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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.

09/04/2023

PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on fly-tipping continues with new grants for councils [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 April 2023.

£775,000 to be spent on schemes across England.
Grants totalling £775,000 will help councils roll out a range of projects to crack down on fly-tipping, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow announced today (Saturday 8 April).

Twenty-one local authorities will benefit from the grants, with schemes such as roadside CCTV and social media campaigns in Plymouth and targeted surveillance at hotspot areas in Pendle. Other projects will include:

CCTV – portable CCTV cameras to patrol and capture footage across Northumberland

Barriers – anti-climb fencing to protect neighbourhood areas in Hyndburn, including community orchards and wildflower meadows

Better waste infrastructure – larger recycling bins in better locations in Mansfield to make sure the public have access to correct disposal approach

Councils will have six months to roll out their initiatives, before sharing how this worked in practice and helping other councils to develop similar schemes.

The new grants announced today will build on the successes of the first round of projects, which provided £450,000 to 11 councils last year.

The projects funded in the first round included building new community gardens in fly-tipping hotspots in Thanet and CCTV with automatic number-plate recognition in Buckinghamshire.

In Durham, the County Council introduced educational bin stickers, permanent signage and installed CCTV onto existing lighting columns. Thanks to these efforts, fly-tipping was cut by over 60 per cent.

Following the success of these initiatives, Defra has almost doubled the amount of funding available for councils this year – £775,000 – for projects for the second round.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

Fly-tipping is a cynical crime which blights communities and the environment.

Our first round of grants over the last year were a big success – which is why we are expanding this scheme to help more local authorities around the country take the fight to waste criminals.

Belinda Snow, Neighbourhood Warden Manager for Durham County Council, said:

We are grateful that the funding became available from Defra, and the council was awarded £50,000 to tackle fly-tipping at known hotspots with the use of CCTV, signage and educational bin stickers.

The funding enabled us to invest in our communities, resulting in cleaner streets and an overall positive response from residents. We monitored the intervention areas for three months after installation of CCTV and signage in comparison to the data three months before and we could see a 68.4% total reduction in fly tipping incidents.

The use of CCTV has also increased our ability to carry out enforcement action. We have had one successful prosecution at one hotspot location and we have issued a fixed penalty notice at another.

This second grant scheme complements wider action we are taking to tackle fly-tipping and waste crime. We have consulted on reforming the waste carrier, broker, dealer regime, introducing mandatory digital waste tracking and preventing councils from charging for the disposal of DIY waste at local tips.

We are also developing a fly-tipping toolkit with National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to help spread best practice among local authorities on tackling the issue.

The Prime Minister pledged earlier this year to clamp down on perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. We are committed to delivering on this pledge, recently announcing more severe punishments for those who graffiti, litter or fly-tip, with fines of up to £500 and £1,000 as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. The Plan will also introduce the publication of council league tables for fly-tipping, as well as extra ‘hotspot’ patrols and a trial ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments.

A full list of recipients is available below.

Spelthorne Borough Council

Northumberland County Council

Cambridge City Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Derby City Council

Stockton on Tees Borough Council

Waltham Forest

Plymouth City Council

Birmingham City Council

Wyre Borough Council

Herefordshire County Council

Manchester City Council

Calderdale Borough Council

Bristol City Council

Tamworth Borough Council

Leeds City Council

Mansfield District Council

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

Rotherham Borough Council

Pendle Borough Council

Doncaster Borough Council
08/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rural communities up and down the country set to benefit from funding to support rural business and create jobs [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 April 2023.

£110 million funding for communities allocated under the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Communities across rural England are set to benefit from an extra £110 million in local authority funding to support rural business and community groups, it has been announced today (7 April).

Eligible local authorities in England will receive the funding, which they can invest in initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including electric vehicle charging stations. The funding will also help people start up local businesses to supercharge growth and create employment opportunities for rural areas.

