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Tag: 2022

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement on final verdict in murder case of “Becky” Dykes [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement on final verdict in murder case of “Becky” Dykes [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 December 2022.

    Lebanon’s Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal by Tariq Houshieh, and affirmed his guilt for the brutal murder in 2017 of our dear colleague Rebecca “Becky” Dykes. We are grateful to all of those who have contributed to the final resolution of this case after many months of delay.

    The British Embassy in Beirut, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and her family and friends, are committed to continuing to honour her legacy, including through efforts to combat the scourge of violence against women and girls, and to promote community cohesion and stability.

    We hope this verdict will bring some closure for Becky’s family, for the many around the world who loved Becky, and for all those whose lives she touched through her humanitarian work in Lebanon and elsewhere.

  • PRESS RELEASE : World’s first net zero transatlantic flight to fly from London in 2023 [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : World’s first net zero transatlantic flight to fly from London in 2023 [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 16 December 2022.

    • World first as Virgin Atlantic wins UK government funding to operate historic net zero London to New York flight
    • Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and ICF also form part of an iconic British-led consortium
    • Heralds future of low carbon aviation, with the wider sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry potentially creating thousands of UK jobs while supporting delivery of net zero aviation emissions by 2050

    The first ever net zero transatlantic flight will take off from the UK next year, with Virgin Atlantic receiving government funding to fly across the pond using solely sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

    In 2023, one of Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Boeing 787s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow and make the journey to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport – a journey made by thousands of people for business, family and leisure every week. But this will be no ordinary journey.

    When fully replacing kerosene, SAF can slash lifecycle carbon emissions by over 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. This flight is expected to be fuelled by SAF made primarily from waste oils and fats, such as used cooking oil. The use of 100% SAF on the flight, combined with carbon removal through biochar credits – a material which traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere – will make the net zero flight.

    Not only will SAF be key in decarbonising aviation, but it could create a UK industry with an annual turnover of £2.4 billion by 2040, and which supports up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035.

    Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

    For decades, flying from London to New York has symbolised aviation’s ability to connect people and drive international progress. It’s now going to be at the forefront of cutting carbon emissions from flying.

    Not only will this flight pave the way for future generations, but it will demonstrate just how much we can achieve when we work together on a shared goal – bringing together some of the best businesses and academics in the world and led by a British airline.

    Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic CEO said:

    As an airline founded on and committed to innovation, we’re proud to lead a cross-industry consortium of partners to make aviation history by operating the first ever 100% SAF flight across the Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural flight in 1984 was to New York and today it continues to be one of our most popular routes. It will be an honour to pave the way for this important business and leisure route to become even more sustainable.

    This challenge recognises the critical role that SAF has to play in decarbonising aviation and the urgent collective action needed to scale production and use of SAF globally. The research and results will be a huge step in fast-tracking SAF use across the aviation industry and supporting the investment, collaboration and urgency needed to produce SAF at scale. Our collective ambition of net zero by 2050 depends on it.

    Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and without urgent collaborative action it could be one of the highest-emitting sectors for greenhouse gases by 2050. To tackle this, the government published the Jet Zero strategy in July 2022 which sets out our approach for decarbonising the sector and champions SAF as one of the main tools for achieving Jet Zero.

    Challenges remain, however, including the need to scale up SAF production and the existing limit on how much SAF is permitted in jet engines by current fuel specifications. Today, a maximum of 50% SAF blended with kerosene can be used in commercial jet engines. By using 100% SAF, the consortium will demonstrate the potential to decarbonise long-haul routes and bring us a step closer to net zero aviation.

    It comes hot on the heels of the world’s first sustainable fuel military transporter flight using 100% SAF, completed by the RAF last month using the iconic Voyager aircraft.

    Other challenges preventing a higher uptake of SAF include high fuel production costs, technology risk at commercial scale and feedstock availability. To address these, the government is working to set the UK up to be a global leader in the development, production and use of SAF, allowing us to progress towards net zero flying, and creating thousands of green jobs.

    The government will introduce a SAF mandate requiring at least 10% of jet fuel to be made from sustainable sources by 2030 to create secure and growing demand, continue to invest in a domestic SAF industry through the £165 million advanced fuels fund, and work with the industry and investors to understand how to secure long-term investment into the sector. Along with this ground-breaking flight, these measures will support a growing role for SAF within the future of everyday flying.

    Rachael Everard, Head of Sustainability, Rolls-Royce said:

    Congratulations to Virgin for winning the net zero transatlantic flight fund competition. This represents an incredible milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions.

    We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines will power the first ever flight using 100% SAF across the Atlantic. SAF will play such an important role in decarbonising long-haul flight in particular and is a key element of our sustainability strategy.

