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PRESS RELEASE : 3D printing at record scale and AI for steelmaking among tech awarded share of £14 million government funding [October 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 7 October 2022.
- £14 million awarded to projects that harness digital technology to drive energy efficiency, productivity and growth across key manufacturing industries
- projects include sustainable 3D printing at scale, digitising century old baking techniques and using AI to improve steel production efficiency
- combined, the projects could create 1000 jobs across the UK and save 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the same as taking 65,000 cars off our roads
3D printing at record scale, AI to make steelmaking more productive and using big data to make century-old baking machinery more efficient are among the projects awarded a combined £13.7 million in government funding to help improve energy efficiency, productivity and sustainability of manufacturing processes.

The Sustainable Smart Factory Competition, led by UKRI, provides funding for projects that harness digital innovations, such as AI, big data and virtual reality, to boost energy and carbon efficiency, while driving growth for manufacturers. The projects awarded funding aim to optimise the use of materials, reduce and reuse waste, or lower energy consumption to increase sustainability in production.

Among the 12 projects awarded funding today as part of the Made Smarter Innovation Challenge are:
- Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing for Baking Industry, led by Rakusen Limited – using AI to improve the consistency of the products produced by their century old baking machinery and helping reduce energy consumption by 60%
- LEAD Factory, led by Photocentric – the first technology that will enable products to be 3D printed at scale using recycled materials
- WasteMap, led by Topolytics – using machine learning to develop a visual map of useful, reusable manufacturing products that can be extracted from our waste system
- Reducing Energy Consumption and Material Loss in Steel Production Using Predictive Machine Learning, led by Deep.Meta – using machine learning to boost sustainability in the production of steel by predicting where inefficiencies lie before they happen
- INSPIRE by Pragmatic Semiconductor – tackling global semiconductor shortages by using AI to optimise manufacturing productivity and efficiency
- Smart People + Smart Process = Smart Factory, led by Raynor Foods Limited – turning sustainability into a game at the Raynor Foods sandwich factory to enable staff to see and then act on their energy use and CO2 footprint in real time
Industry Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said:

Creating and adopting the latest in digital technology solutions will be key to the continued success of our manufacturing sector. It is now critical that companies in industries as varied as baking to advanced robotics are maximising their potential using technology such as AI and virtual reality.

The projects awarded funding today will cut energy consumption and boost growth for businesses in regions right across the UK, while helping our world leading manufacturers keep pace with ever growing global competition.

It is estimated the projects could create 1,000 jobs in the 3 years after their completion, while reducing manufacturing CO2 emissions by 300,000 tonnes a year – the equivalent to taking nearly 65,000 cars off our roads.

The successful project consortiums range from 2 to 10 participant organisations each, making a combined 55 organisations taking part. These included participants stretching from Scotland to the South West and from Northern Ireland to East Anglia. They are made up of both SME and large manufacturers as well as technology developers, Universities and Research & Technology organisations.

Chris Needham, Innovation Lead in the Made Smarter Innovation Challenge said:

Effective digital technologies can have a substantial impact on the manufacturing sector, bringing outdated, inefficient and unproductive products and processes up the standards needed for a net zero industry of the future. It’s clear from the wide range of applications we received just how far waste and energy issues extend across different industries.

The successful applicants clearly demonstrated real innovation and showed just how the right use of data and technology can make a significant difference to businesses. We now look forward to working alongside them to deliver successful outcomes.

The £147 million Made Smarter Innovation Challenge supports the transformation of UK manufacturing by pioneering the development and integration of new and existing industrial digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The challenge helps take the risk out of innovation for UK manufacturers and supports the development of technologies that can be exploited commercially.

Science Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

The digital innovations we are backing today could help manufacturers of products as diverse as steel to semiconductors boost growth, create high quality jobs and enhance energy efficiency.

Through collaboration between leading UK researchers, technology firms and manufacturers, these innovations will ensure British industry remains internationally competitive, while bringing benefits to businesses in regions across the UK.
October 7, 2022
Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2022 Comments on Avanti West Coast

The comments made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 7 October 2022.

