Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : New guidance will help police crack down on public sexual harassment [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New guidance will help police crack down on public sexual harassment [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 March 2023.

    The government has confirmed its support for an amendment to the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill, to ensure the law is as robust as possible.

    The legislation will introduce harsher sentences if someone who deliberately harasses, alarms, or distresses someone in a public place does so because of the victim’s sex, with the maximum sentence increasing from six months to two years.

    The amendment, tabled by the bill’s sponsor Greg Clark MP, will require the government to produce statutory guidance for the police to help them enforce the new offence.

    MPs have now agreed that the statutory guidance should become part of the bill. It will clarify how the legal defence available to defendants, whereby they could prove that their conduct was “reasonable”, should be applied. The guidance will make clear that what is deemed “reasonable” is what would objectively be considered reasonable, not what the defendant claims is reasonable.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

    Women have the fundamental right to walk the streets without fear and I’m committed to ensuring that criminals who intimidate and harass them face the consequences.

    This is why we are backing the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill, and after carefully considering a range of views, we have supported an amendment that will require the government to produce statutory guidance for the police to help them enforce the new offence.

    The new guidance will clarify in particular how the ‘reasonable conduct’ defence should be interpreted, to ensure any new law is as robust as possible.

    Greg Clark MP said:

    Too many women and girls feel unsafe when alone on our streets, especially at night. They should not have to put up with that but too often they do – resorting to safeguards like walking at night with their keys clenched in their hands, precautions that most men don’t have to think about.

    My bill would correct a loophole in the law in which it is not a specific offence to harass someone in public on the grounds of their sex but it is on, for example, the grounds of their race. It aims to change the culture so that it becomes as obviously unacceptable to abuse, humiliate and intimidate women and girls in public as it is to do so because of a person’s race or sexuality.

    The government announced its support for the legislation in December 2022 after consulting a wide range of experts on introducing a specific offence. The consultation showed the need for a specific offence to make the laws surrounding public harassment clearer to both the public and the police. Despite public sexual harassment already being illegal, the introduction of a specific offence will encourage women to report to the police, as well as emphasising the severity of the crime.

    The bill has now completed all stages in the House of Commons and will be considered by the House of Lords.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meetings [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meetings [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 March 2023.

    The UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič gave a joint UK-EU statement on the 2 meetings on 24 March 2023.

    Joint statement by European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs, the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, 24 March 2023:

    The European Union and the United Kingdom today held the tenth meeting of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and second meeting of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council in London. The meetings took place in a constructive atmosphere building on the excellent cooperation between the Foreign Secretary and the Vice-President over recent months.

    The Joint Committee welcomed the positive approach of both sides and adopted the new arrangements set out in the Windsor Framework. These arrangements address, in a definitive manner, the challenges in the operation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland over the last 2 years and the everyday issues faced by people and businesses in Northern Ireland, while supporting and protecting the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement in all its parts, and protecting the integrity of the European Union’s Single Market, and Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom’s internal market. Both sides agreed to work together intensively and faithfully to implement all elements of the Windsor Framework. The United Kingdom and European Union also reaffirmed their intent to use all available mechanisms in the Framework to address and jointly resolve any relevant future issues that may emerge.

    The Joint Committee also covered other important issues under the Withdrawal Agreement, in particular their joint work to protect the rights of EU citizens and UK nationals, addressing all relevant issues. Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing to support these citizens, and welcomed the efforts made over the past year to do so, including additional funding provided by both sides to external organisations.

    The co-chairs also adopted the Withdrawal Agreement Annual Report for the year 2021 pursuant to Article 164(6) of the Withdrawal Agreement.

    At the Partnership Council, the parties discussed implementation of the TCA and cooperation in a range of crucial areas including energy, trade and security and agreed on next steps.

    Energy: They underlined the importance of collaboration over the past year as Europe decouples from Russian fossil fuels and highlighted the importance of dialogue on security of supply. They confirmed their commitment to progress work on the electricity trading arrangements envisaged in the TCA. They also discussed the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan.

    Trade: They looked forward to the signing of Memoranda of Understanding on financial services and on intellectual property soon. They agreed to finalise preparation for the Working Groups in the areas of Technical Barriers to Trade as a matter of priority. They also discussed the UK Retained EU Law Bill and Bill of Rights Bill.

