Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Fund reinstated to deliver specialist mobility equipment for seriously injured veterans [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 September 2023.

A new £2.52 million Veterans’ Mobility Fund (VMF) is set to provide veterans across the UK with mobility equipment to improve their quality of life.
New Veterans’ Mobility Fund will deliver grants to former armed forces personnel with mobility needs

Government funding to be awarded by Help for Heroes in partnership with Blesma, The Limbless Veterans charity

Funding will enable veterans to access vital mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and scooters

A new £2.52 million Veterans’ Mobility Fund (VMF) is set to provide veterans across the UK with mobility equipment to improve their quality of life.

The fund will deliver grants and equipment to veterans with mobility needs linked to their service. This includes mobility aids that are not usually available through the NHS, such as specialist wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and different orthotics such as splints and braces.

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust, funded by the government, has awarded £2.52 million to Help for Heroes, in partnership with Blesma. The charities will deliver high quality support to veterans with physical disabilities through grants across five years.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, said:

I want to make this the best country in the world to be a veteran. To do that, It is only right that those who have served our country should have access to high quality support that allows them to get back to what they love doing.

I’ve met so many inspiring veterans today who have told me how the previous fund helped them to make small steps to regain their independence and zest for life.

If you have mobility needs linked to your time in service, please get in touch with Help for Heroes to find out more.

The new VMF was secured in the Spring Budget by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. The reinstated fund will have a greater focus on evaluating impact, and will be part of the new physical health pathway in England under Op RESTORE.

James Needham, CEO of Help for Heroes:

The reinstatement of the Veterans’ Mobility Fund will make a vital difference to the lives of those injured during their military service, and it is great news that our charity has been recognised and trusted to deliver this fund.

Today’s announcement is a result of a joint two-year campaign by Help for Heroes and Blemsa, and wounded veterans will be pleased that the UK Government has listened and reinstated this life-changing fund.

We are now working quickly and carefully to establish a robust programme so we can open the fund to eligible veterans by March 2024.

Jon Bryant, Chief Executive, Blesma, the Limbless Veterans said:

Blesma is delighted to have been successful in bidding to run the Veterans Mobility Fund alongside our colleagues in Help for Heroes. Having campaigned for this funding, we know very well what a difference it will make to veterans who have been injured in the service of their country. We look forward to delivering this much-needed support to those who need it.

Army veteran, Paul Colling, said:

I’m delighted the government has decided to reinstate the VMF and award it to Help for Heroes and Blesma. Being able to access the previous fund meant I was able to receive a specialist leg brace -something I couldn’t afford on my own – which prevented me from going through a leg amputation. That brace, and the efforts of Help for Heroes, has enabled me to walk again.

By addressing mobility needs, the equipment will help with veterans’ wider issues such as reducing isolation and loneliness.

To further support the healthcare needs of veterans, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) has worked with NHS England to deliver two dedicated healthcare pathways. Op RESTORE supports physical health needs, and Op COURAGE provides mental health and wellbeing support. The OVA launched a £5 million Health Innovation Fund this year, which includes a research project by Blesma and Anglia Ruskin University on how assistive technologies such as wheelchairs and mobility scooters help veterans in their everyday lives.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Immediate action to improve HMP Woodhill [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 September 2023.

HMP Woodhill will take urgent action to improve safety, security and living conditions including specialist psychological staff to support prisoners at risk of self-harm.
Ministers outline Action Plan to drive immediate improvements at HMP Woodhill

Extra prison staff and training to bolster prison safety and security

Prison conditions to be assessed and works carried out to improve living conditions

Today’s announcement (29 September 2023) follows a critical inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) last month which identified serious concerns resulting in an Urgent Notification.

As part of the Urgent Notification process, Ministers have 28 days to respond, setting out what immediate action is required to improve the running of this prison.

Extra prison staff will be deployed and the population temporarily reduced to bolster the safety and security of HMP Woodhill, with all staff given fresh training on how to tackle prisoner violence.

A prison-wide cell condition survey is underway to identify necessary repairs and industrial-grade cleaning will be carried out across the prison to improve the standard of living conditions.

An Education, Skills and Work Manager will be hired to improve prison education and enhance the quality of time that prisoners spend outside their cell.

