Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Green light for four new bathing sites [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 April 2023.

Sites in Rutland, Plymouth and Suffolk will receive bathing water status from May.
Four swimming spots in England are being designated as bathing waters ahead of the warmer months and will soon benefit from regular water quality monitoring, Water Minister Rebecca Pow has today (April 10) announced.

Following a two-week public consultation, Sykes Lane Bathing Beach and Whitwell Creek at Rutland Water, Firestone Bay in Plymouth, and a section of the River Deben at Waldringfield, Suffolk, will all be officially designated ahead of the 2023 bathing water season. The four new sites will take the total number of bathing waters across the country to 424, the highest number ever.

The Environment Agency regularly monitors water quality at designated bathing water sites and assesses whether action is needed to cut pollution levels, working with local communities, farmers and water companies to improve water quality at these locations.

Over the past decade, we have made good progress in improving bathing water quality at existing sites, thanks to robust regulation and strong investment. Since 2010, the proportion of bathing waters assessed as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ has increased from 76% to 93%. Meanwhile, 72% are considered ‘excellent’ – up from just 51% in 2010. This is the highest level ever, despite the classification standards for bathing waters having been made more stringent in 2015.

Today’s announcement follows on from the Plan for Water, launched by the government last week, which sets out the action being taken by government to clean up our waters and ensure a plentiful supply into the future.

It also follows the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan published earlier this year, which includes a target for everyone to live within a 15-minute walk from nature, such as bathing waters.

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

These popular swimming spots will now undergo regular monitoring, starting this May, so bathers have up-to-date information on the quality of the water.

The regular monitoring also means that action can be taken if minimum standards aren’t being met.

We now have more bathing waters than ever, and we’ve worked hard in recent years to boost their status – with an incredible 93% now classed as good or excellent – and our new Plan for Water will help us go further and faster on our targets.

The Environment Agency will regularly take samples at the newly designated sites during the bathing season – which runs between 15 May and 30 September.

When selecting new sites, Defra considers how many people bathe there, if the site has suitable infrastructure and facilities, such as toilets, and where investment in water quality improvements following designation would have the most impact. All applications are assessed against these factors and only those that meet these factors are taken forward to public consultation.

This government has taken significant action in recent years to protect and improve the quality of water at designated bathing water sites at our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This includes:

Setting strict new targets on water companies – designed to frontload action in important areas such as bathing waters – as part of our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This requires water companies to deliver the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – £56 billion capital investment over 25 years

Increasing monitoring of discharges from approximately 5% in 2016, to nearly 90% in 2021. This will reach 100% cover by end of this year. Through the Environment Act, water companies are being required to make near real-time data on storm overflow discharges publicly available

Working with the farming community and regulators to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture through our future farming reforms. The government has also increased the Environment Agency’s capacity to conduct farm inspections, with the target of conducting 4,000 a year, and doubled the funding for Catchment Sensitive Farming

Setting record levels of fines for water companies who break the law. Since 2015 the Environment Agency has secured fines of over £144m. The government is making it easier and quicker for regulators to enforce penalties and hold companies to account. Fines and penalties handed out to water companies will also be invested in schemes that benefit the environment.
April 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister – We must fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement [April 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 April 2023.

The Prime Minister will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week.
Prime Minister will take part in a number of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in the coming days.

He will welcome President Biden to Belfast on Tuesday – the President’s first visit to Northern Ireland since taking office.

The UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit later this year to encourage inward investment and growth.

The Prime Minister will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week as the people of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK prepare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

President Biden will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, where the Prime Minister will meet him off Air Force One. The President will then undertake a programme of engagements including a meeting with the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday 19th April the Prime Minister will travel to Belfast again to address Queen’s University’s ‘Agreement 25’ conference and host a special Gala Dinner to commemorate the anniversary.

Monday marks a quarter of a century since the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was signed, transforming the political and economic of Northern Ireland, and serving as a framework for peace and prosperity.