    Security: They noted the close collaboration in support of Ukraine, and looked forward to dialogue provided for under the TCA in the areas of cybersecurity and counterterrorism. They also discussed the implementation of data protection safeguards for Passenger Name Records.

    Union Programmes: They noted the openness of both sides to take forward discussions on association in the coming weeks.

    The European Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom reaffirmed their desire to exploit fully the potential of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and maximise the potential of the relationship between the EU and the UK in ways that benefit both parties.

    They agreed to remain in regular contact and looked forward to meeting again to take stock of the work of the Committees under the TCA.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Graves of two officers, Harold Rymer Smith and Wilfred John Massey Lynch, missing since 1918 rededicated in France [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Graves of two officers, Harold Rymer Smith and Wilfred John Massey Lynch, missing since 1918 rededicated in France [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 24 March 2023.

    The graves of Lieutenant (Lt) Harold Rymer Smith and Second Lieutenant (2ndLt) Wilfred John Massey Lynch, who were killed on the Western Front in the spring of 1918, have finally been marked with headstones which now bear their name more than a hundred years after they died.

    The services, which were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, were held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Ecoust Military Cemetery near Arras and at Crucifix Corner Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux, France yesterday (23 March 2023).

    Rosie Barron, JCCC case lead said:

    It has been a privilege to have contributed to the identification of these two Officers and to have organised these rededication services. Had the German Spring Offensive of 1918, in which they fell, been successful then the outcome of the First World War could have been very different. It is thanks to men such as Lt Smith and 2nd Lt Massey Lynch, who paid the ultimate sacrifice during such fierce fighting, that the Allies were able to stem the German advance and bring the war to a conclusion later that year.

    The graves of both men were identified after researchers provided the CWGC with evidence suggesting they had been found. Further research conducted by the National Army Museum and JCCC confirmed their findings.

    Lt Smith and 2ndLt Massey Lynch were killed at the beginning and end respectively of Operation Michael which lasted from 21 March to 5 April 1918. Operation Michael was the first of three phases of the German Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht, which did not conclude until July 1918.

    In 1917 Russia had surrendered, releasing German troops from the Eastern Front, and the Americans had joined the war on the Allied side. The aim of the Spring Offensive was to use the advantage of Germany’s newly released troops to force a victory in the west before the Americans could deploy their forces in strength. The offensive was initially successful and the Germans retook most of the ground that they had lost in the fighting of previous years. However, the attack overstretched their resources and eventually faultered.

    Lt Harold Rymer Smith

    Lt Smith, from Barnet, Middlesex, was 23 years old when he died of wounds on 21 March 1918, the first day of Operation Michael. On 19 March 1918, 2/6th Battalion The North Staffordshire, to which Lt Smith belonged, moved into the Bullecourt Sector and took up positions in support around Ecoust-Saint-Mein. Two days later the Germans attacked in force making three attacks on Ecoust-Saint-Mein that day. British forces were eventually overwhelmed.

    Lt Smith was wounded in the back by a shell and taken to the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) on the north western edge of the village near the Croisilles to Ecoust Road. As casualties mounted, the RAP, the tunnel under the embankment and Battalion Headquarters were filled with wounded in the space of a few minutes. Captain G Adams later reported that Lt Smith had been lying on the stretcher next to him and that he had died. Having captured Ecoust-Saint-Mein the Germans set about clearing the village and created a mass grave close to the location of the RAP. Lt Smith was buried there, and his death and burial were reported through the Red Cross.

    In September 1920 the mass grave was exhumed, and the soldiers buried there were moved into Plot II, Row B in Ecoust Military Cemetery. As he was missing Lt Smith was commemorated on the Arras Memorial. He is now known to be buried in Ecoust Military Cemetery alongside other men of 2/6th Battalion The North Staffordshire Regiment killed that day.

    The service was attended by members of Lt Smith’s family who gave an emotional tribute to him and his brother, 2ndLt Ralph Pritchard Smith, who was also killed during the Great War.

    Sarah Rockliff, the great niece of Lt Smith, said:

    We are deeply grateful to all those who helped find our Great Uncle Harold Rymer Smith. This has been profound for our family. Choosing the wording on the headstone and attending the service of rededication allows us to do what Harold’s parents and siblings never could. This brings peace in our hearts to the family past, present and future.