The confirmed allocations are spread right across the country, including over £5 million for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, £3m for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, over £3 million for North of Tyne, over £2.5 million for West Yorkshire, £2.5 million for Shropshire and almost £1 million for Cheshire East.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment to support levelling up across the UK. It marks a change from previous bureaucratic and fragmented EU funds, allowing England to take back control of its own growth investment and giving local leaders a greater say in where funding is best spent.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

Driving investment in rural areas is a vital part of our vision for levelling up the country. The new Rural Prosperity Fund replaces the bureaucratic EU funding system – allowing us to work closely with local leaders to direct funding where it is most needed to close the rural productivity gap, create job opportunities and protect the English countryside.

This confirmed spending will allow local authorities to deliver on their plans to level up businesses and communities in rural areas from today, in line with their residents’ priorities.

Country Land and Business President Mark Tufnell said:

“The rural economy is 19% less productive than the national average, but reducing this gap could add up to £43 billion to the economy. This funding is an important step in unlocking the vast potential of rural businesses, and will give startups as well as existing enterprises the support they need to grow.

We strongly encourage Local Authorities to work closely with rural entrepreneurs to maximise the opportunities the Rural England Prosperity Fund presents, identifying every possible opportunity to generate economic growth – creating good jobs and strengthening our communities in the process.

Across rural England, the money will be spent on two key areas:
- Communities and place: projects to improve community facilities such as green spaces and boost access to arts and culture to grow local tourism economies.
- Supporting local business: projects to support agricultural businesses looking to expand their remit, and rural businesses looking to launch or grow their products and services.
Rural England Prosperity Fund allocates £110 million between 2023 and 2025. Defra is in contact with each of the eligible local authorities to confirm their allocated funding, and they can begin to deliver on their plans over the coming weeks.

The announcement today follows the ‘Delivering for Rural England’ rural proofing report, which set out how rural challenges and opportunities will be at the heart the government’s approach to levelling up. The government is committed to promoting high-quality digital infrastructure and is already delivering major upgrades through the Shared Rural Network and Project Gigabit. Considerable progress has already been made, for example in improving connectivity with 30% of rural premises now having access to gigabit-capable connections compared with 19% in January 2021.
08/04/2023
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.

08/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Ahead of Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement anniversary Secretary of State and Tánaiste celebrate integrated education [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 6 April 2023.

Integrated Education is celebrated by Secretary of State for NI Chris Heaton-Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin who held a joint reception at W5 in Belfast.

The event was arranged by principals, alumni and integrated education charities to demonstrate the shared commitment of the UK and Irish Governments to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and the importance of the Integrated Education commitments explicitly made within the Agreement.

The reception was held as part of the programme of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in partnership with the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) and the NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE).

Pupils from New Bridge Integrated College in Loughbrickland and Malone Integrated College in Belfast were also in attendance.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said: “I was very encouraged to speak with teachers, pupils and the wider integrated education sector in Northern Ireland, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Today’s reception signalled the strong and shared support between the UK and Irish Governments to the Agreement and the integrated education commitments within it.

“The UK Government continues to support the integrated sector through its Fresh Start programme to build new schools, as well as our funding to the Integrated Education Fund and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education to aid the sector’s development.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said: “Education is fundamental to how we will make the journey of reconciliation and building a shared future together on this island. The vital role of initiatives to encourage integrated education was recognised in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

“I want to pay tribute to the principals, teachers and practitioners in the integrated education sector who are helping to build a society of increasing respect and celebration of religious and cultural diversity. The Irish Government, through our Reconciliation Fund, has been proud to support them in that journey.”

Integrated Education Fund (IEF) Chair Peter Osborne said: “The Integrated Education Fund is honoured to have the support of both the UK and Irish Governments for its work. We are very proud that both the Secretary of State and the Tánaiste would take time out from their busy schedules to come together to help celebrate the contribution of Integrated Education to the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.

“This is particularly apt as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement which pledged to facilitate and encourage integrated education. Integrated Education is and has always been parent and school led and the IEF and its supporters will continue to support all efforts to increase Integrated Education in response to demand.”

