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PRESS RELEASE : Colombia and the United Kingdom renew their strategic partnership on climate and nature [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 January 2023.

Colombia and the UK renewed their “Partnership for Sustainable Growth”, to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to promote sustainable, low carbon and nature-positive development.
- The Partnership focuses on halting and reversing deforestation, implementing a just and ambitious energy transition, and promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity, with a commitment to supporting local communities across the country. This next phase of the Partnership will also expand to include new and vital areas of collaboration, including halting biodiversity loss in land and marine ecosystems, whilst also ensuring participation and mainstreaming of gender and social inclusion.
- The UK also announced two new innovative projects to empower indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in Colombia. Working with WWF, the UK will accompany IPLCs to enable them to harness the international carbon markets and maximise the opportunities they provide. The UK will also join a project led by GAIA Foundation to support the official recognition of Indigenous Local Governments in the Amazon.
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 7 November 2022 James Cleverly, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, was joined by his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Leyva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Lord Zac Goldsmith, and the Colombian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad, to renew the UK-Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth. Both countries pledged to continue their innovative work on climate change, while deepening their collaboration to protect key land and marine ecosystems.

The UK-Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth, an ambitious agreement signed in 2019, is a strong example of how bilateral collaboration can address the socio environmental challenges of climate change through a cross-cutting agenda that includes forests and biodiversity protection, renewable energy, sustainable mobility and infrastructure, as well as sustainable livelihoods and mobilising finance for climate and nature.

Recognising the need to jointly address the biodiversity and climate crisis, both countries will deepen their bilateral cooperation on climate change and increase efforts to protect and restore nature and biodiversity in land and marine ecosystems.

This will include further work on the illegal wildlife trade, ocean pollution and forest and marine protection, with gender and social inclusion integrated at all stages, including recognising the central role played by indigenous people and local communities in nature conservation.

Building on the important work carried out to-date, the UK is pleased to announce that, from early 2023, we will also start working with WWF Colombia to empower indigenous communities and help them to harness and maximise opportunities from international carbon markets, ensuring fair processes and best practices.

A second project with GAIA has also been confirmed, which seeks to support the official recognition of Indigenous Local Governments in the Amazon, who are currently protecting 11 million hectares of forest and promote improved conditions.

Commenting on the renewal of the UK Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth, James Cleverly, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, commented:

The UK and Colombia are working closely together to prevent deforestation, promote a just energy transition and protect Colombia’s incredible biodiversity. I’m delighted to renew the UK Colombia Partnership for Sustainable Growth today to deepen that co-operation even further, on one of the greatest shared challenges we face.

Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment, said:

Colombia is one of the most beautiful places I know and for me it is very important to be here with you at COP27 and to be able to make this Alliance. The Amazon is wonderful, we must protect the paramos, its frailejones and its important water production.

The Colombian Minister, Susana Muhamad, also commented:

The United Kingdom is a strategic ally to focus on the defence of the Amazon and create a new face for this program that seeks to stop deforestation in our country.

The renewed Partnership for Sustainable Growth sets out a clear roadmap for UK Colombian cooperation on climate and nature during President Gustavo Petro’s administration with defined priorities from both countries.
14/01/2023
Stephen Kinnock – 2023 Speech on Windrush Lessons Learned Review

The speech made by Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberavon, in the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

The reality is that this Government’s treatment of the Windrush generation is surely one of the most shameful episodes in our post-war political history. The Windrush community played a pivotal role in rebuilding Britain. We all owe them a debt of honour and gratitude but, instead, consecutive Conservative Governments have treated them with utter contempt. First, they were victimised under the hostile environment policy, and then they were let down by a poorly administered compensation scheme, under which just 1,300 people have been awarded compensation when the Government originally estimated that 15,000 should be eligible. Now it is reported that the Government are set to betray the Windrush generation once again by U-turning on their commitment to implementing all 30 recommendations in Wendy Williams’s lessons learned report.

In September 2021, the then Home Secretary, the right hon. Member for Witham (Priti Patel), restated her aim to put right the wrongs of this sorry affair, yet today we find the Government are rowing back on some of their commitments, including by refusing to hand additional powers to the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration and by scrapping reconciliation and community events.

