Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Persecution of the Baha’i faith in Iran – FCDO statement [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 October 2023.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has released a statement calling on Iran to cease the persecution of the Baha’i faith in Iran.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

Reports of the ongoing persecution of the Baha’i faith in Iran are intolerable in 2023. We call on Iran to release all elderly and medically vulnerable Baha’is imprisoned in Iran and to halt their practice of demanding excessive bail sums from arrested Baha’is.

The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief and will continue to work with partners to promote the rights of the Baha’i community in Iran.

October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The contempt Russia is showing for human life is inexcusable – UK statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 October 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown says that, as winter approaches, the UK will continue its support for Ukraine’s vital infrastructure.

Last weekend, in the space of 24 hours, Russian forces launched 71 attacks upon Ukrainian residential districts: damaging homes, shops and medical infrastructure. This included overnight shelling on the city of Kherson. Whilst civilians slept, at least one person was killed and six were injured including two children and their mother. All these victims were attacked in their homes. The contempt Russia is showing for human life is inexcusable.

The UK is appalled by Russia’s barbaric missile attacks across Ukraine. Intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime. Those responsible will be held to account. Our commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is unwavering. If Russia is serious about a diplomatic end to its illegal war, then Russia must observe its obligations under international law; immediately cease attacks on civilians and critical national infrastructure; and withdraw its forces from the entirety of Ukraine.

As winter approaches, the UK and our international partners sadly anticipate Russia ramping up its attempts to break Ukrainian resolve. Last October, Russia began its systematic targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. 400 energy facilities were damaged, affecting around 4.5 million people. Combined with the targeting of hydroelectric dams and reports of damage to vital water supply infrastructure, millions of civilians were left for prolonged periods without electricity and water. Mothers gave birth in hospital basements and makeshift facilities, whilst shelling and drone attacks continued around them; oncology centres, which provided life-saving care for cancer patients, were destroyed; and hundreds of health-care professionals were killed or injured.

Mr Chair, history will remember, in the cold hard winter months, despite being plunged into darkness and deprived of fundamental necessities, the brave and resilient Ukrainians who continued to fight against Russian aggression. And continued to fight for the core principles of the Helsinki Final Act: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. And so, Ukraine will not fight alone.

To support Ukraine this winter, the UK is providing generators to ensure vital facilities, such as hospitals, have power. The UK has also contributed to assisting Ukraine’s efforts to repair infrastructure and reconnect households and key facilities to electricity and gas supply.

To help the Ukrainian people remain resilient against Russian aggression the UK has funded UN agencies to provide cash assistance, insulation, and support for energy and heating. The UK has also funded the Red Cross to assist with winterisation efforts across Ukraine, alongside programmes to strengthen the capacity of national actors.

Mr Chair, the UK and its international partners will not allow Russia to break the foundations and values of the European security architecture. We will support Ukraine as it defends the rights of all sovereign democratic States to exist without fear of aggression.

Over the past months, with the support of its international friends, Ukraine has only become stronger. On 13 June the UK announced a £92m Air Defence Package. This is one of several packages that aims to protect Ukrainian critical national infrastructure and defend against air strikes. Alongside this, Ukraine’s energy production has expanded with seven functioning nuclear power reactors and two more incoming. Domestic production of natural gas has also increased. And the Ukrainian grid is growing more and more resilient.

Mr Chair, we remain in awe of the courage, strength, and ingenuity of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression. The UK and the international community will not let Ukraine face these challenges alone. We will not let Ukrainians face this winter alone. We will stand by Ukraine until the peace is won.

October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC54 – ID with High Commissioner on Religious Hatred [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 October 2023.

UK Statement on religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. Delivered by UK’s Ambassador to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

High Commissioner – thank you for your update.

Religious intolerance divides societies. It rips communities apart. There is no place for hatred including the burning of the Quran we saw earlier this year. Indeed – we must address all manifestations of religious intolerance wherever they occur. Whether that be:
- Rohingya in Myanmar: (where) huge numbers were killed and driven from their country because of their religion.
- Uyghurs and Tibetans in China who see their religious sites destroyed; their cultural practices denied;
- Or the Baha’is in Iran: harassed, prosecuted and imprisoned for their faith.
All these situations, and more – must be part of this debate.