We need train services which are reliable and resilient to modern day life. Services on Avanti have been unacceptable and while the company has taken positive steps to get more trains moving, it must do more to deliver certainty of service to its passengers.

We have agreed a 6-month extension to Avanti to assess whether it is capable of running this crucial route to a standard passengers deserve and expect.

October 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Avanti West Coast placed on short-term contract to drastically improve services [October 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 October 2022.
- Avanti West Coast placed on short-term contract to stabilise its operational challenges
- government has only approved a limited extension of 6 months to 1 April 2023
- Avanti must roll out its recovery plan and deliver long-overdue reliability for passengers
The Department for Transport has placed Avanti West Coast on a short-term contract and challenged it to deliver the urgent increase in services required.

Over the past few months, Avanti has seen major operational issues primarily caused by a shortage of available drivers. Nearly 100 additional drivers will have entered formal service this year between April and December. This has meant the company has begun to add more services as new drivers and those who need re-training become available to work. They have also added extra trains on its key London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes, bringing service levels closer to normal running.

With Avanti’s previous contract coming to an end, the short-term extension will see it continue to run services on the route until 1 April 2023. This window is designed to provide Avanti with the opportunity to improve their services. The government will then consider Avanti’s performance while finalising a National Rail Contract that will have a renewed focus on resilience of train services and continuity for passengers.

Alongside rolling ahead with training new drivers, Avanti’s service improvement plans include:
- the successful delivery of its timetable recovery plan and a significant, sustained and reliable increase from about 180 trains per day to 264 trains per day on weekdays as new and retrained drivers become available
- continuing to deliver on its traincrew recruitment and plans to reduce reliance on rest day working to operate services
- extending booking options for passengers, making the full range of tickets available as early as possible
Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

We need train services which are reliable and resilient to modern day life. Services on Avanti have been unacceptable and while the company has taken positive steps to get more trains moving, it must do more to deliver certainty of service to its passengers.

We have agreed a 6-month extension to Avanti to assess whether it is capable of running this crucial route to a standard passengers deserve and expect.

The problems facing Avanti over recent weeks stem from old working practices that mean shifts are often covered by existing drivers volunteering to work above their 35 contracted hours. This antiquated practice shows just how urgent it is for us to modernise our railways, so passengers benefit from reliable services that don’t rely on the goodwill of drivers volunteering to work overtime.
October 7, 2022
Janet Royall – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon)

The tribute made by Janet Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

My Lords, I guess I am about two-thirds of the way between the most reverend Primate’s granddaughter and the right reverend Prelate’s mother, but I too wept. It was such a moment to hear that our wonderful Queen had died. The right reverend Prelate mentioned peace and reconciliation. Our country and our world are in great need of those now, and I have no doubt that they will be firmly on the agenda of our new King.

I am proud to join in this celebration of the life of Her Majesty the Queen—an inspirational life, a life truly well lived and a life for which we are grateful. She was a remarkable woman, and the tributes made in your Lordships’ House both yesterday and today have also been remarkable. The tributes we have seen in the media have been quite exceptional, and I hope that continues with our new King.

It is impossible to say anything new, but repetition does not detract from the fact that Queen Elizabeth was an extraordinary woman whose dedication to our country and its people was second to none. Hers was a life of service and steadfastness, leadership and love, dignity and integrity—a reassuring constant in a turbulent world. It is difficult to comprehend the breadth of the economic, social, political and technological changes that took place during the second Elizabethan age. She was the continuity Queen who embodied our nation. Hers was a life to be celebrated throughout the world.

I was in Mumbai when news of the Queen’s death was announced. So many people came up to me late that evening and the following morning to give their condolences on the loss for our country and to express their sadness and respect. I did not know these people but clearly, I look like a Brit and therefore was somebody who should be concerned, as I was.

I was privileged to be Lord President of the Council, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms, and in those tasks I met the Queen quite often. I was certainly not the first woman captain, but it seemed to give the Queen pleasure to introduce a female captain—although together we lamented the fact that the women captains did not have the gorgeous uniforms of the men. We talked about that quite often.