Why are the Government so terrified of scrutiny? Their toxic combination of incompetence and indifference is failing the Windrush generation, just as it is failing the country as a whole. Given that Wendy Williams says that only eight of her recommendations have been implemented, will the Minister tell me today how many of the Williams recommendations have been implemented and how many the Government are ditching, as is widely reported by the media?

Why have thousands of the Windrush generation still not received any compensation at all? On the 75th anniversary of the Windrush landing, are the Windrush generation being betrayed by this Government once again?

Sarah Dines

This Government are absolutely not betraying the Windrush generation. Successive Governments of all colours have failed to step up to the mark, but this Government are stepping up. The Windrush generation are rightly identified as British and have the right to be in this country, and this remains separate from the many narratives that have been written.

The hon. Gentleman knows that the Government do not comment on leaks. What I can say is that we have matched the scale of Wendy’s challenge with the scale of our ambition and delivery. Wendy acknowledges that our ambition to achieve genuine cultural change requires ongoing reflection, which is what we are doing. The Home Office has provided regular updates on the good progress, and the statistics bear out the hard work that is happening.

I am afraid that the narrative is simply not quite right. I remind the House that 4,558 claims have been received, and the total compensation offered is £59.58 million, of which more than £51 million has already been paid. Fifty-nine per cent. of claims have a final decision and, as a lawyer in my previous profession, I know that that is quite a high number. The Government are absolutely committed to righting this injustice.

13/01/2023
Sarah Dines – 2023 Statement on Windrush Lessons Learned Review

The statement made by Sarah Dines, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, in the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

Since the injustices of Windrush came to light, there has been a concerted effort across the Home Office to right the wrongs suffered by those affected. That work continues, and the Department is making sustained progress on delivering on the recommendations of the Windrush lessons learned review of 2020 and the commitments made in the comprehensive improvement plan of 2020. In her report last year, the independent reviewer Wendy Williams concluded that 21 of her recommendations had been met or partially met. She acknowledged that the scale of the challenge she had set the Department was significant and that change on that scale takes time.

We have made progress in delivering against Wendy Williams’s recommendations. In October 2022, the Home Office established the Office for the Independent Examiner of Complaints, and Moiram Ali was appointed as the independent examiner following a public appointment recruitment process. The Home Office has also held over 200 engagement and outreach events across the country, and the Windrush help teams have attended over 120 one-to-one surgeries to help people apply for documentation.

As of the end of October 2022, the Home Office has paid out or offered £59.58 million of compensation to Windrush victims. The “Serving Diverse Communities: Acting on Our Values” learning package was launched across the Home Office in June 2022, starting with recommendation 24 on learning for senior civil servants and recommendation 29 on diversity and inclusion. The learning package for recommendation 6 on the history of the UK and its relationship with the rest of the world has been designed and is undergoing final review prior to implementation.

I am pleased that the independent reviewer of Windrush progress has concluded that there are several areas in which very good progress has been made, but she rightly holds the Home Office to account for areas and recommendations where sufficient progress has not yet been made. She concludes that there can be “no doubt” that the Department has risen to the “daunting challenge” she set us.

We know there is more to do. Many people suffered terrible injustices at the hands of successive Governments, and the Department will continue working hard to right the wrongs and to deliver a Home Office worthy of every community it serves.

13/01/2023
Elliot Colburn – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Domestic Burglaries

The parliamentary question asked by Elliot Colburn, the Conservative MP for Carshalton and Wallington, in the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)

Carshalton and Wallington residents are deeply concerned about burglaries. I welcome the Metropolitan police’s commitment to attend all burglaries, but will my right hon. Friend outline what his Department is doing to ensure that those who are arrested receive appropriate sentences?

Dominic Raab

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I can tell him that domestic burglary has actually fallen by half since 2010, and the Metropolitan police’s operational tenacity is one element of that. On sentencing, the maximum sentence is 14 years. That is obviously an individual decision for judges, but I can also tell him that since 2010 the average sentence has increased by nine months, from 22.6 months to 31.6 months. There has been a step change and an increase in sentences for burglary, as well as the measures we are taking on police and law enforcement.

13/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement – 10 key benefits [December 2021]

The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 16 December 2021.

The deal will play an important role in levelling up the UK, delivering benefits for towns, cities and rural areas throughout the country. It is expected to increase trade with Australia by 53%, boost the economy by £2.3 billion and add £900 million to household wages in the long-run.