    The Trent 1000 can already be flown with a 50% blend of SAF on commercial flights and by the end of 2023 we will have proven that our whole family of Trent engines and business aviation engines are compatible with 100% SAF.

    Sheila Remes, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability, Boeing said:

    Boeing is proud to support the Department for Transport and Virgin Atlantic in this endeavour. Our longstanding sustainability partnership with Virgin dates back to the historic 2008 commercial SAF test flight on a Boeing 747.

    Together, as we add another SAF ‘first’ to our partnership and to the benefit of the industry, we know we are one step closer to a sustainable future of flight that will have zero climate impact.

    As well as delivering cleaner skies, the development of a domestic industry for the production of SAF has the potential to improve fuel security and support thousands of green jobs. In 2020, it was estimated that a UK SAF industry could generate a gross value added (GVA) of up to £742 million annually and support up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035. A further 13,600 jobs could be generated from the growing market for SAF through global exports – helping to level up the UK and boost the economy.

    Delivering the transatlantic flight will help to gather the data needed to support ongoing and future work to test and certify higher blends of SAF while exploring how operational efficiency improvements, flight optimisation and carbon removals can contribute to achieving net-zero flights – not just in the UK, but for the global aviation industry.

    Dr Marc Stettler, Imperial College London said:

    We’re delighted to be part of this project to advance understanding the non-CO2 effects of flying. As we adopt sustainable aviation fuels to decarbonise aviation, it’s essential that we also evaluate these non-CO2 climate impacts and demonstrate ways to reduce them.

    Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Head of the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, said:

    We are delighted to be working on this prestigious and timely project to deliver the first transatlantic net-zero flight. Through this partnership of world-leading aviation experts from industrial and academic backgrounds, we’re going to help make sustainable aviation fuels a reality for long-haul flights.

    The facilities at the University of Sheffield – including the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) – are at the cutting edge of SAF development, characterisation and testing, and we’re excited to join this project to deliver the fuel which will drive the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, and secure greener, cleaner flights for the future.

    Alastair Blanshard, ICF Sustainable Aviation Lead said:

    Flying over an ocean at nearly the speed of sound without producing any net climate impact will be an inspiring step towards a net zero aviation industry. ICF is delighted to partner with Virgin Atlantic to make this milestone a reality in 2023.

    We will draw on our decades of experience in sustainable aviation to develop, apply and critically assess methods to estimate and measure the life-cycle climate impact of transatlantic operations, and apply these to achieve a net zero flight.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of children to benefit from schools fit for the future [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of children to benefit from schools fit for the future [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 December 2022.

    Pupils across England will benefit from transformative new school buildings as 239 more schools and sixth forms will benefit from renovation projects.

    The new projects build on the 161 that have previously been announced, with construction works now nearing completion on the most advanced sites. It means in total 400 out of 500 schools and sixth forms have now been selected for rebuilds through the ten-year School Rebuilding Programme.

    The new buildings will be more energy efficient for future winter resilience and net-zero in operation, with old facilities replaced by modern education environments including new classrooms, sports halls and dining rooms.

    In addition to the School Rebuilding Programme, the Government is continuing to invest in the school estate with annual capital funding. Over £13 billion has been allocated since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion in financial year 2022-23.

    The Government is also today setting out school funding allocations for local authorities for next year, following the extra £2 billion funding boost for schools for next year and the year after announced at the Autumn Statement. School funding will be at its highest ever level in real terms per pupil, totalling £58.8 billion by 2024-25.

    Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, said:

    Education is a top priority for this Government. That is why, despite facing challenging economic circumstances, we are investing a record amount in our schools and colleges. Today’s announcement will transform hundreds of schools across the country and ensure they are fit for the future.

    The additional funding, alongside fantastic new facilities, will mean our brilliant teachers can get on with what they do best – and inspire the next generation.

    The funding allocations announced today mean:

    • Funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities will increase by almost £1 billion – a 10.6% increase compared to this year.
    • Special schools and alternative provision receive an average 3.4%per place increase in their funding in 2023-24, as a result of the additional funding from the Autumn Statement.
    • Funding for mainstream schools will increase by over £2.5 billion in 2023-24, compared to this year.
    • Local authorities will receive average funding increases of 3.4% for the 3- and 4-year-old free childcare entitlements and four per cent for the 2-year-old entitlement, as the Early Years National Funding Formulae are updated.

    On top of this, the increased investment means pupil premium funding rates for 2023-24 will increase by 5% – equivalent to £180 million – compared to this year, supporting schools to raise educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The increase will support schools to continue using high quality tutoring as a key means of targeted support for the children who need it most, and embed tutoring in schools long-term.

    The Government has today published the detailed methodology for how the new grant for mainstream schools will allocate additional funding following the Autumn Statement, so schools can plan for how much funding they should receive. All mainstream schools will receive their additional funding from April 2023.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £129 million to deliver cutting-edge mini drones for UK forces [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : £129 million to deliver cutting-edge mini drones for UK forces [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 16 December 2022.

