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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : 1,500 UK troops join major NATO exercise amid expanded UK deployment to Estonia [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 1,500 UK troops join major NATO exercise amid expanded UK deployment to Estonia [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 14 May 2023.

    More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia.

    • Personnel from all three services of the UK Armed Forces are deployed in Estonia, carrying out exercises and operations as part of our commitment to NATO.
    • More than 1,500 troops have been deployed for Exercise Spring Storm, demonstrating the reinforcement of the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup to Brigade-sized strength.
    • 14,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries will demonstrate interoperability in multi-domain training scenarios as part of the exercise.

    More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major Estonian-led exercise.

    Exercise Spring Storm is the largest annual military exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, comprised of both UK and French forces, with more than 14,000 personnel due to take part from 11 NATO countries.

    At last year’s NATO summit, the UK committed to increase the size of its eFP commitment, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-sized deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel than in previous deployments.

    Spread across tough and varied Estonian terrain, ground units will be tested on realistic battlefield scenarios including trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, and light infantry tactics, moving up to armoured vehicle manoeuvres and combined arms warfare.

    Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:

    Hundreds of UK troops from across our Armed Forces will again train with personnel from eleven NATO nations, demonstrating the strength of our interoperability with partner nations and our combined commitment to the NATO Alliance.

    While the Russian Army continues their illegal invasion of Ukraine threatening stability in Europe, the UK and our allies will continue to support Ukraine and defend our shared values and freedom.

    Beyond the land-based elements of the two-week exercise, members of the RAF will carry out training exercises in reconnaissance and air-land integration, while Royal Marines Commandos will also carry out a beach assault exercise to test the UK’s maritime strike capability.

    The eFP provides a continuous NATO presence along its eastern border, with deployed troops acting as a deterrence against any aggression towards the Alliance’s borders. Recent actions carried out as part of the UK-led eFP include air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.

    Personnel from the British Army’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team (7LMBCT) HQ and Light Dragoons Battlegroup (LD BG) join the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH) for the exercise, which will include Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior and CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Jackal, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and other artillery pieces, including British GMLRS and US HIMARS.

    Supporting air-based exercises will be four Wildcat and five Apache helicopters, as well as three RAF Typhoon fighter jets.

    The Queen’s Royal Hussars Commanding Officer Lt Col Steve Wilson said:

    The eFP is looking forward to the opportunities provided by Exercise Spring Storm. The chance to train over the terrain we might need to defend adds to the gravitas of the exercise.

    Our Battlegroup is fully integrated with 1st Estonian Brigade and brings a highly trained and capable UK and French troops to the field. We will be bringing a wide range of hard-hitting capabilities from Main Battle Tanks (MBT), anti-tank, and artillery to snipers, mortars, engineers and tactical air controllers. We look forward to demonstrating the capabilities and resolve of the NATO alliance over the coming days.

    The exercise is conducted in a peer-on-peer format, allowing the reconnaissance capabilities of the LD Battlegroup to be tested against the heavy armour of the QRH Battlegroup, and vice versa.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 5th UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 5th UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 May 2023.

    The UK and Morocco held the 5th UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission on 10 May.

    On 10 May 2023 Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, the UN, and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Dr Abdellatif Miraoui, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, presided over the 5th meeting of the UK-Morocco Higher Education Commission at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in London.

    The meeting followed the previous day’s 4th UK-Morocco Strategic Dialogue in Rabat, co-chaired by Lord Ahmad and Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates. The Dialogue – covering culture, education, political, economic and security issues – further demonstrated the strength and depth of the bilateral relationship.

    The meeting brought together representatives from the Moroccan government, the British Council, the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, the UK Quality Assurance Agency, Universities UK International, Morocco’s National Agency for Evaluation and Quality Assurance (ANEAQ), as well as several UK and Moroccan universities. The meeting served to advance higher education collaboration between Morocco and the UK, in particular English learning and assessment, transnational education and scientific research.

    The meeting saw a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the British Council in Morocco and Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education. The agreement aims to increase the uptake of English language assessment in Moroccan public universities, paving the way for future partnerships with other UK institutions in the field of student assessments.

