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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Public sector access to Royal Mail Postcode Address File agreed to 2028 [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Public sector access to Royal Mail Postcode Address File agreed to 2028 [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 20 April 2023.

    England, Scotland and Wales are now in one combined agreement that gives public sector bodies up-to-date address information across the UK.

    A new 5 year contract providing access to the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) for public bodies has been agreed to 31 March 2028.

    The PAF is the UK’s most up-to-date and widely used postal address database. The public sector’s access is procured centrally by the Geospatial Commission so that usage is free at the point of use for delivery of vital public services by the UK government, devolved administrations, local authorities, emergency services, health services, and search and rescue organisations.

    For the first time the new contract combines previously separate agreements for England and Wales, and Scotland, and continues to allow public sector bodies across Great Britain to benefit from access to 1.8 million UK postcodes and over 30 million business and residential addresses.

    The contract now also incorporates Royal Mail Not Yet Built and Multiple Residence data. By using Not Yet Built the public sector can identify and deliver services to the addresses of properties that are at the planning and construction stage. The Multiple Residence data will allow the public sector to identify individual dwellings within multiple occupancy buildings that share a front door.

    Find out more about all of the public sector contracts the Geospatial Commission manages.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government urges public to check their photo identification ahead of polls [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government urges public to check their photo identification ahead of polls [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 April 2023.

    The Government is encouraging people to check that they have accepted photo identification ahead of local elections and apply for a free voter authority certificate if needed.

    With two weeks until local elections take place, the Government is encouraging people to check that they have accepted photo identification ready and apply for a free voter authority certificate if needed.

    Anyone voting in person in local elections taking place in England on Thursday 4th May 2023 will need an accepted form of photo identification to cast their vote.

    This brings the rest of the UK in line with Northern Ireland, which has had photo identification to vote in elections since 2003, and will ensure that elections are better protected from the potential for voter fraud.

    While the vast majority of voters already own an accepted form of identification, which includes driving licences, blue badges, NUS Totum cards and Freedom passes, voters who do not have accepted photo identification can apply for a free local Voter Authority Certificate by post or online 24 hours a day, up until Tuesday 25 April at 5pm.

    The Government is working with the Electoral Commission, local authorities and stakeholders to ensure voters are aware of the changes. The Commission has been running a public awareness campaign since January, running widely across all major channels.

    Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

    It’s vital you check now if you have the photo identification needed to vote in English local elections taking place in May.

    While the vast majority of voters already own an accepted form of identification, anyone who needs to can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate before 5pm on Tuesday.

    For more information please check your polling card and find more details online.

    Accepted forms of photo identification and further information are available on gov.uk and the Electoral Commission website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [April 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2023.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Belfast today.

    The leaders discussed their common goal of ensuring power sharing returns to Stormont as soon as possible.

    They reflected on the huge achievements of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the enduring spirit of cooperation that it had created. They agreed to maintain close dialogue on issues like dealing with the legacy of the past.

    They both agreed on the huge economic potential of the people of Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister outlined the UK Government’s work to increase investment in Northern Ireland.

    Reflecting on the strong ties between the UK and Ireland, the Prime Minister said that our countries share many interests and values. He expressed his hope that we will be able to deepen collaboration on shared challenges such as energy security, cyber security and sustainability.

    The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement on Nicaragua [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement on Nicaragua [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2023.

    On the fifth anniversary of the April 2018 pro-democracy protests in Nicaragua, the UK calls upon the Nicaraguan Government to reinstate democracy, re-establish the rule of law, and restore respect for human rights.

    In the five years since the protests, the Nicaraguan Government has continued to disregard its national and international commitments to respect and uphold human rights and fundamental democratic and civic freedoms. Thousands of civil society organisations have been outlawed, independent media operators have been silenced, and hundreds of representatives of civil society, pro-democracy activists, journalists, and opposition officials and politicians have been imprisoned, stripped of their citizenship and had their assets seized.

    The UK shares deep international concern at the situation in Nicaragua. We call on President Ortega and the Nicaraguan Government to restore full respect for the human rights of all Nicaraguans and allow international human rights bodies including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to return to Nicaragua to carry out their legitimate mandates. We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, and for those Nicaraguans who have been deprived of their nationality to have it restored, and for all those people who have been wrongfully stripped of their assets to have them returned.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary meets US defence and security leaders in Washington, DC [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary meets US defence and security leaders in Washington, DC [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 April 2023.

    UK Defence Secretary has concluded a planned visit to Washington, DC.

    Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace has concluded a planned visit to Washington, DC to conduct meetings with senior US defence and security leaders.

    He met with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd J Austin III, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General Mark Milley, to discuss a range of defence and security issues of mutual concern including support to Ukraine in its war against Russia, NATO, and the AUKUS trilateral security pact.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    It’s been an honour and a great pleasure to meet again with my friend Lloyd Austin III.

    The US is our closest ally and defence partner, with shared values that serve to promote open and free democracies across the world, alongside continued peace and security.

    We discussed ways to strengthen our defence cooperation, breaking down barriers and increasing our interoperability through the AUKUS trilateral agreement – and we turned our attention again to our unwavering support for Ukraine.

