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Tag: 2023

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia continues to use their veto to deny humanitarian access to the people of north-west Syria: UK statement at the General Assembly [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia continues to use their veto to deny humanitarian access to the people of north-west Syria: UK statement at the General Assembly [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2023.

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN General Assembly meeting on the use of the veto.

    Thank you, President.

    Our meeting today is triggered by Russia’s seventeenth veto on Syria.

    Again and again, Russia has used their veto to deny humanitarian access to the people of north-west Syria and to obstruct accountability for violence against civilians.

    This time, that veto has been particularly cruel.

    The UN was crystal clear about what it needs to get humanitarian access to the 4.6 million people in north-west Syria: sustained, predictable access, in line with international humanitarian law, for a minimum of 12 months.

    Fourteen members of the Council were ready to agree to a resolution mandating that access. Fourteen members entered into negotiations in good faith, and made compromise after compromise to try to find common ground. And we are grateful to Brazil and Switzerland for their tireless work as co-penholders.
    One member alone objected, for purely political reasons. Squabbling about the length of time for which the UN would have humanitarian access. And ultimately using their veto rather than putting in the hard work of negotiating. Down from 12 months, to 6 months, to nothing.

    Having avoided negotiations, Russia put down a take it or leave it resolution that was supported by just one other Council member.

    Mr President, the UN has been clear that the conditions set out by Syria to deliver aid are unworkable and unacceptable and in contravention of international humanitarian law.

    Let us not forget that this is a live conflict. The regime continues to launch aerial assaults against people in north-west Syria. And now it wants to control the aid that reaches them too.

    The idea that Syria is acting responsibly here is a cruel joke. The UN is now only able to operate across Bab al Ra’I and Bab al Salam. Those crossings, according to Syria’s terms, are only open for another three and a half weeks. A far cry from the 12 months for which the Secretary-General called.

    And to say that OCHA cannot or should not engage with all parties on the ground to secure safe access is in violation of IHL, and of OCHA’s mandate. It puts the safety and security of humanitarian teams at risk. Around the world, humanitarians need to speak to all parties so they can get aid to people who desperately need it. Syria is no different.

    As we have heard today, time and again, donors are concerned about what this means for the millions of dollars provided every year in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. They are concerned about the safety of civilian humanitarian teams on the ground. And about the transparency and governance arrangements that help them know their aid is getting to the people that need it – not being siphoned off.

    So let us be clear. Humanitarian assistance needs to be delivered in line with international humanitarian law. Not held hostage to politics.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Space back atop the Cabinet agenda as reignited National Space Council re-launches UK space superpower ambitions [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Space back atop the Cabinet agenda as reignited National Space Council re-launches UK space superpower ambitions [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 July 2023.

    The National Space Council met for the first time today since its reinstatement as part of the UK’s mission to become a true space superpower.

    • The first meeting of the reinstated National Space Council took place today, kicking off with an address from UK astronaut Tim Peake and featuring actual rocks taken from the moon
    • the Council saw the Science Secretary, Defence Secretary and other cabinet ministers placing the full might of the UK government behind plans to make the UK a space superpower, keeping pace with US, India and other key space leaders in the global space race
    • today also sees launch of a space report outlining progress on the government’s bold plan for the UK’s space sector, and its value for driving economic growth and innovation nationwide

    The National Space Council met today (Wednesday 19 July) for the first time since its reinstatement, as part of the UK’s mission to become a true space superpower and fulfil the country’s ambition to become Europe’s leading provider of small commercial launches by 2030. This builds on the already extraordinary growth of the UK space sector, which employs almost 49,000 people and generates an income of £17.5 billion.

    The Council was co-chaired by the Science and the Defence Secretaries, flanked by other Cabinet Ministers and with insights from astronaut Tim Peake, amongst other expert support. The Council also saw an exhibition of lunar rocks, brought to Earth during the Apollo missions, serving as a fitting metaphor for the UK’s ambitions to aim for the moon and beyond.