Much has been said about the Queen’s sense of humour. Once, when I was lunching at Windsor Castle with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, there was a conversation about the intrusion of mobile phones. We lamented the fact that people did not turn them off at mealtimes. Suddenly there was a loud ring beneath the table. Yes, it came from my handbag. I was mortified; they thought it was hilarious.

Last year my college, Somerville, was privileged to receive a wonderful visit from the King, the then Prince of Wales. Delving into our history in preparation for the visit, I learned that the Queen visited Somerville in 1968, when we were a women’s college. We have a glorious photo of the beautiful young Queen and the heads of all five women’s colleges. Happily for me, all the heads had studied at Somerville. I have no doubt that that point was proudly made to the Queen. On that visit the Queen signed a birthday book given to the college by Ruskin. It was also signed by her grandmother, Queen Mary, and latterly by her son, King Charles.

In our fragile world, we are embarking on a new era. The Queen will be greatly missed, but I know that the King, supported by the Queen Consort and his family, will also give extraordinary service to the country and the Commonwealth as we meet the great challenges of our time. Through all the work the King has done as the Prince of Wales, he is more aware of those challenges than many in our world.

October 7, 2022
Christopher Cocksworth – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Bishop of Coventry)

The tribute made by Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

My Lords, it is a great honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Triesman. I will offer some words of tribute on behalf of the people of Coventry and Warwickshire, especially to express our great thanks for the Queen’s part in the renewal of Coventry after its wartime destruction and its discovery of a new identity, aspiring to be a city of peace and reconciliation.

A few days after the worst of the bombing of Coventry, the Queen’s father stood in the ruins of the cathedral and wept. In 1956 the young Queen laid the foundation stone of the new cathedral—a new cathedral for a new Queen, in an ancient city now being rebuilt for a modern age, in a nation finding its place on the international stage in a new Europe and a new world. In 1962, 60 years ago this year, the Queen—herself a consecrated monarch, of course—returned to Coventry for the consecration of the new cathedral. There was hope in the air, and Coventry became a national symbol of the traumas of war, with all its suffering still evident in the ruins, and the possibilities of peace built on reconciliation rising from the ashes of the past into the simple grandeur of the new cathedral. What better person than Queen Elizabeth to lay the foundation stone of a new future and to see a building, a people, a nation consecrated to serve the ways of peace?

Serving the cause of reconciliation for which Coventry Cathedral and its city have become known was remarkably demonstrated through the Queen’s service to the nation and the world, as we have heard in many ways. The Queen helped the nation to celebrate its past and carry forward its great traditions and noblest values while, at the same time, reaching out to the future, accepting its challenges, welcoming its opportunities and easing its coming. Whether steering the nation from imperial power to shaper and sharer in a Commonwealth of Nations, or facing head-on the harm that peoples have inflicted on themselves in families, in communities and between nations, and showing them how we may live better together, the Queen well used the strength of her character and the powers of her office to create new conditions for co-operation.

Among the many examples on the world stage, I pay particular tribute to the Queen’s part in Coventry’s and the country’s reconciliation with Dresden, that symbol of the brutality of war and its challenge to face our own past. Her visit in 1992 with one of my predecessors was a brave act and not without cost to her. It exposed emotions that were still raw in that city, but I know from my own many visits and close relationships that it was deeply healing, transformative even, on the long road to reconciliation.

As we have heard powerfully from the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, and the noble Lord, Lord Alderdice, the Queen’s words and gestures—the way she used the combination of her status and credibility of character to serve the good of the future—were breathtaking in their effect during her state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 and then Belfast in 2012. Again, we saw something, as we have heard, of the risk and cost that walking the road of reconciliation involves. There are many other examples, of course, in her long years of service, as indeed there are in the untiring, unstinting work of her son, our King, in his now former life.

