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PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General visits Ukraine to drive accountability [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 12 September 2024.

The Attorney General Lord Hermer KC visited Kyiv, Bucha and Irpin to drive forward accountability for Ukraine.

Speaking alongside President Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, the Attorney General opened the United for Justice Conference.

The Attorney General said:

The UK supports Ukraine’s fight for freedom and its fight for justice. Russia must be accountable both for specific atrocities and its act of aggression. From the battlefield to the courtroom, the UK stands with Ukraine.

The conference was held in an underground car park in central Kyiv for safety, a daily reminder of the toll of war.

At Bucha’s cathedral, the Attorney General heard of the brutal murders and executions of ordinary people as they cycled to work, walked to the shop or sought to flee Russia’s occupation in March 2022.

Bucha was a place of terror two and a half years ago. Though homes have been rapidly reconstructed, wounds remain. Father Andriy, the Archpriest of the Cathedral, told from his experience of the importance of international rule of law and accountability, to provide justice for the people of Bucha and prevent further atrocities.

The Attorney General also stopped at the Romanivika Bridge, Irpin, blown up in 2022 to stop the Russian advance to Kyiv, but now a commuter route from the city to its suburbs.

There he heard about the part-UK funded Mobile Justice Units which support victims, including of conflict related sexual violence, across Ukraine.

The Attorney General also held detailed discussions with Prosecutor General Kostin on the work of his Office to prosecute the 135,000 incidents of alleged war crimes in real-time, as well as training and other support the UK is providing to help prosecutors.

September 13, 2024
Keir Starmer – 2024 Keynote Speech on the NHS

The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at the King’s Fund on 12 September 2024.

[NB, this is the redacted speech issued by 10 Downing Street with political comment removed]

As you have heard today, Lord Darzi has published his independent report on the state of our NHS.

It is an incredibly comprehensive analysis. Some of you will have seen it, there are copies available, please read it.

A raw and honest assessment. That is what we asked for.

And that is why I wanted to come here to the King’s Fund.

Home to many of our country’s leading healthcare experts.

Because your contributions are going to be vital.

As we get this precious institution back on its feet,

And build an NHS that is truly fit for the future.

And look, our starting point couldn’t be further from that goal.

Public satisfaction in the NHS has fallen…

[Please note political content redacted here.]

To an all-time low today.

Think of the impact that has on staff who are putting in so much day in day out, knowing that confidence is at an all-time low.

And that is because, as everybody in the country knows, the last government broke the NHS.

But until this morning, we didn’t know the full scale of the damage, which is laid bare in the report.

Even Lord Darzi, with all his years of experience.

Is shocked by what he discovered.

It is unforgiveable.

And people have every right to be angry.

It’s not just because the NHS is so personal to all of us.

Or because when people can’t get the care they need…

They’re off work sick, with huge costs for our economy.

It’s because some of these failings are literally life and death.

Take the waiting times in A&E…

More than 100,000 infants waited more than 6 hours last year…

And nearly a tenth of all patients are now waiting for 12 hours or more…

That’s not just a source of fear and anxiety…

It’s leading to thousands of avoidable deaths….

And that phrase avoidable deaths should always be chilling.

That’s people’s loved ones who could have been saved.

Doctors and nurses whose whole vocation is to save them…

Hampered from doing so.

It’s devastating. Heartbreaking. Infuriating…

And that’s just scratching the surface.

High-risk heart attack patients waiting too long for urgent treatment.

Cancer diagnosis patients waiting too long….

With cancer death rates higher than other countries

And when it comes to getting help for mental health …

…. 345,000 are waiting over a year.

That’s roughly the entire population of Leicester.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

Covid hit our NHS harder than healthcare systems in other countries.

The NHS delayed, cancelled, or postponed far more routine care during the pandemic than any comparable health system.

And why?

Because our NHS went into the pandemic in a much more fragile state.

Fewer doctor, fewer nurses and fewer beds than most other high income health systems

[Please note political content redacted here.]

What Lord Darzi describes as a “calamity without international precedent”.

A “scorched earth” approach to health reform, the effects of which are still felt to this day.

And at the same time, they inflicted what the report describes as:

“the most austere decade since the NHS was founded”

Crumbling buildings.

Decrepit portacabins.

Mental health patients in Victorian-era cells infested with vermin.

When we say they broke the NHS…

That’s not performative politics.

Just look at it.

The 2010s were a lost decade for our NHS.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

And it’s not just the state of our National Health Service in crisis.

It’s also the state of our national health.

We’re becoming a sicker society.

Spending more of our lives in ill-health than ten years ago.

There are 2.8 million people economically inactive because of long-term sickness.

As today’s report makes clear –

“The NHS is not contributing to national prosperity as it could.”

But perhaps Lord Darzi’s most damning finding is about the declining physical and mental health of our children.

Fewer children getting vaccinated…

While those from the most deprived backgrounds…

Are twice as likely to be obese by reception age.

And much of this is a direct result of wider social injustices..

Poor quality housing

Lower incomes,

Insecure employment.

All of it, not just damaging the health of our nation…

It’s piling up the pressures on our NHS.

That’s the report.

But look, I haven’t come here just to set out this appalling inheritance. Though it is really important that we know it and properly understand it in detail.

Getting people back to health and work would not only reduce the costs on the NHS.

It would help drive economic growth – and fund public services.

My government was elected on a mandate for change so I’m also here to talk about how together we fix it.

I feel very deeply the profound responsibility for this.

