Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Plans unveiled for new sites to become bathing waters [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 March 2023.

Four swimming spots in England are being considered to become designated bathing water sites and benefit from regular water quality monitoring from this spring, the Water Minister has today (10 March) announced.

Sykes Lane Bathing Beach and Whitwell Creek at Rutland Water, Firestone Bay in Plymouth, and a section of the River Deben at Waldringfield, Suffolk, have all progressed to a public consultation. If designated, it will take the total number of sites to 424, the highest number ever.

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

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

The government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, published earlier this year, includes a target for everyone to live within a 15 minute walk of a green or blue space, such as bathing sites. As of 2022, there are 421 designated bathing waters in England (407 coastal, 12 lakes, 2 rivers).

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

England’s bathing water sites are an important part of how we safeguard our precious coastal waters, rivers and lakes, as well as protecting the health of bathers.

The actions we have taken mean that people across the country will be able to swim at more sites and in better quality water, but we know there is more to do.

“I would strongly encourage all residents and bathers to take part in these consultations to help make sure we continue to have cleaner and healthier waters both now and for future generations.”

If the sites are designated, the Environment Agency will regularly take samples during the bathing season – which runs between 15 May and 30 September. Local residents, businesses, farmers and other members of the public are invited to have their say before the consultation closes on 24 March.

When selecting new sites, Defra considers how many people bathe there, if the site has suitable infrastructure and facilities, such as toilets, and where investment in water quality improvements following designation would have the most impact.

All applications are assessed against these factors and only those that meet these factors are taken forward to public consultation.

This government has taken significant action in recent years to protect and improve our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This includes:
- Setting strict new targets on water companies – designed to frontload action in important areas such as bathing waters – as part of our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This requires water companies to deliver the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.
- Increasing monitoring of discharges from approximately 5% in 2016 to nearly 90% in 2021. This will reach 100% cover by the end of this year. Through the Environment Act, water companies are being required to make near real-time data on storm overflow discharges publicly available.
- Working with the farming community and regulators to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture through our future farming reforms. The government has also increased the Environment Agency’s capacity to conduct farm inspections, with the target of conducting 4,000 a year, and doubled the funding for our Catchment Sensitive Farming programme.
- Seeing record levels of fines for water companies who break the law. Since 2015, the Environment Agency has secured fines of over £144m. Government is making it easier for regulators to enforce fines and hold water companies to account – with a consultation to launch this spring.
11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Paedophile, Alan Nicholson, stung by undercover police has sentenced increased [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 10 March 2023.

A predator who told a woman he met online to sexually assault two young children has his sentence increased by more than two years.

Alan Nicholson, from High Harrington, Cumbria, had his case referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

In September 2021, Alan Nicholson (53) spoke to a woman online, called Louise, who he believed had two daughters, aged five years-old and a baby of four-months.

Their conversations revolved around serious acts of sexual abuse that Nicholson intended to carry out on Louise’s children.

However, Louise was an undercover police officer supporting Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.

Nicholson was found guilty on two counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and received a three-year prison sentence.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Following the sentencing at the Crown Court at Carlisle on 16 December 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Nicholson’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal on 9 March 2023 and was increased to 5 years 9 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Alan Nicholson believed he was successfully arranging to carry out vile acts on very young children. Thankfully the person he was talking to was an undercover police officer, whose diligent and commendable work led to his imprisonment.

I would like to praise all of those involved for catching Alan Nicholson and helping prevent anyone else come to harm. A longer prison sentence for this despicable crime shows such behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated.

Detective Sergeant James Bailey of Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit said:

We welcome the increased sentence given out to Nicholson.

Our specialist officers work hard behind-the-scenes all-year-round to deter offending, catch criminals and safeguard victims.

We will not tolerate those carrying out such crimes and will continue to do what we can to target those offending in this way and bring them to justice.

11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New ultrasound technology aims to improve breast cancer diagnosis [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 10 March 2023.