    More than 250 “portable” and “packable” mini drones will be delivered to the Armed Forces after the award of a contract worth £129 million to Lockheed Martin UK.

    • Lockheed Martin UK awarded contract to deliver more than 250 mini drones
    • Drones will deliver high-resolution imaging capabilities to locate and identify potential targets
    • Jobs supported at Lockheed Martin UK and across the UK supply chain

    Replacing existing Mini Uncrewed Aerial Systems (MUAS) such as Desert Hawk 3, the 159 rotary-wing Indago 4 devices and 105 fixed-wing Stalker VXE30 drones, which are both capable of locating and identifying targets far from the operator, are due to be operational by the end of 2024.

    Weighing a little over 20 kilograms and with a 4.88 metre wingspan, the portable Stalker is an operationally proven, vertical-launched, near-silent drone providing more than eight hours of imaging capability and able to cover around 60 miles.

    The packable drone, Indago 4, weighing only 2.27 kilograms, can be folded and carried in a soldier’s backpack and deployed in just two minutes with a range of approximately eight miles. Its high-resolution camera systems provide incredible zoom capability to accurately identify people, objects, vehicles and weapons, day or night.

    Both drone platforms will deliver cutting-edge imaging and surveillance and provide greater capability for the Armed Forces, locating targets at multiple ranges across a variety of environments.

    Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk KC said:

    As the global threat changes, it’s crucial we remain at the forefront of innovation, delivering cutting edge capabilities to our deployed forces.

    This is another fantastic example of British industry supporting UK defence technology.

    With proven effectiveness in this technology, Lockheed Martin UK will be the Systems Integrator for the duration of the 10-year contract, working with numerous Small and Medium Enterprises as well as larger UAV manufacturers to iteratively develop the capability through life. This will ensure operational advantage is maintained by UK Armed Forces by upgrading the drones, keeping pace with technological changes and emerging threats when required.

    Already used by the US military, the drones are designed to provide small military formations with immediate ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) capability – an increasingly vital component of modern battle spaces.

    Andy Start, DE&S CEO, said:

    These remotely piloted systems will enhance the ability of our soldiers to gather crucial intelligence and capture essential imagery in a tactical environment.

    As well as equipping the UK Armed Forces for operations now and into the future, this key programme supports highly skilled jobs for the next decade.

    More than a dozen full-time UK jobs will be sustained at Lockheed Martin over the contract’s duration, mostly based at Havant and Gloucester, including engineering, commercial, project management and support roles. Further supply chain roles across the UK are expected to be supported throughout the contract.

    Lockheed Martin UK will be the conduit to a collection of additional UK and international companies known as the “TIQUILA Enterprise”. This ensures that TIQUILA is able to access the best technology and ideas, as well as rapidly integrate them with their Stalker and Indago platforms.

    Brigadier Pete Drew, the Army’s Senior Responsible Owner for the TIQUILA programme, said:

    TIQUILA will bring the next generation of remotely piloted air systems into service in the Army. It will provide the means for the capability to remain at the leading edge of innovation allowing it to adapt to new threats.

    It marks a significant milestone for the Land ISTAR programme, with TIQUILA being the first sensor to be digitally integrated into the wider ISTAR ecosystem. It will speed up decision making and will make us more lethal, responsive and resilient as a force, underlining the Army’s commitment to delivering Future Soldier as set out in the integrated review.

    Air Commodore Steve Bentley, UKStratCom’s Senior Responsible Owner for TIQUILA, said:

    Employing a Systems Integrator approach will ensure that UK Defence is able to make the most of innovative development and Project TIQUILA’s rapid capability integration cycle, to deliver the latest and best capability into the hands of our users on the front line.

    Project TIQUILA will leverage competitive advantage from across the full spectrum of SMEs and Prime contractors, to ensure the UK is equipped with the best of breed and is able to make the most of the rapid pace of capability evolution.

    Delivering on the Integrated Review, the mini drone capability will underline the British Army’s commitment to Future Solider, building an Armed Forces capable of tackling emerging threats and future challenges on the battlefield.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Efforts to protect habitat and wildlife around the world boosted by £34 million of UK government funding [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Efforts to protect habitat and wildlife around the world boosted by £34 million of UK government funding [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 December 2022.

    Wildlife, plants and habitats at risk across the globe are set to benefit from new government funding announced today by Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).

    The UK will pledge nearly £30 million to support developing countries in delivering the ‘30by30’ target, which is aiming to protect least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean habitats by 2030. The target has the support of over 100 countries globally, with UK negotiators driving to get it included in a new UN Global Biodiversity Framework being negotiated in Montreal this week.

