Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Philanthropic partnership unlocks £32 million for the future of best-in-class UK Biobank [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 30 October 2023.

Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin are being announced as the first members of a new consortium that will shape the future of the best-in-class UK Biobank.
- Former CEO and Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin donate over £16 million – matched by government – for consortium to scale up UK Biobank’s wealth of health data
- UK Biobank is the world’s leading biomedical database, containing in-depth genetic and health information from half a million UK volunteers that approved researchers can access to further breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
- Government will match fund the consortium’s private and philanthropic contributions up to £25 million, with the aim of achieving at least £50 million overall
- AI could be used to analyse UK Biobank data to generate transformative health discoveries, building on aims set out by new AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission
Former CEO and Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt, and Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, are today (Monday 30 October) being announced as the first members of a new consortium that will shape the future of the best-in-class UK Biobank, starting with £16 million funding matched by government.

Their donations will support UK Biobank to grow its already-unrivalled wealth of health data, to enable research unlocking the next great leaps in our understanding of health and disease.

This could include using AI’s ability to rapidly analyse vast quantities of data to draw new insights from UK Biobank’s data, such as in the analysis of cancer samples – the sort of uptake of AI in health and research being encouraged by the new AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission, announced by the Prime Minister, last week.

UK Biobank is the world’s most significant resource for health research, and one of the country’s most important scientific assets. It is a database of in-depth genetic, health and lifestyle information from half a million UK volunteers, giving approved researchers worldwide access to an unparalleled source of data that is enabling medical breakthroughs, from treating cardiac disease to Alzheimer’s.

UK Biobank has supported ground-breaking advancements in healthcare, such as the development of a genetic test to detect people born with an increased risk of coronary heart disease^{[Note 1]}, only made possible via analysis of UK Biobank’s genomic data. During the pandemic, UK Biobank data helped researchers deepen their understanding of how lifestyle and inherited factors impacted how patients were affected by COVID-19.

The more than £16 million ($20 million USD) being donated by Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin will be matched by the government, which will provide up to £25 million in funding in total for the UK Biobank, provided that an equal amount of private and philanthropic donations are also secured. The ultimate aim is to achieve at least £50 million in contributions for UK Biobank.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

UK Biobank is one of the jewels in the crown of UK science, making an unparalleled contribution to improving everyone’s health through the sheer scale of information it puts at researchers’ fingertips.

We are determined to ensure that it can continue to support life-changing breakthroughs, combining with new technologies like AI to help those suffering from arthritis, dementia and more. But this is about more than just putting up public funding: I want to unlock a new wave of private and philanthropic donations, right across our science and tech sectors. To have 2 titans of business such as Eric Schmidt and Ken Griffin join us at the start of this exciting journey is testament to our scientific capabilities.

Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin said:

UK Biobank is revolutionizing our understanding and treatment of disease. I am honored to support this groundbreaking initiative to advance scientific discoveries, improve public health and save lives.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO and chairman of Google said:

Scientific advancements have the potential to bring profound transformations to humanity for generations to come. It is vital that we cultivate an environment that fosters and supports revolutionary applications of science and technology, such as UK Biobank, while creating opportunities for further innovation for public benefit.

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Investigator of UK Biobank, said:

It is 15 years since we first saw our incredible half a million volunteers for their baseline assessments, with most of our participants engaging in follow-up analyses. It is down to the dedication and altruism of each of our volunteers that we have been able to grow UK Biobank into the world’s most comprehensive database for scientific and health related research.

We are immensely grateful for today’s funding, which will allow us to pilot new projects that will add further depth to our already rich goldmine of data for scientific researchers everywhere. UK Biobank data has already resulted in over 9,000 peer-reviewed papers, including studies looking into cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression, tinnitus and heart disease. The research that we are helping to power is generating evidence which is relevant to everyone, from patients and carers to healthcare providers and practitioners everywhere.

Unlocking greater private and philanthropic funding for UK R&D is one of the key objectives of The UK Science and Technology Framework, and partnerships with industry and philanthropists are already delivering for the UK’s science sector.

This pioneering new way of funding UK science and research builds on the approach of the Research Ventures Catalyst, launched in July, to open up new funding pathways that will enable our brightest minds to take greater risks and pursue new means of working that might not be supported via traditional avenues. By working in partnership with private and philanthropic funders, we will unlock tens of millions of pounds to drive new discoveries in health, tech and science.