The United States greatly supported the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement process and has played a pivotal role in boosting prosperity in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years. The Prime Minister will use President Biden’s visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s successes and encourage further long-term investment.

The United States is one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, putting £1.5 billion into its economy over the last decade and creating 13,000 jobs. This includes tech giants such as Microsoft establishing themselves there. Around 1,000 US-owned businesses operate in Northern Ireland and in 2022 businesses in Northern Ireland exported goods worth over £1 billion to the United States.

In the last few months the economic links between the US and Northern Ireland have grown further, with companies like semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed announcing a major R&D partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. Wolfspeed is based in North Carolina, a US state the UK signed a state-level trade agreement with in July last year.

As part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to bring more inward investment into Northern Ireland’s thriving economy, he will announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year.

The Summit will connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses, showcasing the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. The Summit will profile Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths, with a special focus on financial & professional services, life & health sciences, technology, green manufacturing and the creative services.

Bolstered by its place within the UK, Northern Ireland has a diverse and thriving economy. Northern Ireland received almost £20bn in inward investment in 2020, with companies from around the world recognising its growth potential, talent and expertise. Belfast is the biggest hub for technology companies in the UK after London and Northern Ireland is home to more than 100 cyber security companies.

The UK Government is also supporting growth in Northern Ireland through investment in infrastructure and education to foster Northern Irish talent and expertise. The UK Government provides around £15 billion a year to Northern Ireland and through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund we are providing new community and neighbourhood infrastructure and improving facilities for families in every council in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister said:

“The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation’s history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland.

“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

“Northern Ireland – like the rest of the UK – is teeming with opportunities, talent and ingenuity. The biggest thing we can do to improve people’s standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland, is economic growth. That’s something I’m relentlessly focused on delivering.”

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit will be led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland. It will take place on 12th and 13th September 2023 in Belfast.

The event is a key part of the UK’s overall programme to mark the remarkable progress in Northern Ireland over the last quarter century and will support our vision for a prosperous 25 years ahead.
April 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on illegal sale of vapes [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 April 2023.

Bold new measures to combat rising levels of youth vaping expected to be announced.
- A new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to be formed to enforce rules on vaping and tackle illegal sales of vapes to under-18s
- Call for Evidence also launched to identify opportunities to stop children vaping
The government is expected to unveil tough new measures to combat the illegal sale of vapes to under-18s as part of its plans to reduce smoking and tackle youth vaping.

In his speech at Policy Exchange on Tuesday 11 April, Health Minister Neil O’Brien is expected to announce a new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

Working across the country, the enforcement squad led by Trading Standards will share knowledge and intelligence across regional networks and local authorities.

It will undertake specific projects such as test purchasing in convenience stores and vape shops. It will also produce guidance to help build regulatory compliance, and will have the power to remove illegal products from shops and at our borders.

The minister is also expected to announce the launch of a Call for Evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes, while ensuring they remain available as a quit aid for adult smokers.

It will explore topical issues such as the marketing and promotion of vapes and the environmental impact of disposable products.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and support them to quit. We remain committed to our ambition to be smokefree by 2030.

However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products.

The new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on those businesses who sell vapes to children – which is illegal – and get them hooked on nicotine. Our Call for Evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes.

Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13.0%, the lowest on record, thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services. In 2021-22, £68 million of funding from the public health grant was spent on stop smoking services by local authorities, and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop smoking service.

In addition, £35 million was committed to the NHS last year so that all smokers admitted to hospital will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services.
April 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : People who will play historic roles at the heart of the Coronation Service announced [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 9 April 2023.

Details of individuals with historic claims to take part in the Coronation have been revealed.
Participants announced refer to the 13 roles that are subject to historic claims for the Coronation Service

People chosen because they have successfully proved their historic claim to take part

Recipients of honours from all walks of life invited to attend Westminster Abbey on the day

The names of 13 individuals and organisations who will play important historic ceremonial roles in the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort on May 6 have been announced.

All claims were considered by the Coronation Claims Office, within the Cabinet Office, which took advice from senior legal, ceremonial and ecclesiastical experts.