High Commissioner, as you have said – the right to freedom of expression can only be limited under clear and narrowly defined parameters. Sometimes this will cause offence. But causing offence does not necessarily equate to inciting violence or hatred. Blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty clearly do not fall under permissible restrictions.

Implementing HRC resolution 16/18 remains the most effective way to combat religious intolerance. This framework is consensual. It is action-orientated. And, most importantly it has led to positive change. We must reunite around this approach so that, working together, not divided, we can overcome hatred together.

Thank you.
October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Over £3 million to transform technology in adult social care [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 5 October 2023.

People who receive care will benefit from new technology to help improve their independence and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
Four transformational projects receive a combined total of over £3 million to drive independence for those in care

Over 55% regulated care providers now have a digital care planning system to move away from paper record keeping

Over 1,300 care providers can now access GP records to provide safer care

People who receive care will benefit from new technology to help improve their independence and reduce avoidable hospital admissions, the government has announced today.

Four new projects have received over £3 million through the government’s Adult Social Care Technology Fund to transform the use of digital technology in adult social care.

The funding will help identify care-focused technology solutions that have the potential for wider rollout within the sector, and in doing so provide evidence to prioritise investments in care technology.

National Care Group will receive over £300,000 to improve the quality of medication management and recording and promote independence in taking medication using an Electronic Medication Administration Record System. This will improve the accuracy of recording medication and improve health outcomes for the 1,236 people supported

Shropshire Council, in partnership with domiciliary care providers, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB, My Home Life and TEC suppliers will use funding of almost £1.2 million over two years to embed technology in people’s homes alongside a virtual care delivery service to help meet care and support needs digitally. This aims to support independence in the home, help people manage their daily needs and promote self-care

Reading Borough Council, in partnership with Henley Business School, will use funding of just over £1 million to trial and understand the benefits and potential of sensors technology to monitor any significant changes to a person’s daily habits that may cause concern. The aim is to trial systems that support people to live sustained or increased independence, a sense of well-being, safety, and security

Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board: NHS Greater Manchester and the University of Manchester and partners will receive almost £380,000 to deliver a project to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using a digital falls prevention programme for older people living the in the community who receive care and support at home. This enables the user to undertake a personalised falls prevention programme and incorporates health literacy games to improve the awareness of activities that promote bone health, diet, safety at home, and hydration.

Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:

I’m delighted to announce the projects receiving the first £3 million of our adult social care technology fund today. These exciting projects will use technology to improve quality of care and help people live independently for longer. More care at home and more personalised care is what people want and helps reduce pressure on the NHS.

We are also investing in digital care records to join up care and reduce the burden of admin on staff. I look forward to seeing these projects develop and scale up the use of technology in social care, better meeting people’s care needs and helping us build a sustainable care system.

Skills for Care CEO, Oonagh Smyth, said:

Congratulations to all four teams who have secured funding that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of care technologies in adult social care, and how it might be scaled up at a local level.

These projects will support the Skills for Care digital leadership, digital champions and digital skills programme where we are working with the adult social care sector to build the confidence and skills of our workforce to embrace, adopt and embed technology.

Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum, says:

It’s exciting to read the details within the successful bids and to acknowledge the innovative thinking behind them which promote independence and focus on improving the experience of the person receiving care.

Opportunities like these, and the advancements we’re seeing in shared data, particularly the aims for digital care records, help us to envisage a future of a truly integrated health and care system which gives people more independence and control over their own care, and keeps their needs at the centre.

Charlotte Hall, Programme Manager, Shropshire Council, says:

We are thrilled to have been awarded the CareTech funding, enabling us to further develop and expand our virtual care offer in Shropshire. This is particularly beneficial to individuals that live in rural, hard to reach areas in the county where it can be difficult to find care availability or for those that are reluctant to have carers entering their homes, but require some degree of care and support to enable them to remain independent and in their homes for longer.

This funding will enable the project to expand, reaching more people and allowing us to test new approaches to social care delivery.