And indeed, the opportunity of this moment.

The NHS may be broken, but it’s not beaten.

As the report says, the NHS may be in a “critical condition”.

But “its vital signs are strong”.

And we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform.

Major surgery not sticking plasters.

We’ve got to face up to the challenges….

Look at our ageing society.

And the higher burden of disease.

Look, the NHS is at a fork in the road.

And we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands.

Don’t act and leave it to die.

Raise taxes on working people.

Or reform to secure its future.

Working people can’t afford to pay more.

So it’s reform or die.

So let me be clear from the outset, what reform does not mean.

First, it does not mean abandoning those founding ideals.

Of a public service, publicly funded, free at the point of use.

That basic principle of dignity.

Inspired of course by Bevan,

That when you fall ill,

You should never have to worry about the bill.

That is as true today as when the NHS was founded 76 years ago.

And I believe that so deeply.

As some of you will know, my mum and my sister both worked for the NHS.

My wife works for the NHS.

The NHS cared for my Mum throughout what was a very

But “its vital signs are strong”.

long illness…

The NHS runs through my family like a stick of rock.

And you know, this isn’t just about emotion.

It’s about hard facts too.

The NHS is uniquely placed for the opportunities of big data and predictive and preventative medicine.

So the problem isn’t that the NHS is the wrong model.

It’s the right model.

It’s just not taking advantage of the opportunities in front of it.

And that’s what needs to change.

Second, reform does not mean just putting more money in.

Of course, even in difficult financial circumstances.

My government will always make the investments in our NHS that are needed. Always.

But we have to fix the plumbing before turning on the taps.

So hear me when I say this.

No more money without reform.

I am not prepared to see even more of your money spent

On agency staff who cost £5,000 a shift

On appointment letters, which arrive after the appointment,

Or on paying for people to be stuck in hospital

Just because they can’t get the care they need in the community.

Tonight, there will be 12,000 patients in that very position.

That’s enough to fill 28 hospitals.

So we can’t go on like this.

As Lord Darzi has said –

NHS staff are “working harder than ever”

But “productivity has fallen.”

Because patients can’t be discharged,

And clinicians are spending their time trying to find more beds.

Rather than treating more patients.

That isn’t just solved by more money – it’s solved by reform.

And third, reform does not mean trying to fix everything from Whitehall. It really doesn’t.

When Lord Darzi says the vital signs of the NHS are strong.

He’s talking about the talents and passion of our NHS workforce. That’s what he’s talking about.

The breadth and depth of clinical talent.

The extraordinary compassion and care of our NHS staff.

If we are going to build an NHS that is fit for the future…

Then I tell you, we are going to do it with our NHS staff.

And indeed, with our patients too.

We are going to change it together.

Now, that starts with the first steps,

40,000 extra appointments every week.

But we’ve got to do the hard yards of long-term reform.

So this government is working at pace

To build a Ten-Year Plan.

Something so different from anything that has gone before.

This plan will be framed around three big shifts,

Three fundamental reforms,

Which are rooted in what Lord Darzi has set out today.

First, moving from an analogue to a digital NHS.

Already we can see glimpses of the extraordinary potential of technology,

Like the world’s first ever non-invasive, knifeless surgery for Kidney cancer… Just imagine that.

Pioneered by Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Or the precision cancer scanners…

I saw just yesterday.

Or simply for transforming how we manage a condition.

We went to Kingsmill Hospital earlier this year and met a 12-year old called Molly.

She used a smartphone to monitor her glucose levels…

Instead of being forced to repeatedly prick her fingers.

It made such a difference to her daily life and gave great reassurance to her mum who could remotely check on the settings and the findings.

We’ve got to make these opportunities available to everyone.

We’ve got to use technology to empower patients and give them much greater control over their healthcare.

Take an innovation like the NHS app.

This could be a whole digital front door to the NHS.

Appointments, self-referral, reminders for check-ups and screenings.

Patients in control of their own data,

Healthcare so much more transparent,

So you always know your options,

And the standards that you should expect.

And you know, earlier this year I went to Alder Hey Hospital. Many of you will know it, it’s a fantastic hospital, where they carry out heart surgery on infants, which is really humbling to see.

I met the parents of a two-year old who had extremely complicated heart surgery. A tiny infant, an incredible surgery.

I asked them about their child’s history and condition, how did he come to be here, what’s the story behind it,

And as they told me, I could see them welling up as they went through the history, conditions, all the background through all of that over and over again.

They really struggled to tell the story and they have to do this every single time.

Because the records weren’t held electronically.

We’ve got to have fully digital patient records.

So that crucial information is there for you.

Wherever you go in our NHS.

And while I’m on technology

We’re also going to throw the full weight of the British Government behind our world leading life sciences.

Second, we’ve got to shift more care from hospitals to communities.

Now The King’s Fund has long called for this.

Successive governments have repeatedly promised it.

But what’s happened?

The opposite.

The share of the NHS budget spent on hospitals has actuallyincreased.

Now this Ten-Year plan has to be the moment we change this.

The moment we begin to turn our National Health Service

into a Neighbourhood Health Service.

That means more tests, scans, healthcare offered on high streets and town centres.

Improved GP access.

Bringing back the family doctor.

Offering digital consultations for those who want them,

Then they told me that every time they went to a different hospital, they had to go virtual wards.

And more patients can be safely looked after in their own homes.

Where we can deal with problems early,

Before people are off work sick and before they need to go to hospital.

And we’ve got to make good on the integration of health and social care.

