Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Government sets out reforms to create a fair, secure, affordable and efficient electricity system [July 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 10 July 2025.

Government confirms reforms to the national pricing electricity market that will create a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system.
- Government puts fairness and affordability at the centre of electricity market reform to deliver system that puts working people first
- Government takes decision to reform the existing national pricing system rather than split the country into different zones
- Reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as government drives to deliver clean power mission, protecting families through Plan for Change
Working people, families and businesses will benefit from a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system thanks to ambitious new reforms of the energy market to protect consumers and secure investment into clean energy.

Working people have suffered uncertainties and worry in recent years from high energy bills spurred on by the country’s dependence on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators. That is why the government has doubled down on its clean energy mission, which will give families control with clean homegrown power that Britain controls – all part of the mission to bring down bills for good.

In delivering this clean power system, the government inherited a decision on whether to retain the current national system in which all areas in Britain pay the same wholesale price for energy – or undertake an overhaul to split the country into different pricing zones depending on their proximity to where energy is generated.

Following this process, and an extensive consultation which started in 2022, the government has concluded that reforming the system while retaining a single national wholesale price is the right way to deliver a fair, affordable, secure, and efficient electricity system.

The proposals set out today (10 July) will ensure the benefits of clean power are felt by consumers in every part of the country, while giving businesses the stability and certainty they need to continue investing to upgrade our infrastructure – boosting national energy security, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and growing the economy.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Building clean power at pace and scale is the only way to get Britain off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets and protect families and businesses for good.

As we embark on this new era of clean electricity, a reformed system of national pricing is the best way to deliver an electricity system that is fairer, more affordable, and more secure, at less risk to vital investment in clean energy than other alternatives.

Our package of reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as we drive to deliver our clean power mission through our Plan for Change.

This decision comes as the government takes a step closer to the clean power by 2030 target, delivering the most significant investment in clean, homegrown power in British history over the last year. This includes approving projects that could power the equivalent of 2 million homes, as well as the biggest expansion of new nuclear power in half a century, providing £14.2 billion for Sizewell C, over the Spending Review.

The government is taking a fundamentally different approach to building the energy system and infrastructure that this country needs. After years of delay from previous governments that has seen consumer costs and constraint payments rise, the government is rapidly building the network, reforming the planning system, and transforming the grid connections queue to get the projects needed for clean power and economic growth. It is only by driving the build out of new transmission infrastructure, which the government is doing through our planning measures after years of delay, that the clean power system the country needs can be built.

The further changes announced today will see the government taking on more responsibility for planning the system and determining where clean energy infrastructure is located, based on what is needed for the long-term. These changes will ultimately help to bring down energy bills, by making the current system more efficient, ensuring low-cost investment into cheap clean energy projects, and reducing the cost of running the electricity network.

The key parts of the reformed national package being announced today include:

Strategic Spatial Energy Plan:
- The government has confirmed that the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, to be published next year by NESO following consultation, will be at the heart of the reforms to improve the efficiency of the electricity system, under the national pricing model.
- Commissioned by UK, Scottish and Welsh governments last year, for the first time the plan will set out how to best spread new energy projects across land and sea in Great Britain up to 2050. This will speed up development, cut grid connection waiting times and help to reduce costs, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.
Transmission charges:
- Under the current system, the more that energy generators rely on the transmission network to move power to where it’s needed, the more they will need to pay – in what are known as Transmission Network Use of System charges. The government will work with Ofgem to drive forward a review of these charges to provide stronger incentives for investors to build generation where it is needed, supporting a cheaper system for all. Crucially this will include changes to make existing charges more predictable for investors – as currently the charges vary year by year, which causes uncertainty during long-term projects and can drive up prices as developers price in the risk of volatility.
Improving the efficiency of the power system:
- The government is already working at pace with the industry to rewire Britain and upgrade the country’s outdated infrastructure to get more renewable electricity onto the grid and minimise constraint payments after over a decade of delay. Independent advice from NESO confirmed that up to £4 billion in constraint payments, caused by historic failure to build the grid infrastructure the country needs, could be avoided by 2030, if critical network upgrades are accelerated to complete by 2030. Many of these projects are already well into development, such as the Norwich to Tilbury transmission line, and the Sea Link offshore cable between Kent and Suffolk.
- The government is also working with NESO to launch a consultation later this year on further reforms that will help to reduce the need for constraint payments. One potential measure could give NESO better access to smaller assets – such as battery storage sites – that can offer greater flexibility when balancing the grid.
- NESO are also currently working with the wider industry to explore further options to help reduce the need for constraint payments – as part of their Constraints Collaboration Project.
Today’s announcement also builds on wider schemes announced by the government that aim to ensure households can directly benefit from hosting clean energy projects. Earlier this year, the government introduced measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will see eligible households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure receive electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years. The Energy Secretary also recently set out plans for coastal and rural communities hosting clean energy infrastructure to receive a cash boost for new community facilities, better transport links and investment in apprenticeships.
July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK and France partner on navigation systems to protect critical infrastructure from hostile threats [July 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 10 July 2025.