    2ndLt Wilfred John Massey Lynch

    25 year old 2ndLt Massey Lynch, from West Derby, Liverpool, was killed on 4 April 1918 in the latter stages of Operation Michael. The Germans attacked with the aim of forcing the British Fourth Army back towards Amiens and the First French Army away from its ally. Seizing this ground would allow the Germans to move heavy howitzers in range of Amiens, where vital railway junctions were key to the resupply of Allied forces. The final aim of the German plan was to take the city itself.

    At 07:00hrs 3rd Dragoon Guards, to which 2ndLt Massey Lynch was attached, were sent to operate on the right flank of 43rd Brigade north of the Villers-Bretonneux to Warfusee Road as the 14th Division was being forced back. At 09:15hrs they carried out reconnaissance and filled in any gaps they found in the line. A new line was dug, and the situation stabilised. They remained around this location throughout the day as the enemy attacked. It was during this fighting that 2ndLt Massey Lynch lost his life. The German attack ultimately failed to take the ground needed to launch their attack on Amiens and Operation Michael came to a close the following day with the strategic city still in Allied hands.

    After the war 2nd Lt Massey Lynch’s body was recovered and he was buried as an unknown Officer of 3rd Dragoon Guards in Crucifix Corner Cemetery, in Villers- Bretonneux. Because he was missing, he was commemorated on the Pozières Memorial to the missing.

    2ndLt Massey Lynch’s great niece, Ann Massey Lynch said:

    Growing up, it was my parent’s stories of service in the Second World War that formed the backdrop to conversations. Older relatives, like my grandfathers, were either dead or did not speak of their experiences, or of the relatives who had died as young men in the First World War. So, my great uncle Wilfred was a shadow, who was known through a family photo of 1916, and through his daughter Lisle. I am deeply moved that both JCCC and CWGC, should take the time to create such a beautiful rededication service, and to erect and care for a new headstone. Lisle would have been so grateful. It gives dignity to such an early death and has re-awakened his young life story for me. I shall mark 23 March as a special day to remember both Wilfred and all those who gave their lives in the Great War.

    The services were conducted by the Reverend Daniel Njuguna CF, Chaplain to 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and were attended by serving soldiers of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

    The Reverend Njuguna said:

    The tribute paid by Lt Smith’s family, sums up beautifully the significance of these rededication services to families such as those of Lt Smith and 2ndLt Massey Lynch. It brings us all peace in our hearts today to finally stand at your grave and offer you our blessings, our love and the care you deserve. We feel so fortunate this can happen when so many more still lie unrecognised. This is truly a moment to treasure and a special place of wonder.

    The headstones over their graves have been replaced by the CWGC.

    Director General of the CWGC, Claire Horton, said:

    We are honoured to be able to mark the graves of these two brave men with headstones bearing their name at our cemeteries in France this week. They paid the ultimate price whilst fighting on the Western Front, more than 100 years ago. And now, it is our privilege and duty to care for their graves in perpetuity, along with their comrades.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel [March 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 March 2023.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Downing Street today for talks on strengthening the close partnership between the United Kingdom and Israel.

    The two leaders welcomed the signing of the UK-Israel 2030 Roadmap this week, which will drive our bilateral relationship forward and commit £20m in funding for joint science and technology projects over the next decade.

    They expressed their backing for a modern free-trade agreement with cutting-edge service provisions and said their teams would work to progress this at pace.

    The leaders discussed shared security and defence challenges, including Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the threat posed by Iran to regional stability. The Prime Minister set out the UK’s analysis of the situation in Ukraine and the importance of continued international support to defend their sovereignty.

    On Iran, they discussed the UK and Israel’s significant concern about Iran’s destabilising activity, and agreed that our governments would continue to work closely together to push back against aggression and manage the risk of nuclear proliferation.

    The Prime Minister also expressed his solidarity with Israel in the face of terrorist attacks in recent months. The UK would always stand with Israel and its ability to defend itself. At the same time, the PM outlined international concern at growing tensions in the West Bank and the risk of undermining efforts towards the two state solution. He encouraged all efforts to de-escalate, particularly ahead of the upcoming religious holidays.

    The Prime Minister stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel.

    The leaders welcomed the chance to meet in person to progress our important partnership, and the Prime Minister looked forward to visiting Israel at the earliest opportunity.

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on Syria Envoys-level meeting in Amman [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on Syria Envoys-level meeting in Amman [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 March 2023.

    The UK and international partners have issued a statement following a meeting of Syria Envoys in Amman on March 21 2023.

