Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine [February 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 February 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to President Zelenskyy this afternoon.

The leaders discussed the latest situation on the ground in Ukraine and the Prime Minister said he was focussed on ensuring the UK’s defensive military equipment reached the front line as quickly as possible.

As part of that effort, Ukrainian soldiers had already begun training on Challenger 2 tanks in the UK this week, the Prime Minister added.

Both leaders agreed that it was vital that international partners accelerated their assistance to Ukraine to help seize the opportunity to push Russian forces back, as well as looking at how they could support the long term capability of Ukraine’s armed forces.

The greatest weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal was the collective international unity in support of Ukraine, the leaders agreed.

The Prime Minister said he had met Ukrainian troops training in the UK last week, and was inspired by their courage and the stories of their loved ones back home. He added that they had paid tribute to President Zelenskyy’s strong leadership.

Discussing the lead up to the one year anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, both leaders agreed on the importance of UN partners once again demonstrating their solidarity with Ukraine.

They agreed to stay in close touch.

February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Construction job drive gives prisoners tools to turn away from crime [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 February 2023.

Construction firms have pitched up in prisons across England and Wales for the latest major drive to match offenders with jobs in sectors facing skill shortages and cut crime.
- two-week push across jails to get more prisoners into work
- offenders skilled-up in scaffolding with cutting-edge virtual reality technology
- figures show ex-offenders in work less likely to return to life of crime
More than 80 ‘Unlocking Construction’ events have been held in over 60 prisons as part of a two-week campaign – with scaffolders, crane operatives and building site managers among those showing offenders the ropes in their industry.

Firms have laid the crucial groundwork for prisoner job hunts, with guidance on CV building, interview training and hands-on workshops giving them the chance to secure work ahead of release.

At HMP Wormwood Scrubs, prisoners have also been given an insight into the scaffolding sector using special virtual reality technology that simulates working at height on a building site – helping prisoners to determine if the job is right for them and increasing the chance that successful applicants stick with it.

Evidence shows that ex-prisoners who have a job to go to are nine percentage points less likely to go on to re-offend while 90% of businesses that employ them found reliable, motivated and trustworthy staff.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said:

Campaigns like Unlocking Construction are steering offenders into work and away from crime, leaving our streets safer.

At the same time, businesses can plug skills gaps with reliable and motivated staff – so it is good for our economy.

As well as helping cut reoffending, the drive is specifically geared towards plugging gaps in essential workforces too, getting prison leavers to contribute to their local economies and boost growth.

This is the second of four campaigns to run over the year led by the Prison Service’s New Futures Network. Manufacturing and retail and logistics drives are earmarked for the coming months.

The construction push builds on the success of Unlocking Hospitality in October which saw almost 50 prisoners land jobs and 150 interviews conducted in the campaign fortnight alone.

One ex-offender who landed a job as a chef as a result of the scheme has since taken on leadership responsibilities in the kitchen and is working to get more prisoners to follow his path.

National Access & Scaffolding Confederation training manager, Henry Annafi, said:

If you get a successful candidate, what I can absolutely guarantee is loyalty – because you’re giving them an opportunity that very few if any people have given them and they will pay you back tenfold in that respect.

Plus there are so many diverse experiences and skillsets that many of these men and women have that it is actually a no-brainer to give people that chance.

A participating prisoner at Wormwood Scrubs said the day’s event, and others like it, would help prisoners to “engage their mind” and offer them “something positive to do on release”.

A lot of prisoners have got skills, but they’re not being utilised, because we’ve committed a crime, so people don’t want to give us a second chance,” he added.

But stuff like this enables prisoners to bring out their skillset and be the best they can be.

Getting prisoners into work is a tried-and-tested way of cutting crime. The government’s Prisons White Paper sets out a strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe, with a laser-focus on helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.

The government is also investing to reduce reoffending, which includes helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.
February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The lives of thousands of severely disabled people across England will be enhanced by 120 new changing facilities [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 4 February 2023.

Severely disabled people will benefit from better facilities and greater accessibility in their local areas as councils across England today (4 Feb) receive their share of over £7m government funding to build Changing Places toilets.