The consortium being unveiled today will deliver a transformative investment into UK Biobank’s future research capacity. This builds on the £154 million investment in UK Biobank’s physical infrastructure, announced as part of the Chancellor’s £650 million ‘Life Sci for Growth’ warchest, which is supporting their move to a purpose-built new home at Manchester Science park.

Schmidt and Griffin are providing this funding on a philanthropic basis to UK Biobank because the study’s breadth of data, long-term follow-up of health outcomes, and accessibility to researchers worldwide make it a unique resource to help the scientific community better understand a wide range of common and life-threatening diseases.

Delivering new, innovative, agile models of funding such as these delivers on the government’s response to the findings of Sir Paul Nurse’s Landscape Review, and builds on the already-record levels of public sector commitment to spending on R&D. This government has committed to invest £20 billion in R&D in 2024 to 2025.

UK Biobank’s database is regularly augmented with additional data, such as a recent addition of the largest ever proteomic dataset, and the on-going results of the world’s largest imaging study of whole-body scanning. All of this data will enable researchers to open up new ways to investigate disease mechanisms for all conditions, from depression and anxiety to coronary heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : AI to speed up lung cancer diagnosis deployed in NHS hospitals [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 October 2023.

£21 million is being allocated to 64 NHS trusts across England to roll out AI tools to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
- AI tools to help NHS staff analyse X-rays and CT scans expected to be in place by winter, increasing efficiency and cutting waiting times
- Health and Social Care Secretary hosts AI roundtable with industry leaders to drive forward innovation in health and social care
Ground-breaking artificial intelligence (AI) that can help clinicians diagnose lung cancer quickly and accurately is being rolled out in NHS hospitals across England following a £21 million funding boost from the government.

The funding is being allocated to 64 NHS trusts across all regions of the country so they can deploy AI tools that analyse X-rays and CT scans, speeding up diagnosis and treatments for patients.

With over 600,000 chest X-rays performed each month in England, the deployment of this technology to more NHS trusts will support clinicians in their work with quicker, more accurate diagnosis of conditions.

The new tools will start being deployed in NHS hospitals for winter, which will help to ease pressures on the NHS and free up staff time.

The Health and Social Care Secretary hosted a roundtable with NHS trusts, industry leaders and health officials today (30 October 2023) to identify ways of speeding up the roll out of AI in health and social care.

Discussions focused on the safe deployment of AI to help cut waiting lists and relieve pressure on hospitals, free up staff time by automating admin tasks, and support people in care settings to live more independently.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

We are rolling out more cutting-edge AI technology across the NHS to help with quicker, more accurate diagnosis of lung cancer because patients deserve the best care possible.

AI is already being used in the NHS to halve treatment times for stroke patients and to assist doctors in analysing brain scans, reducing the time between admission and treatment by more than one hour – saving valuable staff time and improving patient recovery.

We’re building on this success to make sure lung cancer patients get the support they need, when they need it.

Dr Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England, said:

Artificial intelligence is already helping to save lives from faster diagnosis of a stroke allowing faster emergency treatment to providing patients with their personalised risk of a heart attack allowing their clinicians to intervene earlier.

This investment will allow 64 NHS trusts from across the country to harness the power of AI to tools to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

The use of AI in the NHS is already having a positive impact on outcomes for patients. AI tools are now live in over 90% of stroke networks in England – halving the time for stroke victims to get treatment in some cases, helping to cut waiting times.

For example, Brainomix e-Stroke uses AI to analyse brain scans of people who have had strokes to assist doctors with diagnosis and treatment decisions. Early studies have shown Brainomix can reduce the time between a patient arriving at hospital after they’ve had a stroke, to receiving treatment by more than one hour through providing instant interpretations of brain scans to help guide treatment and transfer decisions for stroke patients faster. The studies also showed it can triple the number of people achieving functional independence after having a stroke, from 16% to 48%, through allowing more patients to get the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.

The roundtable, held at the Department of Health and Social Care, also focused on the importance of safely deploying AI across the health and care system, placing emphasis on regulation and ethics.

AI has the potential to transform patient care in the NHS, but does not always lend itself to traditional methods of demonstrating evidence for effectiveness. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is rolling out a world-leading partnership between government, regulators and industry which will see advanced AI technology used in NHS settings safely ahead of regulatory approval – allowing NHS patients to benefit earlier from emerging technology before it is available anywhere else in the world.