    The meeting also discussed bilateral successes including the institutional partnership between Keele University and the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, collaboration on quality of higher education offerings, and climate research partnerships between University College London and University Ibn Tofail of Kenitra.

    Established in 2019, the Higher Education Commission meets annually, as well as through quarterly sub-groups, to foster stronger ties in higher education, scientific research, quality assurance, and transnational education.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK Statement on Burundi [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK Statement on Burundi [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 May 2023.

    The UK delivered a statement during Burundi’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    The United Kingdom welcomes the Government of Burundi’s stated commitment to improving its record on human rights, and certain positive developments since its last review, including the recent acquittal and release of Tony Germain Nkina.

    However, we are concerned that the human rights situation in Burundi has not improved sufficiently. We encourage Burundi to make genuine reforms to deliver on its commitment to ensure all of its people benefit from the full enjoyment of their human rights.

    We recommend that Burundi:

    1. Takes effective measures to establish an independent judiciary.
    2. Engages fully with this Council, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN bodies working to improve the human rights situation in Burundi.
    3. Identifies and implements policies which facilitate an active civil society, an open media, and addresses in particular threats to journalists and human rights defenders.

    Thank you, Madam Vice-President.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with President Zelenskyy [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with President Zelenskyy [May 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 May 2023.

    The Prime Minister welcomed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Chequers today.

    President Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for the enduring support of the British people for the people of Ukraine.

    The Prime Minister outlined the new package of support the UK has announced today, including further air defence missiles and drones. This builds on the confirmation last week that the UK has become the first country to provide long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.

    The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK will continue its support to ensure Ukraine secures a just and lasting peace. That includes both immediate military support and providing long-term security assistance to guarantee Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression.

    The Prime Minister said he would use his meetings with world leaders over the coming days at the Council of Europe and G7 Summits to stress the importance of sustaining global support for Ukraine at this pivotal time.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and Japan strengthen science and tech ties in Tokyo [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and Japan strengthen science and tech ties in Tokyo [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 May 2023.

    UK and Japan today signed a renewed science and technology deal, building on decades of close cooperation.

    • UK and Japan today signed a renewed science and technology deal, building on decades of close cooperation
    • deepening relationship on science and technology follows initial joint UK-Japan projects announced as part of International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) in December
    • deal comes as part of Science Minister George Freeman’s work to cement science and tech cooperation between the world’s leading economies, at the G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting in Sendai

    The UK and Japan will take their cooperation on science, technology and innovation to new heights, after agreeing to renew the two countries’ longstanding Science and Technology Agreement for the 21st Century, with a focus on innovation and game-changing new technologies.

    The new Implementing Arrangement was signed by UK Science Minister George Freeman and Minister State Minister Nakatani Shinichi from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry today (Monday 15 May), in Tokyo, and forms the latest part of the UK’s push to take a truly global approach to science and innovation.

    The renewed deal opens up more opportunities for close collaboration to bring cutting edge new technologies to market. This could focus on priority areas like semiconductors and clean tech, which will be critical to growing the economy which is one of the Prime Minister’s five key priorities.

    UK Minister for Science George Freeman said:

    Japan is the world’s third-largest economy and a science and technology powerhouse. They have produced more Nobel Prize laureates than any other Asia-Pacific country. Bringing Japan’s unique strengths even closer together with the UK’s world-class science and research expertise is a massive opportunity for both our countries, to pool our skills and expertise as we tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the world, all whilst growing our economies and creating jobs.

    This deal is just another demonstration of the UK’s ambition to become a truly global science superpower, by deepening collaboration on the science and technology of tomorrow with like-minded nations like Japan, as well as the rest of the G7, to secure our collective future, drive economic growth and improve lives.

    Over the last week, in Japan, Minister Freeman has been making the case for the world’s leading democracies to work closer together, to ensure that scientific advances deliver security, prosperity, while tackling the key issues facing our planet, from climate change and bio-security through to space sustainability.

    The G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting, hosted in the Japanese city of Sendai in the last few days provided an important platform to demonstrate how the UK’s leadership in science and innovation – as well as that of the world’s other leading free societies – can be used to enforce our shared principles and challenge authoritarian narratives, as well as drive economic growth. The economic benefits that flow from innovation, are what unlocks investment in public services like the NHS, the ability to cut national debt, and what brings down inflation, all of which are key priorities for the Prime Minister in 2023.