    The Council will be responsible for coordinating government policy on space and ensuring that the UK is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the space sector to drive job creation and grow the economy, one of the Prime Minister’s 5 key priorities.

    Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Chloe Smith said:

    Space is critical to modern life: global telecoms, weather forecasting, and our national security all rely on satellites and as the importance of space grows, so must our ambitions for the UK.

    Our reinstated National Space Council will ensure the government moves in lockstep with the sector to deliver our ambitions to grow the space economy. The UK is perfectly placed, whether geographically, economically or as a product of our world-class skills base, to be not only a European leader but a global power in space.

    Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace said:

    The war in Ukraine has highlighted just how critical space is to military operations. My department continues to work closely with DSIT to deliver the UK’s ambition for space to ensure we have the capabilities we need to protect and defend this critical domain and to exploit the opportunities it offers for operations into the future.

    The meeting coincides with the release by DSIT and Ministry of Defence of a new National Space Strategy in Action, a significant milestone, which outlines the government’s commitment to the space sector and sets out a bold plan for how the UK can become a leading player in the global space race.

    This publication sets out the significant progress the UK space sector has made since the launch of the joint civil-defence National Space Strategy in 2021, employing almost 49,000 people and generating an income of £17.5 billion, an increase of £1 billion from the previous year. It will also provide clarity on the direction of the sector for businesses, giving them the confidence to make long-term investment decisions.

    It covers various priority areas, including:

    • the development of a Space Sector Plan to promote economic growth and resilience
    • the establishment of space clusters within the UK space ecosystem
    • a space workforce action plan
    • a review of space regulations to ensure effectiveness and innovation
    • the UK’s long term approach to civil capabilities and defence highly assured capabilities for space
    • progress of the Defence Space Strategy

    Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

    The National Space Strategy in Action highlights the significant progress made towards delivering the government’s ambition to make the UK one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world.

    By catalysing investment into UK businesses, increasing our involvement in major space missions and championing the power of space to improve lives, the UK Space Agency is playing a major role in accelerating the growth of the UK’s thriving space sector.

    Graham Peters, Independent Chair of the Space Partnership Board said:

    The ‘National Space Strategy in Action’ demonstrates that now is an exciting time as the space sector translates the national ambition into tangible actions. Great progress is already being made and the Space Partnership is delighted to be actively supporting by bringing industry, academia and government together around a range of shared priorities, including the next steps to deliver the capabilities laid out in the NSS In Action, so that the sector works collectively to deliver the National Space Strategy.

    Ben Bridge, Chairman, Airbus Defence and Space UK said:

    We welcome this report and commend the government on progress and commitment to further developing the space sector. We look forward to the next phase of implementing the National Space Strategy, and the publication of the Space Sector Plan, to help the government deliver on its ambitions for unlocking growth through building and expanding national space capabilities. This will enable Airbus to further engage with the wider UK space ecosystem and extend our network of suppliers and interaction with SMEs across the country.

    Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO, Viasat said:

    I’m glad to support the United Kingdom’s goals within the National Space Strategy to unlock economic growth, investment, trade and scientific opportunities in the New Space Age. Viasat believes the emerging industry-led Space Sustainability Standard will be an essential part of achieving these goals. Actively managing use of our shared and finite resources – both orbital and spectrum – is the only way to keep space accessible. Accessibility is crucial for continued growth and innovation by as many participants in the global space economy as possible, including in the UK.

    Alongside this milestone report, the government is today publishing brand new research that argues the ‘Case for Space’, capturing the economic value of space and the benefits it brings to the UK. Findings have demonstrated the positive impact of space activities on various industries, from the government’s investment of over £80 million in space weather forecasting, and leveraging position, navigation, and timing for emergency services, to utilising earth observation (EO) capabilities in the farming and food industry.

    These announcements come hot on the heels of the recent Space Sustainability Symposium hosted by Minister Freeman last month, that brought together leading figures from the space industry, finance and academia to discuss a sustainable future for space and how the government can tackle the imminent threat of junk satellites in our atmosphere.