Michael Armstrong, Managing Director at Havering Care Homes, says:

We have used a digital care planning system for several years and it revolutionised our business. It has reduced the time staff spent recording information, which allowed them to spend more time with the residents, and the information staff produced was more valuable in building up an understanding of care needs and how they are changing.

From a management perspective it has given us much better management information to get a good overview of residents individual and collective needs, along with such benefits as GP connect and access to shared care records.

Integrated Care Systems, care providers, local authorities, evaluation partners and technology suppliers were invited to submit expressions of interest to apply for funding of technology solutions that focused on at least one of three priority areas:

To increase care quality and safety

To reduce avoidable admissions or readmissions to hospital

To increase the support for people to live independently in their own home

The fund is open for applications on a rolling basis, which are then evaluated in waves.

Building on the People at the Heart of Care white paper, the Adult Social Care Technology fund demonstrates the government’s continued commitment to the digital transformation of adult social care. Alongside this, funding support continues to be available through the digitising social care programme for the adoption of digital social care record solutions.

Digital social care records, or electronic care plans, enable care teams to deliver outstanding, safe, personalised care by having the most accurate, up-to-date information at their fingertips. This can save time spent on administrative tasks, releasing up to 20 minutes per care worker per shift to give staff more time to spend interacting with people.

Adoption of digital social care records by Care Quality Commission-registered providers has increased from 40% in December 2021 to more than 55% in September 2023.

Background:

The exact breakdown of funding for the projects is as follows:

Shropshire – £1,191,597

Reading – £1,085,505

Manchester – £378,113

National Care Group – £349,234

The digitising social care programme is a major government programme delivering on the commitments to digitise adult social care outlined in the 2021 white paper, People at the heart of care. The programme is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and delivered in partnership with NHS England.

Applications for funding can be made here: https://beta.digitisingsocialcare.co.uk/funding-implement-and-evaluate-care-technology
October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Concern regarding situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia – UK statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 October 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown says the UK remains seriously concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and significant refugee flows into Armenia.

The UK continues to have serious concerns about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the significant refugee flows from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia.

It is vital that international humanitarian organisations have independent access into Nagorno-Karabakh, so they can assess humanitarian need and respond appropriately. We therefore welcome Azerbaijan’s decision last week to allow UN agencies into Nagorno-Karabakh, to complement ongoing efforts by the ICRC.

On 29 September, the UK government announced that it is giving £1 million to the ICRC to support those efforts. Alongside contributions from others, this will help fund life-saving medication, healthcare, and other essential support to those affected by the recent conflict.

We are also mindful of the significant pressures the movement of over 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia will place on support services provided by the Armenian government and international aid organisations. We continue to liaise with the UN, ICRC and others to assess humanitarian need in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia to determine what further assistance may be required.

We continue to urge both Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue negotiations and to do all they can to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation, including through Azerbaijan making clear its respect for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the rights and security of the remaining ethnic Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh. On 28 September the UK’s Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty, had calls with both Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov and made these points.

We will continue to monitor the situation, in close cooperation with our international partners, and hope to see positive steps soon to continue the substantive negotiations that are the only way to secure a lasting peace, and stability and security for the region.

October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Official Receiver secures multimillion payout for scam victims – John Gerard Metcalfe [October 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 5 October 2023.

Scammer was due a large financial compensation award but Official Receiver worked with partners to ensure funds were used to repay his victims.

John Gerard Metcalfe, from Essex, was declared bankrupt in 2013 following legal action after he defrauded several individuals and at least one company as part of an investment scam he had run, which saw the victims lose over £2 million.

Metcalfe was subsequently convicted of fraud offences in 2017 and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) obtained a compensation order, meaning that he was required to pay as much as he had funds for at the time. It also meant that if Metcalfe came into money at a future date, the CPS could order additional money to be distributed, ensuring that the victims and creditors could receive full compensation.

However, in 2023, the Official Receiver, responsible for overseeing Metcalfe’s bankruptcy, became aware that Metcalfe had received a £3.75 million pay-out from the Foskett Panel, an independent committee set up in 2020 following a banking scandal involving a billion-pound fraud at the Reading branch of HBOS between 2003 and 2007.