As has been acknowledged, the Queen’s own foundation, the rock on which she built her life, is well known. The cause for which she felt and knew that she was consecrated—God’s kingdom, peace, justice and mercy—served her well. We know that it will also serve our King well. It makes me wonder whether all our foundations and all the causes to which we give ourselves will be as secure and enduring as hers.

The most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York referred to his granddaughter crying when she heard the news. I cannot resist saying the same about my mother. She is 93 and frail. She wept for the Queen and, I think, all that great generation that is passing. She said, “She was always there”—we all feel that—but she also said something that got it for me: “The Queen had such a beautiful face. It was her smile.” That has been referred to already. I was blessed by that smile in the encounters I had with Her Majesty our late Queen. Genuine life-giving smiles can restore relationships that once looked irreparably damaged. Our world is a better place because of the smile of that gracious lady.

October 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister welcomes ‘powerful show of solidarity’ at European leaders’ meeting [October 2022]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 October 2022.
Prime Minister pays tribute to “collective resolve” of leaders to oppose Russian aggression

UK agrees new regional energy cooperation and progress on Sizewell C nuclear development at Prague summit

Ministers to take forward enhanced operational cooperation to address migrant crisis

The Prime Minister has welcomed the strong show of unity against tyranny at the summit of European leaders today, as the UK secures new commitments on energy and migration.

Convening 44 leaders from across the continent, the meeting in Prague reaffirmed the steadfast resistance to Russia’s aggression.

In a meeting with French President Macron, both leaders confirmed their full support for the new nuclear power station at Sizewell C and committed to take all necessary steps to finalise investment decisions within the next month, progressing the next generation of the UK’s nuclear power.

The UK and France will ramp up wider cooperation on civil-nuclear development ahead of a planned UK-France Summit in 2023, working together on issues including new innovation, infrastructure and workforce training.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also confirmed plans to renew the UK’s participation in the North Seas Energy Cooperation group, which supports the construction of wind farms and interconnectors in the region. The Prime Minister used the summit to push for the development of new, next-generation hybrid interconnectors in the North Sea to accelerate renewable energy capacity.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said:

“Leaders leave this summit with greater collective resolve to stand up to Russian aggression. What we have seen in Prague is a forceful show of solidarity with Ukraine, and for the principles of freedom and democracy.

“The UK will continue to work with our allies to deliver on the British people’s priorities, including ending our reliance on authoritarian regimes for energy and reducing costs for families, tackling people smuggling gangs, and standing up to tyrants.”

The Prime Minister also discussed the benefits of energy partnerships with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre, highlighting today’s announcement from London-based firm Neptune Energy that it will increase gas production at the Duva field as a successful example. Gas from Norway’s Duva subsea field serves households in the UK.

On migration, the UK Prime Minister agreed with President Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Rutte to intensify cooperation on tackling illegal migration. The UK and France confirmed that their interior ministers would conclude an ambitious package of measures to address pernicious people smuggling gangs in the Channel this autumn.

The Prime Minister will attend the closing plenary session and dinner at the European leaders’ summit this evening.
October 7, 2022
Liz Truss – 2022 Comments on European Leaders’ Meeting

The comments made by Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, on 6 October 2022.

Leaders leave this summit with greater collective resolve to stand up to Russian aggression. What we have seen in Prague is a forceful show of solidarity with Ukraine, and for the principles of freedom and democracy.

The UK will continue to work with our allies to deliver on the British people’s priorities, including ending our reliance on authoritarian regimes for energy and reducing costs for families, tackling people smuggling gangs, and standing up to tyrants.

October 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Recognising the clear link between illicit trading of natural resources and conflict [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council debate on strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources.

Thank you very much, President.

President Excellency, thank you for convening this important debate, and I thank our briefers as well this morning for their insights. I’d like to highlight three considerations.

First, as today’s briefers and previous speakers have underlined, we recognise the clear link between illicit trading of natural resources and conflict. From Somalia to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the illicit trade in natural resources of charcoal, timber and gold has helped fund conflict and the activities of armed groups.

And we should bear in mind that increased global demand for critical minerals – essential to decarbonisation and our green growth goals – risks exacerbating the illegal sourcing of natural resources without appropriate action.