The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) has funded the National Physical Laboratory’s development of new ultrasound technology in breast cancer diagnosis.
Background

Women with ‘significantly denser’ breast tissue are around 6 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those with ‘low breast density’. Breast density is currently estimated from mammogram and MRI scans, which leaves detection open to clinical judgement and therefore potential room for error.

The knowledge asset solution

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is developing innovative new ultrasound technology which provides quantitative measurements of breast tissue composition and has the potential to make a significant impact in breast density assessment. The technology can also help with breast cancer diagnosis and monitoring the response to treatment.

Who will this help?

Patients: Over 700,000 women in the UK are living with undetected high breast density

Clinicians: Supporting doctors to identify women with high breast density with safe, consistent and reliable technology available outside of a hospital setting

NHS: Earlier detection of breast cancer can reduce the cost of treatment and save lives

Funding awards

NPL were awarded £93,954 in the ‘Expand’ phase of the Knowledge Asset Grant Fund (KAGF) in November 2021 and were awarded an additional £199,312 in September 2022 in the ‘Extend’ phase to further develop this technology.

GOTT’s role

GOTT immediately saw the potential for the further development of this public sector owned knowledge asset, and its potential benefits to patients and the healthcare sector. The evidence presented by NPL was strong and an excellent example of how the KAGF can be used to support government bodies to exploit and leverage their knowledge assets and, in this case, improve the diagnosis of cancer.

Quote from NPL

Daniel Sarno, a research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory and a member of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, said:

While the technology is currently in the research phase, we are encouraged by our in-person results and excited for the technology journey from bench top to bedside. The Knowledge Assets Grant Fund has enabled us to continue to pursue our vision for getting this technology into the market and used by those who can benefit from it.
11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to assert staunch commitment to European security at UK-France Summit [March 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 March 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron expected to agree new approaches to challenges including migration, energy security and the threat from Russia.
- Prime Minister and President Macron expected to agree new approaches to challenges including migration, energy security and the threat from Russia
- Demonstrating his commitment to Europe’s security, the PM will confirm the UK will host the fourth meeting of the European Political Community in 2024
- The leaders will be joined at the UK-France Summit by Cabinet ministers including the Foreign, Defence and Home Secretaries
The Prime Minister, President Macron and British and French Cabinet ministers will gather in Paris today for the UK-France Summit. Talks will focus on fortifying our partnership to tackle shared challenges including stopping small boats, securing our domestic energy supplies and protecting our people against the threat from Russia and elsewhere.

At the first bilateral summit of British and French leaders since the coronavirus pandemic and Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Prime Minister and President Macron will discuss how to transform our deep and historic alliance so we are fully equipped to tackle the threats of the future.

Over the past decade the UK and France have routinely been NATO’s first and second biggest European contributors. We are the only European allies to be permanent members of the UN Security Council and the only nuclear powers in the region. The UK and France therefore have a responsibility to work together to guarantee Europe’s security.

Since 2010, the expansive defence partnership between the UK and France has been driven by the agreements made in the Lancaster House Treaties, treaties which established France as the UK’s closest defence and security partner other than the United States.

Under the Lancaster House treaties the UK and France established the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), which sees more than 10,000 British and French personnel ready to deploy together in response to a crisis. The CJEF sits alongside the UK’s other alliances in Europe, including the Joint Expeditionary Force of northern European nations and NATO – all tangible demonstrations of the UK’s commitment to uphold the continent’s security and prosperity.

The UK will further that commitment next year by hosting the fourth gathering of the European Political Community – a meeting of likeminded European leaders with shared values to coordinate on some of the most pressing geopolitical issues we face.

The Prime Minister said:

Our deep history, our proximity and our shared global outlook mean that a firm partnership between the UK and France is not just valuable, it is essential.

From tackling the scourge of illegal migration to driving investment in one another’s economies the work we do together improves the lives of each and every person in our countries. Beyond that, the UK and France also have a privileged role as defenders of European and global security.

As we face new and unprecedented threats, it is vital that we fortify the structures of our alliance so we are ready to take on the challenges of the future. That is what we will do at the UK-France Summit today.