  • PRESS RELEASE : North Korea ballistic missile launches on 18 July: FCDO statement [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : North Korea ballistic missile launches on 18 July: FCDO statement [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2023.

    A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson statement on North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 18 July.

    North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 18 July are a breach of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. Illegal ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

    The UK will continue to call out these flagrant violations of UNSCRs. We strongly urge North Korea to return to dialogue, and to take credible steps towards denuclearisation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Asian hornets identified in Dover [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Asian hornets identified in Dover [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 July 2023.

    Public asked to be vigilant after sightings of Asian hornets, an invasive species, are confirmed in Kent.

    Beekeepers and members of the public are today (Wednesday 19 July) being asked to remain vigilant after Asian hornets were spotted in the Dover area in Kent.

    The National Bee Unit has confirmed the sighting and monitoring is underway to detect further Asian hornets in the vicinity.

    The Asian hornet is smaller than our native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than our native wasps and hornets. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees and work is already underway to monitor for any hornet activity and to identify any nests nearby.

    There have already been several sightings of Asian hornet this year with this being the sixth confirmed UK sighting since April 2023, when a single Asian hornet was captured near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.

    Defra’s Chief Plant and Bee Health Officer Nicola Spence said:

    “By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets. That’s why we are working at speed to locate and investigate any nests in the area following the confirmed sightings in Kent.

    “While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than other wasps or hornets, they can cause damage  to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.

    “Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online. Asian hornet nests will be smaller at this time in the year but we are still asking people to be vigilant.”

    It is important to take care not to approach or disturb a nest. Asian hornets are not generally aggressive towards people but an exception to this is when they perceive a threat to their nest.

    If you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet you should report this using the iPhone and Android app ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ or by using our online report form. Alternatively, e-mail alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Please include a photograph if you can safely obtain one.

    Identification guides and more information are available and if you keep bees you should keep up to date with the latest situation on the gov.uk sightings page and on BeeBase.

  • Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech on the 25 Year Environment Plan

    Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech on the 25 Year Environment Plan

    The speech made by Therese Coffey, the Environment Secretary, at the Mappin Pavilion at ZSL on 19 July 2023.

    Well, I should say thank you very much, first of all, Matthew for allowing us to be here. I’m also very grateful to the Prime Minister. I think people try and say that the Prime Minister is not interested in nature, far from it. He’s very interested in our environment. I remember when I was first in Defra as an environment minister and he was in local government, we worked together on the litter strategy, we talked about how these sorts of things affect people’s lives, about how they respect their local environment, and extending that, of course, through his support for all our things like the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies, as well as representing one of our most rural constituencies in the country. I think it’s critical to remind ourselves of what he did say in Egypt last year, when he talked about tackling climate – that you can only tackle climate if you also help restore nature.

    So I want to assure everybody here, that this is very much still the government’s environmental improvement plan, and that we continue to go from strength to strength I believe in that regard. If I think back just over six months ago, back in chilly January, it was sunny, the sun came out to greet us at the inspiring Camley Street Natural Park in the heart of London, just down the road as I launched that plan. Here we are today in the middle of one of the most splendid parts of our capital of our country. And as Matthew has pointed out, this isn’t just a place to come and see. It’s a place that is constantly thinking about nature around the world. And that is why the extent of what Defra does – in partnership here in the United Kingdom, across Europe and indeed around the world – is really important for our global future.

    Defra is at the heart of what we are trying to do and I think what is really important, it’s our Defra family, but also today, here we’ve got a really wide range of people, people who care about birds, people who are dealing with farms, people who are looking after other aspects of wildlife. And they all are part of this tapestry, this picture, this plan to make sure that we as a Conservative government leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. I’ve been Member of Parliament for thirteen years now and this is my second time in Defra. I’ve said this before, but my years as a member of parliament for Suffolk Coastal felt like the perfect apprenticeship for being a Defra minister, because the part of the world that I’m blessed to represent is rightly famous for its farming, and for its precious habitats on land and offshore. My love for coastal and blue habitats is something that continues to grow. And coming back into parliament, I’m really keen to push all the work that we’re doing with the blue planet fund and indeed what we can do domestically.