Those chosen showed evidence that their claim related to a historic customary service performed at previous Coronations.

In addition, those chosen to take on the roles proved that they are the established office holders or the holders of the relevant title or land to perform the task.

Those who will have roles in the Coronation Service are as follows:

The Earl of Erroll

Barons of the Cinque Ports

Clerk of the Crown in Chancery (Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice)

The Lord Great Chamberlain

Lord Hastings

The Earl of Loudoun

The Bishop of Durham

The Bishop of Bath and Wells

The Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St Peter

The Lord Mayor of London

The Earl of Dundee

The Lord Lyon King of Arms & Heralds and Pursuivants of Scotland

The Walker Trust (Anglican Archbishop of Edinburgh)

The news comes after it has been announced that people from all walks of life who have been awarded British Empire Medals for their service to the community have been invited to attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.

In addition, 400 young people representing charitable organisations, nominated by The King and The Queen Consort and the UK Government, will have the opportunity to watch the Coronation Service and Procession from St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said:

These roles are steeped in history – in some cases dating back 800 years – so it will be wonderful to see these centuries-old traditions played out on Coronation Day.

Those given Coronation roles will be at the heart of this historic ceremony, but of course the entire nation will have its part to play in events up and down the country, in what promises to be a weekend to remember.

The historic roles in the Coronation ceremony include:

The Lord Great Chamberlain – One of the Officers of State, the Lord Great Chamberlain had traditionally played a major role in Coronations. For the Coronation in May, the Lord Great Chamberlain will take part in the investing of The King with the regalia – the Crown Jewels.

The Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St Peter will hold the ceremony and instruct the monarch in the forms, rites and ceremonies.

The Earl of Erroll will also bear a silver baton or staff as Lord High Constable of Scotland, while the Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Bath and Wells will be Bishop Assistant to The King, the Earl of Dundee will carry the Quartering of the Standard (Scotland) in Procession, The Lord Lyon King of Arms & Heralds and Pursuivants of Scotland will be part of The King’s procession and the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, will record the proceedings.

The Barons of the Cinque Ports, a historic group of representatives of 14 coastal towns in South East England, will also attend the ceremony, as will a member of the Walker Trustees – the Anglican Bishop of Edinburgh, who previously performed the role of Usher of the White Rod.

Those selected through the Coronation Claims process are only a small proportion of the people participating in the Coronation. Other participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
April 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on fly-tipping continues with new grants for councils [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 April 2023.

£775,000 to be spent on schemes across England.
Grants totalling £775,000 will help councils roll out a range of projects to crack down on fly-tipping, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow announced today (Saturday 8 April).

Twenty-one local authorities will benefit from the grants, with schemes such as roadside CCTV and social media campaigns in Plymouth and targeted surveillance at hotspot areas in Pendle. Other projects will include:

CCTV – portable CCTV cameras to patrol and capture footage across Northumberland

Barriers – anti-climb fencing to protect neighbourhood areas in Hyndburn, including community orchards and wildflower meadows

Better waste infrastructure – larger recycling bins in better locations in Mansfield to make sure the public have access to correct disposal approach

Councils will have six months to roll out their initiatives, before sharing how this worked in practice and helping other councils to develop similar schemes.

The new grants announced today will build on the successes of the first round of projects, which provided £450,000 to 11 councils last year.

The projects funded in the first round included building new community gardens in fly-tipping hotspots in Thanet and CCTV with automatic number-plate recognition in Buckinghamshire.

In Durham, the County Council introduced educational bin stickers, permanent signage and installed CCTV onto existing lighting columns. Thanks to these efforts, fly-tipping was cut by over 60 per cent.

Following the success of these initiatives, Defra has almost doubled the amount of funding available for councils this year – £775,000 – for projects for the second round.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

Fly-tipping is a cynical crime which blights communities and the environment.

Our first round of grants over the last year were a big success – which is why we are expanding this scheme to help more local authorities around the country take the fight to waste criminals.