So we can discharge those 28 hospitals worth of patients.

Saving money.

Reducing the strain on our NHS,

And giving people better treatment.

And third in terms of the shifts, we’ve got to be much bolder in moving from sickness to prevention.

Now we’ve already announced NHS health checks in workplaces.

Blood pressure checks at dentists and opticians.

And that is just the beginning.

Planning for ten years means we can make long-term investments in new technologies

That will help catch and prevent problems earlier.

And there are some areas in particular

Where we’ve just got to be more ambitious.

Like children’s mental health.

Or children’s dentistry.

You know, one of the most shocking things that I saw, I’ve ever seen…

This was actually when I was at was at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital again.

As I mentioned earlier, I went to the ward where they do heart operations.

The single biggest cause of children going into that hospital…

Between the ages of 6 and 10…

Was to have their rotting teeth taken out. I couldn’t believe it. I was genuinely shocked.

All politicians say they are shocked too often, but I was honestly shocked, the single biggest cause of going into hospital of children between 6 and 10 is having their teeth taken out.

Can you think of anything more soul-destroying?

For those children what a price to pay.

And for that brilliant NHS team who want to use their talents to save lives.

Instead spending their time taking out rotting teeth.

Something that could be so easily prevented.

And look, I know some prevention measures will be controversial.

I’m prepared to be bold even in the face of loud opposition.

So no, some of our changes won’t be universally popular. We know that.

But I will do the right thing – for our NHS, our economy, and our children.

Now, the task before us is the work of our generation.

We’ve already hit the ground running.

Negotiating an offer to end the strikes

[Please note political content redacted here.]

Strikes that were costing us all a fortune.

And we inherited 1,000 trainee GPs who were set to graduate into unemployment…

Instead we hired them.

But only fundamental reform and a plan for the long-term can turn around the NHS and build a healthy society.

It won’t be easy, it won’t be or quick.

It will take a ten-year plan.

Not the work of just one Parliament.

But I know we can do it.

Because we’ve done reform before.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

To deliver better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

My Government has a huge mandate for change.

We are mission-driven.

And I think the themes of this conference today are fitting for this moment.

Challenge. Change. And hope.

Because the challenge is clear before us.

The change could amount to the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth.

And the hope, well that’s what’s really exciting and galvanising about this moment.

Because if we get this right,

People can look back and say –

This was the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history.

Got it back on its feet and made it fit for the future.

September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine – UK national statement to IAEA Board [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 September 2024.

UK Ambassador to the IAEA Corinne Kitsell’s statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting on Ukraine.

Chair,

The United Kingdom thanks the Director General both for his comprehensive report on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine and for the recent report entitled: ‘Two years of IAEA continued presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’. We are, as ever, grateful to the IAEA personnel working to help maintain nuclear safety, security and safeguards across Ukraine under the most challenging of circumstances. We also value the IAEA as the only reliable, impartial provider of information to the International Community on what is actually happening at ZNPP.

Chair

As the DG has said, the situation at ZNPP continues to be precarious. The report before us today identifies a numerous specific concerns, all consequences of Russia’s seizure, occupation and militarisation of a previously well run Ukrainian nuclear power plant. I would like to highlight three areas of particular concern:

First – that two years on, the ISAMZ mission cannot secure the access it requires to fully assess whether the DG’s 5 Concrete Principles for Protecting the ZNPP are being observed at all times. Russian armed troops have blocked access to the western parts of the turbine halls. What are they hiding? The ISAMZ team has also been prevented from accessing the cooling pond isolation gate and the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) switchyard. At the same time, this report confirms the presence onsite of armed troops and military equipment including armoured personnel carriers and weapons mounted armed vehicles;

Second – that, two years on, the IAEA continues to identify major shortcomings in existing emergency arrangements, specifically the ability to ensure an effective response in the event of any emergency that warrants implementation of public protective actions off site. To be clear this is about protecting people and the environment in the event of an emergency.

Third – Water and Power – that the IAEA report describes the diminishing availability of water at ZNPP and the vulnerable state of the off-site power supply to the Plant. Two years on, ZNPP continues to rely on only two off-site powerlines. Only last week one of those lines (the 330 kilovolt back up line) was disconnected for nearly three days.

Chair

Across Ukraine’s NPPs, reliability of power supply remains concerning. On 26 August one reactor at Rivne NPP and one at South Ukraine NPP went into automatic shutdown, with reductions in operating power reported in the remaining reactor units at those plants, as a result of electrical grid fluctuations. On 26 August, Ukraine was enduring a massive Russian missile and drone attack, which targeted critical energy infrastructure. We welcome the DG’s 3rd September update emphasising the importance of protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to ensure it does not impact nuclear safety and announcing planned IAEA assessments of damaged Ukrainian substations.

Despite these extremely challenging circumstances, Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants remaining under Ukrainian control, continue to operate safely and effectively, carrying out scheduled maintenance, with reliable supply chains, and conducting large scale emergency exercises. We are aware of the toll this takes on the operating staff, hence our support for trauma risk management workshops in July aimed at equipping NPP managers, supervisors and psychologists with the skills to spot signs of distress and provide support.

Chair,

Mindful of the time, I apologise for adding a couple of additional points to the statement that I had planned to make but I must address some of the Russian propaganda that we have heard this evening:

First, drone attacks. The UK has made clear, including at the UN Security Council, our support for the DG’s 5 Principles for protecting the ZNPP – principles that have been necessary because of Russia’s seizure and occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant. We do not condone any drone attacks at, towards, or from ZNPP.  In relation to alleged drone attacks – reports coming from Russian personnel exercising control over the Plant – we appreciate, and rely on, the fact based, impartial reporting of the IAEA  - our only source of reliable information.