    I think we’ve shown that in a number of ways already, by designating formally our first three highly protected marine areas which is going to be good for the conservation of fish but it’s also great for what we can do in terms of protecting a precious environment. That’s where we see the interplay between nature, our seagrass, protection of seahorses, marine conservation zones, and how that all helps in protecting our planet. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m mad for mangroves, but sadly we just simply cannot have any in this country. But I’m happy to support them around the world. Indeed, one of the things that I’ve been particularly working on recently is and what more we can do to stimulate our salt marsh, which is our version of mangroves. And I hope that we can continue to develop that. Since 2016, I guess I got my first taste. Within a month, I think I was off to the CITES conference in Johannesburg, and then going to Kruger seeing the different things of what we were doing in terms of that element. This is also an important element of how the Environmental Improvement Plan must play a part in preserving nature, but also working with people and communities in order to make sure that they work together. That’s been the beauty of it.

    We need to go even further in how our Environmental Land Management Schemes are working together, working with local communities working with our farmers, who I call the original Friends of the Earth, in order to make sure that we have that interplay. You can see that here in the UK, but also it’s absolutely critical in what we do in many of our international programmes. So tackling illegal wildlife trade around the world was one of my priorities then and making progress on clean air. Using precious finite natural resources more sustainably and designing waste out of our systems, tackling flooding and so much more. Of course, we set out our vision on the 25 Year Environment Plan for that plan for a quarter century, and we are publishing the last of our progress report specifically on that plan today. Now in one of my first speeches as Environment Secretary, I said, I was determined that nature would no longer be the Cinderella of the story any longer in terms of our broader elements and what we’re trying to do to save our planet, because it’s never been clearer that we do rely on nature for everything – for our economic prosperity, our food security, and wellbeing. And nature is at the core of our communities which is why we are committed to leaving it in a better state. I think it’s fair to say when I came into the department, it felt like I had a tough hand and people might remember I was told when I would walk in, you’re going to break the law on Monday by not having these targets ready. It’s great to see Dame Glenys here, by the way. But nevertheless, it was a department that was really fighting hard to deliver multiple elements of what we were trying to do to improve the environment, as well as those legal deadlines. But we had those legal deadlines and we met the one for the Environmental Improvement Plan, thanks to the three massive pieces of legislation that we introduced in the years after Brexit.

    These were the Agriculture Act, the Fisheries Act, and of course, the absolutely world leading Environment Act. But we should all rightly be proud of what the United Kingdom has delivered in the last six months since we published our Environmental Improvement Plan, working closely with many of you as our delivery partners, and I know that you want to do more, and I want you to do more. I want us to do that in a collaborative way. But also look at what we’ve achieved since over perhaps a decade. If I think that plastic packaging recycling is up by nearly twenty percentage points in a decade, annual sales of single use plastic carrier bags down by 1.62 billion since 2016. That’s a reduction of 77% and counting, with more bans on the most littered single use items coming later this year. And on air quality, we should also recognise we’ve seen real improvements, including a 73% fall in sulphur dioxide emissions since 2010 and our new plan sets out the next phase of action right across pollutants. We’ve enhanced over ten thousand miles of rivers in the last seven years with much loved species like seals returning to our estuaries. There’s less cadmium and mercury in the water environment. Phosphorus is down 80% and ammonia by 85% in our rivers, compared to 1990 when water companies were privatised. The biggest environmental infrastructure investment from the water sector ever will now help us target action for protected nature sites as part of the new Plan for Water, which is designed to make polluters pay to sort out their mess, and have the clean and plentiful water that we need for people, for farmers and wildlife alike. That’s why we’ve created and restored over a quarter of a million hectares of priority habitats since 2010. That’s an area the size of Dorset, and 28% of the UK now designated as protected areas.