    The Defence Secretary also discussed the importance of the trilateral work under way to make the AUKUS agreement a generational success with the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

    Speaking during their meeting at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said:

    We have no closer partner or ally than the United Kingdom.

    AUKUS is an historic opportunity that shows how strong we can become when we work together.

    It shows our deep commitment to a free and open Indo Pacific and it is testament to our shared values and the long-term investments we are making in our forces.

    I am confident AUKUS will break down barriers and usher in a new era of US-UK defence co-operation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2023.

    Statement by Ambassador Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Great Lakes region.

    Thank you, President. I will focus on the situation in eastern DRC and regional processes to end the conflict.

    The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by intensifying violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region, particularly in eastern DRC. We strongly condemn the continuing violence by all armed groups, including the UN-sanctioned M23 armed group. In the limited areas from which they have withdrawn, the horrors perpetrated by M23 are gradually being exposed, with allegations of mass rapes and summary killings.

    The redeployment of resources to tackle M23 has also undermined the protection of civilians elsewhere. There have recently been horrifying accounts of executions and attacks on civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and CODECO. We call for comprehensive investigations into allegations of human rights and international humanitarian law abuses by armed groups and for those responsible to be held accountable. All support to these non-state armed actors must stop.

    President, we reiterate our full support for regional diplomatic efforts, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, which promote de-escalation and aim to create the conditions for lasting peace in the region. We are making a financial contribution to the Nairobi process to this end. We urge all parties to respect commitments made under these processes, including the withdrawal of M23, to end of all support of armed groups, and to stop the use of incendiary hate speech. We welcome Special Envoy Xia’s support to these processes and encourage increased engagement as the conflict worsens.

    We welcome M23’s handing over of some locations to the EAC Regional Force, but any withdrawal must be complete and in line with the agreed process through the Luanda roadmap. We hope the forthcoming Angolan troop deployment will help reinforce this withdrawal.

    President, there is only one way out of this conflict. The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed. The United Kingdom calls upon countries in the region, members of this Council, and Special Envoy Xia to intensify efforts to de-escalate the situation, improve regional cooperation, address security challenges, improve humanitarian access, and bring peace to the Great Lakes region.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Alliance Conference on Combatting Trafficking in Persons – UK statement [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Alliance Conference on Combatting Trafficking in Persons – UK statement [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2023.

    Martin Niblett, Head of FCDO Modern Slavery Team, says UK is committed to supporting a new Global Commission on Modern Slavery to inject political momentum at this critical time.

    Thank you very much, moderator, and thank you to the panellists for their insightful presentations. The UK does of course recognise the importance of national mechanisms to tackle the terrible crimes of modern slavery and human trafficking.

    We also recognise that this is a global challenge that demands a united global response. We have heard during the course of these two days that vulnerability to exploitation has dramatically increased over the last five years. The role of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and humanitarian crises, and the adverse effects of climate change are clear. I also want to highlight that Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine is contributing to this increase.

    The UK and other OSCE participating states must continue to work with a range of partners to ensure that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

    We have a complex and wide-ranging set of structures to address this issue. This conference is one of the most successful, demonstrating the importance of such global and national leadership to tackle this crime.

    But we recognise that at the highest level, this issue has lost political momentum in recent years. That is understandable given the challenges governments have faced including the Covid pandemic.

    So whilst we do not want to duplicate any existing structures there is room for a time-limited effort to inject new political momentum.

    That is why the UK is committed to supporting Theresa May in her work to establish a new Global Commission on Modern Slavery. Such a commission will inject political momentum at this critical time, and will support the global community to achieve our shared goal of eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030.

    We echo the comments made by Theresa May yesterday and urge all those participating States who have not already done so to evaluate how they can support this important new initiative.

    And finally, we would like to pay tribute to the Special Representative, and thank you for your leadership and tireless work over the past four years. We wish you all the best for the future.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Growing risks to security from biodiversity loss – UK statement to the OSCE [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Growing risks to security from biodiversity loss – UK statement to the OSCE [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2023.

    Justin Addison (UK delegation to the OSCE) highlights the effect of biodiversity loss on peace and prosperity, exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

    Thank you, Chair; good morning colleagues; and thank you to all the speakers for their presentations.

    As we have heard from the panellists and my fellow delegates biodiversity loss threatens not only the natural world but also the security and prosperity of all our societies. Of the challenges identified in the UK’s Integrated Review, climate change and biodiversity loss are recognised as the most serious multipliers of global threats such as food and water insecurity, displacement of people, conflict, and economic instability. And these multipliers are only set to worsen over the next decade.

    Nowhere is this threat more apparent than in Ukraine, where President Putin’s illegal invasion is devastating the country’s biodiversity. We heard Mr Fedorenko provide some details earlier about biodiversity loss in Ukraine. Ukraine is home to 35% of Europe’s biodiversity; many of its 70,000 species of fauna and flora are rare and endemic. Rather than preserving this rich ecosystem, Russia is destroying it.