Designed for those who struggle to use standard accessible toilets, these new state-of-the-art facilities come with additional equipment such as hoists, adult sized changing benches and space for carers. They are targeted at areas where they are most needed such as parks, shopping centres and train stations with little to no access facilities.

Today’s announcement brings the amount of funding awarded under the government’s Changing Places scheme to £30.5 million. The scheme is providing more than 600 new facilities, bringing the total of Changing Places toilets across England to 1,900.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison, said:

“Everyone deserves to have the freedom to enjoy their local communities – without the fear of whether or not they’re going to be able to access the facilities they need.

“Today’s funding will see 120 new Changing Places toilets in places where they are most needed, helping ensure disabled people and their carers can go about their lives with dignity.”

Robert Burley, Director of Director of Care, Campaigns, and Support at Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) said:

“We’re very pleased that the remaining balance from this fund has been allocated. This is a wonderful outcome and will see increased provision of Changing Places toilets in the areas most in need.

“MDUK is extremely proud to be supporting this vital programme, and we look forward to providing our continued specialist support to both the Department and to Local Authorities through to its conclusion; and to the increased inclusion this funding will facilitate across England.”

Shelley Simmonds is a campaigner and advocate for MDUK as her son, Fraser, 9, lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition which causes muscles to weaken over time.

Shelley said:

“I am a delighted to hear the announcement today and I know I speak for many families like mine when I say that Changing Places really do change lives. The freedom of being able to visit different places and have days out that we can thoroughly enjoy, without the worry of toilet uncertainty or having to cut our trips shorts, is a wonderful feeling!

“Not being able to access a suitable toilet dictates our everyday life and prevents us from even accessing our most local community. With more Changing Places popping up, families can explore places that were once off limits.”

In a study by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers in 2021, Commissioned by Muscular Dystrophy UK and DLUHC, families and carers said the top locations where these facilities should be made available were country parks, open spaces, tourist attractions and transport networks, as the journey to the destination is a key factor in planning a day out. The top venues were beaches and the seaside, motorway services and parks or gardens.

New facilities will now be built in the following venues:
- Public parks and open spaces
- Tourist attractions including historic properties, seaside resorts and zoos
- Cathedrals
- Museums, theatres, and galleries
- Shopping malls
- Libraries and public buildings
Changing Places Fund Round 2 Allocations

Barnet London Borough

Bath and North East Somerset Council

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Breckland District Council

Brent London Borough

Bromley London Borough

Central Bedfordshire UA

Copeland Borough Council

Coventry City Council

Darlington Borough Council

Dorset Council (UA)

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Durham County UA

East Cambridgeshire District Council

Eden District Council

Folkestone and Hythe District Council

Gedling Borough Council

Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Greenwich London Borough

Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough

Harborough District Council

Havant Borough Council

Havering London Borough

Herefordshire Council

High Peak Borough Council

Huntingdonshire District Council

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council

Kirklees Council

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Maidstone Borough Council

Malvern Hills District Council

Mansfield District Council

Mid Devon District Council

Mole Valley District Council

North Tyneside Council

North West Leicestershire District Council

Northumberland County UA

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Peterborough City Council

Plymouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Redditch Borough Council

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Rother District Council

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Rushcliffe Borough Council

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Sheffield City Council

South Holland District Council

South Oxfordshire District Council

South Tyneside Council

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Test Valley Borough Council

Tewkesbury Borough Council

Waltham Forest London Borough

Wealden District Council

West Lancashire Borough Council

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Wirral Borough Council
February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the IAEA’s Latest Report on Iran’s Nuclear Programme [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2023.

Joint Statement by the spokespeople for the Foreign Ministries of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

We, the governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, take note of the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has implemented a substantial change in the configuration of some of its centrifuges without informing the Agency in advance. These centrifuges produce high-enriched uranium up to 60% and are located at the Fordow Enrichment Plant.