    The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the European Union, and the League of Arab States following their meeting in Amman, Jordan on March 21, 2023, to discuss the current situation in Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

    We expressed our heartfelt condolences for the immense devastation and loss of life caused by the February 6 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, as well as our steadfast commitment to alleviate the suffering of those affected.  We encouraged the international community to provide humanitarian assistance – including both emergency response and early recovery projects – to all Syrians in need, especially those in the most affected areas.  In this regard, we welcomed the outcomes of the March 20, 2023, international donors’ conference in Brussels to support the people in Türkiye and Syria, and we also looked forward to the seventh annual Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria and the Region on June 15, 2023.

    We reiterated our call for a nationwide ceasefire and for continuous and unhindered humanitarian access to all Syrians through all modalities, including both cross-border and cross-line.  We called for the maintenance and expansion of United Nations cross-border aid, for which there is no alternative in scope or scale.  In this regard, we welcomed the recent facilitation by the Syrian authorities of UN cross-border humanitarian access through the Bab al-Salam and al-Rai crossings and called for this to continue.

    We also welcomed UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen’s briefing and reaffirmed our support for UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and Albania outline £4 billion ambition for closer export ties [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and Albania outline £4 billion ambition for closer export ties [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 March 2023.

    UK Export Finance CEO will call on UK businesses to grasp opportunities to export to Albania.

    • Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, the Albanian Prime Minister and Finance Minister will today outline their £4 billion ambition for a closer export relationship
    • This could deliver a minimum of £800 million in value to businesses across the UK
    • Tim Reid will issue a ‘call to action’ to British businesses to export to Albania using UKEF’s attractive terms to help raise debt finance
    • The two countries will agree to be partners in economic development and sustainable projects in Albania and the wider Western Balkans

    The Chief Executive of UK Export Finance (UKEF), Tim Reid, today meets with the Albanian Prime Minster, Edi Rama and Finance Minister, Delina Ibrahimaj, to cement their £4 billion ambition for a closer UK-Albania export relationship.  This £4 billion marks a doubling of the previously published market risk appetite for UKEF support for Albania and signals the huge opportunity available for UK exporters.

    Total UK exports to Albania reached £144 million in the 12 months to September 2022, an increase of £97 million in current prices on the previous year. The visit will build on this growing trade relationship and result in an agreement to work more closely.

    Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance will say:

    There is significant opportunity here for UK businesses.  The volume of trade with Albania is increasing dramatically, showing the huge appetite for British exports. With UKEF support more companies can reap the rewards of exporting.

    We also welcome the recent launch of the British Chamber of Commerce in Albania. This new organisation will help connect British and Albanian businesses.

    Our closer relationship with Albania will unlock a new phase of collaboration in sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, and transport. Last year we celebrated our 100th year of trade relations, I’m looking forward to continuing our work with Albania and strengthening our great exporting relationship.

    Deals made between the two countries would help grow the UK economy, support job creation and help deliver the government’s wider levelling up agenda. A £4 billion ambition would mean a minimum £800 million value to British businesses. This is because Albanian buyers would be required to source from the UK supply chain under the conditions of UKEF’s finance.

    Delina Ibrahimaj, the Albanian Finance Minister, will say:

    Albania has a pipeline of key infrastructure projects that need overseas investment. This agreement to work more closely with the UK should send a signal to British business that Albania has markets ready for your products and UKEF can support you in your export ambitions.

    UKEF has an International Export Finance Executive based in the Western Balkans who works alongside other government teams in these countries as well as covering Central and Eastern Europe. The IEFE’s work closely with the overseas buyers to showcase the UK supply chain. They are on hand all over the world to discuss financing options available from UKEF to support the exports of UK goods and/or services.

    An example of UKEF support in the Eastern European region includes a £360 million guaranteed loan for the construction of a 5G-ready motorway in Serbia. The UKEF support for this motorway project, announced in October 2021, is creating value worth approximately £125 million to the UK economy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Infrastructure Bank Bill becomes law [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Infrastructure Bank Bill becomes law [March 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 24 March 2023.