1. Unprecedented access for British services and investors

This deal goes further than Australia has ever gone before in giving services companies access to the Australian market. This means that UK services from architecture and law to financial services and shipping will be able to compete in the Australian market on a guaranteed equal footing. This could increase exports of UK services to Australia, worth £5 billion in 2020.

UK investors will also benefit from more access than ever before to opportunities in Australia, with guaranteed rights to invest across the Australian economy. The majority of UK investments will no longer need to be reviewed by the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board – saving time, saving money and cutting red tape for UK investors.

2. Better business travel for British professionals

Business travel is one of the biggest contributors to enabling more trade and investment. For the first time UK service suppliers including architects, scientists, researchers, lawyers and accountants will have access to visas to work in Australia without being subject to Australia’s changing skilled occupation list. This is more than Australia has ever offered any other country in a free trade agreement, and will improve long-term planning for British businesses.

3. Tariff-free trade for all British exports

The deal removes tariffs on all UK exports to Australia, making it cheaper to sell iconic products like cars, Scotch whisky and UK fashion to Australia. This will support industries that employ over 3.4 million people in the UK. Flexible rules of origin mean that UK businesses can use some imported parts and ingredients and still qualify for the new 0% tariffs when exporting to Australia.

4. Easier for young Brits to travel and work in Australia

As part of the overall mobility package, Brits aged 18 to 35 will be able to travel and work in Australia with a Working Holiday Maker Visa for up to 3 years, deepening the people-to-people and cultural links between our two countries. Young people will no longer have to work on a farm to use this visa to live and work in Australia.

Australia will also pilot 2 new visa schemes for UK citizens, allowing early career workplace exchanges of up to one year for graduates between 21 and 45.

5. Digital trade opportunities for a global tech superpower

The deal provides more opportunities for UK firms to trade digitally with Australia, including in British tech, creative industries, finance, telecommunications, and many other sectors. It secures the free flow of data necessary for British businesses to provide many products and services to customers, while locking-in a legal requirement for personal data protection in both countries. The deal will save many firms from the cost of setting up servers in Australia, and it makes business easier through the use of electronic contracts and electronic signatures.

Businesses will have confidence that their valuable intellectual property will be protected. The deal guarantees fair access for telecoms companies into Australia and forges greater cooperation on 5G and cybersecurity. The world’s first dedicated innovation chapter establishes a Strategic Innovation Dialogue which will drive the commercialisation of new technology and ensure the deal keeps up with technological developments.

6. Lower prices for British shoppers and manufacturers

The removal of UK tariffs on Australian favourites like Jacob’s Creek and Hardys wines, Tim Tams, swimwear, surfboards, and boots will boost choice for British consumers. UK manufacturers will benefit from cheaper access to important Australian machinery parts like hydraulic power engines and pressure-reducing valves which will allow them to be more competitive and grow their businesses.

7. Slashing red tape for entrepreneurs and small businesses

The deal cuts red tape currently faced by more than 13,000 SMEs across the UK who already export goods to Australia. Customs authorities will release all goods within 48 hours, if requirements have been met, with fast-track parcels and perishable goods like food being released within 6 hours. SMEs will benefit from dedicated websites for businesses and information to help them trade with Australia. Businesses from all sectors and regions will benefit from the use of modern digitised trading systems and digital documents, saving time and money.

8. Access to billions of pounds worth of government contracts

British companies will now be able to bid for Australian government contracts worth around £10 billion per year on an equal footing with Australian companies. It is the most substantial level of access Australia has ever granted in a free trade agreement. UK businesses will have the legally guaranteed opportunity to bid for contracts in major infrastructure projects like railway constructions and road upgrades, as well as for financial and business services procured by Australian government bodies covered by the deal.

9. Stronger cooperation on shared challenges

The UK and Australia are close allies with a shared belief in fairness, free enterprise, and the rule of law. This deal builds on our deep relationship, which has been strengthened by recent partnerships such as AUKUS and the Clean Tech Partnership.

The deal will uphold high standards and foster collaboration on challenges like tackling climate change and unfair trading practices which undercut and harm our domestic industries. The deal creates new opportunities to grow the low-carbon economy, for example by cutting tariffs on UK exports of wind turbine blades and electric vehicles (previously 5%).