As stated by the Agency, this unnotified change is inconsistent with Iran’s obligations under its NPT-required Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Such lack of required notification undermines the Agency’s ability to maintain timely detection at Iran’s nuclear facilities. The newly reported change in configuration of centrifuge cascades used to produce near-weapons-grade uranium underscores the need for Iran to meet all its safeguards reporting obligations, and to accept whatever safeguards monitoring the IAEA sees as necessary in light of Iran’s production of such highly enriched uranium.

Iranian claims that this action was carried out in error are inadequate. We judge Iran’s actions based on the impartial and objective reports of the IAEA, not Iran’s purported intent.

We recall that the production of high-enriched uranium by Iran at the Fordow Enrichment Plant carries significant proliferation-related risks and is without any credible civilian justification.

Iran’s actions are all the more concerning since it has stopped the implementation of its commitments on transparency and verification under the JCPOA, including implementation of its Additional Protocol, for close to two years. Iran has also offered no credible answer yet to the IAEA’s outstanding questions as part of the IAEA’s safeguards investigation, despite the adoption of two resolutions on this issue by the Board of Governors last year.

We call on Iran to comply with all its legally-binding international obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA and to fully cooperate with the Agency in the application of effective safeguards at Fordow.

February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and coalition partners announce price caps on Russian oil products [February 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 3 February 2023.

The United Kingdom and international coalition partners have announced price caps on Russian oil products.
- The Price Cap Coalition of the G7, the European Union and Australia have set caps on the price of seaborne Russian oil products, effective from 05 February 2023.
- High-value Russian exports such as diesel and gasoline, will be capped at $100 while lower-value products such as fuel oil will be capped at $45.
- Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hails the efforts of the UK and its allies in throttling the revenues fuelling Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.
The UK and its coalition partners will only provide services facilitating the maritime transport of refined oil products originating in Russia if the goods are traded at or beneath the cap levels of $100 for high-value products like diesel and $45 for low-value products like fuel oil. These prices will be kept under review.

This follows the $60 price cap on Russian crude oil that came into force on 5 December last year. Initial signs suggest that the crude oil cap is successfully curtailing Putin’s ability to use revenues from oil sales to finance his illegal war while minimising disruption to global supply. Russia’s flagship crude oil is now selling around $40 lower than global benchmarks.

The UK government has already introduced an import ban on Russian oil products; therefore, the caps will not be used by the UK.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said:

“Undermining Putin’s war machine through further sanctions on its funding streams will ensure the Russian government faces the full consequences of its unjustifiable actions.

“The UK has already banned the import of Russian oil products, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies in continuing to pile the pressure on Putin’s revenues while standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

G7 finance ministers agreed to capping the price of Russian seaborne oil and refined oil products in September 2022 as a way of undermining Putin’s ability to fund his illegal war in Ukraine through inflated global oil prices, while ensuring that third countries can continue to secure affordable oil.

The UK has been front footed in its engagement with international allies and has worked closely with industry and US partners to lead design of the caps. This collaboration has been key given the major role of UK services in facilitating maritime trade. For example, the UK is a global leader in the provision of protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance cover which relates to third-part liability claims – 60% of the global cover provided by the International Group of the P&I clubs is written in the UK.

Given the number of varied oil products on the market, two caps have been introduced to cover two categories of refined oil products. ‘Premium-to-crude’ products are those of high export value often used for transport and electricity generation, such as kerosene-based jet fuel and diesel, while ‘discount-to-crude’ pertains to products of a lesser value like naphtha. The two-cap approach has been introduced as this is the simplest to implement and most workable for industry.

To implement the price caps, the government has laid domestic legislation and published UK guidance to help industry prepare for and implement the requirements of each cap. The guidance will be periodically updated.
February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and US sign agreement to secure 12 years of quality education for marginalised children [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2023.

UK Minister for Development signs an agreement with the US to help children around the world secure twelve years of quality education.
- Minister for Development signs a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US to strengthen work supporting the most marginalised children into basic education
- The MoU will particularly target girls, whose education is disproportionately affected by conflict and other crises such as extreme weather
- The announcement comes as Andrew Mitchell finishes a two-day visit to Washington DC including meetings with USAID Administrator Samantha Power, World Bank President David Malpass, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop.
Minister for Development, Andrew Mitchell, has signed an agreement with the US today (Friday 3 February) to help children around the world secure twelve years of quality education.