    • The UK Infrastructure Bank bill has received Royal Assent, confirming the UK Infrastructure Bank’s independence
    • A vital part of the Government’s plan to invest in infrastructure, the Bank has already announced £1.2 billion of deals that unlock over £5 billion of private and public investment, driving growth in every region of the UK
    • Headquartered in Leeds, the Bank is bringing hundreds of jobs to the city and has already created and supported 4,500 jobs across the country

    The Bank provides funding to private companies and local authorities for projects to boost clean energy, improve transport links, expand digital infrastructure, and improve water and waste processing.

    The bill will enshrine the Bank’s operational independence, put its objectives to level up the UK and help tackle climate change in statute and set out clear accountability structures.

    Having already announced £1.2 billion of deals that unlock over £5 billion of private and public investment, the Bank is tasked with unlocking £40 billion of infrastructure investment by working closely with the private sector and local Government to drive growth and our green industrial revolution.

    Andrew Griffith MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury said:

    “The UK Infrastructure Bank has already announced billions of pounds of vital investment as well as creating and supporting over 4,500 jobs UK wide.

    “We have a laser focus on growing the economy and delivering high skilled, well paid jobs, as we drive forward this country’s clean energy revolution, creating opportunity in every region of the UK.”

    Formally launched in June 2021 the UK Infrastructure Bank has been provided with £12 billion of capital to deploy, with the capacity to issue £10 billion of government guarantees, recently using these powers to unlock £75 million to accelerate full-fibre rollout to 1.5 million homes in the UK.

    The Bank will continue its mission to harness investment tailored to the needs of specific local areas, offering a range of financing tools including debt, equity, and guarantees. Further information:

  • PRESS RELEASE : Experiments to study child brain tumours and muscle ageing heading to space [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Experiments to study child brain tumours and muscle ageing heading to space [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the UK Space Agency on 24 March 2023.

    Scientists will use the International Space Station to carry out experiments seeking to improve understanding of currently incurable child brain tumours and the muscle ageing process, thanks to UK Space Agency funding.

    Due to be ready for launch in 2025, the experiments will be supervised by astronauts on board for up to six months before returning to Earth for the results to be analysed.

    D(MG)2, led by the Institute of Cancer Research, received £1.2 million to look at diffuse midline glioma; the second most common type of “primary high grade” brain tumour in children that has, so far, been impossible to cure due to the amount of different cell types it contains.

    MicroAge II, led by the University of Liverpool, was awarded £1.4 million funding for the second part of its project investigating how the microgravity environment makes astronauts’ muscles weaken in space, in an accelerated way to how muscles get weaker as we age on Earth.

    Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, said:

    Space is the ultimate laboratory testbed with British scientists and astronauts harnessing the International Space Station for cutting edge research in nutrition, energy and biomedicine.

    This £2.6m project funding will help UK scientists research how to prevent brain tumours in children, and understand the biomedical processes of ageing: research with huge benefits for mankind and health systems around the world.

    Another example of the way UK strengths in different sectors from space to life science and cleantech drive technology leadership.

    Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

    This ground-breaking research highlights the power of space to push through barriers, revolutionise science and enhance our lives.

    Through a combination of national funding and our vital role in the European Space Agency, we’re ensuring UK scientists have access to the unique environment of the ISS for their research, which will benefit us all.

    Announced during Brain Tumour Awareness Month, the ISS experiment for D(MG)2 will use microgravity to get a clearer picture of how diffuse midline glioma cells react with each other, so that potential new avenues for developing novel treatments can be identified.

    Professor of Childhood Cancer Biology at The Institute of Cancer Research, Chris Jones, said:

    Unfortunately, survival rates for patients with diffuse midline glioma have not changed substantially since Neil Armstrong’s daughter died of the disease in the early sixties. The last 15 years, however, have revolutionised our understanding of the biological complexity of these tumours, with exciting new therapies entering clinical trial at last.

    Experiments such as D(MG)2 aboard the International Space Station will improve our understanding of how cancer cells interact with each other within three-dimensional structures, and hopefully lead to new ideas for disrupting tumour growth that we can take forward back in the lab.

    The ISS experiment for MicroAge II will use a lab-grown human muscle to observe the effects of microgravity and test whether mitochondria play an important role in muscle loss in space and determine whether applying tension can slow the degeneration process, which could help scientists to rapidly develop therapies to reduce muscle loss as we age.

    The UK Space Agency supported MicroAge I, which flew to the ISS in December 2021 to test lab-grown muscle constructs, each the size of a grain of rice.