    Today’s funding announcement signals a major commitment to provide nations with the tools they need to protect fragile ecosystems and tackle some of the causes of habitat loss such as deforestation, and unsustainable farming and fishing practices, and protect wildlife threatened with extinction.

    Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

    At COP15 countries can put nature back on the road to recovery with a strong Global Biodiversity Framework that includes a commitment to see at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean protected by 2030.

    In support of this objective I’m pleased to announce up to £29 million to support developing countries in delivering the ‘30by30’ target and £5 million of funding for projects which showcase the incredible work underway to study and restore nature across our network of Overseas Territories.

    The UK is also announcing today funding for the study and restoration of wildlife and plants under threat from a changing climate and invasive species in our overseas territories. The Darwin Plus scheme will support over 20 conservation projects in these unique and globally significant environments.

    Projects to benefit from the £5.79 million of new funding include:

    • Using satellite technology to monitor seabird populations in South Georgia
    • Reintroducing threatened plants such as Falkland Rock Cress and two bird species – Cobb’s Wren and Tussac-bird – to the Falkland Islands wildlife reserves
    • Helping support endangered sea turtles on the Cayman Islands
    • Measuring the impact of Humpback whales on Krill populations around South Georgia

    The announcement was made as the next stage of negotiations at COP15, known as the High-Level Segment, commenced, with world leaders, international businesses and civil society coming together to agree action to reverse the twin challenges of nature loss and climate change.

    The UK is leading a coalition of high-ambition countries at the negotiations trying to secure a landmark global biodiversity framework which will end the global decline of species and help preserve the fabric of life on earth.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Breakthrough for nature recovery as billions of finance committed by donors [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Breakthrough for nature recovery as billions of finance committed by donors [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 December 2022.

    At COP15 in Montreal today (15 December), the international donor community came together and committed billions of dollars to support the protection and restoration of the natural world.

    The commitment, announced through the Donor Joint Statement, represents a major breakthrough in addressing the twin challenges of climate change and nature loss as the world sees mass species extinctions and habitat loss accelerate at an alarming rate.

    Donors have committed to substantially increase their investment by 2025, which will be used to align financial flows from public and private sources to the restoration of nature.

    Donor commitments include:

    In line with the 50% increase of its annual contribution to GEF-8, the Netherlands announced its commitment to increase its total biodiversity-related development finance by 50% in 2025, resulting in a target of $150 million for 2025.

    Spain intends to double its international funding for biodiversity, aiming to dedicate at least 550 million € of its Official Development Aid for biodiversity over the period 2021-2025.

    Canada will provide a new contribution of $350 million to support developing countries – home to the vast majority of the world’s biodiversity – to advance conservation efforts. This funding will support the implementation of the future Global Biodiversity Framework.
    Donors also reaffirm significant financial commitments made in the run up to Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15. The UK intends to meet its existing commitment of £3bn finance for climate change solutions that protect, restore, and sustainably manage nature as previously stated from 2021-2026.

    France has announced it would double its international finance for biodiversity to reach EUR 1 billion per year by 2025, Germany will increase its international biodiversity funding to EUR 1.5 billion by 2025, as part of the increase of its international climate budget to 6 billion euro annually by 2025 at the latest and the European Commission has pledged EUR 7 billion for biodiversity over 2021-27, in particular for the most vulnerable countries.

    Other donors Australia, Japan, the United States and Norway have also made significant commitments in the Donor Joint Statement.
    These commitments will support developing countries who host much of the most important biodiversity worldwide, to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework once agreed, including protecting 30% of the world’s land and ocean.

    In addition, 11 philanthropies have come together to form the Protecting Our Planet challenge and have doubled their support for nature conservation to $5 billion ahead of the COP15. With a strong COP15 outcome philanthropic leaders have indicated they will substantially increase their contributions further. Multilateral development banks are also stepping up and committing to increase their finance for biodiversity and support countries in delivering the new deal for nature being negotiated in Montreal.

    These announcements respond to the 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity, developed by the UK, Ecuador, Gabon and the Maldives to increase international development finance for nature as part of a comprehensive plan to finance nature recovery globally.

    Forty countries have now announced their support for the plan, which sets out an ambitious and credible blueprint for closing the biodiversity finance gap. This agreement not only calls for greater mobilisation of domestic resources but for better alignment of financial flows with the Global Biodiversity framework to support nature recovery.

    Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

    A healthy and thriving natural environment underpins the social and economic prosperity of our livelihoods, which is why it is pivotal for the international community to put nature on the road to recovery.

    The 10 Point Plan provides a clear vision for action, and I welcome the strong response to the plan from the international community with this significant increase in international public finance to protect our planet’s biodiversity hotspots”.