    Deliberate shelling of the country’s forests, land and marine ecosystems, industrial facilities, and infrastructure has caused widespread and severe damage. Wanton destruction of wetlands threatens fish species and migratory birds. Forests are littered with destroyed military vehicles, whilst forest fires are leading to the loss of ancient woodlands. Overall, an estimated 900 protected natural areas have been affected. Many of these issues are transboundary, with the environmental impacts felt beyond Ukraine’s borders for decades to come.

    While the immediate focus of any conflict is rightly on human casualties, we are grateful to the OSCE, Ukraine’s government, and civil society for ensuring environmental impacts are not forgotten. We are pleased to support the OCEEA’s project to assess the environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine.

    More widely, the UK is committed to working with the OSCE and other international partners to champion delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. And we will support delivery of the “30by30” target to protect at least 30% of all land and 30% of the ocean globally by 2030. We are also delivering on our commitment to double our International Climate Finance to £11.6 billion, including at least £3 billion on Nature.

    Mr Chair, the 2020s must be a decade of climate and nature action. Our common security and prosperity depend upon it.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Nepal [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Nepal [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2023.

    Mr Rob Fenn has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Nepal in succession to Ms Nicola Pollitt who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

    Mr Fenn will take up his appointment during July 2023

    CURRICULUM VITAE

    Full name: Robert Dominic Russell Fenn

    Spouse: Julia Fenn

    Children: Two

    Year Role
    2018 to 2022 Jakarta, Deputy Head of Mission
    2014 to 2017 FCO, Head, Human Rights and Democracy Department, Multilateral Policy Directorate
    2009 to 2013 Bandar Seri Begawan, British High Commissioner
    2004 to 2008 Nicosia, Deputy High Commissioner
    2001 to 2004 FCO, Deputy Head, Southern European Department, Europe Directorate
    1997 to 2001 Rome, First Secretary, EU/Economy
    1993 to 1997 UK Permanent Representation to the United Nations New York, First Secretary
    1990 to 1993 FCO, Desk Officer, South Africa Desk, Africa Directorate
    1988 to 1990 Lagos, Second Secretary Political
    1985 to 1988 The Hague, Third Secretary Political
    1983 Joined the FCO

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chief of the Defence Staff Visits India to strengthen military ties [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chief of the Defence Staff Visits India to strengthen military ties [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 April 2023.

    The visit provided an opportunity to boost military-to-military engagement and explore opportunities around the co-creation of future technologies.

    Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin held a series of high-level meetings during a visit to India this week, strengthening the strategic ties between both countries.

    Admiral Radakin began his three-day visit on Monday 17 April, paying homage to the fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial, ahead of his first meeting with his Indian counterpart, General Anil Chauhan.

    The two Chiefs reviewed progress on various pillars of the UK-India defence partnership and exchanged views to further expand ties in all the domains.

    The UK and India are natural partners in defence and share a strong and enduring relationship, including collaboration in research, development and training.

    Following the signing of an updated Memorandum of Understanding in 2019, discussions around industrial collaboration in the aerospace sector have been progressing, with the UK’s Minister for Defence Procurement visiting in February and the First Sea Lord also visiting in March.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    India is a valued defence partner for the UK and our relationship continues to flourish across our research and industrial sectors.

    Both our nations are committed to the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and we continue to train and operate alongside our Indian partners to promote security in the region.

    Admiral Radakin subsequently held discussions with other high-ranking Indian defence staff, including the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Hari Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, and Defence Secretary, Giridhar Aramane.

    The meetings were an opportunity to boost military-to-military engagement and explore opportunities around the co-creation of future technologies.

    The visit also saw Admiral Radakin hosted by various defence establishments of the Indian Armed Forces, including the base of the Indian Army’s 50th Parachute Brigade, as well as the National Defence College and National Maritime Foundation.

    Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said:

    My visit to India reflects the United Kingdom’s belief that our security is indivisible from that of the wider world. As a global trading nation it matters to the UK that the Indo-Pacific is open and free, which is why the British Armed Forces is establishing the broadest and most integrated presence in the region of any European nation.

    India and the UK are natural partners in a world that is becoming more contested and volatile. We share many of the same democratic instincts and values and are both committed to the rule of law. We are respected military powers, both undergoing significant investment and modernisation, and exercising together across land, sea and air. But we can do more. I value the opportunity to meet with General Anil Chauhan to discuss how we can develop our partnership in a way that benefits our mutual security and prosperity.

    The Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force are all carrying out exercises with their Indian equivalents this year, developing interoperability and joint tactics.

    In recent weeks, HMS Lancaster visited Kochi to train alongside the Indian Navy as part of Exercise Konkan, while five Mirage 2000 fighters were flown by Indian air force pilots in the Royal Air Force’s largest aerial exercise in the UK – Exercise Cobra Warrior.

    Later this month, soldiers from the Indian Army will deploy to the UK to take part in Exercise Ajeya Warrior, training alongside the British Army.

    The visit by CDS also coincides with the visit of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston. The visit of two of the most senior officers in the UK’s armed forces exemplifies the importance with which the UK holds its defence and security partnership with India.