Russia’s actions pose the biggest threat to European, and global, security. The Prime Minister and President Macron will hold discussions today on strengthening NATO to protect our people as well as bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence, both now and in the long-term.

As part of their talks, the Prime Minister and President Macron are expected to agree to further enhance UK-France military interoperability and industrial cooperation, including agreeing to scope the co-development of next-generation deep precision strike weaponry – the kind of long-range capability which NATO needs to protect against the growing threat from Russia.

To support Ukraine in their struggle for their sovereignty, the Prime Minister and President Macron are also expected to agree to further coordinate both the supply of weapons to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian Marines. The UK has already trained 11,000 troops since last summer, and we recently expanded our training to include Ukrainian pilots. Bolstering these efforts through further joint UK and French training could see thousands more Ukrainians brought to battlefield readiness.

The Prime Minister and President Macron will also discuss the role that NATO members can play in providing Ukraine with the security assurances they need to defend themselves in the long-term.

Beyond our immediate neighbourhood, the UK and France are also the European nations with the largest presence in the Indo-Pacific – a region crucial for our protection and prosperity, whose security is indivisible from that of Europe.

The Prime Minister and President Macron will discuss how to combine our strengths in the area to ensure permanent presence of likeminded European partners. This includes establishing the backbone to a permanent European maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific through the sequencing of more persistent European carrier strike group presence – coordinating the deployment of France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, and the UK’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales carriers.

Alongside discussions on deepening the defence partnership between our countries, the leaders will also look at ways to transform our cooperation on issues including tackling illegal migration. This will build on the agreements made in 2022 to make the small boat route across the Channel unviable, save lives and dismantle organised crime groups while preventing illegal migration further upstream.

Last year our partnership with the French stopped more than 30,500 illegal crossings – nearly twice as many as in 2022.
10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement of Endorsement – Ajay Banga [March 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 9 March 2023.

The UK has announced its support of Ajay Banga for World Bank Group President.

“The UK, a long-standing partner of the World Bank, has announced its support of Ajay Banga for World Bank Group President. Mr Banga brings decades of experience leading global organisations, and a strong track record in establishing private – public partnerships. He will bring energy to the World Bank Group as it steps up its effort to tackle global challenges from extreme poverty to climate change.

“The Development Minister Andrew Mitchell and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt met Mr Banga to discuss UK priorities for the World Bank and mobilising more resources, including from the private sector.
“The UK has played a leading role in shaping the Bank since its inception, as the joint-fifth largest shareholder of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the third largest contributor to the International Development Association (IDA). The Bank will be a close partner in delivering the three-pronged approach to international development set out by Andrew Mitchell.

“Reflecting on Mr Banga’s recent visits to Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya, both of whom have since endorsed his candidacy, as well as the recent support of India, Andrew Mitchell reiterated the importance of engaging with, listening to, and delivering for all the countries that borrow from the World Bank and for the world’s poorest people – something that has always been a key priority of the UK.

“With the publication of the UK’s Women and Girls Strategy, Minister Mitchell expressed his hope that Mr Banga will be a proud advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, helping secure sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries.”

10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : United Kingdom helps freeze more than £48 billion in Russian assets [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 March 2023.

The United Kingdom and its allies have re-affirmed their joint commitment to enforce sanctions on Russia.

Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs Taskforce (REPO) has worked across the globe to block or freeze more than £48 billion in Russian assets.

The United Kingdom alone has frozen more than £18 billion in Russian assets.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat met with the Task Force on the morning of Thursday 9 March 2023.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Tugendhat said:

The UK continues to play a leading role in holding Russia to account for its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

Alongside our allies in the Russian Elites Proxies and Oligarchs Task Force we have blocked or frozen more than £48 billion worth of Russian assets, putting unprecedented financial pressure on Putin and his cronies.

Together we stand united in defending global democracy and fighting against authoritarianism. There is more to come.

Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Commission are all members of the taskforce, which was set up to exert unprecedented pressure on sanctioned Russians.

