UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Drew Hendry – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    Drew Hendry – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    The speech made by Drew Hendry, the SNP spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Ms Qaisar) on securing this urgent question. Clearly, settlement expansion is a major issue in the violence that is continuing to break out. This week, the Israeli Parliament voted to allow Israeli citizens to occupy four sites in the west bank evacuated in the 2005 disengagement. The High Court of Justice has already classified this as private Palestinian land. Clearly, the moratorium that the Minister mentioned is not being respected here.

    We know that this is not a simple situation, but there are some simple steps that we can take here to make a difference. Will the Minister support the UK banning trade in Israeli settlement goods? Will she include the UK Government’s own stated position that these settlements are illegal in any and all agreements with Israel and provide for consequences for breach of that? Will she also carry that forward into forthcoming trade deal discussions? Will she stop the export of equipment and arms proven to be repeatedly used in settlement expansion, and will she do it now?

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan

    The UK’s position on settlements is clear: settlements are illegal under international law and call into question Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution. We have urged Israel to halt its settlement expansion, which we believe threatens the physical viability of a Palestinian state. In February, we and our partners—the US, France, Germany and Italy—set out strong opposition to these unilateral steps. They are contrary to international law, and they undermine the prospects for peace.

    In relation to trade matters, our long-established position on settlements is clear: the UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel, including illegal settlements. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the west bank, including East Jerusalem, are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the existing trade agreement between the UK and Israel or, indeed, the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.

  • Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    The Labour party stands for international law, human rights and a negotiated peace based on a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a sovereign Palestinian state.

    At the last elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went into coalition with the far right and, under that new Government, an already fragile situation has worsened. His promotion of extremists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich has put ultra-nationalism in key positions of the Israeli Government. I am sure that the whole House will have been appalled by Smotrich’s remarks in Paris this weekend, when he denied the very existence of the Palestinian people and their culture.

    Thus far, 2023 has seen one of the highest death tolls for Palestinians and Israelis in a long time, with more than 80 Palestinians and 14 Israelis killed this year. There has been a renewed assault on the rights of Palestinians, a ramping up of inflammatory rhetoric, and dangerous new moves to try to legitimatise illegal settlements, threatening the viability of a two-state solution. Israel has suffered from terrorist attacks and a new militant threat, and the Israeli Government are also taking steps that threaten to undermine Israel’s democracy. President Netanyahu’s attempts to undermine judicial independence and dispense with equality laws for the LGBT+ community are sowing division and deep unease. The weekly mass protests in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem demonstrate that Israeli society is now also deeply divided.

    What is the Minister’s assessment of the impact of what many in Israel see as fundamental attacks on their precious democracy? The Prime Minister has, in his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow, an opportunity to use Britain’s close relationship with Israel to take a clear stance on human rights, respect for international law and commitment to democracy. I am deeply concerned that the recently signed road map for UK-Israel bilateral relations dilutes long-standing UK positions, held by successive Governments, in relation to international law. The road map makes no mention of supporting a two-state solution, and it implies that settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories could be treated as part of Israel for the purposes of trade. Can the Minister tell the House whether the road map amounts to a change in policy, will she reiterate that the Government still support a two-state solution, and will she make it clear that the UK deplores the current escalation of violence?

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan

    It is always encouraging to hear both sides of the House agree that the UK’s position on the middle east process finding a resolution is that we want to see a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living side by side with a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. That remains a clear position and has not changed.

    The road map that the Foreign Secretary signed with his counterpart earlier in the week in London fulfils the commitments that were made in the November 2021 memorandum of understanding on strengthening co-operation across a range of relationships around our economic, security and technology ties and, importantly, advancing our co-operation on environmental and climate change issues, and leveraging our combined strengths in that area to address some of the global health challenges. It also contains provisions on the importance of regional co-operation in working together to expand the historic Abraham accords. That is a series of practical issues that we will work upon together with our Israeli friends, but it does not in any way change the UK’s position—it is good to hear the shadow Minister set out the same—on the agreed settlement that we continue to support.

  • Grant Shapps – 2023 Speech to the Offshore Wind Industry Seminar

    Grant Shapps – 2023 Speech to the Offshore Wind Industry Seminar

    The speech made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, in South Korea on 10 April 2023.