This system, known as AI-Airlock, will open for products in April 2024 and will allow innovators to test the technology in NHS settings, helping to generate data quickly on its effectiveness. This will prioritise patient safety while encouraging innovation at pace within the industry – meaning there is no delay in patients benefiting from potentially lifesaving technology between regulatory approval and deployment.

Alongside this, a team at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham has released new international standards, supported by the NHS AI Lab and The Health Foundation, to ensure AI systems are developed using diverse and inclusive datasets that can benefit all demographic groups. The team worked with over 350 stakeholders from more than 58 countries to build recommendations on how data should be recorded and used for AI, helping to boost transparency and address any potential biases.

The government has already invested £123 million into 86 AI technologies, which is helping patients by supporting stroke diagnosis, screening, cardiovascular monitoring and managing conditions at home.

Background information

The following trusts are receiving a share of the £21 million funding:
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
- Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
- Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- East Cheshire NHS Trust
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Sussex
- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
For more information on innovation used in the NHS, visit our media blog: how we are delivering innovation in health and social care services.

The Health and Social Care Secretary announced the £21 million funding in June this year. The money is now being allocated to NHS trusts.
November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands [October 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 29 October 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, this evening about the crisis in the Middle East.

The leaders shared their serious concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed the importance of increasing the supplies of water, medicines and fuel reaching civilians. They discussed options to help expedite the supply of aid and efforts to support British and Dutch nationals in Gaza and to ensure the safe return of hostages.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte reflected on their visits to Israel, where they had witnessed the deep grief and trauma caused by Hamas’ attack.

The two leaders agreed on the vital importance of maintaining international humanitarian law and protecting civilians in Gaza. They also discussed the importance of avoiding further damaging and destabilising escalation in the region, and to reinvigorate the process towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict and a two-state solution. The leaders agreed to remain in close contact on the next steps.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with President Macron of France [October 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 29 October 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to French President Macron today following the expansion of Israel’s military operation against Hamas.

The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza. They agreed to work together on efforts both to get crucial food, fuel, water and medicine to those who need it, and to get foreign nationals out.

They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank. The Prime Minister and President Macron updated on the conversations they have had with leaders in the region to stress the importance of working to ensure regional stability.

The Prime Minister and President Macron agreed that it was important not to lose sight of the long-term future of the region and, in particular, the need for a two-state solution. They underscored that Hamas does not represent ordinary Palestinians and that their barbarism should not undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.

The leaders said they would stay in close contact with one another and with leaders in the region.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Letter to police on AI enabled facial recognition searches [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 29 October 2023.

The Policing Minister writes to police chiefs to set out the importance of harnessing innovative technologies to support police in preventing and solving crimes.

Dear Chief Constables and PCCs,

The government is committed to working with policing to deliver the tools and technology needed to catch criminals. As technology changes so does the nature of crime. Criminals will be sure to exploit advances, and so must we. I am determined that we invest in identifying, developing, and then deploying new and innovative technologies across a range of fields.

There are so many emerging technologies we can already embrace (for example, new AI tools that largely automate redaction, or that help control room triage) but I would like to specifically address Facial Recognition in this letter. Developing Facial Recognition as a crime fighting tool is a high priority and I have been working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to ensure confidence, clarity, and consistency in its use so that we can bring more criminals to justice and keep people safe. The UK is leading the way with our approach which is open, transparent, and includes key safeguards.

Retrospective – or Passive – Facial Recognition (RFR) entails a crime scene image with a suspect’s face being retrieved from CCTV, mobile phone, dash cams or video doorbells and then checked against the police’s database of images. Every force uses RFR to some extent already, but its use is very variable between Forces and could be greatly increased. Algorithms have advanced hugely in recent months and even blurred, or partially obscured images can now be successfully matched against custody images, leading to arrests. Searching the whole Police National Database (PND) image set rather than just local force ones will maximise the chance of a match, and I encourage routine use of RFR across the entire range of crimes. There are many powerful examples of RFR helping investigators to identify people suspected of murder, sex offences, domestic burglary, assault, car theft and shoplifting, where identification might otherwise have been impossible or taken much longer.