    But even beyond protected sites, we’re investing £268 million to create and restore habitats in the last financial year. We’ve also made a positive boost for nature mandatory for all new developments as we build homes across the country. Now in the last planting season alone, we’ve put well over three thousand hectares under canopy. That’s a new record and I understand it is about four million new trees, up 40% on the previous year. We will also extend the public forest estate providing even more woodland and it’s great to see William Worsley here today as well.

    So a few weeks ago, I was delighted to announce the new £25 million Species Survival Fund to support thousands more wonderful species, water voles, lapwings all the like by creating connecting and restoring habitats like grasslands, woodlands and wetlands, and the 48 local authorities are being funded to work closely with local communities, landowners and experts and those recovery strategies will map out the areas where our efforts can achieve the greatest impact. Already our schemes supported more than 450 species backed by a five fold increase to £10 million a year for Natural England’s dedicated programme. So with our new duty on public authorities to help conserve and enhance biodiversity, for the first time nature is now absolutely embedded in the heart of decisions that government will take. That is there for the long haul and it is guided by the Environmental principles that we have set out.

    As I say, this is thinking about what we’re doing at home but of course our role is around the world as well. So whether it’s our world renowned Darwin Programmes that have been supporting species and communities, pangolins, snow leopards, St. Helena’s rare Cloud Forest, to some of the most important seabird colonies in the world on Gulf Island. We’ve been doing that across 140 countries since 1992. And our £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Funds is working on some of the world’s most important biomes from the Lower Mekong to the mighty Kavango Zambezi where five countries are working together across the River Basin. We created over one hundred marine protected areas in the last decade and taking us to 178 MPAs, covering 40% of English waters. And I’ve already mentioned the three new highly protected marine areas. Alongside the brilliant blue belts that protect an area of ocean greater than India over the UK overseas territories, from the South Sandwich Islands to Tristan da Cunha. We’re pouring that expertise and experience into the Blue Planet Fund, including support for the vast trans boundary collaboration, protecting over 500 square kilometres of the eastern tropical Pacific. That first made headlines in Glasgow at COP26. That was thanks to a historic collaboration between Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica.

    And having led the UK delegation to the conference in Montreal, where our brilliant UK team helped to get a new global nature agreement over the line, we continue to co-lead. And that is a critical way of making sure that this isn’t just about the north, telling the global south how to protect nature when they’ve got a lot more of it than we have. This is about supporting the global ambitions of coalition committed to making sure we secure the action and the finance needed to bring it to life, to bring it to life around the world. Whether that was our global summit at Lancaster house, the very kind reception undertaken by the King at Buckingham Palace. Engagement with the financial sector, we had various receptions at Number 10 and in the city, and launching with our French friends, a new initiative on high integrity, biodiversity credit markets in the recent summit that President Macron hosted. Frankly, I challenge you to find a comparable country anywhere in the world that has done as much as we have domestically and internationally.

    One of the things that I’m really clear on is that we need to make sure that we continue that activity. Of course, other people’s minds might turn to the election next year, but we’ve got to keep our eye on the prize and what we can do for the long term. That is why our 25 Year Environmental Plan that we’ve updated is absolutely critical to that. As I said, we talked about biodiversity net gain, that should be in place by November, so that every development puts 10% back more into nature.

    Now, one of the things that Defra ministers have been doing a lot of very recently is not necessarily going to zoos, or some of the other activities. But actually we’ve been going around the country to our agriculture shows. And while Trudy, Rebecca and I have just had a little bit of a treat, seeing mummy sloth with a little baby sloth. Or indeed seeing the Sumatran tigers and our other ministers, Lord Benyon and Minister Spencer are undertaking parliamentary activity so they’re mad jealous of our experience. But we have been going around the country and speaking to farmers, because I’m very conscious that the change of the transition that we are seeing with Environmental Land Management schemes is a big one. And it needs to succeed. And of course, farmers will listen to other farmers. That’s why it’s great. Three of our ministers are farmers, and the other two of us we represent very rural constituencies. We know these communities, we know the decisions that they’re considering.