Belinda Snow, Neighbourhood Warden Manager for Durham County Council, said:

We are grateful that the funding became available from Defra, and the council was awarded £50,000 to tackle fly-tipping at known hotspots with the use of CCTV, signage and educational bin stickers.

The funding enabled us to invest in our communities, resulting in cleaner streets and an overall positive response from residents. We monitored the intervention areas for three months after installation of CCTV and signage in comparison to the data three months before and we could see a 68.4% total reduction in fly tipping incidents.

The use of CCTV has also increased our ability to carry out enforcement action. We have had one successful prosecution at one hotspot location and we have issued a fixed penalty notice at another.

This second grant scheme complements wider action we are taking to tackle fly-tipping and waste crime. We have consulted on reforming the waste carrier, broker, dealer regime, introducing mandatory digital waste tracking and preventing councils from charging for the disposal of DIY waste at local tips.

We are also developing a fly-tipping toolkit with National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to help spread best practice among local authorities on tackling the issue.

The Prime Minister pledged earlier this year to clamp down on perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. We are committed to delivering on this pledge, recently announcing more severe punishments for those who graffiti, litter or fly-tip, with fines of up to £500 and £1,000 as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. The Plan will also introduce the publication of council league tables for fly-tipping, as well as extra ‘hotspot’ patrols and a trial ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments.

A full list of recipients is available below.

Spelthorne Borough Council

Northumberland County Council

Cambridge City Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Derby City Council

Stockton on Tees Borough Council

Waltham Forest

Plymouth City Council

Birmingham City Council

Wyre Borough Council

Herefordshire County Council

Manchester City Council

Calderdale Borough Council

Bristol City Council

Tamworth Borough Council

Leeds City Council

Mansfield District Council

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

Rotherham Borough Council

Pendle Borough Council

Doncaster Borough Council
April 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rural communities up and down the country set to benefit from funding to support rural business and create jobs [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 April 2023.

£110 million funding for communities allocated under the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Communities across rural England are set to benefit from an extra £110 million in local authority funding to support rural business and community groups, it has been announced today (7 April).

Eligible local authorities in England will receive the funding, which they can invest in initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including electric vehicle charging stations. The funding will also help people start up local businesses to supercharge growth and create employment opportunities for rural areas.

The confirmed allocations are spread right across the country, including over £5 million for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, £3m for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, over £3 million for North of Tyne, over £2.5 million for West Yorkshire, £2.5 million for Shropshire and almost £1 million for Cheshire East.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment to support levelling up across the UK. It marks a change from previous bureaucratic and fragmented EU funds, allowing England to take back control of its own growth investment and giving local leaders a greater say in where funding is best spent.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

Driving investment in rural areas is a vital part of our vision for levelling up the country. The new Rural Prosperity Fund replaces the bureaucratic EU funding system – allowing us to work closely with local leaders to direct funding where it is most needed to close the rural productivity gap, create job opportunities and protect the English countryside.

This confirmed spending will allow local authorities to deliver on their plans to level up businesses and communities in rural areas from today, in line with their residents’ priorities.

Country Land and Business President Mark Tufnell said:

“The rural economy is 19% less productive than the national average, but reducing this gap could add up to £43 billion to the economy. This funding is an important step in unlocking the vast potential of rural businesses, and will give startups as well as existing enterprises the support they need to grow.

We strongly encourage Local Authorities to work closely with rural entrepreneurs to maximise the opportunities the Rural England Prosperity Fund presents, identifying every possible opportunity to generate economic growth – creating good jobs and strengthening our communities in the process.

Across rural England, the money will be spent on two key areas:
- Communities and place: projects to improve community facilities such as green spaces and boost access to arts and culture to grow local tourism economies.
- Supporting local business: projects to support agricultural businesses looking to expand their remit, and rural businesses looking to launch or grow their products and services.
Rural England Prosperity Fund allocates £110 million between 2023 and 2025. Defra is in contact with each of the eligible local authorities to confirm their allocated funding, and they can begin to deliver on their plans over the coming weeks.