Prisons Minister Damian Hinds said:

The findings at HMP Woodhill were incredibly serious which is why I am taking the necessary action to order immediate improvements.

Extra safety staff, specialised mental health support and appropriate living conditions will ensure that offenders have the support they need to turn their backs on crime and live law-abiding lives on release.

The government introduced the Urgent Notification process in 2017 to ensure immediate, urgent action was taken when necessary to address serious concerns identified by inspectors.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK announces new sanctions in response to Russian sham elections in Ukraine [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 September 2023.

Latest sanctions package holds those who would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty to account.
- UK sanctions Russian officials involved in recent sham elections in the Ukrainian oblasts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk, and in illegally annexed Crimea
- Sanctions also target officials involved in last year’s sham referendums staged to legitimise the attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory
- 1,600 individuals and entities have now been sanctioned by the UK in response to Russia’s invasion
More Russian officials involved in the illegal invasion of Ukraine are hit with new sanctions, including movement and financial restrictions, announced by the Foreign Secretary today (29th September). Eleven new designations will be imposed by the UK in response to Russia’s attempts to use sham elections to legitimise its illegal control of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, which are all part of Ukrainian sovereign territory.

Among those designated are an organisation and senior Russian officials, who have all directly acted to undermine Ukraine and threaten its territorial integrity.

They include:
- The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia, the government agency that has arranged this month’s sham elections and last year’s referendums in illegally temporarily controlled parts of Ukraine.
- Natalya Budarina, CEC Secretary, one of the most senior officials in the Central Election Commission.
- Andrei Aleksyenko, Head of the so-called Kherson regional administration.
- Marina Zakharova, Head of the so-called election commission in Kherson.
Today’s announcement comes one year on from Russia’s illegal attempt to annex the Ukrainian oblasts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk after falsified and illegitimate sham referendums. Conducted on sovereign Ukrainian territory, through intimidation at gunpoint, these referendums were overwhelmingly rejected by the UN General Assembly in October 2022.

The Ukrainian population living in these temporarily controlled territories has endured large-scale atrocities at the hands of Russian forces, including torture, sexual violence, and mass forced deportation. To date, the Ukrainian authorities report that at least 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported from their homes.

Russia has sought to destroy Ukrainian culture and identity in a bid to strengthen its illegitimate claim to Ukrainian territory, including by forcible issue of Russian passports, and imposition of Russian law, media, education, and currency.

In the latest futile attempt to normalise Russia’s illegitimate control of sovereign Ukrainian territory, Russia arranged illegal sham “elections” earlier this month. These elections are another violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and of the UN Charter. Earlier this month the UK confirmed, to the UN Security Council, evidence that the results were pre-determined.

Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Russia’s sham elections are a transparent, futile attempt to legitimise its illegal control of sovereign Ukrainian territory. You can’t hold ‘elections’ in someone else’s country.

The UK will never recognise Russia’s claims to Ukrainian territory – Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson are Ukraine.

Last year, the UK took immediate action in response to the illegal sham referendums in Ukraine, sanctioning top Russian officials who enforced the illegal votes in the temporarily controlled territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.

This latest package of designations comes ahead of a new commemoration day in Russia, declared by Putin to celebrate the anniversary of his purported annexations, despite Russia having no legitimate basis for any claim to Ukrainian territory.

The people of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts voted overwhelmingly for Ukraine’s independence in 1991, and their continued resistance against Russian aggression shows their determination to remain part of an independent and sovereign Ukraine.

These latest sanctions serve as a stark reminder of the cost of such a flagrant assault on sovereignty, democracy and equality.

Together with our international partners, we have unleashed the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy.

The UK alone has sanctioned over 1,800 individuals and entities under its Russia sanctions regime, over 1,600 of which were sanctioned since Putin’s full-scale invasion. This includes 29 banks, accounting for over 90% of the Russian banking sector, and 129 oligarchs who had a combined net worth around £145 billion at the time of the invasion. Over £20 billion of UK-Russia bilateral trade (2021 figures) is now under full or partial sanction and there has been a 98.2% fall in Russian imports into the UK, and a 77.4% fall in UK exports to Russia.