UK and French researchers join up to shield critical infrastructure, including power supplies and emergency services, with more resilient navigation and timing systems.
- UK and French researchers join up to shield critical infrastructure, including power supplies and emergency services, with more resilient navigation and timing systems.
- Positioning, Navigation, and Timing systems are critical to everything from banking to transport – and the Ukraine war has shown how these systems can be targeted by malign actors.
- Partnerships on AI supercomputing infrastructure, and AI research, to be agreed when French President and UK Science and Tech Secretary meet in London.
UK and French experts will work more closely to increase the resilience of both countries’ critical infrastructure to the signal-jamming seen in the war in Ukraine, as part of a suite of joint science and tech work being announced today (Thursday 10 July).

From our electricity infrastructure, to transport, to financial transactions, the tech we rely on for everyday life depends on reliable Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), often provided via satellites. The conflict in Ukraine has shown how new technologies – in some cases, just small hand-held devices – can be used to disrupt PNT services, potentially causing major disruption to the vast areas of life and the economy reliant on them.

As part of a raft of UK-France joint science and tech efforts being announced today, researchers from both countries will work together on technologies complementary to the likes of GPS, which are highly resistant to this sort of jamming.

An example is e-LORAN, a program driven by the UK government, working closely with the National Physical Laboratory and private sector companies. The system uses ground-based radio towers, which are much more challenging to block, for a reliable “backup” to GPS, so that UK infrastructure can keep running even when GPS fails.

The UK’s Science and Tech Secretary used a joint visit to Imperial College London, with President Macron, to set out how this sort of collaboration makes both the UK and France stronger and safer. Whilst speaking at Imperial, Peter Kyle also pointed out the tens of millions of pounds in investment being brought into the British tech sector through UK-French trade, as well as the new jobs and growth that this partnership creates.

These are efforts that will bolster our economic and national security, which are foundational pillars of the Plan for Change.

UK Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

France and the UK both have huge ambitions for technology to boost economic growth and strengthen national security. It is vital we work with natural partners like our French neighbours in these endeavours, particularly as the threats from hostile state actors only grows.

Today we build on the Entente Cordiale with an Entente Technologique, celebrating and renewing our longstanding and historic partnership so that together we can face down the challenges of tomorrow.

Additionally, the UK and France are launching a partnership on supercomputing. The partnership will be led by the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing, the home of Isambard-AI, and the French computing centre GENCI, who lead France’s AI Factory.

Closer ties between both nations’ world-leading compute power, and sharing AI best practice, will turbocharge the breakthroughs in AI, transforming public services and improving lives. These efforts build on the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the UK government’s blueprint to fuel the use of AI across the economy.

This builds on the strong existing UK-France cooperation on AI. The UK’s AI Security Institute and France’s INESIA have committed to further technical workshops to deepen their collaboration on frontier AI research, in order to support our national security.

Some of the UK and France’s leading research institutions are also committing to closer work. Collaboration agreements were signed today when President Macron and Science and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle visited Imperial College London, where they witnessed first-hand some of the cutting-edge uses of AI being pioneered in the UK, from health to clean energy.

The spotlight will shine on the vast opportunities for UK-France science and tech collaboration again on Friday, when the UK’s AI Minister Feryal Clark and her French counterpart Minister Clara Chappaz will tour Diamond Light Source in Oxford.

Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world. Researchers here are harnessing light 10 billion times brighter than the sun to study new scientific samples, like previously unknown virus structures, to pioneer new medicines and treatments for diseases.

Notes to editors

The 3 UK-France science and technology agreements being signed are between:
- Imperial and CNRS Ayrton Blériot Engineering Lab (ABEL)
- University College London (UCL) and National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria)
- Oxford-Cambridge and HEC, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay
UK-French export and investment announcements

British tech unicorns are winning tens of millions of pounds in significant contracts with French corporates, driving jobs and growth at home. This includes Synthesia’s new partnership with Decathlon to create a pioneering AI avatar lab which the global sports retailer will use to communicate with customers and employees, building on Synthesia’s existing work with over half of France’s CAC40 (equivalent to FTSE 100). Other deals include ElevenLabs’ collaboration with M6 and TV5 Monde and Darktrace’s contract with GL Events, a French major events operator.

BT’s operations in France totalled approximately £130 million last financial year, connecting more than 80 French-headquartered companies, from Alstom to Michelin. BT has supported French telecoms, communications, cyber security and banking operations for 55 years. BT has invested more than £24 billion domestically so far this decade, with plans to invest a further £20 billion by 2030. BT’s investment into digital infrastructure projects also boosts the UK’s attractiveness for French investment and act as an enabler of British exports to France.

Thales, in conjunction with partners, is planning £40 million of AI-focussed R&D investment as part of its CortAIx UK AI Accelerator – which will employ 200 people and serve as a focal point for Thales’ AI innovation in the UK. This initiative will further enhance AI cooperation between France and the UK, ss well as help both countries to stay ahead of evolving threats, unleashing the potential of AI to increase mission success for both countries.

Comand AI are investing £35 million over the next 5 years to set up an office in the UK, in their first step to becoming a pan-European defence company. This investment will create around 40 highly skilled jobs in tech, bringing the best of software engineering to defence. These jobs would represent half of their global engineering team. They aim to build the future of defence technology between the UK and France, from capability assessment to mission planning and execution for our Allied nations.
July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : 66th WIPO General Assemblies – UK Statement [July 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 July 2025.

UK Statement for the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies. Delivered by Mr. Adam Williams, Chief Executive and Comptroller-General of the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.

Thank you Chair.

The UK is pleased to be part of the 66th session of the WIPO Assemblies. We thank you, Chair, Ambassador Suescum, DG Tang, and the Secretariat for preparing this session.

We commend your positive leadership, DG, over the past four years. Systems like the PCT, Hague and Madrid remain essential for all UK businesses, providing cost-effective global IP protection. We value your commitment to keeping these services central to WIPO’s work.

The UK welcomes WIPO’s responsible and prudent financial management, which is especially important in these uncertain times. This General Assembly has several challenging issues to discuss ahead, including WIPO’s program and budget. We encourage all delegations to work towards consensus.

The UK applauds the adoption of the design law and genetic resources treaties last year, clear proof that multilateralism and IP can deliver meaningful progress. We are pleased to announce our intention to sign the Design Law Treaty this week, supporting global designers and small businesses.

We strongly support efforts to build a more inclusive IP system, especially programs for women, youth, and underrepresented groups and initiatives like the Global Entrepreneurship Empowerment.

Looking ahead, with just 17% of SDG targets on track, we welcome WIPO GREEN’s expansion, and the growing recognition of IP’s role in tackling climate change. The UK was pleased to sign a MoU with WIPO Green last year and have since joined its Board to deepen collaboration.

We also value WIPO’s work on IP and frontier technologies and encourage deeper collaboration with Geneva-based partners and global initiatives like the UN Global Digital Compact and AI for Good.

Finally, we thank the Secretariat for its report on assistance for Ukraine’s innovation and creativity sector (document A/66/8). While Ukraine faces an unprecedented level of Russian attacks on its towns and cities, wreaking horrific damage on its people and its creative industries, we salute its resilience and innovation in the face of such criminality, and welcome the support provided by WIPO.

Chair, the UK remains committed to a WIPO that is efficient, inclusive and focused on delivering for global innovators and creators.

July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Millions of households to be given income boost as Bill progresses through Parliament [July 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 9 July 2025.

Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.
- Bill to introduce biggest permanent boost to out-of-work support since 1980 progresses through Parliament.
- Legislation will remove perverse disincentives to work that exist in the welfare system while protecting 200,000 of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are not expected to ever be able to work.
- Alongside the Bill, disabled people and those with health conditions will have legal protections to try work without fear of reassessment.
- Reforms to the welfare system aimed at improving living standards across the country and breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
Nearly 4 million households will see an annual income boost estimated to be worth £725 cash as a Bill to overhaul the welfare system completes the next stage of its passage through Parliament.

For the first time ever, the Universal Credit standard allowance will permanently rise above inflation, amounting to £725 by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over.

This is the highest permanent real terms increase to the main rate of out-of-work support since 1980, according to the IFS.

Reforms set out in the Universal Credit Bill will look to rebalance the core payment and health top up in Universal Credit (UC). This will address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency.

The Bill, which will legislate to make these changes, today successfully cleared the House of Commons. It will now be introduced into the House of Lords to continue its passage through Parliament towards Royal Assent.

Alongside these changes, we have published significant new measures, giving people receiving health and disability benefits the right to try work without fear of reassessment.

The new Right to Try Guarantee enshrines this in law for the first time and includes disabled people and people with health conditions – such as those recovering from illness – who want to return to work now their health has improved.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Our reforms are built on the principle of fairness, fixing a system that for too long has left people trapped in a cycle of dependence.

We are giving extra support to millions of households across the country, while offering disabled people the chance to work without fear of the repercussions if things don’t work out.

These reforms will change the lives of people across the country, so they have a real chance for a better future.

As part of our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled, 200,000 in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe, lifelong conditions who are unlikely to recover – will not be called for a UC reassessment.

All existing recipients of the UC health element and new customers with 12 months or less to live or who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria will also see their standard allowance combined with their UC health element rise at least in line with inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30.This means they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.

We are also putting disabled people at the heart of a ministerial review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment led by Disability Minister Stephen Timms and co-produced with disabled people, along with the organisations that represent them, experts, MPs and other stakeholders – making sure it is fair and fit for the future.

We will be engaging widely over the summer to design the process for the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.

These reforms are underpinned by a major investment in employment support for sick and disabled people – worth £3.8 billion over the Parliament. Funding will be brought forward for tailored employment, health and skills support to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into work as part of our Pathways to Work guarantee.

This investment will accelerate the pace of new investments in employment support programmes, building on and learning from successes such as the Connect to Work programme, which are already rolling out to provide disabled people and people with health conditions with one-to-one support at the point when they feel ready to work.

The reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.

Further information

The Universal Credit standard allowance is set to be around £250 higher than an inflation only increases.

The UC Bill legislates for:

Rebalancing of UC health and standard elements to address the fundamental imbalance in the system which creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency through:
- Increasing the UC standard allowance above inflation for the next four years – worth an estimated £725 by 2029/30 for a single adult aged 25 or over.
- Reducing the health top-up for new claims to £50 per week from April 2026.
- Ensuring that all existing recipients of the UC health element – and any new claimant meeting the Severe Conditions Criteria and/or that has their claims considered under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) – will receive the higher UC health payment after April 2026.
- Exemptions from reassessment for those with the most severe, lifelong conditions.
July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Work begins at state-of-the-art weather centre headquarters [July 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 9 July 2025.

Construction has begun on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, marked by a breaking ground ceremony on Wednesday 9 July.

Construction has begun on a new cutting-edge facility for meteorological research and forecasting, marked by a breaking ground ceremony.

The event took place today (July 9) at the site of the new headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) at the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus, led by Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Also in attendance were key stakeholders in the project including ECMWF Directors, Penny Endersby, CEO of the Met Office and President of ECMWF Council, Mark Bourgeois, CEO at the Government Property Agency (GPA) which is delivering the scheme, and representatives of the University of Reading, Mace – design and build construction partners, project advisors AtkinsRéalis and BDP – the architects.

Construction of the modern, accessible and highly sustainable headquarters, which is being funded through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), is expected to be ready for occupation in early 2027.

ECMWF will move from its existing premises in Reading, where it has been for half a century, to the new headquarters. Once operational the building will accommodate up to 300 scientists and staff to support world-leading work on all aspects of weather prediction systems, forecast production and research into climate change. The state-of-the-art facility will support the use of the latest advances made in areas such as data assimilation, earth system modelling, predictability and reanalysis to improve weather predictions and understanding of climate.