Although Metcalfe had been discharged – as normal – from bankruptcy after one year in 2014, the fraud which led to the compensation award had happened prior to the Bankruptcy Order and the pay-out was therefore an asset in his bankruptcy, with payments due to his creditors and victims.

The Official Receiver was also contacted by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and the CPS, who had learnt of the pay-out from Metcalfe’s solicitor. The CPS, police and the Official Receiver worked together closely, resulting in Metcalfe agreeing to take part in the CPS Voluntary Reparation process, which provides for compensation to be paid to victims, and in place of a costly formal Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) application to court.

It was agreed that the best approach was to pay his remaining victims as creditors in the bankruptcy. As a result, the compensation awarded by the Foskett Panel was paid to the Official Receiver, allowing over £2 million to be returned to the victims of his investment scam. In addition, other creditors have also been repaid and the taxpayer also received around £750,000 which was owed to HMRC.

Joe Sullivan, Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, said:

Although this bankruptcy case dates back ten years, I am very happy both the victims and creditors are finally able to get their money back. That is testament to the hard work of the team, and I am especially pleased in this case that John Metcalfe’s victims have been repaid after his appalling scam.

Nick Bentley, Financial Investigation Manager at ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, said:

Our unit works closely with police forces across eastern England – in this case Essex Police – to ensure that crime doesn’t pay, and individuals who have made money through illicit means are ordered to repay their ill-gotten gains.

We will continue to work with partner agencies and use POCA legislation to ensure, wherever possible, victims of economic crime are compensated.

Mark James-Dawson, Specialist Prosecutor of the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said:

This case shows that even when criminals have been convicted and sentenced, the CPS will continue to pursue them for their ill-gotten gains – even if they come into money years after committing their crimes.

Our Voluntary Reparation scheme is a mechanism by which we can secure compensation for victims after the criminal and confiscation proceedings have finished, when further assets come to light. Through joint working with the police and Insolvency Service, we were able to recover significant funds from Metcalfe which will be used to compensate victims of this crime, money which they thought they’d never see again.

Background
- John Metcalfe is of Essex. His date of birth is February 1958.
October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Corruption and Russia’s war against Ukraine – UK statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 October 2023.

Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) says, in the shadow of Russia’s brutal war, there is a window of opportunity for significant reform in Ukraine.

We are here again at another Economic and Environmental Committee (EEC) meeting that takes place in the shadow of Russia’s brutal, illegal and unjustified war in Ukraine. The breadth of destruction wrought by Putin’s forces is so great that there is no topic under the remit of the second dimension that is unrelated to this disastrous war.

Ukraine had made significant progress on anti-corruption since Russia’s illegal invasion of Crimea in 2014. There is currently a window of opportunity for significant reform in Ukraine, with unprecedented national consensus and international support.

The Ukrainian Government recognises that there is more to do; and the UK will be at the forefront of the international efforts needed to help rebuild Ukraine and support the Ukrainian Government with the capacity needed to ensure good governance for Ukrainian citizens.

The purpose of the EEC is to share best practice on the topics under discussion. To that end, I would like to draw the committee’s attention to a document, a Standard for the Counter Bribery and Corruption Professional, published by the UK Government in May.

The document contains Professional Standards and Guidance on the individual level of knowledge, skills and experience required to prevent, detect and respond to bribery and corruption. It describes what good quality Counter Bribery and Corruption products look like. It suggests recommended processes for organisations to adopt to implement an effective approach. And it contains guidance on how organisations can deal with those who commit fraud.

October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK joins leading nations to form new telecoms coalition and invests £70 million in new future telecoms technologies [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 5 October 2023.

The UK has joined a global coalition to enhance communication network resilience and is investing £70 million in advancing domestic next-gen telecom technology through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund.
- UK joins global coalition for telecoms innovation with countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States of America
- it aims to enhance resilience of communication networks and explores collaboration in research and development, information sharing, and international outreach
- the UK government is also allocating £70 million to the Future Telecoms UKRI Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Programme supporting the development of next-generation telecommunications technology in the UK
The UK is joining forces with leading nations to strengthen coordination on telecoms security, resilience and innovation as a new global coalition is launched today (Thursday 5 October).