    The last week has also provided an opportunity to further cement the UK’s close relationship with Japan, visiting researchers at the NanoTerasu synchrotron radiation facility as well as Tokohu University’s disaster science institute, and meeting leaders from Japanese science and tech companies that are heavily involved in the UK.

    The UK and Japan share many of the same science and innovation priorities. Japan’s Moonshot R&D Programme includes a focus on quantum, one of the five critical technologies identified in the UK Science and Technology Framework.

    Last year, the UK government committed a further £15.5 million investment to the Hyper-Kamiokande (Hyper-K) project, which is a next generation global neutrino experiment in Japan. This 15-storey physics experiment is helping scientists discover more about the fundamental particles that make up the Universe. We have long enjoyed close links in areas like life sciences, space, and through collaborative research projects funded in partnership by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and partners like the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

    The new arrangements for the UK-Japan Science and Technology Agreement commit both countries to work together on joint R&D programmes, as well as academic and industrial exchange schemes. The two governments will encourage collaboration between UK and Japanese companies, by creating new networking and investment opportunities, and through closer connections between public bodies like UKRI and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The UK and Japan will also work together closely to ensure their science governance and standards are aligned.

    The UK Science and Technology Framework sets out the ambition for the UK to be internationally recognised as a tech superpower by 2030. International collaboration is what powers the UK’s global leadership in science and technology. This means it is essential for the UK to collaborate more deeply with other leading nations to tackle the urgent global challenges facing our planet through science and tech. The International Technology Strategy sets out the work being done to build those partnerships, in a way that promotes positive values and boosts security.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement from the Solicitor General on Thomas Cashman [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement from the Solicitor General on Thomas Cashman [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 15 May 2023.

    The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, provides a statement on the case of Thomas Cashman.

    The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

    Olivia Pratt-Korbell’s senseless murder at the hands of Thomas Cashman shocked and sickened the nation.

    Because of the strong feelings this case evokes, it was little surprise that I received several requests under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, to consider the sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 42 years that was handed down to him.

    My duty as a Law Officer in considering whether sentences may be unduly lenient is to act independently of government, even when it is not easy or popular.

    Having received detailed legal advice and considered the issues raised very carefully, I have concluded Cashman’s case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal.

    Such a referral can only be made if the rigorous legal test is met, irrespective of the seriousness of the crime or the emotions the offending may evoke. The threshold for referral is a high one, and that was not met in this case.

    The test is only met if the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range reasonably available in the circumstances of the offending.

    My thoughts remain with Olivia’s family and friends who have shown such immeasurable strength during this devastating time.

    Background:

    • Thomas Cashman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 42 years, less time served on remand, following his conviction after trial. The sentencing judge, Mrs Justice Yip DBE, decided that the appropriate starting point set out in legislation was a minimum term of 30 years, which she increased by 12 years to reflect the seriousness and aggravating factors of the case.
    • More information on the ULS scheme, including who can refer and for what reasons, can be found on GOV.UK
    • Anyone can ask for a sentence to be reviewed – you do not have to be involved in the case.
    • Examples of exceptional circumstances that can lead to a referral under the ULS scheme include if the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Laos – Melanie Barlow [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Laos – Melanie Barlow [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 May 2023.

    Ms Melanie Barlow has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in succession to Mr John Pearson who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Barlow will take up her appointment during August 2023.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Melanie Barlow