    That is why it’s important that we continue to listen to the people who look after 70% of our land in this country, and why we work with them to make it work. Because if we don’t then nature will lose out and we cannot afford for that to happen. Going to Groundswell it used to be like the Woodstock or the Glastonbury of farming, it’s now gone very mainstream, but that’s great because we want what we do to be mainstream, and we will want to bring more farmers with us as we go. I can assure you will like Countryside Stewardship Plus when we put out the details later this year, and a further round of landscape recovery as well as more grants and partnerships, getting cutting edge kit out of labs and into the fields where farmers can really put it to the test.

    But their bottom line will always be about producing food. It’s critical that the health and welfare of the animals they tender is top notch and also for the natural environment on which they depend, as well as us too. We will continue. we are undertaking all the work necessary to bring in our due diligence obligations on forest risk commodities, protecting global forests, we will publish the map and the framework about our 30 by 30 commitment. And we will continue to say more about what we’re going to do to restore our vital blue habitats. I’ve already said that I’m passionate about aspects of this, I’m going to do G20 next week in India, in Chennai, and will continue to promote this as being absolutely critical. And I think I’ve got the treat of going to the world’s second largest mangrove forest. I can’t tell you how excited I am. But we need to keep that journey going and that’s why we’ll go to UNGA, we will go to COP28, we’re getting the global environment assembly, we’re seeing the launch next month as well of the fund to accompany the CBD. And we will continue to not just think about the world but to deliver our Environmental Improvement Plan, to deliver the plan for water, and we will not let up on those who harm our environments, who pollute. And we’re relentless in driving improved performance from water companies. Because I expect this better, the public expects better.

    While there are many other things I could list, and I’m sure Matthew will give me a list of the things that I haven’t mentioned, one of the things I’m also want to stress is that I will ensure we invest properly in science, and research and evidence that is absolutely vital, to make sure that we continue to understand the measures that we do and the impact that they have. This isn’t about trying to fiddle around with the numbers. This is about making sure future generations have an environment, thinking of our climate changing right around us. Forty plus degrees only 100 miles away in France, while we’ve got rain in July. But nevertheless, it’s why we have to adapt. It’s why we have to be agile. It’s why nature itself adapts. And that’s why we need to continue to make sure we have our focus on this precious Earth. This precious planet. And it’s great we’ve got precious people here who are going to help us deliver. Thank you very much.

  • Jeremy Quin – 2023 Speech on Skills, Efficiency and Technology in the Civil Service

    Jeremy Quin – 2023 Speech on Skills, Efficiency and Technology in the Civil Service

    The speech made by Jeremy Quin, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, at Old Queen Street in Westminster, London on 19 July 2023.

    I am pleased to announce that a total of £4.4 billion savings were delivered by the central government functions in the financial year 2021/22.  These are split between  audited cashable (£3.4 billion) and non-cashable (£1 billion).  The Cabinet Office has now published this on GOV.UK.

    This wasn’t a one-off event. In the year prior to that, the central government Function Teams also delivered £3.4 billion worth of audited savings. This means around £8bn of cashable and non-cashable savings were delivered in the last 2 years.  We have achieved this by thinking differently and driving success.

    The components of these savings vary year in year out – this year for example over £1 billion of savings were delivered by identifying and correcting fraudulently claimed Universal Credit (UC).  This is an area post our establishment of the Public Sector Fraud Authority which is likely to grow further.

    I am delighted that to take this work further the Treasury are releasing today a Government Efficiency Framework, ensuring consistent reporting of efficiencies across the whole of Government and reporting processes to track delivery and drive continuous improvement.

    Another step along the remorseless but critical path of delivering improved productivity across the civil service.

    Our modernisation work is not limited to the services delivered by central government.

    UK’s public bodies which play a vital role in delivery but whose independence of action can risk them becoming divorced from a culture of continuing improvement are subject to reviews and improvement.