    University of Liverpool’s Professor Malcolm Jackson said:

    We are delighted to receive this generous funding from the UK Space Agency to develop our studies of the effects of microgravity on loss of skeletal muscle as a model from which we can further understand muscle loss during ageing.

    We will use newly developed techniques to study the role of changes in mitochondria, tiny structures that are responsible for supplying energy to cells, in driving the loss of muscle mass that occurs in microgravity.

    The role that a loss of tension on muscle plays in these mitochondrial changes will be examined using innovative hardware that we are developing with Kayser Space Ltd which modifies the amount of tension that the muscle experiences in microgravity.

    This will be used to test whether altered tension on muscle regulates the muscle loss in microgravity and to inform us on the process during muscle loss during ageing on Earth.

    Equipment for the experiments is built by microgravity hardware specialists, Kayser Space, based in Oxfordshire.

    Managing Director of Kayser Space Ltd, David Zolesi, said:

    We are thrilled to be involved in these two new UK Space Agency funded programmes and to support scientists investigating these cutting-edge research fields.

    Our role, as experts in the design and supply of instruments and systems used in outer space and especially in crewed spaceflight, is to provide public and private research groups with the tools to conduct their research and obtain great results for the benefit and well-being of all humankind.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New use of thermal imaging could reduce diabetic foot amputations [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New use of thermal imaging could reduce diabetic foot amputations [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 24 March 2023.

    The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) has funded the National Physical Laboratory’s development of an innovative new thermal imaging technology.

    Background

    People with diabetes are at risk of developing foot ulcers. If left untreated, these ulcers can lead to infection and even amputation. Before a foot ulcer develops, the temperature of the skin increases near the site of ulceration. Current temperature measurement techniques only measure a single area of skin at a time, making them slow and subjective, often limiting them to the sole of the foot, where just 40% of ulcers occur.

    The knowledge asset solution

    A team at the UK’s national metrology institute, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), have developed a new thermal imaging technology that can accurately capture the entire surface temperature of the foot in seconds, reducing the risk of thousands of potential ulcers being missed by clinicians each year, with the potential for further use in other medical applications.

    Who will this help?

    • Patients: The technology could prevent 170 amputations a week in England alone, improve patient quality of life and reduce mortality rates.
    • Clinicians: The technology saves time, captures more of the skin area and identifies at risk patients sooner.
    • NHS: Early detection decreases the need for amputations, which costs the NHS around £1.1 billion a year (2017)

    Funding awarded

    NPL were awarded £248,502 by the Knowledge Asset Grant Fund (KAGF) in 2021 to help grow and develop their new thermal imaging company, Celsius Health. They were awarded a further £210,880 in January 2023 to help commercialise their knowledge asset and to bring the technology closer to patients.

    Outcome

    NPL has developed revolutionary new technology for the healthcare sector and a prototype that meets UK product legislation (Conformity Assessed). A new medical tech company has also been established that will support the wider healthcare sector.

    Quote from Celsius Health

    Christian Saville, from Celsius Health, said the following about the support from GOTT:

    As a world leading National Metrology Institute (NMI), NPL is constantly developing new technology. GOTT has helped us realise different ways of making the most impact from our discoveries – in this case via spinout.

    Next steps

    The Celsius Health team are seeking to raise venture capital for Celsius Health and secure medical regulatory approval. This will allow for the technology to be sold and used in the treatment of diabetes with further possible applications where inflammation, infection and blood flow are key indicators of disease.

  • PRESS RELEASE : British Ambassador Jill Morris CMG officially starts her tour as British Ambassador to Turkiye [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : British Ambassador Jill Morris CMG officially starts her tour as British Ambassador to Turkiye [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 March 2023.

    Jill Morris, presented her credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 22 March 2023 and officially started her tour as British Ambassador to Turkey. She is the UK’s first female Ambassador to Turkiye.

    British Ambassador Jill Morris CMG paid a visit to Anıtkabir on her first full day in office. She was accompanied by Embassy Staff.

    Jill Morris laid a wreath at the mausoleum and observed a minute’s silence before signing the Anıtkabir Memorial Book. She wrote the following lines:

    I am deeply honoured and proud to represent the UK in Turkiye, laying a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and paying my heartfelt tribute and respect to the father of modern Turkiye. The UK and Turkiye have strong, deep rooted relations, including as allies in NATO. I look forward to strengthening further our partnership as we celebrate the centenary of the Turkish Republic in 2023.