    Hello.  Aha-nyong-ha-se-yo

    It is half a century since South Korea turned to the United Kingdom to help develop its first ever car.  That vehicle – the Hyundai Pony – was produced with the aid of a British chief executive, British parts, British engineers, and even British finance and of course, … Korean ingenuity and Korean hard work.

    But no-one involved with that fledgling project could have imagined what it might lead to.  Today, South Korea is the fifth largest automotive manufacturer in the world – and it all happened here.

    And Hyundai’s new, electric Ioniq 5 is the current holder of the prestigious World Car of the Year award.

    What an incredible catalyst that early collaboration between our two countries in the 1970s proved to be: the beginning of a success story that, 50 years later, goes from strength to strength.  And 140 years after Britain and Korea first established diplomatic relations, our two countries are closer today than they have ever been in the past.

    We have Korean students in our schools, Korean pop music in our charts – and, thanks to my teenage daughter, in my home – and Korean food shops on our high streets.  And the reason I am here today is because we have incredible opportunities to work even more closer together.

    On our energy transition, we can create the secure, clean and reliable power that both our economies need to grow.  Through the UK-Korea framework, signed last June, both governments reaffirmed commitments to tackling climate change, and co-operating together to enhance energy security, particularly on renewables.

    That’s why, as the new UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, I’m so excited to be in Korea this week, and why I’m delighted to be taking part in this fantastic seminar today.

    Thank you representative HAN for inviting me.

    Our two nations stand together as partners in the energy transition.  But we also stand together in condemning Putin’s abhorrent war on Ukraine. The measures we are taking to isolate Russia internationally, punishing it economically, and helping Ukraine defend its sovereign territory.

    But although Vladimir Putin’s weaponization of energy has had a huge impact on our markets over the past year, the truth is that Russia’s gas, just like the president himself, belongs firmly in the past.

    And our discussions here today is about seizing the future, not retreating backwards.  Our future in Britain will be built on renewables, nuclear power and greater energy efficiency, whilst ensuring that the gas used during the transition is from reliable sources – like our own North Sea.

    With both our countries recognise the need to speed up the global energy transition to keep 1.5C alive. The IPPC’s Synthesis Report has emphasised the dire consequences should we fail to act.

    So I would obviously urge South Korea to bring forward its coal phase-out from 2050, join the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’ and incorporate the COP26 ‘Global Coal to Clean Power’ statement into its energy planning.

    The UK’s own ‘coal-to-clean’ story has been powered by offshore wind and we are eager to share expertise in this field with you.  Electricity produced from coal in the UK has plummeted from 40% in 2012 to just 1.5% last year.

    As a result, we are generating record amounts of electricity by wind – over half our total electricity comes from wind power on a good day.

    The UK has established itself as a world leader in offshore wind.  Our offshore capacity of 13.8GW is the greatest in Europe, and only second to China globally.

    We have the three largest offshore farms in the world.  Soon, we will have the fourth too.  And we have globally-leading ambitions to deploy up to 50GW by 2030, which will include up to 5GW of floating wind platforms.

    So we’re scaling-up renewables, and the development of a competitive domestic supply chain, that will meet our decarbonisation objectives.  It will also make us more resilient to economic shocks and provide energy security for future generations.

    And then there’s the economic opportunities that the transition to clean energy will bring.  The tipping point, when holding on to coal and gas power will no longer make economic sense, never mind environmental sense is getting closer and closer.  So we are focused on leveraging private investment alongside the public investment needed to support our ambitions and deliver net zero.

    But just as crucial as these domestic priorities we need to collaborate with key international partners too – and that means places like the Republic of Korea.  We have so much to offer each other.  I would strongly encourage companies which have invested in the offshore wind sector to consider coming to the UK.

    In the UK, the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme has made funding available to boost investment in major port and manufacturing infrastructure.

    One fantastic example this scheme has supported is a £512 million investment by Korean company SeAH Wind, a subsidiary of SeAH Steel whose CEO I am meeting this week, in a brand-new factory manufacturing offshore wind turbine monopile foundations in Teesside, England: a brilliant example of our two countries working together.

    I hope this is just the first of many successful ventures between the UK and the Republic of Korea and I would encourage interested companies to contact the British Embassy here in Seoul to better understand how the UK Government can help further investments.

    But the scope for collaboration goes beyond investment in the UK.