Sanctions have sent Russia into recession, eroded Russia’s financial base and massively degraded the building blocks for Russia’s long-term growth.

Russia’s budget is heavily in deficit. Rather than the surplus the Russian government predicted for 2022, Russia suffered an annual deficit of $47bn—the second highest of the post-Soviet era. Many of the trends contributing to the deficit in 2022 will continue in 2023, especially downward pressure on oil and gas exports.

Now, over 60% of Putin’s ‘war chest’ foreign reserves – worth £275bn – have been immobilised.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New Prison Education Service to cut crime [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 September 2023.

Overhaul of learning behind bars to include specialist teaching staff, apprenticeships and digital reading tools.
new Prisoner Education Service to get more offenders into work on release – keeping public safe

in the past 6 months 4 prisons have received a ‘Good’ rating for education provision from Ofsted.

Learning in jails is to be completely transformed through the introduction of a new Prisoner Education Service as part of a renewed push to skill up offenders and protect the public (28 September 2023).

Evidence shows most prisoners have poor levels of education, with almost half of all offenders having been previously expelled from school and just a third having the expected maths and English ability of an 11-year-old.

The government’s new Prisoner Education Service will include:

New Head of Education Skills and Work roles in every prison, working hand in glove with the Governor to provide tailored education plans to meet the needs of their jail

The first ever prisoner apprenticeships in catering and construction through ground-breaking partnerships with Greene King, Kier and Clipper, with talks underway to open up apprenticeships in other industries.

An extra £1.8 million invested to raise literacy rates as well as a new digital literacy app for prison leavers. Based on the ‘Turning Pages’ learning model, the app provides users with support from a dedicated coach and allows individuals to set personal goals such as learning to read a letter from their family or write a CV.

New Neurodiversity Support Managers in every prison to support offenders with neurodivergent needs in accessing education, skills and work opportunities within the prison.

Launching the Future Skills programme that will train up over 2,000 offenders over the next two years in vital industries such as scaffolding and electrics, before linking them up with employers in the local community and guaranteeing interviews on release.

New contracts for education providers with tough targets on maths, English and vocational qualifications, and quality of delivery – to ensure every prisoner can finish their sentence with a basic level of English and maths.

To further drive innovation and encourage creativity, prison governors in five prisons will be given increased freedoms on how they organise prison education, skills and work opportunities in their prison.

The new service is a cornerstone of the Prisons Strategy White Paper – and is the latest step in a package of measures to revolutionise learning behind bars and better prepare offenders for life on release.

This work to overhaul education in prisons is already well underway, and seeing positive results.

The number of prisoners in work following release more than doubling between 2021 and 2023, and in the past 6 months 4 prisons have received a ‘Good’ rating for education provision from Ofsted.

As part of this commitment the prison service is continuing to forge a closer working relationship with the education inspectorate, Ofsted, who have been delivering education sessions to prison leaders to ensure greater collaboration and clear expectations for prison education.

Prisons Minister Damian Hinds said:

Just as criminals must repay their debt to society, a forward-thinking prison system must give prisoners an alternative to the cycle of reoffending, and one of the best ways to do this is through education.

Our improved Prisoner Education Service with specialist staff, tougher targets and increased focus on employment will be more effective at cutting crime and keeping the public safe. I am grateful to Ofsted and the Chief Inspector of Prisons for their work championing this issue.

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman added:

I warmly welcome this investment to support the much-needed improvements in education, work and skills provision in prisons.

I look forward to continuing our work with the MOJ to make sure that education is a priority in prison, making a real difference to prisoners’ lives post release.

This announcement delivers on a key pledge in the Prisons Strategy White Paper to better protect the public by getting more prisoners skilled up while behind bars so they can find work on release – cutting crime, keeping the public safe, and reducing the £18 billion a year cost to society of reoffending.

Today’s announcement builds on work to get more prisoners skilled up while behind bars so they can find work on release, better protecting the public and reducing reoffending.

Ministers have already set up new Employment Advisory Boards – now up and running in all 92 resettlement prisons – which link up prisons to leading businesses, such as Co-op, Greggs and Iceland, to provide advice on how to get offenders into work on release.