I welcome the significant increase in the use of RFR since 2021 and expect all forces to use it to its full potential. Essex has been conducting the highest number of RFR searches per officer on the PND in recent months. With a concerted effort it should be possible to double the number of searches by May 2024, so they exceed 200,000 across England & Wales, and I am reviewing progress regularly with NPCC leads. There is no question that a combination of the proliferation of video footage available and recent improvements in the matching algorithm will enable many, many more offenders to be identified and prosecuted for the whole range of crimes.

I am also very supportive of the use of Live – or Active – Facial Recognition (LFR) to deter and detect crime in public settings that attract large crowds. LFR entails the rapid identification of people on a watchlist in high footfall locations using special purpose cameras. There is College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice in place and a sound legal basis for LFR. Recent testing by the National Physical Laboratory has provided the necessary assurance about accuracy and the absence of gender or racial bias in the algorithms and at the settings the Met and South Wales Police have been using, and the immediate deletion of non-matched biometric data addresses privacy concerns. Both forces have led the way with the use of LFR, but they have always taken care to communicate to the public both the benefits and the safeguards in place. As their records show, recent deployments have led to arrests that would otherwise have been impossible and there have been no false alerts. No number of officers could have picked those people out of the crowd. The technology is now very accurate, but investment in equitability testing and the fact that trained officers always carefully checked possible matches is crucial to maintaining public confidence. In the past few weeks, the Met recently used LFR at an Arsenal v Tottenham game where it led to the arrest of three people: one charged with being in breach of a football banning order, one wanted on recall to prison for sexual offences, and one who admitted using threatening and abusive words and being in breach of a court order. This technology has great potential to pick up wanted persons who would otherwise go undetected, and to protect public events from specific threats.

Looking further ahead, we have been working with industry to develop a capability roadmap for facial recognition. By the end of financial year 2025/26 government has committed £17.5m to enabling a resilient and highly accurate system that offers the potential for further innovation and seamless searching of all databases of images the police can access. Officer Initiated FR to check the identities of people of interest encountered on the streets in near real time will also be possible in the future, subject to proper governance and safeguards.

Further support is available from the National Facial Recognition Technology Board, and I look forward to working with you all to develop this and other important technologies. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss this any further or if you have cases studies or best practice to share.

Yours Sincerely,

Rt Hon Chris Philp MP

Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Police urged to double AI-enabled facial recognition searches [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 29 October 2023.

Policing Minister challenges police to double retrospective facial recognition searches to track down known offenders by May 2024.

Police should double the number of searches they make using retrospective facial recognition technology to track down known offenders by May 2024, as the Policing Minister urges forces to increase their use of this artificial intelligence (AI) crime-fighting tool.

In a letter to police chiefs, Chris Philp has set out the importance of police harnessing the benefits of innovative technologies to support them in preventing and solving crimes, as well as to keep pace with the changing nature of criminal activity.

He notes that with a concerted effort from all forces in England and Wales, it will be possible to exceed 200,000 searches of still images against the Police National Database by early summer using facial recognition technology, which will help to catch perpetrators and keep our streets safe.

The minister also encourages the police to operate live facial recognition more widely. This state-of-the-art technology captures live footage of crowds and compares it with a watch list of suspects wanted by the police, who pose harm to others. When there is a match, an alert will go out to nearby police officers. Not only does this allow police to quickly identify suspects in a dense crowd, it can also have a strong deterrent effect.

AI technology, such as facial recognition, can help the police quickly and accurately identify those wanted for serious crimes, as well as missing people. It also frees up police time and resources, meaning more officers can be out on the beat, engaging with communities and carrying out complex investigations.

Police use a range of other AI programmes to support their role in keeping the public safe, including those which help speed up the investigation of digital evidence, redaction of evidence files and tools which undertake back-office tasks, freeing up officers’ time.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

AI technology is a powerful tool for good, with huge opportunities to advance policing and cut crime. We are committed to making sure police have the systems they need to solve and prevent crimes, bring offenders to justice, and protect the public.

Facial recognition, including live facial recognition, has a sound legal basis that has been confirmed by the courts and has already enabled a large number of serious criminals to be caught, including for murder and sexual offences.

This is not about acquiring new kit and deploying new tech for the sake of it; it is about staying one step ahead of criminals; delivering smarter, more effective policing and, ultimately, making our streets safer.”