At the meeting REPO members agreed a joint statement which sets out achievements to date and the ongoing international focus on enforcing sanctions on Russia.

Members also released a global advisory, to assist banks and the private sector, on Russian sanctions evasion.

10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Transport Secretary sets out record investment plans for transport network [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 March 2023.

Over £40 billion will be invested in transformational transport schemes over the next 2 financial years across the country.
- record £40 billion of capital investment confirmed over next 2 financial years, despite challenging economic circumstances
- prioritising delivery of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Birmingham Curzon Street to ensure passenger benefits as soon as possible
- responsible decisions taken on other transport schemes to help balance nation’s books and allow time for planning processes
The Transport Secretary has today (9 March 2023) ensured record funding is invested in the country’s transport network, sustainably driving growth across the country while managing the pressures of inflation.

As part of the government’s largest capital programme commitment ever, over £40 billion will be invested in transformational transport schemes over the next 2 financial years across the country, helping to level up local communities and deliver on one of the government’s 5 priorities to grow the economy.

This includes a continued investment in delivering HS2, which will grow local economies, provide a green transport solution and train a skilled construction workforce, as well as almost £8 billion in investment over the next 2 years in major roads – the nation’s economic arteries, which support the bulk of passenger journeys.

With over £20 billion spent on Phase One already, the government will prioritise delivering the opening stage of HS2, with the first high-speed rail services running between new stations at Old Oak Common in west London and Curzon Street in Birmingham by the early 2030s. This will be transformative for passengers and communities, ensuring that the earliest benefits of HS2 are retained – creating jobs, attracting investment and sparking housing and commercial regeneration along and beyond the route.

The government also remains fully committed to delivering HS2 from Euston to Manchester. However, in recognition of inflationary pressures and to help balance the nation’s books, the next 2 years will be used to rephase construction and optimise future delivery of Phase 2a between Birmingham and Crewe so this is done in the most cost-effective way. This aims to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the North West as soon as possible after accounting for the rephasing of construction.

At the same time, the government will take the time to ensure an affordable and deliverable design at Euston, with a view to delivering the station alongside high-speed infrastructure to Manchester, while the High Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill continues through Parliament.

Work continues on progressing commitments made in the Integrated Rail Plan to develop HS2 East, the proposed route for HS2 services between the West and East Midlands, and to consider the most effective way to take HS2 trains to Leeds.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

We know the power of transport as an engine for sustainable economic growth. That’s why – even in this tough economic climate – this government sees transport investment as a down payment on the country’s future and is committing £20 billion over each of the next 2 years to improve the UK’s transport network.

But we can’t ignore the current realities. Putin’s war in Ukraine has hiked up inflation, sending supply chain costs rocketing. The responsible decisions I’ve outlined today will ensure we balance the budget at the same time as investing record sums in our transport network to help halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.

Despite the government’s record £40 billion investment, there are challenging economic headwinds following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and supply chain disruption as the global economy recovers from the pandemic, which have made project delivery difficult.

This means the government has had to take tough decisions on what can be achieved within original timeframes.

The A27 Arundel Bypass and A5036 Port of Liverpool Access in the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS 2) both face a range of challenges including environmental considerations and ongoing design changes, and so will be developed in RIS 3 (covering 2025-2030) to allow time to ensure stakeholders’ views are fully considered. The schemes earmarked for RIS3 (2025-30) will continue to be developed and considered for inclusion within RIS 4, which will run from 2030-2035. Given many of these schemes were previously expected towards the end of RIS 3, this extra time will help ensure better planned and efficient schemes can be deployed more effectively.

As one of the largest planning applications ever, the Lower Thames Crossing, backed by £800 million to date, will also be slowed down by 2 years. This will allow more time to take into account stakeholder views and prepare an effective and deliverable plan, while helping to meet inflationary pressures and deliver the planning processes properly.