Second, this Board must be clear that the situation at Kursk NPP and ZNPP are not comparable. Unlike Russia we have not witnessed Ukraine intentionally seize and endanger a NPP on another country’s sovereign territory. And we all heard our distinguished Ukrainian colleague make a clear statement to the Board this week that Ukraine has no intention of targeting a NPP.

With that, I take note of report GOV/2024/45 and ask that it be made public.

Thank you, Chair.

September 13, 2024
Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Science and Engineering Conference

The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 September 2024.

Good afternoon.

It’s a real pleasure to be here.

Thank you for having me along. It really does mean the world to connect with people on the front line of R&D.

Something you notice quite quickly when you get appointed to this job, is you do feel quite distant from the front line of some of things you’re making big decisions about, so it’s great to be here to connect with as many people as possible.

Since I’ve got this job, people have constantly been asking me how it connects to people’s lives and is science really relevant to the daily lives and lived experiences of people.

It is quite surprising for me to hear that question put in so many different ways.

But the answer for me has never changed because anyone who has stepped foot into a secondary school classroom can see in a heartbeat how important science is to energising and inspiring young people.

Anyone who has felt the sheer excitement of students setting up an experiment for the first time can see how important science is to inspiring young people.

And they’ll tell you: not connecting with people’s lives just isn’t true.

Because if you accept the idea that the only people interested in science are the professionals.

The people with PhDs and post-docs.

Then you’ve lost the argument about science before it has even started.

Our challenge is not about persuading people to care about science.

It is about what happens to science if you are forced to make difficult decisions.

If you inherited – for example – a state with broken public finances and broken public services.

How many of those young people would say that science should be first priority?

And that’s the challenge we’ve got to overcome.

We can’t just tell them that it is interesting or important.

They already know that.

We must show them why it matters so much for the things that they care about most.

That is what our missions collectively is to achieve.

They set out a clear plan for tackling the country’s greatest challenges together.

A plan with R&D at its foundation.

We know that the young people in that classroom want to live fulfilling and happy lives.

So we must show them we can use science to build an NHS fit for the future.

An NHS where doctors can use quantum scanners to detect diseases invisible to the human eye, giving them back precious years with their grandparents.

Those young people care about achieving their own potential.

So we must show them that technology such as AI can break down the barriers to opportunity.

Helping teachers use AI to plan lessons that help every pupil go as far as their talents will take them.

They care about the future of their planet, too.

So we must show them that innovation can transform the way we generate clean energy and combat climate change.

The success of our missions will be measured by the meaningful difference we make to everyday people’s lives.

And every one of them will depend on growth.

Because, more than anything else, it is growth that will shape those young people’s future.

It is growth that determines whether they can get a good job in the place they grow up.

Whether we can fix our hospitals and schools.

Today, a decade of lost growth means that British people are earning less than a tenner more each week than they did in 2008.

Taxes are at a seventy-year high.

National debt is the highest its been since the 1960s.

Stagnant growth and productivity has come at a profound cost to our country, our communities and individuals.

A cost that is felt in our public services and in working people’s pockets.

We are faced with a systemic problem and challenge.

A problem the same old sticking plasters cannot fix.

So we have got to do things differently.

And science, it must be part of the solution as it has done every single time our country has moved forward.

Because long-term, sustainable economic growth is impossible without innovation.

You simply cannot make people better off without investment in R&D.

A couple of months ago, I went to Glasgow to see what success could look like.

There, I met some of the extraordinary people working in the city’s space sector.

Some of them will have grown up as the children of shipbuilders, in a place that once built a fifth of the world’s ships.

Now, they are building more satellites than anywhere else in Europe.

Satellites that could transform the way we understand climate change.

Or provide Internet access to some of our most remote communities.

Later this year, I am heading to South Wales.

The collapse of heavy industry there hollowed out cities, towns, and villages.

Hundreds of thousands were left unemployed.

Unable to do the only job they – or their parents – had ever done, many of them never worked again.

Now, the region is home to the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster.

And those same cities, towns and villages are once again at the beating heart of the global economy.

Home to people who are designing and making the chips that are powering the digital revolution and driving forward our net zero ambitions.

Their children might one day do the same.

If I wanted to show people why science matters, I would point to places like that across our country.

Places where R&D is providing good jobs in industries built to last.

And giving communities their future back.

The success of Glasgow and South Wales is testament to the power of partnership.

Between the public and the private.

World-leading universities working with bold, dynamic businesses.

Too often, though, government has been missing in action.

Some of the people I spoke to in Glasgow told me that the relationship with the state has felt less like a partnership – and more like a one-way street.

Ever-shifting funding settlements have made it impossible to plan into the future and give the stability they need.

A maze of unwieldy regulation has held business back, preventing them from developing products that could change people’s lives for the better.

Universities have been treated like political footballs, rather than celebrated as a public good that they are.

That is bad for innovation. It is bad for growth. And it is bad for working people.

So it’s time to turn the page.

In our national missions, I see an opportunity to build a long-term, strategic partnership in which we can both invest.

A partnership anchored in stability – and in a belief that science and technology can benefit every single one of us, wherever we live in the country.

It begins in the places where research happens: in labs and lecture halls across the country.