The announcement today follows the ‘Delivering for Rural England’ rural proofing report, which set out how rural challenges and opportunities will be at the heart the government’s approach to levelling up. The government is committed to promoting high-quality digital infrastructure and is already delivering major upgrades through the Shared Rural Network and Project Gigabit. Considerable progress has already been made, for example in improving connectivity with 30% of rural premises now having access to gigabit-capable connections compared with 19% in January 2021.
April 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Ahead of Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement anniversary Secretary of State and Tánaiste celebrate integrated education [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 6 April 2023.

Integrated Education is celebrated by Secretary of State for NI Chris Heaton-Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin who held a joint reception at W5 in Belfast.

The event was arranged by principals, alumni and integrated education charities to demonstrate the shared commitment of the UK and Irish Governments to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and the importance of the Integrated Education commitments explicitly made within the Agreement.

The reception was held as part of the programme of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in partnership with the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) and the NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE).

Pupils from New Bridge Integrated College in Loughbrickland and Malone Integrated College in Belfast were also in attendance.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said: “I was very encouraged to speak with teachers, pupils and the wider integrated education sector in Northern Ireland, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Today’s reception signalled the strong and shared support between the UK and Irish Governments to the Agreement and the integrated education commitments within it.

“The UK Government continues to support the integrated sector through its Fresh Start programme to build new schools, as well as our funding to the Integrated Education Fund and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education to aid the sector’s development.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said: “Education is fundamental to how we will make the journey of reconciliation and building a shared future together on this island. The vital role of initiatives to encourage integrated education was recognised in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

“I want to pay tribute to the principals, teachers and practitioners in the integrated education sector who are helping to build a society of increasing respect and celebration of religious and cultural diversity. The Irish Government, through our Reconciliation Fund, has been proud to support them in that journey.”

Integrated Education Fund (IEF) Chair Peter Osborne said: “The Integrated Education Fund is honoured to have the support of both the UK and Irish Governments for its work. We are very proud that both the Secretary of State and the Tánaiste would take time out from their busy schedules to come together to help celebrate the contribution of Integrated Education to the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.

“This is particularly apt as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement which pledged to facilitate and encourage integrated education. Integrated Education is and has always been parent and school led and the IEF and its supporters will continue to support all efforts to increase Integrated Education in response to demand.”

NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) CEO Roisin Marshall said: ‘The Council for Integrated Education are so grateful to the Tánaiste and Secretary of State for giving up their time today to be here with us to celebrate the 41st year of Integrated Education and also the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

“Integrated Education has come a long way in those 25 years from 40 Integrated schools in 1998 to 70 schools in 2023. We thank you both for recognising that Integrated Education is making a big contribution to our children and young people that Northern Ireland can be shared, not shared out, that we can see both communities and increasing diversity of our people reflected in our schools.’

April 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Cameroon – The UK signals a boost in investment and trade and urges an end to conflict [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

UK Minister for Development and Africa visits Cameroon and reaffirms UK support to trade and infrastructure.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, has reaffirmed UK support to Cameroonian trade and infrastructure and discussed the devastating impacts of Cameroon’s conflicts, including the human rights situation, during a two-day visit.

The Minister saw the impacts of British investment in Cameroon, visiting a major road in the commercial capital, Douala, which is receiving £113 million in funding from UK Export Finance to support its expansion. Due to this important UK support, the critical transportation corridor between Douala and Yaounde, and on into central Africa, is being greatly improved, bringing more and quicker trade to more people.

The UK is committed to deepening its partnership with Cameroon to enhance economic prosperity, with leaders from the country invited to attend the UK-African Investment Summit to be held in London in April 2024.

The Minister met with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and discussed the most pressing challenges faced in providing humanitarian assistance to victims of the devastating conflict in the Northwest and Southwest.

Over the past five years, the UK has delivered more than £20 million of humanitarian life-saving assistance funding to Cameroon. Meeting with experts from the Education Cannot Wait programme, the Minister discussed how UK funding, through the UN, is supporting urgent education for children affected by conflict, helping those who cannot access school to get an education.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said:

“During my first visit to Cameroon, I was struck by the depth of our relationship and how our two countries are working together on a range of issues important to both nations.