We know these technologies work in catching criminals. Craig Walters was jailed for life in 2021 after attacking a woman he followed off a bus. He was arrested within 48 hours of the incident thanks to South Wales Police using CCTV footage to identify him. A murder suspect in Coventry was apprehended after images, taken by a member of the public in a nightclub where the incident occurred, were matched to a known individual.

It is also being used to tackle shoplifting, with the Retail Crime Action Plan setting out advice for retailers on how to provide the best possible evidence for police to pursue in any case, including CCTV footage of the whole incident and an image of the shoplifter.

Live facial recognition technology has also been used successfully, including at last month’s Arsenal v Tottenham north London Derby, where police caught three wanted suspects, including one for sexual offences. Another wanted sex offender was identified at the King’s Coronation and sent back to prison the same day.

To ensure transparency with the public, the police will put up notices in areas where they will be using live facial recognition. If the system does not make a match against a watch list, a person’s data is deleted immediately and automatically. Anyone caught with the help of facial recognition and then charged, would still face trial in the normal way.

The accuracy of facial recognition technology has developed rapidly. An independent study by the National Physical Laboratory of the algorithm the Met and South Wales Police use, found that the technology was 100% accurate when used on still images and only 1 in 6,000 false alerts when used on live images. The police have not had any false alerts this year over 25 deployments. The study also found no statistically significant differences in the performance based on gender or ethnicity at the settings the police use.

Facial recognition use is strictly governed by data protection, equality, and human rights laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where it is necessary and proportionate. The College of Policing also sets clear guidance on when officers can use live facial recognition and requires that a person’s data is automatically deleted if the system does not match it to the watchlist of suspects.

The government has invested in and continues to build on a tool which uses AI to help officers to identify and grade child sexual abuse material more quickly. It highlights images of interest for officers to focus on to aid investigations, enabling them to more rapidly identify and safeguard children, as well as identify offenders. It also supports the improvement of police office welfare, as they reduce officers’ prolonged exposure to indecent images. This is in addition to other tools already in use, for example facial matching technology, and others in development which will use AI to safeguard children and identify perpetrators more quickly.

The government is also supporting industry innovation to tackle the threat from AI generated child sexual abuse images, recognising that criminals are also exploiting the technology. Last month, the UK and US issued a joint statement in which they committed to working together to explore the development of new solutions to fight the spread of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery.

The Home Secretary is also convening an event on Monday which will bring together government, law enforcement and the tech industry to discuss how best to tackle child sexual abuse images which have been created using AI.

It comes as the government, whilst recognising the significant benefits of AI, is taking a leading role in ensuring we are researching and investing in appropriate safety measures. The UK is hosting the first ever major global AI Safety Summit next week at Bletchley Park, supported by the Frontier AI Taskforce which was created with £100m of initial funding to spearhead the country’s leadership in this area.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New £100 million fund to capitalise on AI’s game-changing potential in life sciences and healthcare [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 29 October 2023.

A new mission announced by the Prime Minister will accelerate the use of AI in life sciences to tackle the biggest health challenges of our generation.

In a speech on Thursday, the Prime Minister announced that a £100 million in new government investment will be targeted towards areas where rapid deployment of AI has the greatest potential to create transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases. The AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission will capitalise on the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI.

The Life Sciences Vision encompasses 8 critical healthcare missions that government, industry, the NHS, academia and medical research charities will work together on at speed to solve – from cancer treatment to tackling dementia.

The £100 million will help drive forward this work by exploring how AI could address these conditions, which have some of the highest mortality and morbidity.

For example, AI could further the development of novel precision treatments for dementia. This new government funding for AI will help us harness the UK’s world-class health data to quickly identify those at risk of dementia and related conditions, ensure that the right patients are taking part in the right trials at the right time to develop new treatments effectively, and give us better data on how well new therapies work. By using the power of AI to support the growing pipeline of new dementia therapies, we will ensure the best and most promising treatments are selected to go forwards, and that patients receive the right treatments that work best for them.

AI driven technologies are showing remarkable promise in being able to diagnose, and potentially treat, mental ill health. For example, leading companies are already using conversational AI that supports people with mental health challenges and guides them through proactive prevention routines, escalating cases to human therapists when needed – all of which reduces the strain on NHS waiting lists.