Sometimes, life-changing discoveries can take decades to develop.

Earlier this week, I spoke at the Terrence Higgins Trust.

In 1982, Terrence Higgins became of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness.

It was almost thirty years before the treatment now used to prevent HIV infection became available to the public.

For thirty years, scientists worked tirelessly to find a cure, often without the support they deserved – or, worse – in the face of outright opposition to even working on those solutions.

If we want to see more breakthroughs like this.

Breakthroughs that can bring back hope to millions.

Then we need a coherent, clear-sighted approach.

An approach grounded not in short-term decisions, but in a realistic, hopeful vision of a future where science makes life in Britain better.

That is why we are introducing 10-year budgets for certain R&D activities.

By giving researchers the long-term funding, they need to remain right at the heart of the cutting edge, we will end the uncertainty that undermines innovation.

We will restore strength and stability to the relationship between industry and our research institutions.

And we will give businesses in Britain the confidence to invest wholesomely in R&D.

Above all, our approach will be determined by a relentless focus on delivery.

We have already commissioned our AI Action Plan which will set out how we can make the very best use of artificial intelligence to grow the economy and improve public services, and the relationship between citizens and the public services that they depend on.

And we have unlocked new investment in essential R&D infrastructure like the UK Biobank, the world’s leading biomedical database.

That funding that will supporting scientists who are trying to find cures to devastating diseases like Parkinson’s, dementia and cancer.

We know that discoveries this could take decades.

But once they happen, it shouldn’t take decades for people to benefit.

Because every day of dither or delay is another day that someone misses out.

On the job that could change their life.

Or the treatment that could save their life.

The Regulatory Innovation Office will cut the time it takes for businesses to bring new ideas onto the market and into our lives.

And Skills England will give them access to a home-grown workforce with the talent to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

By fixing the foundations of our broken skills system, it will give every young person – no matter where they live – the opportunity to get on life.

This week, hundreds of thousands of those young people will step into a science lab for the very first time.

Each of them will have come home full of stories, of what they have done that day.

The excitement of that first experiment.

Or the disaster of an attempting a discovery gone wrong.

As they get older, many of them will hold onto that kernel of inspiration.

But they will begin to wonder – what does science do for me?

When I can’t get a good job in my town.

And my parents have been waiting weeks to see the doctor.

Science means something different to all of us.

Whether we are investing in new products in the lab.

Or putting them to use on the factory floor.

Our challenge remains the same.

Not simply to tell people about the power of innovation.

But to show them, by putting that power to use for the public good.

In our missions, we have the promise of a partnership with a purpose.

A partnership with people at its heart.

Now, we must get on with the job and deliver for them.

Thank you very much.

September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New rules for banks to deliver financial stability and investment [September 2024]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 12 September 2024.

New rules for banks and building societies announced today will ensure the UK financial system is resilient, competitive and promotes investment in the UK economy.

The Basel 3.1 reforms are the final part of the internationally agreed Basel 3 framework. Today’s proposals, announced by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), mark the end of the post-2008 crisis capital reforms and give the certainty industry will need to invest for growth.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves welcomed the reforms, saying they would deliver certainty for the banking sector to “finance investment and growth in the UK” ahead of a joint meeting with the Bank of England Governor to discuss them with CEOs of the UK’s largest banks and building societies in No11 Downing Street.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: 

Today marks the end of a long road after the 2008 financial crisis.

Britain’s banks have a vital role to play in helping businesses to grow, getting infrastructure built and supporting ordinary peoples’ finances.

These reforms will strengthen the resilience of our banking system and deliver the certainty banks need to finance investment and growth in the UK.”

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq said: 

These new rules bring the UK in line with international standards while supporting the dynamism of the UK economy.

This is a balanced package that promotes the competitiveness of the UK banking system as well as economic growth.”

The PRA’s new rules, including those already announced in December 2023, have both financial resilience and growth at their core, reflecting an increased focus on growth and competitiveness.

Banks and building societies will have to maintain sufficient capital against risks, such as loans not being repaid, to protect people and businesses from the fallout from a 2008-style financial crash.

The PRA’s near-final rules also include a number of changes from its initial proposals that will support economic growth and competitiveness. The key changes made by the PRA will:
- Lower its proposed capital requirements for lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). This will mean lending to SMEs continues to be supported, helping to deliver the government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
- Lower its proposed capital requirements for infrastructure projects, ensuring no increase on current requirements and supporting the UK’s transition to net zero.
- Streamline the approach banks can take to mortgage lending, by simplifying the approach to valuing residential property.
The PRA’s new rules will come into force on 1 January 2026, providing the banking sector with the certainty it needs to prepare for the new requirements. The Treasury will repeal the legislation required for the PRA to move forward with the Basel 3.1 package.

The PRA published proposals for a simpler regime for smaller firms alongside its near-final Basel 3.1 rules. This regime will make it easier for smaller banks and building societies to lend by minimising the number of calculations they are required to make and introducing a single capital buffer.
September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : NPT Safeguards Agreement with Iran – Quad statement to the IAEA [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 September 2024.

France, Germany, the UK and United States (the Quad) gave a joint statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Iran’s implementation of its obligations under its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement.

Chair,

France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States thank Director General Grossi for his report on the implementation of Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement.