Prisons have also continued to rollout Storybooks Dads and Mums, which helps over 5,000 prisoners a year record bedtime stories for their children, and rolled out new technology, including laptops for prisoners to take part in online courses with the Open University.

Today’s launch also coincides with the launch of the Future Skills Programme, running courses targeted at industry in prisons with direct links to employers. Courses will be delivered from autumn 2023 to spring 2025 in up to 23 prisons across England and Wales, reaching around 2,200 prisoners, who will be trained and offered guaranteed interviews for jobs on release in a variety of roles including scaffolders, electricians and case workers.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Giant Kiwi monument shines after chopper chalk drop [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 29 September 2023.

The well-loved ‘Bulford Kiwi’ monument has been restored after an RAF helicopter flew in 100 tonnes of chalk.
Well-loved ‘Bulford Kiwi’ monument restored by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)

The monument was created by New Zealand soldiers waiting to return home after the First World War

RAF helicopter flew in 100 tonnes of chalk before volunteers set to work

A historically significant monument, created by New Zealand soldiers during World War I, has been restored in Wiltshire after a collective effort from UK Defence, the New Zealand High Commission and volunteers.

The ‘Bulford Kiwi’ is a large depiction of a kiwi, carved in the chalk on Beacon Hill above the village of Bulford on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. It was carved by soldiers from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who were waiting to return home following the end of World War I.

After the war had been won, the New Zealand soldiers still in the UK decided to leave their mark on the countryside before they returned home. They carved a kiwi, a New Zealand icon, into the chalk of Beacon Hill.

DIO partnered with the New Zealand High Commission, local conservation groups, Landmarc and volunteers from the 3rd (UK) Division Signal Regiment and Operation Nightingale to restore the impressive carving.

As part of the project to ensure the historic significance of the kiwi is preserved, an RAF Chinook helicopter flew over the site and dropped 100 tonnes of chalk, which was then raked into place by volunteers across the partnership groups. A Waiata song and Kukuri dance were performed.

As the All Blacks prepare to take on Italy at the Rugby World Cup on Friday, DIO has highlighted the connection between the soldiers who created the Kiwi and the ‘Trench All Blacks’ – a team of soldiers from New Zealand who won ‘The Somme Cup’, a special rugby division for those fighting in the war.

The soldiers who created the monument fought alongside the ‘Trench All Blacks’ during the Battle of Messines – often regarded as one of the most successful battles of the war.

Richard Osgood, DIO’s senior archaeologist and co-founder of Operation Nightingale, said:

DIO is responsible for looking after 772 scheduled monuments across the MOD estate – dating from the pre-historic era right up to the Cold War.

Although the Bulford Kiwi is one of the youngest, being constructed in 1919, it is of national and international importance, given its association with the Armed Forces of New Zealand. This annual re-chalking reinforces the bonds between our countries and reminds us of the sacrifices made in the First World War.

Flight Lieutenant James Patrick piloted the Chinook helicopter, a special task for him as a pilot on an exchange programme from New Zealand.

Flight Lieutenant, James Patrick said:

It’s only since I came over to the UK on the exchange programme that I found out more about the Bulford Kiwi – I did know there was a chalked kiwi in the UK, but that was about it. I’ve flown over it a few times, which is interesting because it looks totally different from the air than it does from land.

The fact that it was made by New Zealand soldiers waiting to go home after the First World War just makes it special. Then knowing I’m involved in restoring it, it’s just awesome to be honest.

The soldiers who made this were fighting with the British forces on the Western Front, and I think that is important for us to remember. We have these relationships and things like this are perfect for us to keep up those bonds.

Shannon Austin, the New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner, said:

What a fantastic day it has been meeting and working with so many dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers. The Bulford Kiwi is well loved and has a long history that links the UK and New Zealand.

It has been a real pleasure to be involved in helping to protect and restore this significant monument.

Background

The Bulford Kiwi, which stretches 130 metres (420 feet), was declared a scheduled monument in 2017, meaning it is recognised as a nationally important archaeological site and is now protected from destruction or change.

Over the years, the Kiwi has been looked after by the New Zealand High Commission and local conservation groups.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Coastal adaptation projects in South West England to receive £6m in funding [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 29 September 2023.