10. A major step for UK trade in the Indo-Pacific

Australia strongly supports UK membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which would open up 11 markets worth £8.4 trillion GDP for British exporters and investors. Australia itself is projected to be a top 10 global economy by 2050. Early access to trading opportunities in this region will secure superior access for UK exporters to these growing markets, with two thirds of global middle-class consumers expected to be in Asia by 2030.

13/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New era of free trade with the UK [December 2021]
The press release issued by the Australian Government on 17 December 2021.

Australia today signed a landmark free trade agreement with the United Kingdom that will make Australian exports to the UK cheaper, create new opportunities for workers, young people and businesses and further strengthen the special relationship between our two countries.

This is the most comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement that Australia has concluded, other than with New Zealand. It demonstrates our countries’ commitment to free trade as a driver of economic growth and stronger bilateral relationships.

The Australia-UK FTA delivers benefits for Australians across the board:
- Exporters will benefit from immediate elimination of tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to the UK, valued at around $9.2 billion, when the agreement enters into force.
- Farmers will have improved access to more than 65 million UK consumers who value safe, sustainably produced foods and beverages with the strong provenance Australia offers.
  - Around $43 million in annual customs duties will be removed from Australian wine when the agreement enters into force.
  - For beef, a tariff-free quota of 35,000 tonnes at entry into force will expand to 110,000 tonnes in year 10. Tariffs on beef will be eliminated after ten years.
  - For sheep meat, a tariff-free quota of 25,000 tonnes at entry into force will expand to 75,000 in year 10. Tariffs on sheep meat will be eliminated after ten years.
  - For sugar, a tariff-free quota of 80,000 tonnes at entry into force will expand to 220,000 tonnes in year 8. Sugar tariffs will be eliminated after eight years.
- Professionals will have the same access to the UK’s lucrative jobs market as their European competitors, except from the Republic of Ireland. This means Australian job seekers can compete on an equal footing with EU nationals in the UK for the first time in more than 40 years.
- Australian households and businesses will save around $200 million a year as tariffs on British imports into Australia, such as cars, whisky, confectionery, biscuits and cosmetics, are phased out within five years, with tariffs on almost all UK goods being eliminated on entry into force.
- Young people will have more time to travel to the UK for a working holiday and will be able to stay longer, with eligibility to participate in working holiday opportunities raised from 30 to 35 years of age, and stays allowed for up to three years in each country.
- Australian businesses will have the guaranteed right to bid for a greater variety of UK government contracts in a procurement market worth an estimated half-a-trillion dollars annually.
- UK businesses will be encouraged to invest in Australia thanks to best practice investment rules, including to set up regional headquarters in Australia to leverage our network of free trade agreements.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan signed the agreement on behalf of Australia during a virtual ceremony with the UK Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan in Adelaide today.

The Morrison Government will now work to bring the agreement into force in 2022, so Australian exporters, farmers, workers, businesses and consumers can access the benefits of this gold standard agreement as soon as possible.

When the Australia-UK FTA enters into force, around 75 per cent of Australia’s two-way trade will be covered by free trade agreements, representing preferential access to 2.9 billion customers, up from 27 per cent when the Morrison Government came to office.
13/01/2023
NEWS STORY : Ambassador Neil Bush condemns Russia’s continued attacks against civilians in Ukraine

STORY

Neil Bush, the Head of the United Kingdom’s Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has condemned Russia’s attack against civilians in Ukraine. Speaking in Vienna he said:

“On Thursday 29 December, Russia subjected Ukraine to a massive bombardment, one of the largest seen since the invasion began and lasting five hours. Once again, in a repeat of a sickening pattern, Russia targeted civilians and energy infrastructure – killing three and wounding many more. A mere 36 hours later on the 31st December, as Ukrainians prepared to welcome in the New Year, Russia’s illegal and inhumane assault against Ukraine’s civilian population continued.”

RESOURCES

FCO Press Release with Text of Bush’s Speech

Foreign Office Travel Information about Ukraine

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Foreign Office Information about Neil Bush

President of Ukraine’s Press Releases

13/01/2023
NEWS STORY : Edward Ferguson Appointed as Ambassador to Serbia

STORY

Edward Ferguson has been announced as the next Ambassador to Serbia to succeed Ms Sian MacLeod OBE. He will take up his new role during July 2023 and previously served as the Minister Counsellor for Defence and Ministry of Defence Director United States in Washington.