This funding will help us to invest in parts of the UK where the clinical needs are greatest to test and trial new technologies within the next 18 months. Over the next 5 years, we will transform mental health research through developing world-class data infrastructure to improve the lives of those living with mental health conditions.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

AI can help us solve some of the greatest social challenges of our time. AI could help find novel dementia treatments or develop vaccines for cancer.

That’s why today we’re investing a further £100 million to accelerate the use of AI on the most transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

This £100 million Mission will bring the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI to bear on some of the most pressing health challenges facing the society.

Safe, responsible AI will change the game for what it’s possible to do in healthcare, closing the gap between the discovery and application of innovative new therapies, diagnostic tools, and ways of working that will give clinicians more time with their patients.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Cutting-edge technology such as AI is the key to both improving patient care and supporting staff to do their jobs and we are seeing positive impacts across the NHS.

This new accelerator fund will help us build on our efforts to harness the latest technology to unlock progress and drive economic growth.

This is on top of the progress we have already made on AI deployment in the NHS, with AI tools now live in over 90% of stroke networks in England – halving the time for stroke victims to get the treatment in some cases, helping to cut waiting times.

Building on the success of partnerships already using AI in areas like identifying eye diseases, industry, academia and clinicians will be brought together to drive forward novel AI research into earlier diagnosis and faster drug discovery.

The government will invite proposals bringing together academia, industry and clinicians to develop innovative solutions.

This funding will target opportunities to deploy AI in clinical settings and improve health outcomes across a range of conditions. It will also look to fund novel AI research which has the potential to create general purpose applications across a range of health challenges – freeing up clinicians to spend more time with their patients.

This supports work the government is already doing across key disease areas. Using AI to tackle dementia, for example, builds on our commitment to double dementia research funding by 2024, reaching a total of £160 million a year. Our Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission is at the heart of this, enabling us to accelerate dementia research and give patients the access to the exciting new wave of medicines being developed.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Condemning Hamas’ terrorism should not be controversial – UK at the UN General Assembly [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 October 2023.

UK statement following the UN General Assembly vote on the Jordanian draft resolution on the situation in Gaza, Friday 27 October 2023.

The UK abstained on the Jordanian-drafted resolution.

We welcome the draft’s call for all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of civilians, for the immediate release of hostages and for full and sustained humanitarian access.

These are UK priorities and we have been working tirelessly with partners to achieve these on the ground, including the UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s engagements with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to get aid to the Palestinian people.

We are proud to have pledged an additional $37 million in UK aid to help civilians in Gaza since the beginning of the crisis. The UK Prime Minister has been clear that we recognise the need for humanitarian pauses to deliver this aid safely and in a sustained way.

We also welcome the draft’s emphasis on preventing regional escalation of the conflict. It is in no-one’s interest for this conflict to spread.

However, we are deeply disappointed with the draft’s omission of an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attacks that killed over 1,400 people and took over 200 hostages last week. This should not be controversial.

That is why we voted in favour of the Canadian amendment which would have corrected this.

But we cannot vote for a resolution that is silent on the largest terror attack in Israel’s history.

Hamas has embedded itself in civilian populations, is still holding civilians hostage, and firing rockets at Israel while using Palestinians as human shields. It is clear that Israel is under attack by terrorists and is entitled under international law to defend itself. Any resolution on the situation in Gaza and Israel should be unequivocal on that too.

This is why we abstained on this resolution.

We will continue to work closely with Israel, Palestine, the UN and our partners in the region to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To ensure that civilians are protected and have access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. And to work towards the peace and stability which can only be achieved by working towards a sustainable Two State Solution.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s sourcing of weapons from sanctioned states poses a serious risk to international peace and security – UK statement at the UN Security Council [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 October 2023.

UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Thank you, President.

Colleagues, Russia wishes to address weapons proliferation. In a happy coincidence, the UK would also like to address weapons proliferation. But that may be the only thing we agree on today.

Russia has spent the last two decades flouting its obligations in arms control and disarmament. Its systematic efforts to undermine this architecture has only accelerated since its invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s withdrawal from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty is yet another step in this direction. Along with its announcement that it will withdraw ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

This follows rejection of the Vienna Document modification, withdrawal from Open Skies, violation of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty and suspension of its participation in New Start.