The government is committed to supporting all forms of transport and is investing more than £3 billion into active travel up to 2025, despite the efficiency savings needed due to global financial pressures. This includes existing funding for active travel schemes such as through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and National Highways to level up access to active travel across the country. The department will invest at least £100 million across the remainder of the Spending Review period – for 2023/24 and 2024/25. This will be on top of an expected £850 million investment up to 2022/23.
10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : NHS prescription charges from 1 April 2023 [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 March 2023.

The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (‘the Amendment Regulations’) have today been laid before Parliament to increase certain National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2023.

We have applied an inflation rate of 3.21%. This year we have increased the prescription charge by 30 pence from £9.35 to £9.65 for each medicine or appliance dispensed. The cost of prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) will also be increased: 3-month PPC increases by £1 to £31.25 and 12-month PPC increases by £3.50 to £111.60. The recently introduced HRT PPC will cost £19.30.

Charges for wigs and fabric supports will also be increased in line with the blended inflation rate, as described above. Details of the revised charges for 2023 to 2024 can be found below.

Prescription charges
- Single charge: £9.65
- 3-month PPC: £31.25
- 12-month PPC: £111.60
- HRT PPC: £19.30
Wigs and fabric supports
- Surgical bra: £31.70
- Abdominal or spinal support: £47.80
- Stock modacrylic wig: £78.15
- Partial human hair wig: £207.00
- Full bespoke human hair wig: £302.70
10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : The 10 INSTEX shareholder states have decided to liquidate INSTEX due to continued obstruction from Iran [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

The UK, France and Germany (the E3) have issued a joint statement announcing the liquidation of INSTEX.

The E3 said:

The INSTEX shareholders – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK – have decided to liquidate INSTEX.

INSTEX was set up by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 2019 to facilitate legitimate trade between Europe and Iran, particularly in humanitarian goods. Over the past 4 years, INSTEX has consistently tried to facilitate trade exchanges between Europe and Iran. There was a strong and sustained demand by European exporters to use the INSTEX mechanism, mainly from the humanitarian sector.

For political reasons, Iran has systematically prevented INSTEX from fulfilling its mandate. Iran only agreed to a single transaction, in early 2020, for the export of medical goods from Europe to Iran. After that, Iran consistently and deliberately blocked other proposals for transactions between the United Kingdom, Norway, the European Union and Iran. This was born from a political determination to impede the use of INSTEX under any circumstance. Thus, the Iranian leadership has chosen to act against the interests of its people by refusing to cooperate on the export of medicine and other life-saving goods.

In light of Iran’s persistent refusal to engage with the company, the INSTEX shareholders have reached the conclusion that there is no more ground for maintaining INSTEX operational. The INSTEX shareholders have voted in favour of the dissolution of INSTEX at the extraordinary general assembly of March 9th 2023. This decision is taken on its own merits for exclusively commercial reasons.

10/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : IAEA Board of Governors – Agenda Item 7 – Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine – UK National Statement [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

IAEA Board of Governors, March 2023. Agenda Item 7: Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine. UK National Statement.

Thank you Chair,

The United Kingdom thanks the Director General for his latest report on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine. We also welcome the Joint Statement delivered by Canada and supported by 50 Member States. This is another clear repudiation of Russia’s senseless actions against nuclear safety in Ukraine.

Chair,

As we mark one year of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, I would like to start by taking a moment to pay tribute to the bravery, resilience and determination of both the people of Ukraine – who continue to defend Ukraine from Russia’s war of aggression – and Ukrainian staff working at the Zaphorizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant who continue to work tirelessly to uphold nuclear safety under extremely difficult conditions.

Chair,

Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s sovereign territory continue to be a violation of international law, and the UN charter. Unbelievably, as we have heard this morning, last night Russia launched further attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and its nuclear facilities.  As the Director General said, as a result of these attacks the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost its only remaining connection to the electricity grid (for the sixth time since the start of Russia’s war of aggression). There are also reports of missile strikes near Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs.