NI Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) CEO Roisin Marshall said: ‘The Council for Integrated Education are so grateful to the Tánaiste and Secretary of State for giving up their time today to be here with us to celebrate the 41st year of Integrated Education and also the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

“Integrated Education has come a long way in those 25 years from 40 Integrated schools in 1998 to 70 schools in 2023. We thank you both for recognising that Integrated Education is making a big contribution to our children and young people that Northern Ireland can be shared, not shared out, that we can see both communities and increasing diversity of our people reflected in our schools.’

08/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Cameroon – The UK signals a boost in investment and trade and urges an end to conflict [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

UK Minister for Development and Africa visits Cameroon and reaffirms UK support to trade and infrastructure.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, has reaffirmed UK support to Cameroonian trade and infrastructure and discussed the devastating impacts of Cameroon’s conflicts, including the human rights situation, during a two-day visit.

The Minister saw the impacts of British investment in Cameroon, visiting a major road in the commercial capital, Douala, which is receiving £113 million in funding from UK Export Finance to support its expansion. Due to this important UK support, the critical transportation corridor between Douala and Yaounde, and on into central Africa, is being greatly improved, bringing more and quicker trade to more people.

The UK is committed to deepening its partnership with Cameroon to enhance economic prosperity, with leaders from the country invited to attend the UK-African Investment Summit to be held in London in April 2024.

The Minister met with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and discussed the most pressing challenges faced in providing humanitarian assistance to victims of the devastating conflict in the Northwest and Southwest.

Over the past five years, the UK has delivered more than £20 million of humanitarian life-saving assistance funding to Cameroon. Meeting with experts from the Education Cannot Wait programme, the Minister discussed how UK funding, through the UN, is supporting urgent education for children affected by conflict, helping those who cannot access school to get an education.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said:

“During my first visit to Cameroon, I was struck by the depth of our relationship and how our two countries are working together on a range of issues important to both nations.

“The long-term partnership between the UK and Cameroon is underpinned by focused development and security cooperation, as well as trade, investment and education and of course our ties in the Commonwealth. We remain concerned about the conflict in the predominantly Anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions, and continue to urge all sides to engage in dialogue.”

High-level discussions were held with the Prime Minister Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, focussing on the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions, and the conflict in the Far North Region and Lake Chad area, where the UK military provides valuable training.

08/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK & France Statement on 25th Anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

Joint Statement by France and the United Kingdom on the 25th anniversary of their ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Exactly twenty five years ago, on 6th April 1998, France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland jointly ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Our two countries signed the Treaty when it opened for signature on 26 September 1996

France and the United Kingdom were the first two nuclear-weapon States to ratify the CTBT. Through this ratification, we stipulated our firm commitment “not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control.”

This Treaty is a core element of the non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament international regime, even though it has yet to enter into force. In this regard, France and the United Kingdom express their concern over Russia’s announcement that it will ensure its preparedness to conduct a nuclear test. We reiterate the importance of the CTBT, which Russia has signed and ratified, and of Russia’s compliance with its moratorium on nuclear tests. We also recall that the DPRK is the only country to have performed explosive nuclear tests in the 21st century. We reiterate that it cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the NPT, and demand that it refrains from conducting any further nuclear tests in violation of UNSCRs.

In this context, France and the United Kingdom wish to reaffirm their strong and constant support for the universalisation and the entry into force of the CTBT, with the aim to make legally binding the voluntary moratorium which is almost universally accepted, as evidenced by the 186 signatures and 174 ratifications of the Treaty. They recall that UNSC Resolution 2310, that they have co-sponsored, urges all States which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT. This unequivocal call of the Security Council must be heard.

France and the UK believe that presenting a record of tangible and robust actions toward nuclear disarmament would encourage other countries to sign, ratify and implement the CTBT. Therefore, over the past 25 years, France and the United Kingdom have provided political, technical and financial support to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), and supported the operation of the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System.