“The long-term partnership between the UK and Cameroon is underpinned by focused development and security cooperation, as well as trade, investment and education and of course our ties in the Commonwealth. We remain concerned about the conflict in the predominantly Anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions, and continue to urge all sides to engage in dialogue.”

High-level discussions were held with the Prime Minister Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, focussing on the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions, and the conflict in the Far North Region and Lake Chad area, where the UK military provides valuable training.

April 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK & France Statement on 25th Anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

Joint Statement by France and the United Kingdom on the 25th anniversary of their ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Exactly twenty five years ago, on 6th April 1998, France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland jointly ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Our two countries signed the Treaty when it opened for signature on 26 September 1996

France and the United Kingdom were the first two nuclear-weapon States to ratify the CTBT. Through this ratification, we stipulated our firm commitment “not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control.”

This Treaty is a core element of the non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament international regime, even though it has yet to enter into force. In this regard, France and the United Kingdom express their concern over Russia’s announcement that it will ensure its preparedness to conduct a nuclear test. We reiterate the importance of the CTBT, which Russia has signed and ratified, and of Russia’s compliance with its moratorium on nuclear tests. We also recall that the DPRK is the only country to have performed explosive nuclear tests in the 21st century. We reiterate that it cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the NPT, and demand that it refrains from conducting any further nuclear tests in violation of UNSCRs.

In this context, France and the United Kingdom wish to reaffirm their strong and constant support for the universalisation and the entry into force of the CTBT, with the aim to make legally binding the voluntary moratorium which is almost universally accepted, as evidenced by the 186 signatures and 174 ratifications of the Treaty. They recall that UNSC Resolution 2310, that they have co-sponsored, urges all States which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT. This unequivocal call of the Security Council must be heard.

France and the UK believe that presenting a record of tangible and robust actions toward nuclear disarmament would encourage other countries to sign, ratify and implement the CTBT. Therefore, over the past 25 years, France and the United Kingdom have provided political, technical and financial support to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), and supported the operation of the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System.

A quarter of a century after its opening for signature, the CTBT remains more relevant than ever. France and the United Kingdom remain determined to continue to protect and universalise the Treaty.
April 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New crackdown to prevent illegal migrants accessing bank accounts [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 April 2023.

Data sharing with the financial sector will begin today as the government cracks down on illegal migrants accessing banking services.

Making it more difficult for unlawful migrants to access financial services is an important tool to help deter illegal migration by preventing people from working illegally and profiting from services they are not entitled to.

Having access to a current account can assist those here unlawfully in obtaining work illegally and securing credit. It can help those without permission to be in the UK gain a foothold in society, regardless of their immigration status.

Identifying an unlawful migrant’s current account may also provide evidence of illegal working, helping identify and stamp this out.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially announced the plans to restart data sharing to the House of Commons as part of the government’s approach to tackling illegal working and immigration.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Access to key banking services, including current accounts, is crucial in aiding those here unlawfully to gain a foothold in British society.

As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders. Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers of employment and defrauding the public purse.

Only those known to be here unlawfully or those who have absconded from immigrational control will have their details shared, with robust safeguards in place to prevent wrongful account closures.

The new measures do not impose any requirements on banks to check customer’s documents. Instead, the Home Office will share details of disqualified persons via an anti-fraud organisation, and banks and building societies will then check their personal current account holders against those details.

Anyone with outstanding immigration applications or appeals will not be affected, nor will those who have been granted leave to be in the UK, including refugees. In addition, the Home Office retains discretion over the criteria for disqualification and sharing data.

Bank account closures will only occur where the Home Office has made a further check to ensure that the customer is still in the UK without permission to stay.

Where the bank or building society has refused to open an account, or closed an existing account, the customer will be notified of the reasons, how to contact the Home Office if they believe a mistake has been made, and the next steps they should take.

April 7, 2023