Together with Australia, Canada, Japan and the US, the UK will use the coalition to help ensure communications networks can remain resilient and adaptable when confronted with challenges ranging from supply chain disruption to cyber attacks, strengthening the country’s ability to stay connected at the most critical times.

Announced today, the Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT) will also explore opportunities for closer coordination in areas such as research and development, information sharing and international outreach. Through these initiatives the coalition seeks to advance several shared objectives which include promoting growth opportunities for industry and enabling dialogue between policymakers, business, and academia. Read the joint statement here.

Telecommunications networks are critical to the UK economy, and ensuring their resilience and security in a changing and increasingly interconnected world is a priority for the UK government. Telecoms markets are inherently global and by working together with some of the world’s biggest economies, the UK can remain at the forefront of efforts to diversify global telecoms supply chains, develop skills and industry expertise, and strengthen security in the face of potential risks.

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

This historic partnership reflects our shared commitment to harnessing the power of telecommunications for the benefit of our nations and the world at large.

Telecommunications networks are the lifeline of global economies, and safeguarding their resilience and security in an evolving, interconnected world is a top priority for our governments.

By joining forces, the UK and our partners are well-positioned to take the lead in broadening supply chains, nurturing industry knowledge, and bolstering security to address emerging challenges.

Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator said:

The critical telecommunications issues of today are global in scope. This groundbreaking coalition will help the U.S. and our partners respond decisively to cross-border opportunities and challenges.

By working ever more closely together, the Coalition members will advance secure, diverse, resilient, and innovative telecommunications networks around the world.

Cementing the UK’s commitment to this vital domestic and international agenda, the UK government is investing an initial £70 million to develop the next generation of telecommunications technology via the Future Telecoms Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Programme.

This investment in new telecom research will help the UK become a leader in 6G technology and beyond – including new technologies to better connect space-based and terrestrial networks, step-changes in capacity/speeds in data transfer and improving energy efficiency of our networks through cloudification. Universities and businesses across the UK are ready to lead projects that bring new, game-changing ideas to the market which could benefit the public by improving internet coverage everywhere, making universal rollout of self-driving cars possible, and using less energy in our growing digital world.

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director, Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI, said:

This £70 million investment will, via the Future Telecoms UKRI Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Programme, form part of the UK’s contribution to international cooperation in this field and provide tangible benefits to the population and economy.

The UKRI Technology Missions funding is designed to exploit the UK’s global leadership in transformative technologies to help solve specific problems, while also helping to lay the foundations for a longer-term leading position.

In addition, UKRI is investing £250 million through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund to enable new and existing capabilities and capacity in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and engineering biology in the years 2023-2025 and beyond.

University-led Future Telecoms Research Hubs will facilitate early-stage research -boosting the UK’s role in shaping the future of 6G technologies. In addition to the hubs Innovate UK will fund application-focused challenges to accelerate market-ready solutions and foster collaboration in the UK’s telecoms sector. International cooperation across both of these areas, including through the new GCOT partnership, will ensure UK activity shapes global telecoms technologies, upholds our values, and safeguards our security interests. Innovate UK competitions under the Future Telecoms Technology Mission Fund are launching from 6 October.
October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak – Europe must join forces against people smuggling gangs [October 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 October 2023.
- UK to lead discussions on migration, AI and support to Ukraine at European Political Community summit today [Thurs]
- Prime Minister expected to agree new initiatives to tackle organised crime with Belgium, Bulgaria and Serbia and chair meeting on migration with Italian PM Meloni
- Rishi Sunak will also galvanise continued support for Ukraine and announce new humanitarian aid at the meeting in Spain
The Prime Minister will urge leaders to join forces to protect Europe’s borders from criminal gangs and face down Russian aggression at the European Political Community [EPC] meeting in Granada, Spain today [Thursday 5th October].

Co-chairing a small group meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni on illegal migration and organised crime, the Prime Minister is expected to raise the need for more coordinated action to address rising levels of illegal migration to Europe.

Signalling the UK’s intention to step up cooperation with key European countries on this issue, he will announce new bilateral initiatives with Belgium, Bulgaria and Serbia to increase intelligence sharing and operational cooperation.