    The announcement was made at an event held during the High-Level Segment, where Environment Ministers from around the world attend negotiations at COP15. Leaders from government, international financial institutions and civil society joined the event which outlined why ambitious, global action is needed to bridge the gap in financing biodiversity loss.

    The UK hosted the event alongside Gabon, Ecuador and the Maldives, the key signatories of the 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity. This landmark framework responds to calls from low and lower-middle income countries for additional international aid to enable them to better protect nature.

    It commits the international community to create just transition in the economy to benefit the communities embedded in nature, the removal of subsidies which are harmful to biodiversity and the use of public and private investment to mobilise domestic resources, including green infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

  • Tariq Ahmad – 2022 Statement at UN Security Council (Lord Ahmad)

    Tariq Ahmad – 2022 Statement at UN Security Council (Lord Ahmad)

    The statement made by Tariq Ahmad, Lord Ahmad, the Foreign Office Minister, at the UN Security Council on 15 December 2022.

    Thank you Mr President,

    Before I go any further, may I join others and express the deepest condolences to my dear friend Simon Coveney, and all the people of Ireland at the tragic loss of a Peacekeeper in Lebanon, someone who was doing their job, and indeed in extending our prayers and best wishes for the recovery of those injured.

    Once again, I join with him in our strong solidarity for those who represent this organisation on the world stage and some of the most difficult places in the world and ultimately, as we’ve seen tragically, pay with their lives. We pay tribute to their bravery and courage, and our prayers and best wishes go for the quick recovery of those injured.

    Mr President, may I firstly thank you. It is a great pleasure to join the Security Council under your stewardship, and I pay tribute to India of its stewardship and contributions to this Security Council, particularly on this issue of counter terrorism during its tenure on the Security Council.

    And, the Government of India deserves immense credit for the focus they have brought on the issue of Council’s counter terrorism and also what lies beneath, and what drives terrorism, which is a perverse ideology of extremism, and we must work together to counter this.

    I join also in thanking our three briefers. Mr Voronkov, who I know well, I’m sorry we’re not seeing each other in person today, Mr Chen, and of course the inspiring testimony, bravery, and courage we heard from Anjali Viday Kulthe. Anjaliji, in the face of terrorism your bravery and courage is an inspiration and we thank you.

    The meetings that India has led, particularly the excellent counter terrorism committee and meetings in Mumbai and New Delhi. I was delighted that my dear friend the Foreign Secretary was able to join and had set out our strong position of working together with India and indeed all international partners as we work together to counter the global threat of international terrorism. It is a threat, colleagues and friends, that is ever-evolving. It is a threat that is becoming ever more complex. And it requires collective and comprehensive solutions and responses.

    Terrorist groups including in Al-Qaeda, who operate today in Afghanistan and beyond, the Daesh affiliated, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab to name but two, who are continuing to work across different parts of the world and inflict human suffering to innocent lives, innocent people, destroying communities around the world. But we also need to recognize and be cognisant of the fact that these terrorist organizations are increasingly employing new methods of radicalisation, the drivers of terrorism, and evolving tactics. They use innovative ways of technology.

    Even in the United Kingdom, we continue to face this challenge. Young minds being corrupted, the circumvention of the front door as technology is used as a tool to radicalize young men and women. And these evolving tactics require a response from ourselves as well to ensure that we counter this abhorrent ideology. We must also make effective use of our sanctions regimes, to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons and financing.

    We must adapt and evolve our own counter terrorism efforts, prevent terrorist exploitation, and indeed of vulnerable communities. Radicalization takes place through innovative technology means. We need to ensure we counter it through similar measures.

    And as we tackle terrorism, we must be vigilant, and uphold three important principles:

    Firstly, we urge all colleagues, friends, Member States to address the real drivers of terrorism and violent extremism using a ‘whole of society’ approach.

    We must work with communities, with faith leaders, to address and eradicate the perverse ideologies which are used to drive these abhorrent crimes of terrorism. The United Kingdom is working with our partners to understand how the UN can better incorporate civil society perspectives into its work.

    Secondly, our policy and programming should understand and address the gender dynamics of terrorism.

    We know that terrorists and violent extremists are perpetrators of sexual violence.

    Two weeks ago, I had the honor to hose on behalf of the United Kingdom an international conference on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and to strengthen the global response.

    I was honored to host amongst others Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, and many other survivors of sexual violence, who spoke about the need for governments to do more to end these atrocities.

    And there is also an important solution. In hearing Anjaliji today and her bravery and courage, we need to ensure those who survive, those who experience the scourge of terrorism, that we work with them hand-in-glove to ensure they inform our policies and what we can also do in working together to eradicate extremist ideology.

    We also, and I join with the Foreign Minister of Ireland, call upon why is it in 2022 we are having this conversation of involving more women. It seems almost illogical that women today have to be subject to debates of conversation so they’re involved in the main table, not in some side room, to find solutions. We need to address this, and address this now.