We commend the DG and the Secretariat for their continued professional, independent and impartial efforts to verify Iran’s implementation of its safeguards obligations, including the Agency’s repeated efforts to engage Iran to clarify information regarding the “correctness and completeness” of its declarations under its NPT-related Safeguards Agreement. Unfortunately, due to Iran’s failure over several years to address the outstanding issues, the Agency continues to report that it is unable to assure that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Chair,

Yet again we have in front of us a report from the Director General that demonstrates there has been no progress. Iran has not provided technically credible explanations in response to the IAEA’s questions regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at Turquzabad and Varamin. Iran’s continued stonewalling runs contrary to its legal obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement and the commitments it made to cooperate with the Agency under the Joint Statement of March 2023.

We also find ourselves once more discussing Iran’s continued refusal to apply modified Code 3.1 as part of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. This is a legal obligation that Iran cannot unilaterally suspend or modify. As the Director General reminds us, report after report, Iran is the only State with significant nuclear activities that is not implementing modified Code 3.1. This refusal prevents the Agency from obtaining early design information for new nuclear facilities necessary to prepare its safeguards approach. This should not be taken lightly. Given Iran’s history of undeclared nuclear facilities, past and current unresolved questions, and several public statements made by current and former Iranian officials concerning Iran’s technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons, Iran’s actions further fuel serious doubts over whether Iran’s nuclear activities remain exclusively peaceful.

Chair,

The report also highlights a number of other concerning issues, including the Agency’s determination that the amount of uranium contained in the solid waste sent from Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory (JHL) to the Esfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) for dissolution was less than had been declared by Iran in 2003-2004. We also note with concern that in August 2024, the Agency informed Iran that, with respect to uranium metal experiments conducted at JHL from 1995-2000, the amount of nuclear material the Agency found to be unaccounted for was greater than the amount the Agency had previously communicated. We commend the Agency for their diligent efforts so far and support the Agency continuing to investigate the discrepancy. In this regard, we urge Iran to fully co-operate with the Agency to clarify this matter.

We condemn the fact that Iran has confirmed it will not reverse its decision to de-designate several of the IAEA’s most experienced inspectors, despite repeated requests by the DG and the international community since last September. As the DG previously reported, Iran’s decision effectively made the Agency’s independent technical work subject to political interpretation, and seriously affects the Agency’s ability to effectively conduct its verification activities in Iran. Iran’s unjustified decision clearly runs counter to the positive engagement with the Agency that Iran claims to want. We hope that Iran will reverse this decision in line with the spirit of collaboration agreed to in the March 2023 Joint Statement.

Let us make clear once again: Iran must implement its safeguards obligations in full and without further delay. As long as such cases of concern exist, there remains reasonable doubt about the nature of Iran’s nuclear activities. The longstanding nature of these cases is also at risk of harming the broader global non-proliferation architecture, and risks setting dangerous precedents regarding the fulfilment of safeguards obligations.

Chair,

The E3 and the United States commend the DG’s long-standing efforts to remain open to constructive engagement with Iran. Yet instead of seizing opportunities to engage constructively to resolve all outstanding questions, Iran has failed to offer any immediate concrete actions.

For five years now, the Board of Governors has been asking Iran to engage in good faith to resolve the safeguards investigations. Indeed, the Board has passed four resolutions on this matter since 2020, most recently in June 2024.

We would like to recall specifically that in June the Board reaffirmed its decision in its November 2022 resolution that it is essential and urgent that Iran act to fulfil its legal obligations and reiterated its call on Iran to:
1. Provide technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin in two undeclared locations in Iran
2. Inform the Agency of the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of the contaminated equipment,
3. Provide all information, documentation and answers the Agency requires for that purpose,
4. Provide access to locations and material the Agency requires for that purpose, as well as for the taking of samples as deemed appropriate by the Agency.
Since June, we have again seen no progress from Iran or any real indication of a change in its longstanding pattern of delay with which this Board is familiar. Instead, Iran has doubled down on its decision to remove Agency inspectors, has made no progress on the outstanding safeguards issues, has continued to withhold required design information, and has so far ignored requests from the Agency to service cameras all while further expanding uranium enrichment activities that go well beyond any legitimate civil needs.

This Board has shown considerable patience. But that patience has its limits, and we will not stand by while Iran continues to obfuscate. If Iran continues to fail to provide the necessary, full and unambiguous cooperation with the Agency to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues, further action by this Board will be necessary. This could include, in the coming months, a request to the DG to compile a Comprehensive Report. This report would provide a clear and updated assessment of all relevant information, allowing consideration of whether further steps would be needed, including making a finding under Article 19 of Iran’s CSA.

Iran could render this action unnecessary if, as we have long called for, it chooses to urgently, fully and unambiguously co-operate with the Agency. Our efforts aim to resolutely support the Agency to this end – for the sake of the integrity of the international non-proliferation architecture and ultimately, global security. We cannot allow Iran to evade its NPT-related safeguards obligations year after year.

Chair,

We once again thank the DG for his commitment and express our unwavering support to the Agency for its impartial and professional work on this issue. We encourage the DG to continue to report to the Board in a timely manner and ask for the report contained in GOV/2024/44 to be derestricted and made public.

Thank you, Chair
September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum 2024 – UK statement [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 September 2024.

Ambassador Holland addresses the Opening Session of the 2024 EEF, saying sustainable development and climate adaptation are two casualties of Russia’s war.

Madam Chair,

Unlike last year, we meet today in Prague under the official auspices of the OSCE. It is important that the full range of mandated meetings across the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security, are allowed to take place.