    Spouse: Mark Goodrich

    Children: 2

    Year Role
    2022 to 2023 Kathmandu, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General
    2019 to 2022 FCDO, Deputy Head, Consular Strategy and Network Department
    2018 to 2019 FCO, Lead Trade Negotiator, Third Country Agreements Unit
    2018 UK Government Illegal Wildlife Trade Joint Unit, Senior Manager, Private Sector Engagement
    2015 to 2018 Seoul, Trade Policy and Economic Diplomacy Counsellor
    2013 to 2015 FCO, Head, India and Nepal Team, South Asia Department
    2013 FCO, Head, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives Team, South Asia Department
    2011 to 2012 FCO, Team Leader and Programme Manager, Conflict Department
    2009 to 2011 Tokyo, Second Secretary (Trade)
    2006 to 2008 Tokyo, Second Secretary (Political)
    2004 to 2005 Japanese language training
    2003 FCO, Project Manager, Department for Strategy and Innovation
    2003 FCO, Desk Officer, Iraq Political Team
    2002 to 2003 Trade Partners UK, Special Projects Manager Japan and China
    2002 Joined FCO
    1996 Private sector
  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak welcomes President Zelenskyy to the UK ahead of anticipated Ukrainian military surge [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak welcomes President Zelenskyy to the UK ahead of anticipated Ukrainian military surge [May 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 May 2023.

    President Zelenskyy has arrived in the UK this morning for discussions with the Prime Minister on Ukraine’s ongoing military resistance to Putin’s brutal invasion.

    • Prime Minister will welcome President Zelenskyy to Chequers today for discussions following the Ukrainian President’s tour of European capitals
    • Visit comes ahead of this week’s Council of Europe and G7 Summits where the PM will call for sustained global support for Ukraine’s fight to reclaim their sovereign territory
    • PM will announce more military aid to support this effort, following last week’s confirmation that the UK has donated long-range precision missiles

    President Zelenskyy has arrived in the UK this morning for discussions with the Prime Minister on Ukraine’s ongoing military resistance to Putin’s brutal invasion.

    The President will update the Prime Minister on his meetings with European leaders over the weekend as Ukraine prepares for an intensified period of military activity.

    This visit also comes ahead of the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland, which the Prime Minister will attend and President Zelenskyy will attend virtually, and the G7 Summit in Japan. The Prime Minister will use these gatherings to push for sustained international support for Ukraine, both in terms of military aid and long-term security assurances.

    Last week the UK confirmed that we have provided Storm Shadow precision missiles to Ukraine. This is the first long-range cruise missile in Ukraine’s arsenal and will be critical in helping the country defend  against the relentless bombardment of their critical national infrastructure.

    Today the Prime Minister will confirm the further UK provision of hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km. These will all be delivered over the coming months as Ukraine prepares to intensify its resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion.

    This equipment will support Ukraine over the coming months in their anticipated military surge to counter Russian forces. During their meeting today the Prime Minister will discuss with President Zelenskyy what support Ukraine needs from the international community, both in terms of immediate military equipment and long-term defences.

    The Prime Minister is working with partners in the G7, NATO and beyond to provide Ukraine with the kind of assurances and capabilities it needs to strengthen and guard its long-term security beyond the end of the war – putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position to seek a fair and lasting peace.

    The Prime Minister said:

    “This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke. They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year.

    “We must not let them down. The frontlines of Putin’s war of aggression may be in Ukraine but the fault lines stretch all over the world. It is in all our interest to ensure Ukraine succeeds and Putin’s barbarism is not rewarded.

    “That is why the UK is sustaining our support to Ukraine – from tanks to training, ammunition to armoured vehicles. And this message of solidarity will ring loud in all my meetings with fellow world leaders in the days ahead.”

    President Zelenskyy will hold talks with the Prime Minister at Chequers, becoming the first world leader the Prime Minister has hosted at the residence. This visit follows President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK in February, which was only the second time the leader had left Ukraine since Putin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

    In their talks, the Prime Minister will reiterate the importance the UK places on providing a total package of support to Ukraine to put them in the strongest possible position to secure a lasting peace for their country.

    This means the military equipment we provide must be bolstered by training, by economic support, by biting sanctions against Putin’s regime and by long-term security assurances to ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty can never be breached in this way again.

    To that end, in the last year the UK has trained 15,000 Ukrainian troops to battlefield readiness. In February the Prime Minister announced the UK would develop a new training programme for Ukrainian pilots to support their efforts to build a new Ukrainian air force with NATO-standard, F16 jets.

    This summer we will commence an elementary flying phase for cohorts of Ukrainian pilots to learn basic training. This will adapt the programme used by UK pilots to provide Ukrainians with piloting skills they can apply a different kind of aircraft. This training goes hand in hand with UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F16 jets – Ukraine’s fighter jets of choice.