A quarter of a century after its opening for signature, the CTBT remains more relevant than ever. France and the United Kingdom remain determined to continue to protect and universalise the Treaty.
07/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New crackdown to prevent illegal migrants accessing bank accounts [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 April 2023.

Data sharing with the financial sector will begin today as the government cracks down on illegal migrants accessing banking services.

Making it more difficult for unlawful migrants to access financial services is an important tool to help deter illegal migration by preventing people from working illegally and profiting from services they are not entitled to.

Having access to a current account can assist those here unlawfully in obtaining work illegally and securing credit. It can help those without permission to be in the UK gain a foothold in society, regardless of their immigration status.

Identifying an unlawful migrant’s current account may also provide evidence of illegal working, helping identify and stamp this out.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially announced the plans to restart data sharing to the House of Commons as part of the government’s approach to tackling illegal working and immigration.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Access to key banking services, including current accounts, is crucial in aiding those here unlawfully to gain a foothold in British society.

As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders. Illegal working causes untold harm to our communities, cheating honest workers of employment and defrauding the public purse.

Only those known to be here unlawfully or those who have absconded from immigrational control will have their details shared, with robust safeguards in place to prevent wrongful account closures.

The new measures do not impose any requirements on banks to check customer’s documents. Instead, the Home Office will share details of disqualified persons via an anti-fraud organisation, and banks and building societies will then check their personal current account holders against those details.

Anyone with outstanding immigration applications or appeals will not be affected, nor will those who have been granted leave to be in the UK, including refugees. In addition, the Home Office retains discretion over the criteria for disqualification and sharing data.

Bank account closures will only occur where the Home Office has made a further check to ensure that the customer is still in the UK without permission to stay.

Where the bank or building society has refused to open an account, or closed an existing account, the customer will be notified of the reasons, how to contact the Home Office if they believe a mistake has been made, and the next steps they should take.

07/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Lord Ahmad reaffirms UK-Egypt strategic relationship [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 April 2023.

Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, visited Egypt during Ramadan.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict reaffirmed the close ties between the United Kingdom and Egypt during his second visit to the country, engaging in several meetings with key Egyptian interlocutors.

Visiting Cairo for two days during the holy month of Ramadan, Lord Ahmad met Egyptian officials, faith leaders and figures from across business and civil society to discuss UK-Egypt cooperation; discussing the UK’s commitment on religious harmony, reaffirming Egypt as a key market for UK businesses and investors, and recognising Egyptian efforts to reduce tensions in the region

Meeting with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Lord Ahmad discussed the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, thanking Egypt for its unceasing efforts to promote peace and reduce tensions between the two sides. The minister was clear that the UK firmly rejects violence and unilateral action which will only serve to exacerbate tensions, undermining efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution. The two ministers also discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the negative effect the conflict has had on the world economy, including in the MENA region.

Lord Ahmad later met the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyab, as well as with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In his meetings with both leaders, he discussed the vital importance of religious dialogue and tolerance, especially during troubled times worldwide. Egypt has always been an example of how different faiths can live in harmony, and the minister was pleased to be able to meet with some young Azhari scholars to discuss how religion can continue to be a force for good regionally and globally.

Lord Ahmad also met with leading businesspeople and economists, exploring how UK firms can continue to work with Egyptian partners to seek out mutually beneficial investment opportunities. Under Egypt’s Presidency of COP27, UK companies have been making significant investments in the Egyptian renewables sector, including in green hydrogen, and the minister was keen to raise ambition further and identify future areas of collaboration.

At an evening suhour held at the Embassy, Lord Ahmad was also able to engage with a wide variety of prominent Egyptians from across business, government and civil society, sharing his experiences of Ramadan in the UK, and reflecting on how countries and governments can live up to the ideals of the holy month.

During his time in Egypt, Lord Ahmad also met with the family of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. He stressed that the UK continues to push for immediate consular access, and Alaa’s release, and that he had raised the matter directly with Foreign Minister Shoukry. In addition, Lord Ahmad met with Karim Ennarah to discuss his case.