Last year Russia chose to block the consensus needed to hold this event. Though we welcome our being able to convene like this, some things have not changed. Russia continues its illegal invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory and Russian troops continue to occupy Ukrainian land.

Sustainable development and climate adaptation – the topics of this year’s forum – are just two casualties of Russia’s war. The effects of Russia’s war have stretched across the global economy. This has cost Ukraine in particular – to the tune of almost half a trillion dollars – but has also cost the aggressor billions of dollars and the rest of the world considerable hardship through disruption to supply chains, inflation and general increases to the cost of living.

As this group well knows, it is not just economic development that has been affected. Last year’s Chatham House report said the war risks putting climate action on the backburner and complicates the multilateral action needed to avert dangerous climate change and to adapt to its impacts.

Russia must be held to account for its actions. The UK is proud to have been able to support the OSCE’s project on assessing the environmental damage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We encourage all delegates to attend the side event later today on that research.

Madam Chair, at home, the new UK Government unveiled a new 1.5 billion pound budget to help build new green infrastructure as part of the mission to deliver clean power by 2030. The UK will aid economic development by joining the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty’s Board of Champions, contributing our global network of development organisations. And the UK’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act will establish new, faster, more effective tools to address the unique barriers to competition in digital markets.

I would like to thank the Maltese Chairpersonship and the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environment activities for organising this event, and our Czech colleagues for hosting us. My team and I look forward to the discussions to come.

Thank you.

September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Data centres to be given massive boost and protections from cyber criminals and IT blackouts [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 12 September 2024.

Data including vital NHS, financial, and personal smartphone data is set to be safer from cyber attacks, environmental disasters, and IT blackouts as part of government’s drive for economic growth.
- Data centres powering the economy will be designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy and water systems.
- Critical National Infrastructure designation will allow the government to support the sector in the event of critical incidents, minimising impacts on the economy.
- Follows near £4 billion proposed investment in Europe’s largest data centre in Hertfordshire which will support almost 14,000 jobs across the country.
Today (Thursday 12 September), the Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, has announced the government has now classed UK data centres – the buildings which store much of the data generated in the UK – as ‘Critical National Infrastructure’. It is the first Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) designation in almost a decade, since the Space and Defence sectors gained the same status in 2015.

It means the data housed and processed in UK data centres – from photos taken on smartphones to patients’ NHS records and sensitive financial investment information – is less likely to be compromised during outages, cyber attacks, and adverse weather events. Putting data centres on an equal footing as water, energy and emergency services systems will mean the data centres sector can now expect greater government support in recovering from and anticipating critical incidents, giving the industry greater reassurance when setting up business in UK and helping generate economic growth for all.

CNI designation will, for example, see the setting up of a dedicated CNI data infrastructure team of senior government officials who will monitor and anticipate potential threats, provide prioritised access to security agencies including the National Cyber Security Centre, and coordinate access to emergency services should an incident occur.

It comes as the government today welcomes a proposed £3.75 billion investment in Europe’s largest data centre, as plans have been submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council for construction in Hertfordshire by data company DC01UK which will directly create over 700 local jobs and support 13,740 data and tech jobs across the country.

Critical National Infrastructure status will also deter cyber criminals from targeting data centres that may house vital health and financial data, minimising disruption to people’s lives, the NHS and the economy.

In the event of an attack on a data centre hosting critical NHS patients’ data, for example, the government would intervene to ensure contingencies are in place to mitigate the risk of damage or to essential services, including on patients’ appointments or operations.

The new protections will also boost business confidence in investing in data centres in the country, an industry which already generates an estimated £4.6 billion in revenues a year.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe.

Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the government against cyber criminals and unexpected events.

The huge £3.75 billion private investment announced today in Hertfordshire is a vote of confidence in those plans and a clear example of my determination to ensure technological advancements are helping to grow our economy and create wealth across the country.

The Crowd Strike incident earlier this summer, affecting 60% of GP practices with disruption to software holding patients’ appointment details, prescriptions, and health records showed the catastrophic impact of IT and cyber threats on people’s lives.

Awarding Critical National Infrastructure status shows the fundamental importance of data centres for the government, and today’s measures renew the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring the UK data industry remains secure and stable.

The move will provide greater reassurance the UK is a safe place to invest in data centres to businesses such as DC01UK, the company behind today’s a planning application for an investment of nearly £4 billion in Europe’s largest datacentre in Hertfordshire.

Currently, the UK is home to the highest number of data centres in Western Europe. Boosting the resilience of the sector will help the country top the global leagues for data security and support the UK government in its mission of achieving sustained economic growth.

Earlier in the summer, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) also announced its intention to introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and strengthen the country’s cyber defences by mandating that providers of essential infrastructure protect their supply chains from attacks.

Bruce Owen, UK Managing Director of digital infrastructure provider Equinix, said:

We welcome today’s announcement by the government which recognises the critical nature of data centres and digital infrastructure to the economy and society.

The internet, and the digital infrastructure that underpins it, has rapidly grown to be as fundamental to each one of our daily lives as water, gas, and electricity, and is now a service that people and the UK economy can no longer live without.

Equinix is happy to have played an important role in the consultation process to bring about today’s critical national infrastructure status, which we believe will help safeguard the industry by ensuring the stability and growth of the UK and global economy and lay the groundwork for the UK’s bright digital future.

Matthew Evans, Director of Markets and Chief Operating Officer at techUK, said:

techUK welcomes the government’s pivotal decision to designate the data centres sector as Critical National Infrastructure and the recognition of the critical role they play in the UK’s modern economy.

