • It was reported widely in national newspapers, along with photographs of Daphne and details of her role and salary of £1,230 per year
    • Becoming the first Black matron of an NHS hospital promoted hundreds of people to write to Daphne. She later recalled how she received ‘about 350 letters from around Britain and around the world’ (Ilkley Gazette, 25 October 2001)
    • When St Winifred’s closed in October 1971, Daphne found a new job working in Wharfedale children’s hospital in Menston and then retrained as a health visitor at Leeds University
    • She worked as a health visitor in Ilkley and Bingley, becoming a familiar and friendly figure to countless families in the area
  • PRESS RELEASE : New package of measures to help families save even more on bills [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : New package of measures to help families save even more on bills [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 23 February 2024.

    As energy prices fall to their lowest level in 2 years, the government is launching a package of measures to help families save even more with cheaper deals.

    • Energy Security Secretary welcomes £238 fall in Ofgem price cap
    • government invites views on making standard default tariffs more flexible, so families pay less if using electricity when prices are lower
    • scheme to help customers repair or replace smart meter in-home displays after one-year warranty is launched
    • companies to receive £10 million funding to test new technologies and tariffs with customers to make the most of cheap, low-carbon power

    A new package of measures to help families save on energy costs and access cheaper deals is being launched by the government, as figures published today show prices set to fall to their lowest level since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Ofgem confirmed the price cap – the maximum amount a typical household pays for gas and electricity – will fall by £238 from April. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho has welcomed the decrease as a milestone in the government’s work to reduce costs for families – proof the plan to reduce bills for hardworking Brits is working.

    Long-term measures announced today include examining how standard energy deals should work to pass on the cheapest electricity costs, plus £10 million in funding for companies to test new technologies and tariffs with their customers, to make the most of cheap, low-carbon power.

    A new scheme to help customers repair or replace smart meter in-home displays after the one-year warranty is also being launched. Eight suppliers, covering the majority (60%) of the market, have signed up so far, including E, E.ON, Good Energy, Octopus, Ovo, Scottish Power, Utilita and Utility Warehouse. These displays provide an important service in helping families, including older and vulnerable people, keep track of their energy use. Extending support will help customers continue to make the most of the savings smart meters can offer as the price cap falls and competitive deals return to the market.

    Over half of British homes already use a smart meter, meaning they can access cheaper, off-peak energy tariffs. These deals can save households around £900 a year by charging an electric car, for example, at off-peak times such as during the night – with 63% of people saying they would be likely to switch to a flexible tariff to help them save money.

    The government is also putting out a call for evidence on standard energy tariffs, which customers are rolled onto at the end of fixed-term contracts, resulting in the vast majority paying a flat rate throughout the day and a potentially higher price than they need to. The government is seeking views on making these tariffs more flexible, so families pay less if using electricity at a time of day when prices are lower while protecting those who aren’t suited to a flexible tariff.

    This builds on significant steps to deliver cheap, clean, British energy and create a strategic advantage in emerging industries including:

    • progressing a number of new carbon capture and hydrogen projects across the UK to capitalise on this emerging market backed by £20 billion
    • opening a competition to build small modular reactors – one of the most advanced nuclear technologies in the world – backed with investment
    • launching a £160 million fund to support the emerging UK floating offshore wind sector
    • opening bids for new British low-carbon electricity generation projects, worth £205 million this year alone

    Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said:

    Today’s announcement that energy bills will fall by £238 on average will be welcome news for families across the country. This means households will be paying the lowest cost for their energy since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine 2 years ago.

    My mission is to cut costs and get bills even lower so that families can spend their money on the things that matter most to them. Today we’re announcing further measures to slash bills for families and improve access to cheaper, flexible deals.

    Minister for Energy Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway said:

    Households will soon see their energy bill fall to the lowest level in 2 years. And to bring them down ever further, we want more families to able to benefit from the real savings that smart, flexible energy deals can offer.

    Over half of British homes already have the potential to access cheap off-peak power through a smart meter but we can all fall victim to not having time to shop around for a good energy rate.