    We need to ensure Member States everywhere involve women and take the lead in ensuring that they are very much pivotal to developing strategies to prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism. Those strategies must address activity that specifically target women. Indeed, as potential perpetrators, victims, and influencers in their communities. And thirdly, I just wanted to touch on the importance of human rights in our responses.

    As the Security Council, we have an obligation under international law to protect and promote human rights.

    Therefore states must act within the bounds of such law when countering terrorism.

    Otherwise, we undermine the very rights and freedoms that the UN was established to promote.

    To conclude, Mr President, this Council has a vital and important role in tackling the scourge of terrorism which tragically continues to destroy innocent lives around the world today. And to those lives lost as we remembered them at the start of this meeting, we owe it to act together, and act now.

    Thank you Mr President.

  • Chris Philp – 2022 Statement on the Provisional Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2023-24

    Chris Philp – 2022 Statement on the Provisional Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2023-24

    The statement made by Chris Philp, the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, in the House of Commons on 14 December 2022.

    My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has today published the Provisional Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2023-24. The report sets out the Home Secretary’s determination for 2023-24 of the aggregate amount of grants that she proposes to pay under section 46(2) of the Police Act 1996. A copy of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

    Today the Government are setting out the provisional police funding settlement in Parliament for the 2023-24 financial year. Overall funding for policing will rise by up to £287 million compared to the 2022-23 funding settlement, bringing the total up to £17.2 billion for the policing system. Within this, funding to police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will increase by up to an additional £523 million, assuming full take-up of precept flexibility. This would represent an increase to PCC funding in cash terms of 3.6% on top of the 2022-23 police funding settlement.

    The Chancellor confirmed at the autumn statement that departmental budgets set out at spending review 2021 will be maintained to 2024-25. This confirms that, despite the pressures faced by all public services, we are still increasing funding into 2023-24 by providing forces with an increase to Government grants of £174 million, £74 million more than announced at spending review 2021 (SR21), reflecting the commitments made earlier this year to support the 2022-23 pay award. By delivering on this promise, we are making sure that the police receive the funding they need to achieve and maintain their overall officer headcount, comprised of their agreed police uplift baseline plus their allocation of the 20,000 additional officers.

    To ensure that policing is able to balance budgets and deliver on key priorities, we have gone even further by providing an additional £5 on top of the £10 precept limit agreed at SR21, which could raise up to an additional £349 million when compared to 2022-23. This means that PCCs will be receiving up to £15.1 billion of funding in 2023-24, an increase of over half a billion pounds.

    This Government have provided significant investment into policing over the previous four years, and so now it is only right that we hold forces to account on delivery. We therefore expect policing to approach the 2023-24 financial year with a focus on this Government’s key priorities:

    Ensuring overall police officer numbers are maintained at the agreed police uplift baseline plus force level allocations of the 20,000 additional officers.

    Deploying these additional officers to reduce crime and honour this Government’s commitment to keep the public safe.

    Delivering improvements in productivity and driving forward efficiencies, maximising the value of the Government’s investment.

    Police Uplift Programme

    Since 2019, this Government have invested over £3 billion, including additional funding each year and that rolled into Government grants, to enable the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers, a Government priority and manifesto commitment. Forces have worked hard and are delivering at pace, having recruited 15,343 additional officers in England and Wales as of the end of September 2022.

    It is critical, however, that beyond March 2023 officer numbers are maintained to ensure the benefits of the additional 20,000 officers can be realised. Forces will need to retain both new and more experienced officers as we move into a new phase of the maintenance of officer numbers in 2023-24. We will look to forces to invest in their officers, striving to be efficient and conscientious with their own budgets. Many officers recruited since 2019 will be reaching the end of their probationary period, and we expect forces to deploy new and experienced officers effectively to ensure local communities benefit from the investment now and in years to come.

    Reflecting the importance of reaching this milestone and maintaining the additional officers, in 2023-24 £275 million will be ringfenced and allocated in line with funding formula shares. As in previous years, PCCs will be able to access this by demonstrating that they have maintained their overall officer headcount, comprised of their agreed police uplift baseline plus their allocation of the 20,000 additional officers.

    Precept

    Spending review 2021 confirmed that PCCs in England will be empowered to raise additional funding through increased precept flexibility of up to £10 per year to 2024-25. However, recognising the financial pressures police forces are facing, we propose to enable PCCs in England in 2023-24 to increase their precept by up to £15 for a typical band D property, subject to a period of consultation and approval from the House of Commons through the local government finance settlement. This would equate to an additional £349 million should all PCCs maximise this flexibility.

    Using this precept flexibility is a decision that must be taken by each locally elected PCC. Local taxation should not be in place of sound financial management, and therefore I expect PCCs to exhaust all other options to reprioritise their budgets, seek efficiencies and maximise productivity of their existing resources before looking to local taxpayers for additional funding.