    The UK is an ally in South Korea’s offshore wind development.  You have set an impressive target of 12 GW offshore wind by 2030, with over 25 projects already in development. This includes huge floating offshore wind potential, which is already attracting UK players to your emerging market. As that market grows, the UK can become an even more trusted partner.

    Our expertise covers every phase of policy and project development.  We have established experience in oil and gas, marine and subsea, and can offer a unique combination of assets and opportunities to build on current ties between our countries.

    The British Embassy in Seoul is already starting this engagement, organising webinars to promote our offshore wind journey – and further areas of partnership.  Indeed, UK companies represent 60% of Korean offshore wind engineering contracts.

    I have been briefed on Corio Generation’s plan to build a 2.6GW floating wind portfolio of five projects, including working with Shell, on 1.5GW and 1.4GW of floating offshore wind in Ulsan.

    BP Renewables and Deep Wind Offshore recently formed a joint venture to develop offshore wind in Korea, with four projects across the Korean peninsula with a potential generating capacity of up to 6 GW.

    These examples show the value that the UK can bring to Korea – and what can be accomplished when we work side by side.

    So, on this 140th anniversary of UK/Korea diplomatic relations and, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the iconic Hyundai Pony launch, let us look forward to future success.  A future of greater energy security.  A future where clean renewables and nuclear power rapidly make fossil fuels obsolete.  And a future of close, mutually-beneficial collaboration between Britain and Korea.

    Working together, to power our success.

    Thank you.

  • Anum Qaisar – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    Anum Qaisar – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    The speech made by Anum Qaisar, the SNP MP for Airdrie and Shotts, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    I pay my respects to both Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed in recent violence. Ramadan Mubarak; today marks the start of Ramadan and I, like many Muslims, am fasting. Yet Muslims and those of other faiths or no faith in the occupied Palestinian territories have seen a significant increase in human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli authorities.

    More than 1,000 Palestinians are at imminent risk of forcible transfer from Masafer Yatta, an action that would amount to a war crime. The situation is rapidly deteriorating and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, lands in the UK today on a state visit. During talks, the UK Government must call for a de-escalation of violence.

    Amnesty International concluded last year that Israel is

    “committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.”

    Will the UK Government raise those concerns with the Prime Minister? The Finance Minister recently stated:

    “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people”,

    and said he wanted to see the Palestinian village of Huwara wiped off the map. Will the Minister put on record her disgust at that type of language?

    The Israeli Government continue to push for the development of illegal settlements, despite promising not to do so. If that construction does not stop, will the UK Government commit to suspending trade deal talks with Israeli counterparts until we can ensure human rights are safeguarded?

    The UK Government must acknowledge the systematic and calculated discrimination against Palestinians in occupied territories carried out by the Israeli military and authorities. Will the Government finally halt their approval of the sale of arms to Israel and support the need for an independent investigation by the International Criminal Court into human rights violations?

    We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera has escalated her killing to the ICC after the Israeli defence force refused to investigate her killing and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said:

    “No one will investigate IDF soldiers and no one will preach to us about morals in warfare”.

    Do the Government accept that, unless they urgently support the ICC investigation, they are turning a blind eye to blatant military impunity for murdering Palestinians?

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan

    I am happy to repeat that the UK condemned the Israeli Finance Minister’s comments calling for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be wiped out, and his recent comments denying the existence of the Palestinian people. We have condemned that absolutely, and I think that has been heard clearly.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu will visit the UK tomorrow, and has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. He will have a short meeting with the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary. I know that the Prime Minister will raise the issues that concern us—as all good, trusted friends and partners do. We are confident and always do so with all our partners, including Israel.

    The hon. Lady mentioned the anniversary of the death of respected Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. It seems extraordinary that we are already a year on. The UK is committed to working with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to advance that peaceful two-state solution. We voted no on the resolution pertaining to referral to the ICC because we consider that is not helpful to bringing the parties back to dialogue.[Official Report, 27 March 2023, Vol. 730, c. 6MC.] As I set out in my answer to the urgent question, we continue to work with all parties to help find a way forward. We hope that the continuing role of talks will help to move that forward.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Easter Message

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Easter Message

    The Easter Message issued by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 9 April 2023.

    Easter Sunday gives us a chance to reflect on the considerable contribution Christian communities make to our national life – offering support and a sense of belonging to so many across the country.