Three communities in the South West allocated £6 million to support adaptation to coastal erosion.

Local authorities in the South West have been allocated £6 million in funding to improve the resilience of communities to the effects of coastal erosion and benefit the local economy, Floods Minister Rebecca Pow has announced today (Friday 29 September).

The communities of Charmouth and Swanage on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and Bude in northeast Cornwall have been selected as the next recipients for funding as part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency’s joint £36 million Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme.

The Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme helps communities to plan for the long term, including through interventions such as improving and replacing damaged community infrastructure like beach access or coastal transport links, repurposing land in coastal erosion zones for different uses such as temporary car parks, and restoring and creating habitats to include green buffer zones.

Today’s announcement follows last year’s launch of two initial projects in East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk, identified as the areas to lead the programme as they have proportionally the highest number of properties at risk from coastal erosion in England.

The Environment Agency is managing the programme and the local project teams are supporting the communities as they develop and deliver their plans. The Environment Agency will also ensure that lessons are shared with other coastal areas facing similar challenges.

Floods Minister Rebecca Pow said:

It is vital that we support the communities that are most vulnerable to the effects of coastal erosion.

The funding announced today will help these towns to invest and grow as we continue to ramp up our flood and coastal erosion policies nationwide.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

Following the launch last year of the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme in North Norfolk and East Riding of Yorkshire, I am pleased we are extending the programme for coastal communities in the South West. The £6 million of additional funding will help support communities at risk of coastal erosion in the South West to transition and adapt to climate change.

We will also be sharing our lessons learnt and innovative approaches with coastal groups and communities around the country.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:

Looking after our natural environment and tackling the impacts of climate change are key priorities for Dorset Council, so I’m pleased we’ve been able to secure this support from the CTAP programme.

Many of our beautiful coastal towns and villages in Dorset are vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion and it is vital that we prepare for the challenges presented by extreme weather. These funds will help us work with partners and local communities to deliver ambitious projects that increase resilience and help residents and businesses get ready for the future.

Cllr Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:

We have seen from the Cornwall Climate Risk Assessment that Cornwall will likely see some of the highest future increases in relative sea level rise in the UK, as well as an increase in storm surges and higher tides causing greater coastal erosion along its 1000km of coastline.

We welcome Cornwall’s inclusion to the CTAP programme and the opportunity it presents to deliver practical action in ensuring its residents and communities are better prepared for the impacts of a changing coastline both now and into the future.

The programme will run to March 2027, exploring and testing innovative opportunities. A full evaluation of the programme will help to inform future national policy direction and will add to the other coastal resilience activity managed by the Environment Agency, which includes a national coastal erosion risk map providing clearer data about local risks to help local planning.

The Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme supports the Environment Agency’s FCERM Strategy, which provides a longer-term vision of how we will better protect and prepare homes and businesses from flooding and coastal change and create climate resilient places.

The Environment Agency continues to work closely with local authorities and is currently funding a £38 million programme of regional monitoring to understand better how the coast is changing and the risk that climate change poses to those living and working on our coasts.

Elsewhere, the Environment Agency recently announced that £25 million will be invested in projects that use nature to protect communities from flooding. The ring-fenced funding, provided by the Government and the Environment Agency, will support natural flood management schemes across England that use techniques such as planting trees and creating wetlands to slow and store water. These schemes are also proven to improve air and water quality, provide habitats for wildlife and create green spaces for communities.

30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Treasury minister visits North East businesses [September 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 29 September 2023.

The Financial Secretary, Victoria Atkins MP, visited NETPark on 29 September to see how businesses are using full-expensing and R&D tax relief to help them grow.
- Treasury minister visits Kromek in NETPark Sedgefield to meet with science and technology companies spearheading drive for local growth
- firms benefit from government schemes including R&D tax relief and full-expensing
- stats published today reveal 11% increase in R&D tax relief claims last year
The minister met with representatives of Durham County Council and business leaders at NETPark, one of the UK’s leading science and technology parks, who support hundreds of jobs and over 40 companies and institutions, including leading innovators across health, cyber and space.