    These new measures will ensure people can access these savings even if they’re on the standard basic tariff, so even the busiest families don’t miss out on cheaper bills.

    As previously announced by Ofgem, from April 2025 suppliers will start to be charged by how much electricity their customers use during half-hour intervals – rather than via estimated daily or monthly usage. The government expects the low off-peak prices this generates to be available to every single household, including those who are on default tariffs, so that they are not overcharged.

    The government has also today set out further plans to drive forward innovation in the energy market, to open up new offers and energy saving technologies for customers.

    This includes:

    • £10 million for 3 projects that will give communities the chance to trial innovative energy tariffs and technology. Families across the UK will be able try out new services to help them manage energy use at home – such as personalised tariffs that offer them cheap off-peak prices which fit with their daily routine, or smart chargers for electric vehicles that switch on at night when electricity is cheaper
    • setting up 2 new working groups on customer protections and innovation, bringing together consumer advocates and suppliers to push the market ever further in delivering high-quality, cheaper energy deals. The commitment follows the government’s call for evidence on innovation in the consumer energy market last year

    Daniel Portis, Deputy Director at Energy UK said:

    A smart, flexible energy system will bring benefits for all customers. Energy suppliers are investing and innovating to meet this challenge with new products and services that help their customers have more control over their bills and take advantage of times when energy is cheapest.

    So we welcome today’s package from government which could help households make the most of smart technology, provides important funding for innovation and kickstarts a vital conversation about how we ensure the future energy market works for all customers.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government backs bill to end intimidatory SLAPPs lawsuits stifling free speech [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government backs bill to end intimidatory SLAPPs lawsuits stifling free speech [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 February 2024.

    Corrupt elites will be prevented from making spurious legal claims to gag journalists and silence critics through a landmark Bill that gained Government support today (23 February).

    • New law to crack down on SLAPPs moves closer to statute book
    • The Bill will prevent corrupt rich from gagging journalists and avoiding scrutiny
    • Judges to gain tough new powers to throw out frivolous claims

    Aggressively litigious Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs, are legal threats brought to intimidate and financially and psychologically exhaust journalists, campaigners and anyone who would criticise or expose corruption.

    The Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill, put forward by Wayne David MP, will end this pernicious practice and uphold free speech by allowing independent judges to dismiss spurious claims before they go to trial and protect defendants from paying exorbitant costs.

    The Private Members’ Bill builds on the work the Government began in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which included new laws to stop wealthy elites using SLAPPs on issues around economic crime, including corruption and embezzlement. Under this Act, we became the first country in the world to legislate against SLAPPs at the national level.

    Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said:

    This Government has already proved its commitment to cracking down on those with deep pockets who abuse our courts, so we thank Wayne David for bringing forward this important legislation.

    Free speech and the free press are lynchpins of our democracy, and to muzzle people in this way is chilling. We want people to feel confident standing up to the corrupt, knowing the law is firmly on their side.

    Wayne David, MP for Caerphilly, said:

    Well-heeled corrupt and malicious elites have been using SLAPPs to intimidate and threaten journalists, community campaigners, academics or anyone challenging them and speaking out in the public interest.

    This important Bill seeks to protect freedom of expression for everyone, and I am pleased that it has the support of the main political parties.

    The Bill which had its second reading in the House of Commons today has cross-party support, and will update the measures in the 2023 Act to cover a broader scope – blocking SLAPPs across all types of litigation, including sexual harassment, not just economic crime.

    It will create a new dismissal mechanism to stop SLAPPs claims as early as possible. Claimants will be required to prove they are likely to succeed before it goes to trial, allowing SLAPPs to be rapidly thrown out by judges and making them less effective as a tool with which to threaten free speech advocates.

    A costs protection scheme will be created to protect defendants, like journalists, from claimants, like oligarchs, who deliberately run up exorbitant legal costs. Ordinarily the party which loses the case must pay all the costs, but new rules would mean that the defendant will not have to pay the claimant’s costs, unless directed otherwise by a judge.

    Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Frazer KC said:

    Protecting and enhancing press freedom is vital – our democracy depends on the press having the freedom to hold the powerful to account.

    We are making it harder for powerful people to stop the publication of investigative journalism through unscrupulous lawsuits and this legislation will enhance that further, ensuring that there are comprehensive powers within UK law to protect journalists from all forms of SLAPPs. I thank Wayne David, who shares the government’s steadfast commitment to preserving press freedom, for introducing a bill to achieve this.

    The Government’s endorsement comes in response to a rising tide of this pernicious form of litigation. Some of the most high-profile cases have involved Russian oligarchs and allies of Vladimir Putin. Typically, they employ SLAPPs on bogus defamation and privacy grounds, preventing the publication of information in the public interest.

    A call for evidence in 2022 and further research since has found the practice is spreading into new crimes, including victims of sexual harassment being silenced by their abusers, and other misconduct such as landlords using heavy-handed tactics to mute tenants suffering in their homes.

    Further information

    • SLAPPs legislation will only apply to England and Wales. We are discussing with devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland the legislative changes we are making.
    • In 2022 the Government launched a Call for Evidence on SLAPPs, which saw 120 responses received: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs): Government response to call for evidence
    • The conclusion was that SLAPPs are a pernicious form of litigation which seek to silence, intimidate, and harass opponents and have a concerning impact on freedom of speech and on public interest investigation and reporting.
    • The Government committed to introduce new measures to strike out SLAPPs and avoid lengthy SLAPP litigation. This comprised of three parts:
    1. A set of criteria for the courts to determine whether a case should be classified as a SLAPP based on one or more of the common characteristics of such actions.
    2. A merit test leading to early dismissal for those SLAPP cases that fail it.
    3. Costs protection for SLAPP cases that progress.
    • The new measures on SLAPPs relating to economic crime were brought in by Government amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill in June 2023: Crackdown on criminals silencing critics to be added to Economic Crime Bill
  • PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 February 2024.

    The Foreign Secretary and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held talks at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro today [22 February 2024] to discuss how the international community can respond to major global challenges.

    They agreed on the urgent need for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. The Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s plan for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, and then progress towards a sustainable permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting, and loss of life.

    On Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary stressed the devastating human impact of the war and the importance of Brazil’s perspective on the world stage in building peace. He encouraged Brazil to follow its own principles and use their available channels, including BRICS and their G20 Presidency, to urge Russia to end its unprovoked and illegal invasion and create room for diplomacy.

    The UK supports the Brazil Presidency in reforming global governance and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. The Foreign Secretary said that international order needs to adapt and global institutions ‘needed to be reformed, not completely upended,’ including the UK’s support for permanent Security Council seats for Brazil, India, Japan, Germany and permanent representation from Africa.

    The Foreign Secretary emphasised the need to go beyond national aid budgets and use all the resources at countries’ disposal to deliver a bigger, better, bolder and fairer international financial system that delivers for all. This includes making Multilateral Development Banks operate more effectively and reforming the World Trade Organisation to reduce protectionism. He pushed for global action to tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance, which is now responsible for more deaths than Tuberculosis, HIV AIDS, and Malaria.

    The Foreign Secretary also signed a Defence Capability Collaboration Arrangement which will help modernise Brazil’s defence industrial base via UK expertise, strengthening UK-Brazil ties.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – UK statement at the UN Security Council [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – UK statement at the UN Security Council [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 February 2024.

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.

    Thank you, President, and thank you Special Coordinator Wennesland for your briefing today.

    Mr Lockyear I join others in offering condolences to the families and friends of those who’ve lost their lives, and also I salute the courage of those who’ve decided to stay. Your briefing to us was harrowing and your message was unequivocal and clear and I thank you for that.

    Colleagues, we all know that Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We want the fighting to stop now.

    But simply calling for a ceasefire now doesn’t make it happen and won’t make it sustainable.  That is why we are calling for an immediate suspension in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, and then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and death.