    Christianity and its values of tolerance, compassion and charity are embedded in our history and national fabric. Its values are British values.

    I would like to wish all those celebrating today a very happy Easter.

  • Michael Gove – 2023 Statement on Building Safety – Responsible Actors Scheme and Developer Remediation Contract

    Michael Gove – 2023 Statement on Building Safety – Responsible Actors Scheme and Developer Remediation Contract

    The statement made by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 24 March 2023.

    On 14 March, I announced that 39 developers had signed the developer remediation contract. By signing the contract, they made binding commitments to fix or pay to fix life-critical fire safety defects in all buildings in England over 11 metres that they had a role in developing or refurbishing over the past 30 years. This amounts to an irreversible commitment to making safe at least 1,100 buildings at a cost of over £2 billion.

    Update on responsible actors scheme

    Last week, I also told the House that there will be consequences for companies that do not sign the contract. I warned that they will be prohibited from commencing developments in England or gaining building control sign-off on their developments, unless they sign and adhere to the contract. I said that we would lay regulations this spring to establish a responsible actors scheme. The regulations will recognise the positive action of responsible developers and will make sure that eligible developers who do not sign and comply with the contract will be unable to be members of the scheme, and therefore be subject to prohibitions. I will lay regulations that will, with Parliament’s consent, bring the scheme into operation before the summer recess.

    Today, I am publishing the key features of the responsible actors scheme on gov.uk and placing a copy of the information in the libraries of both Houses. The key features document sets out how the scheme will work, the likely eligibility criteria and membership conditions for the first phase of the scheme, how developers will apply to join the scheme and the prohibitions that will be imposed on eligible developers that fail to sign the contract and comply with its terms.

    Developers who want to be part of the scheme will need to sign the developer remediation contract and comply with its terms. In its first phase, the scheme will focus on larger residential property developers and developers who developed multiple tall residential buildings known to have life-critical fire safety defects. Over time, I intend to expand the scheme to cover even more of those who developed unsafe 11 metre-plus residential buildings and should pay to fix them.

    Eligible developers will be invited to join the scheme by a statutory deadline or provide evidence that they do not in fact meet the eligibility criteria. Any eligible developer who chooses not to join the scheme, or who is expelled from the scheme as a result of a material or persistent breach of its conditions, will be added to a list of developers who will not be permitted to carry out major development or secure building control sign-offs.

    The message to those developers who have yet to sign the contract, their shareholders and investors could not be clearer. The responsible actors scheme is coming. Only developers who behave responsibly will be trusted to build the homes of the future. Any eligible developers who fail to do the right thing will need to find a new line of work.

    Update on signatories to the developer remediation contract

    At the time of my statement of 14 March, 11 developers had yet to sign. I named those companies and called on their directors to reflect on their future and do the right thing. Today, I can confirm that 4 of those 11 companies have since signed the contract: Ballymore, Lendlease, London Square and Telford Homes. The 7 developers who have yet to sign the contract are: Abbey Developments, Avant, Dandara, Emerson Group (Jones Homes), Galliard Homes, Inland Homes and Rydon Homes. Some of those companies have told us that they remain committed to protecting leaseholders and taxpayers from having to pay, and claim that they will sign the contract in coming days.

    As I made plain last week, I will write to local authorities and building inspectors to explain the consequences for those companies that remain non-signatories at the point that the regulations creating the responsible actors scheme come into force. I will suggest action that local authorities may want to take to be prepared for implementation of the scheme, to ensure that any companies that do not wish to act responsibly do not profit from that behaviour—and that the public is protected as a result.

    Given possible market sensitivities, I notified the London stock exchange about the key features document.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    The Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee met today, 24 March 2023, in London with delegates attending in person and by video conference. The meeting was co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič. A joint statement was agreed and published on gov.uk.

    The Committee welcomed the agreement of the Windsor framework and adopted the new arrangements set out within the framework. The adoption of this agreement restores the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through a new green lane; it gives the elected representatives of Northern Ireland a veto over new laws that apply there; and it protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union through fixing practical problems including on pets, parcels and medicines and ensuring that UK decisions on tax and spend benefit people and businesses in Northern Ireland as they do in Great Britain.