As new intelligence released today reveals Russia may use sea mines to target civilian shipping on the vital Black Sea route, the Prime Minister will also discuss support for Ukraine at the EPC.

Talks will focus on ongoing work among European partners to provide air defence, fighter jets and long-range fires to Ukraine, as well as efforts to end Putin’s blockade of vital Black Sea grain shipments – with evidence suggesting Russian attacks in the last few months destroyed enough grain to feed more than one million people for a year. The Prime Minister will confirm new allocations of UK humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians survive this second winter of war.

Following the opening plenary session, the Prime Minister will attend a roundtable session on Artificial Intelligence, where he will encourage European states to seize the opportunities of AI and work together to adopt a safe and responsible regulatory approach to this exciting technology.

Speaking ahead of the European Political Community summit, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Levels of illegal migration to mainland Europe are the highest they have been in nearly a decade. With thousands of people dying at sea, propelled by people smugglers, the situation is both immoral and unsustainable. We cannot allow criminal gangs to decide who comes to Europe’s shores.

When it comes to facing down the threat from Putin, confronting the risks and opportunities of AI or dealing with illegal migration, there is strength in unity.

These issues transcend national borders and require creative Europe-wide solutions – that is what I will be discussing with my fellow leaders at the European Political Community summit in Spain today.

New aid allocations for Ukraine announced today include £34 million for the UN and charities providing shelter and warm winter clothing and £10 million for household electricity, following Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. The UK’s fourth loan guarantee of $500 million has been disbursed via the World Bank to ensure the Government of Ukraine can provide life-saving winter support payments to three million households.

In meetings with a range of leaders the Prime Minister will also underline the UK’s commitment to wider European security, including in responding to the situation in Kosovo and in Nagorno-Karabakh. The UK has this week deployed 600 UK troops to reinforce NATO’s mission in Kosovo, and the PM is expected to press Serbia to ensure those behind recent attacks on Kosovan police officers face justice.

As close partners, the UK and Italy are committed to using forums like the EPC to drive regional and global solutions to the shared challenge of illegal migration and dangerous small boats crossing. That includes helping countries to address the root causes of migration, cracking down on people smuggling gangs and strengthening national borders.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Meloni will convene a small-group meeting on the sidelines of the EPC with key European partners to reaffirm our collective commitment to tackling this issue and discuss joint action.

As part of that shared European effort, the PM will confirm new initiatives with Belgium, Bulgaria and Serbia today.

The UK and Belgium will agree a deal to disrupt organised immigration crime and clandestine entry to the UK. It will see a commitment to increase our bilateral exchange of expertise and the deployment of new advanced detection technology to identify and disrupt people smuggling through Belgium and onwards to the UK.

And the Prime Minister will agree a new joint declaration with Serbia on efforts to fight organised immigration crime together, noting Serbia’s role as a key transit country on the Western Balkans migration route. It will enhance cooperation on prosecuting and disrupting criminal networks, intelligence sharing and operational cooperation on border management.

A new agreement with Bulgaria will operationalise the partnership agreed by the Prime Minister at the EPC meeting in Moldova in June, enabling an expansion of joint action to disrupt criminal networks, sharing of information and practical support.

The UK will continue to drive joint work with European partners on migration, Ukraine and AI through the upcoming AI Safety and JEF Summits.
October 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : ‘Retain and explain’ guidance published to protect historic statues [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 5 October 2023.

Guidance published to advise custodians facing calls for the removal of heritage assets in their care or ownership.
Guidance published to advise custodians facing calls for the removal of heritage assets in their care or ownership

‘Retain and explain’ policy will see assets kept in place, accompanied by an explanation of their historical context

Applies to custodians of all public memorials, including statues, monuments and commemorations

Custodians of heritage assets now have access to clear guidance on how to handle calls for their removal or relocation.

The new guidance, published today, follows consideration by the academics and heritage experts of the government-appointed Heritage Advisory Board on how custodians should approach and manage such requests.

This toolkit is intended to ensure that heritage decision-makers can access expert advice and good practice to support them to make better and more considered decisions with confidence when deciding how to deal with a heritage asset which may have become the focus of debate. This will help to avoid future occurrences of the hasty, forced, or ill-considered removal of contested assets.