RESOURCES

Press Release on Appointment

GOV.UK Information on Edward Ferguson

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

2018 News Interview when Ferguson was Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina

13/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : We reiterate the Council’s demand for full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors regardless of gender [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 January 2023.

Ahead of a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, the signatories to the Women, Peace and Security Shared Commitments delivered the following statement.

Today the Council convenes to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. We, the Security Council signatories of the Statement of Shared Commitments for the principles of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, and in its national capacity, the United States, have come together to express grave concern regarding the critical situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. We urge the Taliban to immediately reverse all oppressive measures against women and girls, adhere to their commitments set out in UNSC 2593 and respect the rights of women and girls, and their full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion across all aspects of society in Afghanistan, from political and economic, to education and public space.

Such measures include the banning of Afghan women from working in national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Afghanistan, as well as excluding women and girls from universities and secondary schools. Other restrictions have also been put in place limiting women and girls’ ability to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms. They are contrary to Afghanistan’s obligations as party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Women are central and critical to operations to relieve the dire humanitarian situation. They have unique expertise and access to populations their male colleagues cannot reach, providing critical life-saving support to women and girls. Without their participation in aid delivery in Afghanistan and their essential expertise, NGOs will be unable to reach those most in need, in particular women and girls, to provide lifesaving materials and services. We reiterate the Council’s demand on all parties to allow full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors regardless of gender. Moreover, a stable, economically viable, and peaceful Afghanistan is only attainable and sustainable if all Afghans, including women and girls, have access to and receive education, and fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in and contribute to the country’s future and development in line with UNSC Resolutions 1325, 2593, and 2626.

As the mandate renewal of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) approaches, we reaffirm our strong support for UNAMA, not least in their valuable contribution to gender equality, the empowerment and protection of women and girls, the full protection of their human rights, including education, work, and their freedom of movement. The full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all levels and stages of decision-making and governance processes in Afghanistan is necessary for achieving an inclusive political dialogue and participatory governance.

The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan must remain high on the agenda of the Security Council, and we will continue to closely monitor the developments on the ground and respond accordingly. As Council members, we stand with all women and girls in Afghanistan and reaffirm our commitment to prioritizing their rights and needs during our discussions.

13/01/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and United Arab Emirates agree to boost energy security and unlock investment [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 13 January 2023.
- Visiting Abu Dhabi, Grant Shapps signs agreement to facilitate sharing of knowledge and expertise in energy, in a move that could unlock significant investment in UK firms and boost energy security, sustainability and economic growth
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes agreement to cooperate on hydrogen technology, which has already attracted significant UAE investment in Teesside
The UK and UAE governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will help facilitate the sharing of technical knowledge, advice, skills and expertise, opening up new avenues for cooperation on energy and climate, while boosting jobs and investment in the UK.

The Clean Energy MoU, which today was signed by the UK Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, His Excellency Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, will further reinforce the robust economic links between the 2 countries developed in the nations’ 2018 MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Energy.

The MoU has been expanded to encompass the full scope of bilateral co-operation, including the new low carbon super fuel hydrogen. This builds on ADNOC – the UAE’s largest energy company – taking a 25% stake in the design stage of BP’s blue hydrogen project, H2Teesside, last year. It also acknowledges the progress the UAE has made so far on climate action, their ambition for clean energy investment and their call for finding energy solutions with like-minded partners.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The UK is immensely proud of its longstanding relationship with the UAE. Today’s latest agreements provide further evidence that not only are we are strengthening our energy security and lowering bills for consumers in the long term, we’re unlocking huge opportunities for investment in British expertise and jobs in the process.

International cooperation on energy and climate with close partners like the UAE is vital and as they take centre stage as hosts of COP28 later this year, they will have our full support every step of the way.

Memorandum of Understanding

The MoU represents a strengthening of collaboration between the UK and the UAE and follows hot on the heels of the Partnership for the Future (P4F), which was signed during His Highness President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to UK in September 2021 and provided a clear statement of our collective energy ambitions.

The P4F is complemented by the existing Sovereign Investment Partnership (SIP), agreed in March 2021 to serve as a coordinated investment framework to grow a future-focused relationship between the two nations, driving economic recovery, jobs and growth.
13/01/2023