    The Committee addressed other important issues including the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK. 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 Committee also received an update on the work of the withdrawal agreement specialised committees since the last meeting on 21 February 2022 and adopted the withdrawal agreement annual report for the year 2021 pursuant to article 164(6) of the withdrawal agreement.

    The Committee adopted one decision laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor framework.

    The Committee also adopted two recommendations:

    on market surveillance and enforcement,

    on article 13(3a) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

    Both the UK and EU made five joint declarations relating to the Windsor Framework:

    Joint declaration No 1/2023

    Joint declaration on the application of Article 10(1) of the Windsor framework

    Joint declaration on Article 13(3a) of the Windsor framework

    Joint declaration No 2/2023

    Joint declaration on the VAT regime for goods not being at risk for the Union’s internal market and on the VAT arrangements for cross border refunds.

    The UK made five unilateral declarations and the EU made unilateral declarations noting these:

    Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on involvement of the institutions of the 1998 agreement (annex I to the decision No 1/2023 laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor framework)

    Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on market surveillance and enforcement, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union

    Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on export procedures for goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union

    Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on the democratic consent mechanism in article 18 of the Windsor framework, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union.

    Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on strengthening enforcement action for goods moved in parcels from another part of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    The Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council met today, 24 March 2023, in London, with delegates attending in person and by video conference.

    The meeting was co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and European Commission vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Representatives from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive attended, as did representatives from the Crown dependencies of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. 27 EU member state representatives also attended. A joint statement was agreed and published on gov.uk.

    The Partnership Council discussed implementation of the TCA and cooperation in a range of areas including energy, regulation, security and Union Programmes.

    The Partnership Council supervises the operation of the TCA, providing strategic direction to the work of the Trade Partnership Committee and 18 specialised committees.

    The UK restated its commitment to co-operating with the EU through the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council.

  • Andrew Bowie – 2023 Statement on Energy Efficiency of Buildings – Funding

    Andrew Bowie – 2023 Statement on Energy Efficiency of Buildings – Funding

    The statement made by Andrew Bowie, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    My noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Callanan) made the following statement on 22 March:

    Today the Government are announcing £1.8 billion of funding to cut the emissions and boost the energy efficiency of homes and public buildings across England.

    The investment will further reduce energy bills for householders and businesses, as part of the Prime Minister’s pledge to halve inflation and ease the cost of living. Altogether, 115,000 homes will benefit from energy efficiency and low carbon heating upgrades, along with 144 public sector organisations responsible for hospitals, schools, leisure centres, museums, universities and other buildings.

    It is being delivered through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG), Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

    In 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to legally commit to end our contribution to global warming by 2050. This is a huge challenge. But it is also an unprecedented opportunity.

    The UK has already shown that environmental action can go hand-in-hand with economic success, having grown our economy by more than three-quarters while cutting emissions by over 40% since 1990.

    The effort will be shared across many sectors, and decarbonising the energy used in buildings, and increasing energy efficiency will be a vital component.

    The UK is home to around 30 million buildings which are responsible for 31% of UK emissions. We have some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, over 80% of buildings still rely on high carbon fossil fuels for heating and have low levels of thermal efficiency.

    To reach our net zero target by 2050 we need to decarbonise the way we heat and cool our homes and workplaces, and to ensure that in the near term we meet our fuel poverty targets and emissions reduction targets.

    This £1.8 billion investment will be critical in supporting our commitment made in 2022 to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels.

    The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant

    Through the SHDF Wave 2.1 and HUG 2 the Government are awarding a significant injection of funding worth £1.4 billion to local authorities and providers of social housing.

    An additional £1.1 billion in match funding for social housing is being provided by local authorities and providers of social housing, bringing the total investment to £2.5 billion to upgrade social and private homes in England.

    The grant funding will be invested from April 2023 to March 2025, although delivery on the SHDF can continue with the use of match funding until September 2025.

    The money will go towards improvements to social households and private, low income, off-gas grid households with an EPC rating of D or below and could save homes occupants between £220 and £400 a year on energy bills.

    Energy cutting and cost saving measures provided through the schemes include external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, new windows and doors and draft proofing measures, as well as heat pumps and solar panel installation.

    These schemes will also support around 20,000 jobs in the construction and home retrofit sectors, helping to deliver on our promise to grow the economy and create better paid jobs, whilst supporting families across the country.