Let us turn to the situation in Ukraine. Russia’s sourcing of weapons from heavily sanctioned states such as North Korea and Iran violate UN Security Council resolutions, undermines Security Council credibility, and pose a serious risk to international peace and security.

The Russian delegation held up Western weapons fragments today as if that was a big reveal. It isn’t. We are open about the support we provide. Russia on the other hand, still deny that they receive weapons from Iran and North Korea because they know that it is illegal.

Russia has destroyed schools, hospitals, grain silos and energy facilities. It has deployed hypersonic missiles, one-way attack drones and a cruise missile with a range of over 2,000km. Its use of conventional anti-personnel mines and improvised booby traps, including in children’s toys.

The UK and others’ provision of weapons to Ukraine is in support of Ukraine’s defence of its sovereign territory against Russia’s illegal invasion.

The weapons the international community are providing to Ukraine are not what is prolonging this war.

The only obstacle to peace here is Russia.

Thank you.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Hope and humanity must win out against the scourge of aggression and terrorism – Lord Ahmad statement at the UN General Assembly [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 October 2023.

Statement by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon at the UN General Assembly tenth emergency special session on Gaza.

Thank you, Mr President.

May I begin by expressing our deep appreciation, our deep appreciation for this institution, the United Nations, and indeed all of our humanitarian partners for their incredible efforts, life-saving efforts, in what are the most challenging of circumstances.

And at this point, I also want to share our sincerest of condolences for the 30 UNRWA staff and the 16 medical staff who have lost their lives since the 7th of October. Equally, we record our sincere condolences to the victims and the families of the horrendous Hamas’ terrorist attacks on the 7th of October on Israel. And equally, we extend our condolences to the families of the innocent Palestinians who have been killed in this tragic conflict. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. To God we belong to God. We return. Your Excellencies, Mr. President, every life, every life that is lost is a tragedy, not just for a family in Israel or Gaza or the West Bank, but it is a loss for all of humanity, an Israeli life or a Palestinian life, irrespective of being Jewish, Christian or Muslim. Every life matters. Every life lost is a tragedy. Therefore, as we recall the tragic consequences of what we are witnessing, we call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law. Yes, this means the unconditional release of the hostages and taking every possible step to avoid the harming of civilians and importantly, enabling unhindered humanitarian access.

We all know it has been said from this podium countless times during this debate that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is growing. On our part, the United Kingdom has provided an additional $37 million to help provide water, to help provide food and medicine and fuel in Gaza. And in this regard, may we put on record our thanks to the tireless work of the Secretary-General and the United Nations to ensure this lifesaving aid reaches those most in need. Whilst we welcome the important first step of 54 trucks passing through Rafah Border Crossing, we urge the scaling up of this assistance, including to enable fuel for civilian use to pass into Gaza, vital to keep hospitals and the humanitarian response running. And these humanitarian pauses are an important part of ensuring that this can happen. Turning to the attacks on Israel on the 7th of October, my Prime Minister has been clear: the United Kingdom stands with Israel in the face of Hamas’ terrorist attacks. We will always support an ally against a terrorist attack and its right to self-defence. But this must be, I assure you, Mr President, and we make that case, it must be within international humanitarian law. And if I may just put also from a personal perspective as a muslim: terrorism is evil.Every terror act is against humanity, and we should condemn it unequivocally.

So, Mr President, the draft resolution in front of us could have been clearer on this very point. It should also, in our view, unequivocally condemn these terror attacks, Hamas’ terror attacks that killed over 1400 people. And as we know at this very time, hold over 200 hostages. However, we have equally been clear that all possible precautions and steps are taken to minimise harm to civilians in this conflict and indeed, for any movement of civilians to be both voluntary and safe.

Mr President. We stand at a crucial juncture. Yet in this moment of darkness. Let us come together, this United Nations, that we come together and not lose sight of the promise that this United Nations holds true of a two-state solution: a secure, safe Israel side by side with a viable Palestinian state. And I assure you of this, that we, the United Kingdom, will continue to work closely with all partners in the region and beyond in these efforts, because peace must prevail, and to prevent the situation from spreading and causing wider insecurity and instability.

It was my Prime Minister who said hope and humanity must win against the scourge of aggression and terrorism. Love over hate. Light over darkness. Peace. Shalom. Salam.

Thank you.

November 2, 2023