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

The UK is proud to continue to host the headquarters of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This state-of-the-art facility places the UK at the heart of international efforts that are helping us to make better sense of our weather and climate.

By improving our weather predictions we can optimise our energy consumption estimates, adjust transport schedules effectively and give our farmers time to prepare for extreme weather – helping people and businesses to save money, cut energy use and stay safe.

With the university’s Department of Meteorology and parts of the UK Met Office, National Environment Research Council (NERC) National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences and NERC National Centre for Earth Observation all currently located within the university – and now the new ECMWF HQ – means the town of Reading is home to an exceptional cluster of weather, climate research and operational forecasting facilities.

Florence Rabier, ECMWF Director General said:

After 50 years at Shinfield Park in Reading, we are pleased that this move to state-of-the-art sustainable premises will provide excellent facilities for our staff and visitors, and bring us even closer to many colleagues at the university.

ECMWF is an intergovernmental organisation with 35 member and cooperating states that have built a strong international collaboration with each of these countries’ meteorological services. As well as traditional numerical weather prediction and research, together with our member and cooperating states, we are spearheading the artificial intelligence/machine learning revolution in weather science for the benefit and protection of citizens.

Mark Bourgeois, the GPA’s CEO said:

It is a landmark occasion to get construction underway of this new facility, which has been designed to industry-leading net zero carbon standards. This project is a perfect example of cross-government collaboration which will deliver a modern, inspirational and energy-efficient headquarters for ECMWF’s forecasting, research and training functions, retaining a world-leading scientific organisation and attracting long-term investment into the region.

It’s another milestone for us at the GPA to deliver smart, modern, sustainable and digitally connected workplaces that focus on supporting productivity and wellbeing.

July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Macron of France [July 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 July 2025.

The Prime Minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street this afternoon.

They reflected on the State Visit of the President so far, agreeing that it had been an important representation of the deep ties between our two countries.

Moving on to discuss joint working, they shared their desire to deepen our partnership further – from joint leadership in support of Ukraine to strengthening our defence collaboration and increasing bilateral trade and investment.

The Prime Minister welcomed the news that EDF would take a 12.5% stake in Sizewell C leading to lower bills, more jobs and better energy security for the UK.

The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.

The Prime Minister spoke of his government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.

The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.

Finally, they looked ahead to the 37th UK-France Summit taking place tomorrow and agreed to aim for concrete progress on these areas.

July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : The UK strongly condemns the reckless Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 July 2025.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

I’d like to make three points.

First, the UK, like our briefers, strongly condemns the reckless Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

They have led to the tragic loss of life of innocent mariners.

They undermine maritime security and global trade, and pose a significant risk to the environment.

The UK remains committed to countering the threat posed by the Houthis and restoring freedom of navigation.

We will continue to work with partners and support the Special Envoy in a coordinated international approach to achieve these goals.

Moreover, the Houthis’ continued smuggling of weapons into Yemen is a clear violation of the arms embargo, as implemented by resolution 2216.

The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism is critical to ensure compliance with the arms embargo and prevent smuggling of illicit arms.

So the UK calls on the international community to redouble efforts to enforce compliance with the arms embargo, disrupt the illegal weapons flow and support the critical role of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, in this regard.

Second, as USG Fletcher reminded us and Ms Nasser too, Yemen is experiencing a significant deterioration in food security.

The FAO’s Integration Food Security Phase Classification for Yemen notes, as USG Fletcher said, that the number of Yemenis experiencing food insecurity is predicted to rise by over a million to 18.1 million by February next year.

This year, the UK’s Food Security Safety Nets programme will provide $79 million of assistance to help feed at least 864,000 Yemenis, and to support the Government of Yemen’s economic reforms to design a more coherent and coordinated response.

As others have said, the Houthis’ continued arbitrary and cruel detention of aid workers are undermining efforts to meet the needs of Yemenis.

The UK condemns these unjustified detentions.

And I reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained.

Finally, President, Yemenis have suffered for far too long a toxic combination of insecurity and dire humanitarian conditions.

Now is the time to redouble our efforts towards an inclusive and sustainable peace.