Minister Atkins stopped off at Kromek, who produce high performance radiation detection technologies. Kromek CEO Dr Arnab Basu took the Minister on a tour of the factory floor where they saw from start to finish how radiation detectors used in the global effort to tackle radiological and biological threats are manufactured.

R&D tax reliefs enable companies like Kromek and others in NETPark to claim back on their investments, helping to drive further growth and innovation.

This is in addition to full expensing, introduced at Spring Budget 2023, an effective £27 billion corporate tax cut that lets taxpayers deduct 100% of the cost of certain plant and machinery from their profits before tax.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Victoria Atkins, said:

“NETPark and the companies operating here, such as Kromek, are a fantastic example of what can be achieved through hard work, innovation and targeted support, and I leave feeling truly inspired.

“Growing the economy remains one of the Prime Minister’s top priorities, and I am determined that leading companies have our backing to thrive and help level up the UK.”

The visit coincides with the release of statistics this morning which show that SMEs are increasingly using the government’s R&D schemes to help them grow. There was an 11% increase in R&D tax relief support claimed in 2021-22, bringing the total relief provided to £7.6 billion covering £44 billion worth of R&D expenditure.
30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Announcement of peerages [September 2023]

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

HM The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring the following Peerage of the United Kingdom for Life.

Dame Sue Carr, DBE – Lord Chief Justice Designate

30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New bans and restrictions on polluting single-use plastics come into force [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 29 September 2023.

Some of the most polluting single-use plastic items banned from 1 October.

Government action to tackle the scourge of litter and protect the environment from plastic pollution ramps up this weekend (Sunday 1 October), with bans and restrictions on a range of polluting single-use plastic items coming into force.

No business – whether retailer, takeaway, food vendor or part of the hospitality industry – will now be able to sell single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks nor polystyrene cups and food containers in England. The supply of single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls has also been restricted. The new regulations were announced in January and extensive work has taken place throughout 2023 to provide further guidance on the ban for businesses.

Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage on our ocean, rivers and land. It is also a source of greenhouse gas emissions, from its production and manufacture to the way it is disposed.

Research shows people across England use 2.7 billion items of mostly plastic single-use cutlery and 721 million single-use plates every year, but only 10% of these are recycled. If 2.7 billion pieces of cutlery were lined up, they would go round the world more than eight-and-a-half times.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

This new ban is the next big step in our mission to crack down on harmful plastic waste. It will protect the environment and help to cut litter – stopping plastic pollution dirtying our streets and threatening our wildlife.

This builds on world-leading bans on straws, stirrers and cotton buds, our single-use carrier bag charge and our plastic packaging tax, helping us on our journey to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.

The Government has engaged closely with industry to support them in getting ready for the new requirements, including by giving them nine months from the publication of its response to the consultation on the ban to prepare and use up excess stock. We have been working closely with relevant

trade bodies and local authorities to help businesses and Trading Standards officers be ready for the new rules.

Responses from the public to the consultation on the ban demonstrated overwhelming support, with 95% in favour of all prohibitions. People and businesses want to do the right thing for the environment and banning these items will be a significant help in reducing plastic waste and littering – plastic cutlery, for instance, was in the top 15 most littered items in the country in 2020.

The ban will not apply to single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls used as packaging in shelf-ready pre-packaged food items as these will be included in our plans for an extended producer responsibility scheme, which will incentivise producers to use less packaging and meet higher recycling targets.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said:

Hospitality businesses have made huge strides in reducing their plastic usage and that progress has resulted in the vast majority of venues already eliminating single-use cutlery from their operations, a crucial part of our ambitions to reach net zero.

We’ve been pleased to work with the Government to ensure these new bans and restrictions are also practical for hospitality businesses, all while working towards the nation’s sustainability goals.

Helen Bird, Head of Material Systems at WRAP, said:

Single-use plastics dominate our world, and have even become embedded into the planet itself. This ban is an important moment in tackling the scourge of plastic pollution.

Since 2018, WRAP has worked with businesses under The UK Plastics Pact to eliminate all unnecessary and unrecyclable plastic packaging. Since then, 620 million single use plastic items have been removed from shops. But we must go further, including on plastic packaging on most fruit and vegetables – and help save shoppers money by allowing people to buy what they need.