    Next month the UK will host a Ukraine Recovery Conference to galvanise international investment to support Ukraine’s reconstruction, promoting those emerging sectors where the country was thriving before Putin’s full-scale invasion such as clean energy and tech.

    The UK provided £2.3 billion worth of military support to Ukraine in 2022 – more than any country other than the US – and the Prime Minister has committed to sustain that level of support this year.

    So far in 2023 the UK has provided equipment including a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks, self-propelled guns, hundreds of armoured vehicles and sophisticated missiles including Starstreak and Storm Shadow. Today’s announcements are further to these previous donations.

    Since the outbreak of full-scale war the UK has also trained 15,000 Ukrainian troops in the UK, on top of the 22,000 troops trained in Ukraine between 2014 and 2022 under Operation Orbital.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Six new CDCs to deliver more than 500,000 lifesaving checks a year [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Six new CDCs to deliver more than 500,000 lifesaving checks a year [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 15 May 2023.

    New community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to open in regions across the UK, adding to the 106 centres already up and running and helping to cut NHS waiting lists.

    Tens of thousands of patients across the country are set to benefit from 6 new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) opening this year – with the ‘one-stop shops’ due to deliver more than 500,000 additional tests, checks and scans a year.

    Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s key priorities and the 6 new CDCs will offer patients a wider range of diagnostic tests closer to home, reducing the need for hospital visits and getting them the care they need sooner.

    Regions including the East of England, Midlands and the South East will benefit with all new centres open to patients before the end of the year – with the government investing £2.3 billion to deliver up to 160 across England by 2025.

    The new centres include:

    • North Lincolnshire CDC – situated in a car park in Scunthorpe town centre, the facility will offer more than 146,000 additional checks a year. This will include ultrasound checks, blood tests and CT and MRI scans
    • Pitsea CDC – opening in the next few months it will provide up to 46,000 tests, checks and scans a year. Located in a retail park, it will boost the number of endoscopy rooms in the regions for cancer patients and offer potentially life-saving CT and MRI scans
    • Ilkeston Community Hospital (Walton) CDC – providing more than 100,000 tests, checks and scans per year. It will be based at Walton NHS Community Hospital and give patients access to ultrasound checks, X-rays and cardiology and respiratory diagnostics
    • North Solihull CDC – set to open in winter 2023, the new CDC will be based on a commercial retail site in Chelmsley Wood, North Solihull. It will offer access to MRI, CT and X-ray scans, along with cardiology and respiratory diagnostics – delivering 116,000 tests, checks and scans a year
    • Hereford City CDC – opening in winter, the new CDC will be based on an NHS community hospital site in the city. It will offer MRI, CT and X-ray scans, alongside ultrasound and respiratory checks, alongside blood tests – delivering 38,000 tests, checks and scans a year
    • Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CDC – the facility, a refurbishment of Livingstone Community Hospital in Dartford, will offer access to ultrasound checks, blood tests, along with CT and MRI scans. Opening in autumn 2023, it will deliver over 96,000 tests, checks and scans

    Following a referral from a GP or consultant, patients will be able to get their symptoms checked much closer to home and receive a diagnosis for a range of conditions such as cancer and heart or lung disease, rather than travelling to hospital. This is not only more convenient for patients, it is also more efficient for staff and will free up clinician time to help further cut the waiting lists.

    So far, 106 CDCs are open across England, including 3 temporary sites, in a variety of settings including shopping centres and university campuses, and the CDC programme has delivered over 3.8 million additional tests, checks and scans since July 2021. Thirty-two other facilities are due to open before the end of the year.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

    I have pledged to cut waiting lists and these new community diagnostic centres will do exactly that. By offering checks, tests and scans closer to home, we can speed up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and heart disease and ensure patients get their treatment quickly.

    These centres revolutionise the way the NHS delivers care and crucially, they are saving lives.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

    We know early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes for patients, which is why these centres are so vital.

    Based in the heart of communities, they are making it easier for people to access life-saving checks and cutting out unnecessary hospital visits.

    They have already made a huge difference, delivering nearly 4 million tests, checks and scans since the programme started in July 2021, helping to deliver on the government’s commitment to cut waiting lists.

    Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS Medical Director for Transformation, said:

    The NHS delivered a record 2.3 million diagnostic tests in March, up more than 128,000 on the previous monthly record, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff.

    These new CDCs will continue to increase access to care by providing vital scans, X-rays, endoscopies and blood tests closer to patients’ homes, building on the progress we have already made to drive down the longest waits and diagnose cancer earlier.

    As a result of this, and wider measures, the government successfully met the first target in its elective recovery plan to virtually eliminate waits of over 2 years and has cut 18 month waits by over 91% from the peak in September 2021.

    Further action to cut waiting lists and offer patients quicker access to healthcare include the government’s publication of its primary care recovery plan, which will:

    • get rid of the 8am rush for GP appointments
    • enable patients to get prescriptions and medication directly from a pharmacy without a GP appointment
    • free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next 2 years
    • improve patient access to their own medical records through the NHS App
  • PRESS RELEASE : UK-US partnership set to soar with sustainable aviation summit and collaborative approach [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK-US partnership set to soar with sustainable aviation summit and collaborative approach [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 15 May 2023.

    UK and US to work together to reduce aviation emissions and accelerate development of sustainable aviation fuel.

    • Transport Secretary Mark Harper to drive development of guilt-free air travel on trip to USA
    • alongside US and Canadian counterparts, the Transport Secretary will co-chair the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Investment Summit
    • US and UK to share expertise and boost use of SAF to tackle climate change and create new, cutting-edge jobs – contributing to the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy

    Transport Secretary Mark Harper is set to meet his counterparts from the USA, Canada and Singapore today (Monday 15 May) as they work to decarbonise flight and usher in a new era of sustainable travel.

    Meeting with US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg on a visit to the USA, the pair will discuss how to work together on reducing aviation emissions and share knowledge to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – tackling climate change and harnessing the potential of the SAF industry to grow the economy.

    UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

    While an ocean separates us, we’ve never been more aligned with the USA on the future of aviation and what that entails – whether it’s boosting jobs, opening new trade opportunities or delivering guilt-free air travel.

    This trip is a crucial part of our work to reduce emissions from aviation alongside the USA, Canada and Singapore, and I look forward to meeting my counterparts and industry representatives.

    During his visit, the UK Transport Secretary will co-chair the SAF Investor Summit in Detroit with his US and Canadian counterparts.

    Representatives from major companies like Boeing, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), JP Morgan Chase, United Airlines, World Energy and the American Petroleum Institute will also be in attendance, underlining the importance of unlocking private investment to help grow the sustainable aviation sector, create more UK jobs and grow the economy.

    The summit will act as a springboard for discussions on how to overcome future barriers the international sector may face, such as the widespread sourcing of materials to produce next-generation fuels, as well as the investment needed to help deliver that vision.

    With airlines spending billions on fuel every year, ensuring SAF is at the forefront of future investment decisions is key to piloting the sector to a cleaner future. The summit is an opportunity for the UK to work with other governments and industry leaders to progress the UK’s commitment to at least 10% of jet fuel being from sustainable sources by 2030.

    The UK government’s Jet Zero Strategy sets out how to achieve net zero emissions from UK aviation by 2050, importantly without directly limiting demand for aviation. The £165 million Advanced Fuel Fund is also kickstarting production, with 5 projects already chosen to receive funding.

    With both the USA and UK leading the way as global advocates for SAF, the UK Transport Secretary and US Secretary of Transportation will look to work even more closely – an opportunity for the two nations to share their experience and work towards growing the SAF industry in both countries.

    Working together, both governments will examine how to get SAF plants working at scale and promote the fuel as a solution to tackling climate change and creating jobs and skills for future generations. With independent forecasts suggesting that there is the potential to create as many as 60,000 jobs and a £10 billion boost to the economy, a new collaborative approach will best unlock this.

    At the end of last year, the UK government announced that Virgin Atlantic has won the race to make the first net zero transatlantic flight next year – powered by SAF. This year one of Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Boeing 787s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow and make the journey to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport – a journey made by thousands of people for business, family and leisure every week.

    Made from waste materials or by-products, such as household waste, industrial gases or used cooking oil, SAF can achieve greenhouse gas emissions savings of more than 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.