The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will particularly support girls, who are disproportionately affected by marginalisation, conflict and crisis, including extreme weather events such as flooding and drought.

The agreement will create a coalition of donors and partner countries to champion core education such as basic literacy and numeracy, help education systems deal with emergencies, and provide alternative education spaces where children can continue their education, safe from violence.

It will also support comprehensive education for girls on reproductive health, sexuality and relationships, and help address gender-based violence in and out of schools.

Minister for Development Andrew Mitchell said:

Twelve years of quality education, particularly for girls, is one of the best ways to tackle the problems facing the world today, such as poverty, climate change and inequality. But the impact of Covid-19 on education systems has been catastrophic. This generation of students are at risk of losing so much in lifetime earnings as a result of school closures.

I am delighted to sign this new agreement allowing the UK and US to work even more closely together to support children’s education around the world. The global community must work together, as never before, to support the recovery of education systems.

Both countries will build on the already close collaboration between them in this area, by sharing further expertise on staffing, technologies and resources to help children on the ground.

Girls are two and a half times more likely than boys to drop out of school when affected by conflict or crises, and if current trends continue, climate change will have been a factor in preventing over 12 million girls completing their education by 2025.

The announcement comes as Andrew Mitchell finishes a two-day visit to Washington DC for meetings with USAID Administrator Samantha Power.The Minister also met World Bank President David Malpass, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop to discuss how to ensure the international system is fit for purpose to support developing and vulnerable countries through multiple crises.
February 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Synthetic opioids will be banned as government acts to stop drug deaths [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 February 2023.

Eleven more lethal substances to be made Class A drugs, following a recommendation by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

To stop lethal drugs claiming more lives, 11 synthetic opioids will be banned in the UK, the Home Office announced today (3 February 2023).

On the recommendation of Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), 10 additional nitazenes and brorphine will be made Class A substances.

These highly dangerous drugs are psychoactive substances which can be more potent than fentanyl. To protect lives, their possession will now be illegal and anyone who supplies the drugs will face up to life in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Often mixed into other pills sold on the street, the government commissioned the ACMD to investigate after the substances were linked to rising overdoses in other countries. The ACMD found one drug, isotonitazene, was responsible for 24 fatalities in the UK in 2021 alone. Their recommendation to place all 11 narcotics in Class A has been accepted.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

Synthetic opioids are highly dangerous substances, which ruin lives and devastate communities.

We must stop these lethal drugs from reaching our streets, to prevent more tragic deaths and other harmful consequences of addiction, from violent crime to antisocial behaviour.

Drugs like these erode our society and we accept the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ recommendations, to bring proper penalties on their supply.

The substances to be added to Class A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, subject to Parliamentary approval, are: Butonitazene, Etodesnitazene (etazene), Flunitazene, Isotonitazene, Metodesnitazene (metazene), Metonitazene, N-Desethylisotonitazene, N-Piperidinyl-etonitazene (etonitazepipne), N-Pyrrolidino-etonitazene (etonitazepyne), Protonitazene and Brorphine. Because they have no recognised medical uses in the UK, they will also be placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Legislation will be brought forward to control these substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, as soon as possible, when Parliamentary time allows.

The move comes as a UK Drugs Ministerial was held yesterday, with ministers and experts from across the four nations. Chaired by the Policing Minister, it seeks to facilitate a UK-wide approach to tackling substance misuse.

Attendees included Scottish and Welsh representatives, Angela Constance MSP and Lynne Neagle MS, along with representatives from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and Department for Health and Social Care. Dame Carol Black, Independent Advisor on Combating Drugs, and Owen Bowden-Jones, Chair of the ACMD, were also in attendance.

Delegates shared information on drug-related deaths, including impacts of poly-drug use, as well as drug supply and use across the UK.

The meeting was the third of its kind. It supports the cross-government drug strategy, which brings a whole-system approach to tackling drugs, from enforcement through to treatment. Over 2,900 county lines, which shift drugs around the country, have already been dismantled through the approach. As part of the effort to tackle drug-related deaths, we have also dedicated £780 million to support people through treatment and recovery.