    That means: the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas’s capability to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and, a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.

    Current negotiations are critical to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza as well as progress towards our shared objective of a sustainable ceasefire. The UK government continues to work intensively with partners across the region to support this and we call on all actors to do the same.

    President, we are gravely concerned by the prospect of an Israeli offensive on Rafah which would have disastrous consequences for the civilians sheltering there with nowhere else to go.

    Over half of Gaza’s population are sheltering in the area, and the Rafah crossing is vital to ensure aid can reach the people who so desperately need it.

    That is why the immediate priority must be a suspension in the fighting, which is the best route to secure the safe release of hostages and significantly step up the aid reaching Gaza.

    We are also gravely concerned that the UN World Food Programme has had to pause deliveries of food aid to northern Gaza. We continue to stress the need for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza, including in the north as the Special Coordinator referred to. And for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza. Nitzana and Kerem Shalom must be open for longer.

    Israel must also ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.

    As we approach Ramadan, we urge all parties to call for calm and not inflame tensions around the holy sites. We call on everyone to respect their sanctity and security.

    Now more than ever we need to generate momentum towards a permanent peace. The UK will continue to work intensively in support of a two-state solution which guarantees justice, peace and security for the people of two states – Israel and Palestine.

    I thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Approach to Digital Standards – upholding integrity, accelerating innovation [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Approach to Digital Standards – upholding integrity, accelerating innovation [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 February 2024.

    Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Saqib Bhatti, gave a speech at the Digital Standards Showcase event in London on 19 February 2024.

    Good afternoon, everybody.

    It is an absolute pleasure to be here – and I am delighted to see such a diverse group of leaders from industry, academia, civil society, standards development organisations, and international partners here with us in London today.

    And I think that this is a testament to a growing recognition of the real-world impacts of digital technical standards, the nuts and bolts of the internet and digital economy, as I like to call them, and a real sense of optimism and excitement about what we can achieve.

    That takes me straight onto the question – why do digital standards matter?

    It sometimes appears in everyday life, especially in my job, that technology is moving faster and faster by the year.

    Barely a day goes by without stories of inspirational people harnessing the power of AI to cure cancer, exploring the potential of quantum computing to tackle climate change, or investing in future telecoms to boost Britain’s economic productivity.

    But I think sometimes, if we do not look below the headlines, we miss out on a much more complex story.

    Technological progress brings with it a myriad of opportunities to deliver better, both for Britain and the world – grow our economy, create new jobs, and improve our standard of living.

    But those benefits are far from automatic. The same technologies that promise to make us wealthier and healthier bring new risks, too – and they will only work if people trust them enough to use them.

    So digital standards already play a vital role in how we use that technology today.

    They are like a set of instructions for how we develop and deploy technology. They set out good practice for technologies. They help ensure products and services perform safely and efficiently and without them, much of modern life would be unimaginable.

    Whenever we do our banking online or use our mobile phones abroad, it is digital standards which make this possible, secure and reliable.

    But the digital standards of today will also underpin how the technology of tomorrow is developed and deployed. This is why we focus our efforts on critical technologies, including AI, quantum, future telecommunications, semiconductors, the internet and key areas such as cyber security.

    Digital standards can realise technical principles essential to an open, democratic technological future, ensuring that our devices and our systems are interoperable and ‘secure by design.’

    But they can embed moral principles, too, upholding human rights and ensuring that we are safe online.

    Crucially, though, digital standards also form an indispensable part of a pro-innovation approach to regulating new technologies. This can be in place of or alongside regulatory approaches.

    And we know standards drive innovation. We know they drive growth by accelerating commercialisation and lowering barriers to international markets.

    By providing clear routes to compliance, they give businesses the certainty that they need to bring new products to market, and they give consumers the confidence and trust to use them.

    In 2022, the British Standards Institution found that an estimated 23 per cent of GDP growth since 2000 is attributable to the impact of standards, including digital standards.