    Efficiency and productivity

    Police, like all public services, must ensure that they make best use of public money. This means reducing inefficiencies and maximising productivity. As part of the spending review 2021, we expect to see at least £100 million of cashable efficiency savings delivered from force budgets by 2024- 25, achieved through areas such as:

    Working with BlueLight Commercial to maximise financial and commercial benefits related to procurement, through use of the organisation’s commercial expertise, leveraging the purchasing power available across the sector, and developing the capacity to implement a full commercial life-cycle approach to procurement.

    Corporate functions, where the Home Office and BlueLight Commercial are conducting ongoing work with the sector to understand the opportunities around the management of corporate functions for example implementation of shared service models.

    BlueLight Commercial is itself a sector-owned company, set up to provide commercial expertise and assistance to policing and assist forces in identifying and making efficiency savings. In 2021-22 the company assisted policing in making efficiency savings of almost £40 million (including cashable savings of £25 million and non-cashable savings of £15 million). The organisation has been funded by the Home Office for the last three years and we will continue to support the company in 2023-24 whilst they work towards establishing and implementing a sustainable funding model.

    For the continuing significant investment into policing that the Government have made in recent years it is crucial that we are delivering the best possible value for the public. This includes ensuring that the police are meeting the needs of their community and the public are receiving the highest possible quality of service. We have therefore commissioned the National Police Chiefs’ Council to conduct a review of operational productivity in policing. We expect the review, led by Sir Stephen House, to deliver clear, practical, and deliverable recommendations to improve the productivity of policing, with the review team having already considered how the police respond to individuals experiencing acute mental health distress.

    National priorities

    This settlement provides £1.1 billion for national policing priorities (as set out at tables 1 and 4) to support PCCs and forces, and to support the strategic vision outlined in the beating crime plan to cut crime, increase confidence in the criminal justice system, and put victims first.

    For 2023-24, we will maintain settlement funding for programmes that prevent crime and help keep communities safe, including:

    This settlement provides funding to combat serious violence, including violence reduction units and the grip “hotspot policing” programme. Funding arrangements for specific crime reduction programmes will be confirmed in due course.

    Delivering on the commitments made in the 10-year drug strategy by prioritising funding to clamp down on drugs and county lines activity which has already achieved over 2,900 county line closures since 2019.

    Continuing to invest in tackling exploitation and abuse, including child sexual exploitation and modern slavery.

    Prioritising regional organised crime units, ensuring they are equipped with the specialist capabilities and dedicated resource needed to support law enforcement in confronting serious and organised crime.

    Funding arrangements for specific crime reduction programmes will be confirmed in due course.

    Going further, this settlement provides funding to improve the criminal justice system, victim care, and investigation outcomes including:

    Prioritising funding for commitments made through the rape review, ensuring the right support is in place to support police forces in implementing the national operating model for rape investigations and improving their digital capability, crucial for improving timeliness and reducing victim attrition.

    Investing in a new victim satisfaction survey to drive improvements in the support police forces provide to victims, and gain new insights into why victims withhold or withdraw support for investigations.

    Continuing to invest in the development of forensics tools and services for police forces, and the forensic capability network as a central resource supporting the national network of over 4,000 forensic specialists in police forces.

    It is crucial that police forces and law enforcement partners have effective technology systems to support frontline officers. Therefore, we are:

    Providing funding for major programmes of work which are already under way to replace and improve systems, such the national law enforcement data programme and emergency services mobile communications programme.

    Continuing to invest in critical national police and law enforcement IT capabilities to transform the way that the police engage with the public and unlock more efficient working practices.

    Counter-terrorism policing

    The Government will continue to provide vital support for counter-terrorism (CT) policing, ensuring they have the resources they need to meet and deal with the threats we face. CT police funding will continue to total over £1 billion in 2023-24. This investment will support ongoing CT policing investigations to keep the country safe and includes funding for both armed policing and the CT operations centre. PCCs will be notified separately of force-level funding allocations for CT policing, which will not be made public for security reasons.

    This settlement will support the police to do their vital job to cut crime and keep people safe. I would like to express my gratitude and pay tribute to our dedicated police officers and staff for their exceptional commitment and bravery. I have set out in a separate document, available online, the tables illustrating how we propose to allocate the police funding settlement between the different funding streams and between police and crime commissioners for 2023-24. These documents are intended to be read together.

    1 Calculated using the latest forecasts. Council tax in Wales is devolved and PCCs in Wales are not bound by the council tax referendum principles.

    Attachments can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2022-12-14/HCWS443/.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mask and outbreak guidance updated in care settings [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mask and outbreak guidance updated in care settings [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 15 December 2022.