So we do need a concerted and coordinated effort to tackle illicit trafficking as a root cause of conflict, and in this context, I welcome the African Union’s efforts including conflict prevention, including the work of Commissioner Bankole and his department. As a Council, too, we should look at ways to strengthen the UN Security Council’s sanctions regimes both against individuals and entities that illegally exploit natural resources to fund or prolong or provoke conflict. The Council acted in Somalia by banning the export of charcoal to inhibit Al-Shabaab’s revenue streams; we can and should do more across other mandates.

Second, President, we need stronger regulation and governance efforts to tackle the illicit trafficking of natural resources, including stringent certification and verification processes.

And in this context, the UK is proud to support a number of international mechanisms that deliver this, including the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains and the Kimberley Process that helps stem the flow of conflict diamonds.

Finally, President, we share the view of previous distinguished speakers of the dangerous consequences of the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources by private military companies.

There is significant independent reporting outlining the exploitation of gold resources in Sudan and the Central African Republic through Wagner Group’s subsidiaries like Meroe Gold. Gold extraction and smuggling operations risk undermining local stability, present significant ecological and human rights risks and are a significant loss to Sudan.

The United Kingdom reiterates our concerns over Wagner Group’s activities in Africa, which undermine effective resource governance and offer no sustainable solutions to Africa’s security challenges.

In concluding, President, I thank you again for convening this important debate during Gabon’s Security Council Presidency.

Thank you.

October 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK-France Joint Statement [6 October 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 October 2022.

Prime Minister Liz Truss and President Emmanuel Macron met in the margins of the first Summit of the European Political Community in Prague.

They underlined their determination to provide all necessary support to Ukraine for as long as it takes to restore Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, to resist Russian aggression, and to hold Russia to account for its actions.

The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the strong and historic ties between their two countries. They agreed to hold the next UK-France Summit in 2023 in France to take forward a renewed bilateral agenda.

Energy transition and decoupling from Russian hydro-carbons are common challenges. The Prime Minister and the President discussed advancing bilateral cooperation in particular on energy. They reaffirmed their belief that both renewable and nuclear energies are part of consistent strategies to achieve energy transition and strategic autonomy. They confirmed the full support of the UK and French Governments for the new nuclear power station at Sizewell and expect the relevant bodies to finalise arrangements in the coming month.

The leaders committed to advance and increase UK-France civil-nuclear cooperation, including on innovation, infrastructure development and workforce skills, ahead of next year’s UK-France Summit.

They further agreed to deepen cooperation on illegal migration within the bounds of international law, to tackle criminal groups trafficking people across Europe, ending in dangerous journeys across the Channel. Interior Ministers should conclude an ambitious package of measures this autumn. Leaders agreed to reinforce cooperation with near neighbours, including through an early meeting of the Calais group.

President Macron and Prime Minister Truss welcomed the quality of the discussions during the first summit of the European Political Community and look forward to next steps.

October 7, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 51 – UK statement on slavery resolution [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 October 2022.

Ambassador Simon Manley, Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, introduced the resolution on the renewal of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences.

Thank you, Mr President,

I have the honour to present draft resolution L.30 on the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences on behalf of the Core Group.

At the start of this session, the ILO and IOM informed the international community that 10 million more people are in situations of modern slavery compared to 2016. This means that the global estimate of people in modern slavery is almost 50 million, of which 28 million people are in situations of forced labour and 22 million people are trapped in forced marriages.

These numbers are simply appalling.

Mr President,

The resolution presented today seeks to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences for a further three years. The core group have only made minor technical updates to the text.

This mandate has enjoyed more than 15 years of consensus and long-standing cross-regional support. And these staggering recent figures underline the ongoing need for this mandate to continue.

I sincerely thank all those colleagues who have engaged constructively in the negotiation process on this resolution and, in particular, our more than 50 co-sponsors. I hope that all members of this Council can join consensus on this important issue.

Thank you

October 6, 2022