The UK remains committed to supporting the UN Special Envoy’s work to deliver this.

July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK secures £7.5 billion Japanese investment in key growth sectors [July 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 9 July 2025.

The government has unlocked £7.5 billion of investment into key growth sectors as the Minister for Investment signed a new deal with the Sumitomo Corporation in Tokyo.
- Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson is in Tokyo to sign new partnership with top Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corporation.
- Deal secures £7.5 billion investment into key UK infrastructure and clean energy projects.
- Latest multi-billion investment shows Plan for Change is working, days after Deloitte survey puts UK in joint top spot for global investment.
New collaboration between the UK government and a top Japanese trading company will unlock £7.5 billion of investment into Britain, boosting economic growth and driving forward the government’s Plan for Change.

Today [Wednesday 9 July], Minister for Investment Baroness Poppy Gustafsson signed the new partnership with Sumitomo Corporation’s Energy Transformation Group CEO Mr Hajime Mori, Europe CEO Mr Hiroyuki Koike and the Energy Transformation Business Group in Tokyo.

Sumitomo Corporation aims to facilitate £7.5 billion of investment into key UK infrastructure and clean energy projects by 2035, backing the government’s aim to significantly increase long-term business investment into key growth sectors following the publication of the Modern Industrial Strategy and the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy.

This latest vote of confidence reaffirms the UK’s position as a global investment destination, and builds on the positive findings from Deloitte’s latest survey which found that finance leaders see the UK as the joint-most attractive destination when it comes to investment.

Minister for Investment Baroness Poppy Gustafsson CBE said:

The UK is a top investment destination for Japanese businesses, so I’m delighted to be in Tokyo to sign this new collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation. This is yet another major vote of confidence in our economy and shows international backing for our modern Industrial Strategy, which shows our Plan for Change is working.

We’re serious about clean energy as a key growth sector, and deals like this create high value jobs, encourage further investment into our world-leading industry and help boost economic growth right across the UK.

This commitment to facilitate investment into the UK also comes after the launch of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy which aims to make it quicker and easier for businesses to invest in the UK, providing investors the certainty and stability they need to make long term decisions.

The investment will be focused on key offshore wind and hydrogen projects, supporting the UK’s aim to become a clean energy superpower.

Hajime Mori, Managing Executive Officer, Group CEO, Energy Transformation Business Group, Sumitomo Corporation said:

We have made active investments in several business sectors in the UK, including decarbonisation and clean energy. Under the UK’s new industrial strategy, clean energy is designated as a priority sector. Through this agreement with Office for Investment, we will continue to leverage our strengths to drive growth in the clean energy sector in the UK.

Hiroyuki Koike, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager for Europe, Sumitomo Corporation said:

We are inspired by the UK government’s active promotion and support of private investment which has helped to improve the business environment in many areas.

We hope that this comprehensive MOU with the Office for Investment will further strengthen the relationship between the UK government and Sumitomo Corporation, and that we will contribute more to the development of the UK economy and society through our business.

Economic growth is the Government’s central mission and unlocking new investment opportunities with the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is vital to achieving this, as the UK-APAC trading relationship is now worth over £135 billion.

This new collaboration also adds to the strong trade and investment partnership the UK already shares with Japan, building on the Industrial Strategy Partnership and Economic 2+2 established earlier this year and CPTPP ratification – which is estimated to boost the economy by £2 billion a year in the long-term.

Today’s announcement comes as the Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson visited South Korea and Japan this week, meeting a range of investors and businesses to encourage further investment into the country.
July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on children – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 July 2025.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford condemns the grave violations Russian armed forces and authorities have committed against children in Ukraine, including through attacks on schools and hospitals.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr Chair. I would also like to thank the speakers for their insights on the important and emotive topic we are dealing with today.

The United Kingdom is deeply concerned about the worsening situation for children in conflicts around the world. More grave violations against children were verified by the UN than ever before in 2024, and instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence against children increased by 35% compared to 2023.

Regrettably, Madam Chair, our own region has not been immune from this trend. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine continues to have a harrowing effect on Ukraine’s 7.5 million children – on their health, education, family life and prospects for their futures.