Data centres are fundamental to our digitising economy and are a key driver of growth. We look forward to collaborating closely with the government and our stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these new measures and their impact on the sector. Continued engagement and partnership will be key in advancing our shared objectives of a secure, resilient, and thriving digital economy.
September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : British Army trains Ukrainian military dog handlers [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 September 2024.

UK personnel are training Ukrainian military dog handlers in vital skills from patrols to explosive device searches.
- Specialist training includes combat operations and explosive device searches.
- It is part of Operation Interflex, which has trained more than 45,000 Ukrainian personnel since Russia’s illegal invasion in 2022.
- 16 handlers have been trained by the British Army on two courses this summer.
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians will be better protected from unexploded ordnance and illegal weapons thanks to training offered in the UK to Ukrainian border guards and their working dogs.

This week the UK has welcomed the second group of Ukrainian military dog handlers from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine to receive specialist training from their British counterparts.

The three week training visit includes how to conduct effective patrols and explosive device searches. UK trainers also demonstrated how UK military working dogs are acclimated to the sights, sounds and smells of the battlefield, allowing them to work safely and efficiently alongside their handlers.

Military working dogs are essential on the front line and on the border as their highly adaptable nature means they can be trained for a range of specialised roles and deployed across multiple military branches to keep personnel safe. In Ukraine, only this year Ukrainian working dogs have been used to prevent 950 border violations, including seizing 87.5kgs of drugs, nearly 20,000 piece of ammunition, 150 mines and 32kgs of explosives.

This collaborative training upholds the UK’s iron-clad commitment to Ukraine’s security and comes just days after the Defence Secretary John Healey announced the extension of Operational Interflex, having already trained over 45,000 Ukrainian recruits the programme will continue until at least the end of 2025.

More than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, huge areas of Ukraine are covered with unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war. Military working dogs play a crucial role in identifying these, with a sense of smell 42 times stronger than a human, so they can be made safe for soldiers and civilians. Their speed, agility and loyalty make them indispensable when securing high-risk areas.

In addition to their tactical roles, MWDs provide emotional support to personnel on the front lines as their presence can boost morale, reduce stress and enhance the mental resilience of troops in challenging conditions.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP said:

This government is clear that the defence of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine and our commitment to training members of the Ukrainian military across a variety of disciplines remains ironclad.

Military working dogs perform and invaluable role in both combat, mine-clearing and border operations and this training will help protect both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. We owe a debt of gratitude to our four-legged friends who offer a unique and irreplaceable service to both the UK and Ukrainian militaries.

The training is offered by the 1st Military Working Dog (MWD) Regiment. 1MWD support a range of operational tasks both in the UK and across the globe including arms explosive search, patrols and combat operations. They also have a full veterinary capability.

In July 2024, the Prime Minister committed £3 billion of UK aid for Ukraine per year for as long as it takes to overcome the Russian threat. Last week, the Defence Secretary confirmed the signing of a £300 million contract that will boost Ukraine’s air defences through the delivery of thousands of shells. These latest announcements will continue to support the development of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

The UK has provided £7.6 billion in military support since Russia’s illegal invasion, and will provide £3 billion in military support for 2024 to 2025. This collaborative training is a further representation of the UK’s continued investment in Ukraine. From learning basic combat tactics, to the training of Military working dogs and their handlers, the UK is committed to teaching Ukrainian recruits vital skills to protect them on the battlefield.
September 13, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : British Army and Kenya Defence Forces provide free medical treatment to residents in Isiolo and Laikipia counties [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 September 2024.

British Army troops training in Kenya provided free medical services to over 17,000 residents of Isiolo and Laikipia Counties in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces, local hospitals, and NGOs.

Over 17,000 residents of Isiolo and Laikipia counties received free medical care from the British Army’s Medical Regiment, in partnership with medics from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Isiolo County Referral Hospital, Beyond Zero and the LEO Project, during this year’s annual medical outreach by British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).

Among the 17,494 people that turned up for the free medical clinics; over 5,000 required treatments of those treated 614 were children under 5.

The five-week joint exercise, dubbed Exercise HARAKA SERPENT, involved the delivery of health clinics and health education in 11 remote locations. The British and KDF soldiers worked alongside both hospitals and non-governmental organisations to set up the clinics in places where residents normally struggle to access treatment.

Speaking at the end of the exercise Col Edd Gordon MStJ, Commanding Officer 215 (Sc) MMR, said:

It was great to see our team work together with our Kenyan partners, both civilian and military. Delivering healthcare to such a diverse range of patients is of enormous benefit to our soldiers and it’s great to also give something back to the local community.

British High Commission Defence Advisor, Brigadier Olly Bryant, said:

Our militaries train and operate together not only to fight terrorism but also to share expertise, experience and techniques, making both of our armies more effective. The joint medical exercise offers an opportunity for medical regiments within the military to do give back to communities living in and around BATUK training areas.

The medical outreach activities provided vital medical services to communities living in and around Kinna, Isiolo town, and Nanyuki who would otherwise not be able to access medical diagnosis and treatment. The team offered preventive, diagnostic, and curative healthcare interventions such as monitoring nutrition problems, supporting communities with health checks, dental treatment, ophthalmology, and health education sessions.

As well as their outreach activities the British Army and KDF shared their experiences and practices from their varied medical training, field exercises and operational deployments. The British and Kenyan teams compared their drills and techniques as well as reviewing the range of medical equipment each carried.

September 13, 2024