    And there are clear additional commercial advantages to be had for those at the front of digital standards development, who have the opportunity to shape international markets and reap the rewards, for example through Standards Essential Patents.

    It is clear, then, that digital standards are not an end in themselves. They are a means of making technology work, making it safe, and secure – all around the world, for everyone.

    And that last point is absolutely vital; technologies like AI and the internet do not respect geographical borders.

    They are fundamentally global.

    And so the digital standards that go with them, which govern them, must be global, as well.

    Increasing fragmentation within the ecosystem, for example between states, standards development organisations, or industry players, risks making our digital standards ecosystem weaker and more unstable.

    Duplicative, competing standards or technological approaches, could lock innovators out of global markets, preventing us from accessing technologies that could change our lives for the better.

    Or, if we fail to build secure and globally interoperable systems from the outset, we could risk the very safety of our society and economy.

    But if we get global digital standards right, we can ensure that the technologies of tomorrow are developed and deployed in a way that supports growing global markets and guarantees our shared prosperity, safety and security.

    Right now, we are already working with our partners in industry and standards development organisations to strengthen and uphold the integrity of a diverse ecosystem that is able to produce robust standards that are fit for the future.

    But we cannot do this alone.

    We have to work together with like-minded partners around the world to uphold integrity in the global digital standards ecosystem.

    And we have a proud history as a leader in this space.

    Thirty-six years ago, we played a key role in founding the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), now a key player in standards development in some of the fastest growing parts of the digital economy.

    And, just two years ago, we were elected to the governing council of the International Telecommunication Union, where we are driving forward a vision for an institution that fosters international consensus and collaboration and delivers effectively for all its members.

    Today, I want to share with you our vision for a global standards system that promotes innovation, prosperity and growth.

    In line with our like-minded partners, we are opposed to top-down government-imposed approaches that fundamentally seek to reshape the digital standards ecosystem.

    But of course we recognise that government has a vital role to play, as a key user and adopter of technology with unique expertise that we have already used to support standards development for the Internet of Things and now for AI and cyber-security.

    Together, we can reinforce a multi-stakeholder, industry-led standards development ecosystem that remains open, transparent and consensus-based, even as it becomes more coordinated, accessible and inclusive for the benefit of all.

    To do that, we have set out a clear approach with three key pillars.

    Strengthen the global digital standards ecosystem and increase the UK’s contribution and leadership

    The first pillar is strengthening our global digital standards ecosystem by increasing the UK’s contribution and leadership.

    Firstly, we are ensuring that the development of digital standards takes into account a rich and diverse range of perspectives and relevant expertise

    But it also means making standards development more accessible to stakeholders, including the small businesses who are so vital to our economy, and making it easier to engage in standards work.

    That approach is central to our standards work on the critical technologies, including the AI Standards Hub, the UK Telecommunications Innovation Network and the Quantum Standards Network Pilot, where we are using targeted outreach to encourage active engagement with standards development organisations.

    And as I said, we know that we cannot do this alone – so we are deepening our collaboration with regulators like Ofcom, the national quality infrastructure and other government departments, for example expert institutions like the National Physical Laboratory and National Cyber Security Centre, who I know you will be hearing from later today.

    That collaboration is crucial if we are to build forward-looking standards that are fit for the future.

    Ensure digital standards development is at the heart of research and innovation in Britain

    And this brings me on to the second pillar of our approach: ensuring that digital standards development is right at the heart of research and innovation in Britain.

    And I am proud to be part of a government that is investing more than ever in science and tech.

    In the past year alone, we have invested £19.4 billion in research and development across the government – higher than Britain has ever seen before. In DSIT, we have announced ambitious strategies for every one of the critical technologies that will be crucial if we are to grow the economy, create new jobs and of course improve the lives of British people in the decades to come, whether it is our £2.5 billion quantum strategy or our £100 million wireless infrastructure strategy.

    For those strategies to succeed, standards will be essential. That is why we will shape our innovation system to incentivise engagement in standards development from the very start, by building on the strength of our relationships with UKRI and academic institutions to leverage existing funding and grants to incentivise engagement in digital standards development.