    The funding awarded through these schemes continues the investment through “Help to Heat” Schemes which has already seen:

    Over £240 million already awarded to the SHDF Demonstrator and SHFD Wave 1 projects, indicating the Governments continued support to the £3.8 billion manifesto commitment between now and 2030 to deliver energy efficiency improvements in social housing.

    Over 37,000 households have seen energy efficiency upgrades as part of the first two phases of the local authority delivery scheme, with a further 20,000-28,000 homes expected as part of the sustainable warmth competition.

    In addition to the SHDF and HUG, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will also use EC04 and ECO+ to accelerate our efforts to improve homes to meet fuel poverty targets and the Government have committed to a four-year, £4 billion extension and expansion of ECO with EC04. We have announced a further £1 billion extension of the scheme through ECO+ to start in Spring 2023.

    Public sector decarbonisation scheme

    Over £409 million of grant funding has also been awarded through the Government’s public sector decarbonisation scheme. This Phase 3b of the scheme will support 144 public sector organisations across 171 projects to undertake low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures across hundreds of buildings.

    These projects will not only help reduce the carbon emissions of these public buildings but save them money on their energy bills and ultimately, save the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds in the long-term.

    Hospitals, schools, leisure centres, universities and other vital public service buildings across England are set to benefit from the scheme.

    £2 billion has now been awarded across over 900 projects to decarbonise the public sector across all phases of the scheme to date, and even more funding through Phase 3b is to come as applications are assessed and approved.

    Today’s £409 million is part of the wider £2.5 billion package that this Government have committed to spending on upgrading public sector buildings between 2020 and 2025, supporting this Government’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037.

    Funding through the schemes will be allocated across England based on the following allocations:

    Region PSDS HUG SHDF
    East Midlands £18,112,366 £3,291,300** £74,715,671
    East of England £14,677,719 £23,577,300 £83,628,477
    London £44,280,137 £12,006,000 £131,724,938
    North East £7,636,389 £28,576,000 £29,355,551
    North West £44,555,899 £83,885,000 £105,371,309
    South East £108,324,556 £161,237,898 £128,906,218
    South West £33,450,968 £77,514,032 £80,236,981
    West Midlands £88,371,731 £152,745,310 £93,593,216
    Yorkshire and the Humber £21,737,561 £41,144,920 £ 50,053,929
    Across regions £26,688,898 – –
    Scotland* £1,221,871 – –

    * The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme was open to applications from public sector bodies in England and areas of reserved public services across the UK.

    ** Further funding is available to the region via the Midlands Net Zero Hub which represents £138 million of grant funding across the Midlands

    The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has also partnered with the energy systems catapult to launch a freely accessible suite of tools, templates, and guidance to support the public sector in further decarbonising their sites.

    This support will help public sector bodies through the entire decarbonisation lifecycle, from the first stages of developing a strategy, through funding, installation, and completion, to help make achieving net zero sites and energy savings simpler.

    Energy efficiency taskforce

    The Government have launched an energy efficiency taskforce to support a step change in the reduction of energy demand through accelerated delivery of energy efficiency across the economy. It will help to support the Government’s ambition to reduce total UK energy demand by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030 across domestic and commercial buildings and industrial processes.

    Future funding

    £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028, in addition to the £6.6 billion allocated in this Parliament. This provides long-term funding certainty, supporting the growth of supply chains, and ensuring we can scale up our delivery over time.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on Calls for De-escalation at Jerusalem’s Holy Sites

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on Calls for De-escalation at Jerusalem’s Holy Sites

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 7 April 2023.

    The UK condemns the indiscriminate rocket attacks from southern Lebanon and Gaza and recognises Israel’s right to self-defence. Now is the time for all parties across the region to de-escalate tensions.

    At the convergence of Passover, Ramadan and Easter, the UK calls for all parties to respect the historic Status Quo arrangements at Jerusalem’s holy sites and cease all provocative action.

    The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of religion or belief and calls for places of worship to be respected. We value Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem and condemns the Israeli police violence at the Al Aqsa Mosque. When Israeli security forces conduct operations, they must ensure they are proportionate and in accordance with international law. Israel and the Palestinian Authority must take steps to honour the commitments agreed at Sharm el-Sheikh and Aqaba.

    Peace will only be sustainable if both Israelis and Palestinians recommit themselves to a negotiated settlement, leading to a two-state solution of a secure Israel side by side with a viable Palestinian State.