In 1999, UN Security Council Resolution 1261 defined ‘Six Grave Violations’ most frequently affecting children in times of war. According to the latest UN report on children and armed conflict, there is mounting evidence that Russian authorities and Russian armed forces have committed at least five of these Six Grave Violations in Ukraine. For consecutive years, the UN Secretary General has reported that under two categories – the killing and maiming of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals – the violations committed by Russian armed forces are prolific enough to warrant formal listing in his annual report.

A case in point is the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. Yesterday marked one year since a Russian KH-101 cruise missile struck the hospital. It was the biggest children’s medical facility in Ukraine and the country’s primary provider of specialist paediatric care.

According to UNICEF’s report from November 2024, the war has killed or injured over 2,406 children – an average of sixteen children every week. The UN verified 222 cases of children being killed or injured in Ukraine between 1 March and 31 May 2025 – three times more children killed than during the previous quarter. In April this year alone, 97 children were killed or maimed. According to UN statistics, that is the highest monthly number of child casualties since June 2022.

It is not just death or injury that Ukrainian children face on a daily basis. According to the Government of Ukraine, the Russian authorities and armed forces have deported nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. UN reports detail the treatment of Ukrainian children in these territories. Russian authorities have systematically forced the introduction of Russian language curriculum in schools, as well as ‘military-patriotic’ training. They have also forced Ukrainian children to adopt Russian citizenship. Save the Children estimates that Russian attacks destroyed or damaged 576 education facilities in 2024 – more than double the 256 of the year before.

UN and Save the Children reports also underline that children fleeing the fighting in Ukraine are at significant risk of family separation, abuse, violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Countless people will bear the social and psychological trauma for years to come.

Moscow continues to try to disguise these crimes through a campaign of denial and disinformation. But these abuses have all been verified by independent sources, including the UN, ODIHR and reports commissioned under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism.

As we all know, and as the speakers have detailed today, children are uniquely vulnerable and disproportionately affected by conflict. We welcome the OSCE’s work to hold Russia accountable for its actions and to support Ukraine, including through the SPU, the Support Programme for Ukraine. And we call on Russia to cease this unprovoked, illegal war and immediately and unconditionally return forcibly deported children to Ukraine.

Thank you.

July 10, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary reiterates UK’s ongoing support to Lebanon [July 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 July 2025.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Lebanon and reiterated the UK’s ongoing support for Lebanon’s security, stability and future prosperity.

As part of a regional visit, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Lebanon on Friday 4 July 2025. He reiterated the UK’s ongoing support for Lebanon’s security, stability and future prosperity.

The Foreign Secretary met with President General Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace. Discussions focused on the latest local and regional developments and UK-Lebanon bilateral relations.

The Foreign Secretary spoke about the urgency of efforts to reach a lasting peace in Lebanon and the region. He stressed the importance of Lebanon and Israel implementing the ceasefire agreement in full, including the withdrawal of Israeli Forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) throughout the South.

He commended the long-standing and strong bilateral partnership between Lebanon and the UK including with the LAF, both in the South and on the border with Syria. Since 2009, the UK has spent over £115 million to support the LAF with infrastructure, vehicles, training and equipment and since 2013 supported the establishment of the Land Border Regiments (LBRs) on the border with Syria.

The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the UK’s support for UNIFIL and the role they play for stability in South Lebanon, as mandated in UNSCR 1701. He called for urgent implementation of essential economic reforms and transparent processes for justice and accountability.

British Ambassador Hamish Cowell said:

I was pleased to welcome British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to Lebanon, following unprecedented regional tensions.

Efforts must continue to secure a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon and allow the full deployment of the Lebanese Army to the south of the country, as the sole legitimate defender of Lebanon.

Stability in the Middle East is in everyone’s interest. The full implementation of UNSCR 1701 is crucial to Lebanon and the region’s future security.

Lebanon’s path to recovery is dependent on essential reforms, including those required to secure an IMF agreement to rebuild the economy and unlock international investment.

The UK remains a steadfast partner to Lebanon and its people.

The Foreign Secretary also visited Syria as part of his regional trip. This is the first by a UK Minister in 14 years and renews the UK-Syria diplomatic relationship. The Foreign Secretary met President Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani to reiterate the importance of an inclusive and representative political transition in Syria and offer continued UK support to the Syrian people.

July 9, 2025