Decision-makers may include owners, trustees or board members with care and custody responsibility for the asset in question.

The guidance applies to any statue or monument accessible to the public in the local community which faces calls for its removal or relocation on the grounds of changing views about the people or events it commemorates.

Removing heritage assets risks limiting our understanding of the difficult parts of our history, and of actions people took in the past, even if they may not be considered acceptable today.

The starting point for the guidance is for custodians to comply with the government policy to ‘retain and explain’ and keep assets in situ, but to complement them as necessary with a comprehensive ‘explanation’ which provides the whole story of the person or event depicted, so that a fuller understanding of the historic context can be known, understood and debated.

If, after assessing all the relevant evidence and following consultation and careful deliberation, custodians decide that this is not possible and seek to relocate the asset, they must follow the planning application process to do so.

The guidance confirms that the process of deciding how to deal with calls for the removal of a heritage asset should be rigorous, transparent and rooted in a comprehensive assessment of the person or event, not on partial interpretations. It also highlights that custodians have a responsibility to consider the views of those who cannot be consulted, such as past and future generations.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

History is nuanced and complex. It is full of grey areas, which is what makes it so interesting and, of course, there are times when statues and monuments depict people or events that we very much disapprove of today.

At the same time, the UK has a proud history as an engine for progress, democracy and liberal values. That is why I want all our cultural institutions to resist being driven by any politics or agenda and to use their assets to educate and inform rather than to seek to erase the parts of our history that we are uncomfortable with.

Creative approaches to contextualising or explaining are also covered. The guidance highlights that ‘explaining’ need not be limited to a textual amendment and that alternative media and approaches can be used.

Also published today by Historic England are a set of case studies highlighting the variety of ways that ‘reinterpretation’ has already been put in practice for various contested heritage assets in the UK and elsewhere.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said:

The case studies we have commissioned are designed to help custodians of historic places hold constructive discussions around uncomfortable and challenging aspects of our history. We hope they will be helpful in informing the process of interpreting and reinterpreting our shared heritage in a thoughtful, long-lasting and powerful way.

This guidance was prepared by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), working closely with Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment, and overseen by a Heritage Advisory Board established by the former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in May 2021. It forms part of wider government action previously taken, to protect historical monuments from unwarranted removal by giving statutes legal protection so future generations can learn from their cultural and historical contexts.

Mukesh Sharma MBE, Northern Ireland Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund said:

Being part of a multi disciplined team creating the Contested Heritage Guidance was a fulfilling experience, allowing me to apply my knowledge of handling multi-faceted contestation in Northern Ireland to wider discussion around how the heritage sector should respond to calls for statues and other memorials to be removed .

Dr Anna Keay, Director of the Landmark Trust:

Maintaining and caring for historic places is a big responsibility; we hope this guidance will be of assistance to owners and custodians in navigating conflicting views about their treatment and in offering broad and balanced interpretation.

Notes to editors:

This guidance applies to any commemorative heritage asset (statue, monument, or commemoration) which is a structure, or is part of a building or structure, which is on public display or in places accessible to the public.

The guidance does not include:

museums’ and galleries’ collections, including objects on temporary or permanent display, or in storage.

items that do not form part of a building or structure, items that may be in place on a temporary basis, or items that are part of an exhibition. This may include items owned by institutions that are subject to restitution claims. Guidance on restitution is published by Arts Council England.

intangible forms of heritage such as dialects and dance.

heritage assets outside England, as heritage is a devolved matter – although custodians of heritage assets around the UK may like to consult this guidance.

Membership of the Heritage Advisory Board was determined by the then Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in May 2021. The seven members included:

Dr Anna Keay – Director, Landmark Trust

Mukesh Sharma MBE – Northern Ireland Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund

Sir Laurie Magnus Bt. CBE – former Chairman, Historic England

Sir Trevor Phillips OBE – Journalist and Broadcaster and former director of the Equality and Human Rights Commission

Prof. Robert Tombs, Professor Emeritus of French History at the University of Cambridge

Martha Lytton-Cobbold, President of Historic Houses

Dr Samir Shah CBE, former Chairman of the Museum of the Home
October 6, 2023