    If we get this right, then I believe that we will be in an even stronger position to champion British research and development – and cement our science and tech superpower status.

    But, as I said, making our science and tech superpower mission does not mean pitting Britain against the rest. Britain will only succeed if we are open and engaged with the world around us. Because building a better digital future will take every one of us.

    Strengthen international partnerships and develop a common approach to safe, secure technology

    And that takes me onto the final pillar of our approach: strengthening our international partnerships and developing a common approach to safe, secure technology.

    The success of the Internet Protocols developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force show how much we can achieve when we work together as a global community.

    Now, we want to double down on that success by bringing an even wider range of voices into the fold.

    By becoming more proactive and collaborative with our partners in global standards development, we can build a stronger network better able to counter disproportionate influence and authoritarian approaches.

    Together, we can uphold the multi-stakeholder, industry-led, open and transparent model which has been so essential to our success so far.

    And to do that, we will reinforce our existing relationships with like-minded partners – but, crucially, we will engage more broadly than ever, by building ties with Commonwealth countries and key middle powers who will be the ‘digital deciders’ of tomorrow.

    Closing remarks

    I am confident that, in these three pillars, we have an ambitious plan to make Britain a true global leader in standards.

    And I don not expect us to get there straight away. This is not about easy fixes or short-term thinking.

    Building a standards ecosystem that is fit for the future requires us to invest in years of work – not just to build talent and expertise, but to get our relationships right.

    Right now, making that investment matters more than ever. As technology evolves at an ever-faster pace, we cannot afford to lose sight of the people who it is supposed to serve.

    Ensuring that technology delivers tangible improvements for our economy and society could not be more important.

    Standards are an essential part of that, and so are each and every one of you – the people who are working to build better standards, day in, day out.

    So I would like to leave you today with a call to action – no matter your sector or your size, there are benefits to you, and your nation, by engaging in digital standards. My door is open – together, we can realise all the extraordinary opportunities that technology has to offer.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New Occupational Health Taskforce to tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : New Occupational Health Taskforce to tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 21 February 2024.

    The UK Government recently launched its Occupational Health Innovation Fund which has provided £1m funding to 10 projects to develop innovative new models of OH, using technology to improve the capacity and capability of OH providers and increase access for SMEs. Phase Two of the fund is expected to start in April.

    • Dame Carol Black, an experienced health policy advisor, will lead a new Taskforce to improve employer awareness of the benefits of Occupational Health in the workplace.
    • Only 45% of workers in Britain currently have access to some form of Occupational Health service.
    • The Taskforce is part of the government’s drive to tackle in-work sicknesses and help grow the economy.

    Businesses will be urged to tackle in-work sickness and stop people falling out the workforce, following the appointment of Dame Carol Black as the Government’s new Occupational Health Tsar.

    Dame Carol, who has decades of experience in medicine and policy advisory while having chaired multiple government reviews, will head up a Taskforce that will produce a voluntary occupational health framework for businesses – which will include setting out minimum levels of occupational health needed to stop sickness-related job losses, and help businesses better support those returning to work after a period of ill-health.

    Just 28% of employers in Britain provide some form of occupational health, with large employers (89%) nearly three times more likely than Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (28%) to do so.

    This much needed framework – expected this Summer – will form part of the Government’s drive to reduce inactivity levels and waiting list times.

    Minister for Employment, Jo Churchill MP, added:

    Millions of working days are lost each year through sickness. We are helping businesses tackle this challenge head on so we can help boost productivity and grow our economy.

    The work of Dame Carol and her expert Taskforce will be crucial as we drive down absenteeism, which we know is holding back British businesses and really focus on making occupational health support available to all.

    Our £2.5bn Back to Work Plan will also help one million people, including those with long-term health conditions and disabilities, find work and reap the benefits it has to offer.

    Only 45% of workers in Britain have access to some form of occupational health, and with an estimated 1.8 million workers reporting work-related ill health in 2022/23, the government is acting to tackle long-term sickness to help people stay and succeed in work.