Completing the visit, Lord Ahmad met with Ahmed Hatem, Egyptian actor and British Embassy social affairs ambassador, and with experts in combating gender-based violence, to discuss how the UK can support Egyptian organisations working in this field, including through the new UK fund, ‘Laha wa Maha’, which supports projects tackling gender-based violence.

Speaking after the visit, Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad said:

“The month of Ramadan teaches us to reflect on ourselves and on our connections to others, personally and professionally. In doing so, it is clear to me that the partnership between Egypt and the UK is of deep and lasting significance. From issues of regional and global concern, such as reducing tensions in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or working together to tackle the climate crisis, to issues of bilateral importance, such as increasing mutual trade and investment, our partnership is strategic and enduring.

“During my visit, I have met with Egypt’s political and religious leaders to ensure our joint activity delivers positive change for the Egyptian and British people. This includes tackling global challenges such as the war in Ukraine, a matter which I discussed with Foreign Minister Shoukry. It also includes helping the most vulnerable in our societies, and I was delighted to meet with some of the beneficiaries of UK aid here in Egypt, through the ‘Laha wa Maha’ Fund, to hear about the change it has made to their lives. As we move forward, we must continue to discuss this full range of issues – from trade, to aid, to human rights – to strengthen our partnership further and achieve outcomes of benefit to all.”

07/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK publishes prospectus for opportunities beyond Horizon Europe [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 6 April 2023.

Government sets out prospectus programme – titled ‘Pioneer’ – to protect and support UK research and innovation sector, should it be required.
- Plan provides confidence and certainty to UK researchers, universities and businesses and will give them an opportunity to input
- whilst the UK hopes negotiations on Horizon Europe will be successful, and that is our preference, it must be on the basis of fair and appropriate terms
- if we are not able to secure association on fair and appropriate terms, we will implement Pioneer – our bold, ambitious alternative
- ongoing conversations with researchers and businesses to ensure Pioneer would build on UK strengths and develop new capabilities
The blueprint for Pioneer – a long-term, bold prospectus programme to support research and innovation in the UK should association to the Horizon Europe scheme not prove possible – has been unveiled today (Thursday 6 April).

The Pioneer prospectus sets out the proposals that would inform the scheme, which is being developed with input from researchers, and businesses across the UK.

We are discussing association to Horizon Europe with the EU, and hope our negotiations will be successful. That is our preference. But association would need to be on the basis of a good deal for the UK’s researchers, businesses and taxpayers. If we are not able to secure association on fair and appropriate terms, we will implement Pioneer – our bold, ambitious alternative.

Earlier this week Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan held an introductory meeting with the EU Commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, to discuss research collaboration including the UK’s expectations around association to Horizon Europe. While those discussions continue, initial details on Pioneer are being published now to give researchers and businesses the opportunity to give their input, and provide long-term certainty if we are unable to reach the right terms through discussions with the EU.

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

We are engaging with the EU over Horizon Europe and I got the ball rolling this week with a meeting with Commissioner Gabriel in Brussels. We hope our negotiations will be successful, and that is our preference, but it must be on the right terms.

We must ensure we have an ambitious alternative ready to go should we need it and that our businesses and researchers have fed into it. Our top priority is supporting them to ensure their ground-breaking work can continue no matter what. That is why I am starting this conversation today about how we will keep backing them, in any scenario so our sector has certainty as well as say.

Should it be required, the alternative Pioneer programme would focus on 4 main themes to complement our existing R&D investments:
- Talent
- End to End Innovation
- Global Collaboration
- Investments in the R&D system
The government is bringing forward this detail, now, so that stakeholders from right across the UK’s research and innovation sectors can play an active role in building the plan.

The long-term programme would be established as quickly as possible if needed, and the government would undertake intensive engagement with researchers and businesses to determine priorities for a programme that would help build on UK strengths and develop new capabilities, while distributing resource and support for the sector across the country, in line with the Levelling Up agenda.