And today, the Department of Health and Social Care has also announced £53m will go to 28 local authorities in England to provide housing support to people in drug and alcohol treatment. The funding strengthens our government-wide commitment to reducing drug use and improving treatment outcomes, as part of the drug strategy.

February 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New law gives tens of millions more say over their working hours [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 3 February 2023.

The government backs law that gives all workers the legal right to request a predictable working pattern
- Law will combat ‘one-sided flexibility’, where workers are often on standby for work that never comes
Today (Friday 3 February), the government supported Blackpool South MP Scott Benton’s Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill, which will bring forward huge changes for tens of millions of workers across the UK.

The move, which would apply to all workers and employees including agency workers, comes after a review found many workers on zero hours contracts experience ‘one-sided flexibility’.

This means people across the country are currently left waiting, unable to get on with their lives in case of being called up at the last minute for a shift. With a more predictable working pattern, workers will have a guarantee of when they are required to work, with hours that work for them.

If a worker’s existing working pattern lacks certainty in terms of the hours they work, the times they work or if it is a fixed term contract for less than 12 months, they will be able to make a formal application to change their working pattern to make it more predictable.

Labour Markets Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

Hard working staff on zero hours contracts across the country put their lives on hold to make themselves readily available for shifts that may never actually come.

Employers having one-sided flexibility over their staff is unfair and unreasonable. This Bill will ensure workers can request more predictable working patterns where they want them, so they can get on with their daily lives.

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton said:

A significant number of my constituents experience unpredictable work. Being able to ask their employers to consider requests for a more predictable working pattern such as working on set days, or for a permanent contract, will help them to work more predictable hours and provide more reliably for their families in some cases, and help with their work-life balance in other situations.

This Bill gives people a right to ask their employers to consider requests and will be welcomed by thousands of people.

The move comes as part of a package of policies this government is supporting to further workers’ rights across the country, such as:
- supporting parents of babies who need neonatal additional care with paid neonatal care leave
- requiring employers to ensure that all tips, gratuities, and service charges received must be paid to workers in full
- offering pregnant women and new parents greater protection against redundancy
- entitling unpaid carers to a period of unpaid leave to support those most in need
- providing millions of employees with a day one right to request flexible working, and a greater say over when, where, and how they work
These policies will increase workforce participation, protect vulnerable workers, and level the playing field, ensuring unscrupulous businesses don’t have a competitive advantage.

This package builds on the strengths of our flexible and dynamic labour market and gives businesses the confidence to create jobs and invest in their workforce, allowing them to generate long-term prosperity and economic growth.
February 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Commander Strategic Command meets senior personnel in Finland [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 3 February 2023.

General Jim Hockenhull has travelled to Finland to meet counterparts from the Finnish Defence Forces.

As part of the visit various discussions were held relating to Strategic Command’s priorities of leading cyber, driving integration and supporting campaigning.

Developing the bilateral relationship between Finland and the UK is a key priority, alongside the work of the Joint Expeditionary Force, and the benefits of closer collaboration as NATO members.

General Hockenhull met with General Timo Kivinen, Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, to brief on the work of Strategic Command sharing more about current activity within the cyber and electromagnetic domain and the importance of identifying talent and developing our personnel’s skills.

The role of multi-domain integration across Defence was also discussed, focusing on the benefits it offers in improving efficiency and effectiveness of active operations.

Speaking on the visit General Hockenhull said:

It was a pleasure to meet and share ideas with the Finnish defence leaders in their home country.

At Strategic Command we know how important relationships with ally nations are. The strength of these partnerships directly reflects the strength of our response to threats from malicious actors.

February 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Health and Social Care Secretary meets MND researchers to accelerate search for cure [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay met with researchers, charities and patients to discuss finding a cure for motor neurone disease following £50 million funding.

On the back of accelerating access to £50 million for motor neurone disease (MND) research, Health and Social Care Secretary hosts roundtable with researchers, charities and patients to speed up progress in developing treatments

The roundtable identified how leading researchers, scientists and the government can work better together to fast-track finding a cure

Everyone in England can now sign up to research into MND and other conditions via the NHS App.