    The Taskforce comes as the Government gets a £64 million pilot of a new WorkWell service underway, which will help 60,000 people with health conditions stay and succeed in work through integrated employment and health support.

    The Taskforce will meet for the first time today aiming to increase access and uptake of occupational health through:

    • Increasing information and visibility for employers on occupational health and the benefits of quality occupational health provision in retaining employees in the workplace.
    • Empowering employers to play an active role in improving employee health.
    • Removing barriers by focusing on SMEs with restricted finances and by ensuring that the Framework is applicable across sectors.
    • Complementing other existing health and disability workplace initiatives, including where occupational health is required in law.

    Dame Carol Black, Tsar of the Occupational Health Taskforce, said:

    It is a privilege to Chair the new Taskforce which will review occupational health services available to employees across businesses of all shapes and sizes and then create a framework to support better employee health and wellbeing. We will encourage employers to embrace practices that prevent or reduce ill-health related job loss.

    We know the impact high sickness absence and presenteeism has on businesses and their productivity, which is why I am so pleased to work with other members of the Taskforce to ensure occupational health support is in place for employees and employers alike.

    Minister for Health and Social Care, Helen Whately MP, added:

    A healthy economy is only possible with a healthy workforce.

    We want more people to be able to benefit from good occupational health, especially employees in small businesses, because we know it works.

    This Taskforce will set us on the path towards a healthier workforce, in turn boosting productivity and economic growth.

    The UK Government recently launched its Occupational Health Innovation Fund which has provided £1 million in funding to 10 projects to develop innovative new models of Occupational Health, using technology to improve the capacity and capability of providers and increase access for SMEs.

    A show and tell event demonstrating the innovative tools and resources will be held at the Department for Health and Social Care today. It will be attended by the Minister for Employment, Jo Churchill, and Minister for Health and Social Care, Helen Whately.

    Additional Information

    • Dame Carol Black is currently Chair of the British Library, the Centre for Ageing Better, and Think Ahead, the Government’s fast-stream training programme for Mental Health Social Workers. She co-chairs NHS England/Improvement’s Expert Advisory Group on Employee Health and Wellbeing. In 2022 she was appointed Independent Adviser to the Government on combatting misuse of drugs. Dame Carol has completed four independent reviews for the UK Government: of the health of the working-age population in 2008 as National Director for Health and Work; of sickness absence in Britain in 2011 as co-chair; of employment outcomes of addiction to drugs or alcohol, or obesity, in 2016; and on illicit drugs, demand, supply and treatment.
    • In the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a wide-reaching £2billion package to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. This included two OH consultations. One was led by HMT/HMRC: Tax Incentives for Occupational Health, and the other by us Occupational Health: Working Better, which sought views on ways of increasing employer uptake of occupational health.
    • At Autumn Statement 2023, the Occupational Health: Working Better consultation response took account of stakeholder feedback and outlined plans to imminently establish an Expert Group Task and Finish to support the development of a new occupational health Voluntary Minimum Framework.
    • Further guidance will be published on GOV.UK in due course as the group begins its work to transform occupational health provision.
    • Employee access to Occupational Health: (Employee research Phase 1 and 2 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk))
    • Employer provision of Occupational Health: Department for Work and Pensions Employer Survey 2022 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
    • Sickness absence stats: Sickness absence in the UK labour market – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
    • HSE work-related ill-health stats are from here: Statistics – About HSE statistics
  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth [February 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 February 2024.

    The Prime Minister spoke to Mauritius Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, this morning.

    The Prime Minister wished Prime Minister Jugnauth well whilst the country was experiencing the effects of Cyclone Eleanor.

    The leaders assessed the progress made so far in the negotiations between Mauritius and the UK on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/the Chagos Archipelago.

    The Prime Minister reassured the Mauritian Prime Minister that the UK remains committed to a mutually beneficial outcome on BIOT and their teams look forward to continuing to work on this.