This comes as The Horizon Europe Guarantee fund has reached an important milestone with more than £1 billion now awarded to UK-based researchers and innovators, enabling them to participate in Horizon Europe projects while the UK’s association to the flagship EU funding programme is delayed.

The guarantee scheme, delivered by UKRI, supports researchers and innovators who have been successful in Horizon Europe competitions but cannot receive EU funding due to the delays to the UK’s association to the programme. With Guarantee funding they can continue their important work in research and innovation.

Support for the Pioneer prospectus

Professor Paul Boyle, chair of the Universities UK Research & Innovation Policy Network and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Swansea said:

We are pleased to see that, with publication of the Pioneer prospectus today, the government has again reiterated its ambition to complete association to Horizon Europe. The recent engagements between Secretary of State Michelle Donelan and the EU ambassador last month, and this week’s meetings in Brussels, demonstrate that this is being treated seriously by both parties.

Agreement is clearly needed on an appropriate cost for the UK’s association given the years that have been missed. And while we remain hopeful that negotiations can proceed swiftly to deliver a positive outcome, it is entirely appropriate that the UK has an alternative plan that can be activated should our association prove impossible to agree in a reasonable timeframe. As such, we are pleased to see that proposals have now been published and that government is inviting feedback.

Universities UK has been consulted on the development of the Pioneer package, and we will continue to engage constructively in the coming months. Indeed, there are aspects of the package that we would urge the government to consider implementing in addition to the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, as they would further bolster our ability to work globally and to achieve our collective research and innovation ambitions.

Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

The start of serious negotiations in Brussels this week over the UK’s participation in EU programmes is a significant step forward. It is right that discussions take place over fair and appropriate terms, and we hope an agreement can be reached swiftly to finally get association over the line.

The ambition of the proposals for Pioneer is welcome. If needed, it is vital that this package focuses on attracting and retaining talent and supporting global collaboration on discovery research through to innovation, all backed by funding commitments and with the necessary transition measures in place.

We welcome the opportunity to work with government on the development of Pioneer and will scrutinise the proposals carefully. However, we have always been clear that it will be a challenge to replicate the full benefits of the world’s largest collaborative research programme, with ready-made routes for talent flow, facilities access and collaboration with multiple countries.

This should not be viewed as an either-or scenario. Strengthening our links with Europe and beyond through Horizon can sit alongside a roll-out of elements of the government’s alternative plans, giving the UK the best opportunity to cement our status as a science superpower.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering said:

The strong preference of the Academy and the wider global research and innovation community has always been for the UK to associate with Horizon Europe. The progress indicated by discussions in recent weeks suggests that we are now closer to confirming that agreement. We hope that all parties will work together quickly to reach fair and appropriate terms for the association that reflect the impact of 2 years of delays. The whole engineering community would celebrate an announcement of continued partnership between the UK and EU.

Should association prove impossible even at this late stage the information in the prospectus for Pioneer will be helpful to the community in preparing for the measures that would be put in place under those circumstances. The Academy has worked closely with DSIT, our sister National Academies and UKRI to be ready to deliver the Pioneer Discovery elements of that plan.

Dr Diana Beech, Chief Executive Officer, London Higher said:

While association to Horizon Europe remains a priority for UK science, we welcome the publication of the government’s ambitious alternative plan, Pioneer. This prospectus contains a range of new, innovative proposals which could propel the UK’s science and technology superpower ambitions forward irrespective of the outcome of negotiations. International collaboration is vital to the future success of UK R&D, and we welcome the government’s detailed thinking on how this can be enhanced through the UK’s multidisciplinary strengths.

As representatives of the largest concentration of universities and research-performing organisations of any UK region, we hope that this alternative plan will continue to provide our world-class universities and researchers with the funding, certainty and stability needed to continue powering the engine of UK innovation and build connectivity across the regions. We will work with our membership to discuss the benefits of this alternative, and openly invite the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to work with London’s universities to build on the full diversity of our nation’s R&D capabilities.
07/04/2023

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Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

Country Land and Business President Mark Tufnell said:

Support for the Pioneer prospectus