Let us be clear. Only one country is responsible for these attacks – Russia. This is unacceptable and has to stop. Russia’s contempt for nuclear safety threatens us all. As the Russian Ambassador stated earlier this week – “attacks on nuclear facilities – including “in Ukraine and at Zaporizhzhia” – are unacceptable and must stop immediately. We urge him to act on his own words.

Frankly, Chair, I am shocked by the Russian Ambassador’s attempt just now to suggest that Russian shelling – such as last night’s – is not a risk to nuclear safety. The United Kingdom utterly condemns this further escalation in the strongest possible terms. We call again on the Russian Federation to cease its senseless actions against Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.

Chair, as the Russian Ambassador just said, “There is a problem and we can only solve it in one way”.

Chair, that way is for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.

Chair,

The Director General’s report before us today is another helpful, independent assessment of the nuclear safety and security implications of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. What happened last night was not the first time. As a result of attacks earlier in the reporting period, all of Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants lost external power. As the Director General set out in his report this is “a concerning development”. We also welcome the clarity in the Director General’s report about the seriousness of the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Put simply, continued Russian control of the plant and the Russian occupiers’ horrific treatment of its Ukrainian staff – despite the Russian Ambassador’s attempts to claim otherwise – are increasing the risk of a nuclear incident. This is irresponsible and unacceptable.

We share the Director General’s “grave concern” about decision making at the site, due to contradictions in the chain of command and note that each one of the Director General’s “seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety security” have been compromised. We were also extremely concerned to see the Director General report that the Russian Federation has not responded to pleas from the Agency to remove military vehicles and equipment from the turbine halls of reactors one and two, further endangering nuclear safety.

Let me re-stress that point: military vehicles and equipment, which the IAEA has witnessed but the Russian Ambassador denies exists. Russia’s continued actions are not compatible with the actions of a responsible nuclear actor. The Russian Federation is solely responsible for this “dangerous, precarious and challenging” situation. The United Kingdom remains clear that the solution to this long list of threats to nuclear safety and security is for Russia to cease its illegal control of the Plant.

Chair,

We also condemn Russia’s efforts to spread disinformation about events in Ukraine – disinformation we have already heard repeatedly this morning from the Russian Ambassador, including the incredible accusation that Ukraine shelled its own electricity grid. We note that the DG’s report confirmed that the final analysis of samples taken by the IAEA in its investigation into Russian allegations of a `dirty bomb’ did not find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities or materials related to the development of radiological dispersal devices or high explosive compounds. This lays to rest another of Russia’s ridiculous, baseless allegation, although I note the Russian Ambassador’s attempt to revive these just now – more disinformation. The Russian Ambassador says Russia has never taken action against nuclear facilities. Those were his words. Occupying an NPP? Shelling its power supply? Stationing military vehicles in the turbine halls? These are all clear examples of actions taken against nuclear facilities.

Chair,

The United Kingdom continues to support the work of the IAEA in Ukraine. We welcome the establishment of a permanent Agency presence at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities in January. This will be important to help Ukrainian staff to manage the challenging situations they find themselves in.

Chair,

The United Kingdom will continue to support the Agency’s work in Ukraine. Since the crisis began, we have already provided over 4.5 million euros to support the Agency’s work in Ukraine and I am pleased to announce today a further 570,000 euros of United Kingdom funding to support the Agency’s nuclear security work in Ukraine. We support the Director General’s efforts to enhance nuclear safety and security around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, including his attempts to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone that protects these seven pillars and upholds Ukrainian sovereignty.

Finally Chair,

The United Kingdom would also like to inform Board Members of the actions we will continue to take at the IAEA and more broadly to ensure Russia is held accountable for its actions. We will continue to expose and sanction those supporting Russia’s illegal war and on 24 February, the United Kingdom announced a further package of sanctions which includes senior executives at Rosatom. We also reaffirm our commitment that no UK extra-budgetary funding to the IAEA will benefit the Russian Federation; that no UK experts will attend IAEA events in Russia; and that no UK experts will appear on panels for Agency events alongside participants from the Russian Federation. We call on other Member States to take similar action.

Thank you Chair.

10/03/2023