People with motor neurone disease (MND) are set to benefit from improved collaboration between the government, researchers and charities, on top of accelerated access to funding, to speed up progress into developing treatments and finding a cure.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay met with leading representatives from across the MND research community yesterday, including medical research charity LifeArc’s Dr Catriona Crombie, MND charities Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Association, and MND Scotland, and patients, to discuss ways to fast-track research into the disease and look at how the government and sector can work better together to benefit patients.

MND continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of people living with the condition and their families. The roundtable set out how the government will continue to work closely with the research sector, cut red tape to make accessing funding easier and boost research into new treatments.

Following the roundtable, the Health and Social Care Secretary visited the King’s College Hospital MND Care and Research Centre – which was the first in the country and is now one of 22 research centres – to meet staff, patients and charities to see first-hand how government funding for MND research has benefitted them. King’s research labs helped find the only current treatment that targets the underlying causes of neurological diseases such as MND, and is aiming to find a cure and improve quality of life for patients and their families.

The NHS App has also now been updated to make it easier for people to take part in MND and wider health research. People will be able to visit Be Part of Research through the app to view and sign up to research.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Motor neurone disease can have a devastating impact on people’s lives, and I’m working with leading researchers to accelerate research and help find a cure as soon as we can.

We have made strong progress since we pledged £50 million for MND research with new treatments being developed and promising results from clinical trials reported, but I know there is still more to do. Yesterday, I held a roundtable with experts, charities and patients to discuss how we can encourage and invest in the best research to drive more results.

By cutting red tape and building on existing investments, we are making sure funding gets to researchers as quickly as possible. I encourage people in England to sign up to research via the NHS App and join our ever-growing UK-wide register Be Part of Research.

There are many different types of research users of the NHS App can sign up to, including studies that test new treatments via interviews or surveys. A study might take place in a hospital, GP practice, or other health and social care locations in the community but some studies can also be done at home, online or by telephone.

For example, dentist and former football manager Dean Mooney, whose life has changed dramatically since his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, has appealed to others who have the disease to join him in a new brain imaging study to help the race to find new treatments. Dean has worked with the University of Exeter’s world-leading Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, led by Professor Marios Politis, that is appealing for people who have MND to get in touch, and take part in a year-long study.

Since the government cut red tape in December to speed up £50 million into MND research across the UK, immediate investment of £29.5 million was injected through specialist research centres so NHS patients could benefit from cutting-edge treatment and medicines. There are more clinical trials than ever before, delivering promising developments – such as research from NIHR’s Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre into the drug Tofersen, with findings suggesting it may slow progression of the disease for some people living with MND.

There have also been applications proposing a collaboration between researchers to establish a clinical trial in new medicines and building infrastructure to support MND research activity in laboratories. In addition, discussions are underway with the sector to develop a proposal for an additional £2 million to focus on analysing existing data on the condition to explore the underlying causes of MND and help develop breakthrough new treatments as part of the MND Collaborative Partnership involving patients, researchers, charities LifeArc, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Association and MND Scotland and government bodies MRC and NIHR, and £6 million to help move laboratory discoveries into clinical trials.

This means patients will have access to medicine trials faster and will receive the care they need as soon after treatment is discovered. These initiatives were discussed at the roundtable so that action can be taken immediately to prepare and agree the proposals so patients can benefit from world leading multidisciplinary research.

CEO of the NIHR Professor Lucy Chappell said:

We are working hard to accelerate progress in motor neurone disease research. The charities and campaigners have done so much to focus attention and government is committed to delivering resources. This roundtable is a great opportunity to bring patient groups, world-leading experts, and government research funders together. We need to work together to ensure that high quality research is funded, so breakthroughs can reach patients as quickly as possible.

MND patients have shown the value to us all of taking part in research and I am excited that we are now making it even easier for people in England to register their interest in research via the NHS App and Be Part of Research.

The remainder of the £50 million MND funding is available for researchers to access via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council (MRC) who are working together to ensure proposals are referred to the most appropriate scheme for consideration at the early idea stage.

February 3, 2023