The Government has set out plans to drive up the repair and reuse of existing materials and increase recycling, including via the ‘Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste’ programme announced in July. This brings together a range of measures backed by government funding to help keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible and at their highest value, in turn growing the economy and boosting employment.

The single-use plastics ban is part of the Government’s wider world-leading action to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution and eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. The Government has already banned microbeads in rinse-off personal care products in 2018 and restricted the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in 2020.

The Government also introduced the Plastic Packaging Tax in April 2022, a tax of more than £200 per tonne on plastic packaging manufactured in or imported to the UK that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic.

Elsewhere, the Government’s hugely successful single-use carrier bag charge has cut sales in the main supermarkets by more than 98% since its introduction in 2015, taking billions of bags out of circulation.

But there is still more to do, which is why the Government is bringing in a deposit return scheme for drinks containers to recycle billions more plastic bottles and stop them being landfilled, incinerated or littered, alongside plans to simplify recycling collections for every household and business in England.

Through the actions of government, businesses and individuals, we are transitioning away from unnecessary plastics and improving sustainability across the public and private sectors. This shift from single-use items is vital as the Government continues its work to protect the environment for future generations.

30/09/2023
PRESS RELEASE : £60 million government investment to transform the school run for 2 million children [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 September 2023.

More children will have access to walk to school and cycle training programmes over the next 2 years, giving them better road skills.
- an additional 2 million children will now benefit from programmes to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle to school
- the initiatives will enable more young people to make active choices when travelling in their communities
Up to 2 million more children will have access to walk to school programmes and cycle training programmes over the next 2 years thanks to a multimillion-pound investment announced by Active Travel England (ATE) today (29 September 2023).

The £60 million package will help parents have more confidence to walk or cycle with their kids on the school run by funding initiatives that give more children better road skills and aim to help make it easier for parents to choose greener travel options.

The 2-year funding will include £50 million to expand Bikeability cycle training to a million more young people. This scheme has already delivered training to more than 4 million children since 2007.

A further £5 million will support walk to school programmes aimed at hundreds of thousands of pupils in schools across England via the charity Living Streets.

Chris Boardman, Active Travel Commissioner, said:

Giving kids transport independence and enabling them to walk, wheel or cycle on the school run is what they want, and what we want for them.

This £60 million funding package will help put the joy back into journeys and create a generation of young people who feel confident to make healthier and greener travel choices.

Decarbonisation Minister, Jesse Norman, said:

The government wants children up and down the country to benefit from the freedom as well as the huge mental and physical health benefits of cycling. That is why it is investing £60 million in this package of measures to support active travel for young people.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said:

The journey to and from school is an essential part of the school day for every child, and it’s encouraging that Active Travel England is investing in active travel initiatives for children and young people that can improve their health and wellbeing.

Many schools are already encouraging these initiatives locally and this is being supported with our School Sport and Activity Action Plan, which was published earlier this year.

The plan supports initiatives to increase active and safe travel to school such as Walk to School Outreach, School Streets and Bikeability – and these include inclusive delivery for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Also included in the package is £4 million to extend Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival programme to March 2025. The scheme has already engaged over 80,000 people of all ages, helping them learn cycling basics and feel more confident while pedalling.

Meanwhile, an additional £500,000 will fund an extension to the Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Ambassador schemes. The STARS program provides recognition for schools, businesses and organisations that show excellence in supporting and delivering active travel plans in their community. Active Travel Ambassadors work with secondary school students to encourage their peers to travel actively.

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said:

This funding will support even more families to choose active ways to travel to school, boosting the nation’s health, reducing congestion and improving air quality.

Our programmes have been incredibly successful, playing a huge role in helping more children walk to school. We look forward to more pupils and schools joining us and reaping the benefits that come from swapping the school run for a school walk.

Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of the Bikeability Trust, said:

What great news to wrap up Cycle to School Week. We and ATE share an ambition that every child has the confidence to cycle and can enjoy this skill for life. This funding will help us and our brilliant Bikeability instructors, training providers and grant recipients to work towards that ambition this and next year. Together, we can make sure that no child leaves school without the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to cycle.
30/09/2023