    • Guidance for social care has been updated to give local providers more autonomy over universal face mask use and outbreak management.
    • Providers can now conduct risk assessments to make decisions about the use masks across adult social care and on measures in the event of a Covid outbreaks in care homes.
    • Outbreak testing has also been streamlined for small care homes in line with public health advice.

    Guidance on the use of face masks in all care settings and on outbreaks in care homes has been updated to give settings the flexibility to ensure ongoing Covid measures are proportionate.

    Previous guidance stated that face masks in care settings should be worn at all times and that care homes should seek advice from a local health protection team in the event of Covid outbreak, but this pre-Christmas change enables providers to further utilise their own skills and knowledge on appropriate measures.

    From Thursday 15 December, providers can make risk-based decisions on when face masks are used, and care homes can initiate their own outbreak risk assessments to make decisions about which outbreak measures make sense for their individual settings. Decisions around masks will be based on factors like the risk to specific individuals, if the setting is in an outbreak or the preferences of the individual receiving care. Support remains available from health protection teams and other local partners for care homes when needed.

    Testing guidance has also been streamlined for small care homes to reduce the number of tests staff and residents need to take in the event of an outbreak. This, alongside new flexibility for rapid response testing in these settings, is in line with the latest public health advice.

    Social care settings will continue to be equipped with free PPE to keep staff and people receiving care safe over winter and protected against Covid where necessary.

    Minister of State for Care Helen Whately said:

    The darkest days of the pandemic are thankfully behind us. But it doesn’t feel like that for people living in care homes or being cared for at home, when many of the people they see are still behind a mask.

    So much of what we communicate is through our expressions, our faces, and our smiles – especially for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many rely on lip reading, and face masks don’t make the job any easier for care workers either.

    That’s why we’re making this change. We want care agencies and residential homes to decide what’s best for the people they look after. I hope this means thousands of people who are looked after by care workers will get to see a smile this Christmas.

    Care providers are now able to adopt a risk-based approach with decisions on the use of face masks balanced with the risk of infections spreading and considering any risks or benefits that arise from their use. Care homes can make use of new flexibility in the updated guidance on outbreak management and in all circumstances, should ensure visits between loved ones are supported, with each resident able to have at least one visitor even in an outbreak. Outbreak measures should only be implemented if at least two of the cases of Covid are linked and should be proportionate to factors specific to the care home such as if it’s well ventilated, easy to keep some parts isolated and how vulnerable people in the home are to Covid.

    Providers should continue to ensure adherence to guidance and be able to evidence this to the Care Quality Commission when asked.

    People receiving care can ask for staff to wear face masks, and staff should, of course, work in whatever way will make the person they are caring for most comfortable.

    Vaccination remains the best defence against flu and Covid, and with both viruses circulating this winter, it is vital that all those eligible – including care workers – come forward to top up their immunity and protect themselves and those they care for.

    Excellent progress has been made with nearly 45 million people jabbed this year, including 16.7 million Autumn booster jabs. It is important that care workers and care recipients are protected against illness so that staffing and visitation levels can be maintained, and care services can be kept safe this winter – this is why the government has supported care workers to get vaccinated by enabling them to be eligible at the same time as people receiving care. Social care workers and others eligible this winter can book their appointments for both a Covid Autumn booster and flu vaccine via the National Booking Service or by contacting their GP.

    The government continues to encourage staff and care recipients to take sensible precautions to protect against infection this winter.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Conservative Party Political Member appointed to the House of Lords Appointments Commission [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Conservative Party Political Member appointed to the House of Lords Appointments Commission [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 15 December 2022.

    Baroness Noakes DBE has been appointed as the Conservative Party Member for the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

    Baroness Noakes will commence the role on 1st January 2023, after Baroness Browning’s term comes to an end.

    The Baroness Noakes DBE

    The Baroness Noakes DBE was made a life peer in 2000. In 2001, she served as the Opposition Spokesperson for Work and Pension and Health, in 2003 serving as the Opposition Spokesperson for The Treasury, before working on a number of Lords Committees. Prior to becoming a peer she served as a Partner at KPMG, Director of Finance of the NHS Management Executive and a member of the Court of the Bank of England (Director of the Bank of England). She currently sits on the Economic Affairs Committee, Finance Committee, and the Finance Bill Sub-Committee in the House of Lords.

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, welcomed Baroness Noakes’s appointment, saying:

    I would like to congratulate Baroness Noakes on her appointment to the House of Lords Appointments Commission and I am grateful to Baroness Browning for her excellent service over the last five years. Baroness Noakes brings to the role a depth of experience and commitment to public service that will be of huge value to the Commission.

    Notes:

    The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) has two main functions:

    • to recommend individuals for appointment as non-party political life peers;
    • and to vet nominations for life peers, including those nominated by the UK political parties, to ensure the highest standards of propriety.