    To date, 71 of the initial 125 public body reviews have been launched covering over 90% of ALB expenditure.

    Most of the largest ALBs will be reviewed in the next 18 months, benefitting from experienced teams and the active support of ALB boards:  completed reviews have recommended actions to improve governance, capability and use of resources to deliver the best possible value for the taxpayer.

    REFORMING PROCUREMENT

    As a Government we provide services. We spend, across the Public Sector, £300bn annually on procurement, and we deliver enhancements to our national infrastructure.

    After a substantial effort we are now within weeks of the Procurement Bill clearing both houses.  In a rare example of Government adopting the refreshing motto of “Keep it Simple Stupid” it cuts down the 350 different procurement regulations founded on EU Procurement, to create one simple rulebook.

    It will help set the framework of an ever more outcomes-based approach to procurement so that we can buy goods and services: don’t tell the market exactly how to build a bridge, engage with them on how we can best cross the water.  You may be amazed by what you discover.

    STRONGER PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR BETTER SERVICES

    On which subject we know that better infrastructure delivers better productivity.

    Over the last two years the government’s major projects portfolio has doubled in size to oversee nearly 250 programmes, with a whole life cost of nearly £800bn.

    Bringing more projects into the central portfolio has created better central oversight and investment, enabling more transparency and closer scrutiny. 89% of those projects now have a green or amber delivery confidence, up from 64% in 2020.

    So, this rigorous focus on efficiency, on improving procurement and better project management is delivering the foundation to improve our productivity and enhance our public services.

    When Francis introduced the functions it amounted to a revolutionary step – the Victorian departmental silo model being complimented by a lattice of cross-departmental experts with which most in the commercial sector will be familiar.  12 years on they continue to flourish, they continue to deliver and the GEF will make their job easier and their results even more transparent.

    BUILDING A MODERN CIVIL SERVICE: PLACES, PEOPLE, PROCESS AND PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT

    Functions delivering is but one aspect of the Declaration to which we as ministers and civil servants are committed.

    To continue the process of reform we need to be open to the views and experiences of those outside the public sector who recognise the extraordinary opportunities it provides and want to add their talents to the many we employ.

    We need to ensure that they are supported in a modern workplace environment making the most of the myriad opportunities of data and AI.

    And we need to help them to focus their time and their energy on what works.

    First on People.

    For too long, policy making and the leadership of the Civil Service has been too London-centric.  That’s why we committed to relocating 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030.

    This year we have crossed a major milestone having relocated over 12,000 roles outside of London and the South East…

    That is more than half of our total commitment in just the first three years of the programme and more than 75% of our ambition to relocate 15,000 roles by 2025.

    We’re also well on our way to the target of 50% UK based SCS outside London, with 30% now based outside the capital.

    We’ve launched multiple departmental second headquarters including Cabinet Office’s second headquarters in Glasgow.  The Cabinet Office is not alone in looking to Scotland – nearly 20% of the roles moved out of London have been relocated to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with additional government hubs in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

    We have also launched a major policy campus in Sheffield, creating the largest centre of policy making outside London.

    The benefits of this to levelling up, to VFM and to strengthening our Union are important, obvious and are rightly regularly praised.

    I want however to be selfish – I see the benefits in simple terms – the opportunity it provides to recruit brilliant civil servants – many of whom I have met in Scotland and Wales, the North and South West into our teams.

    I believe we will find further scope to enhance Places for Growth – including by focussing on our Arms Length bodies.

    But we need to do more beyond PfG to broaden our base of talent.

    Above all we need to be an employer that welcomes new blood at every stage of someone’s career.

    Just 1 in 5 new entrants to the Senior Civil Service are currently external. I want to ensure that every potential recruit who wants to bring their expertise to bear in the public interest can feel able to apply to do so.  And I want us to be able to harness that talent where we know it will add value.

    That’s why last year we cemented a much stronger requirement for all Senior Civil Service roles to be advertised externally, a move recommended by Policy Exchange.

    It’s no longer possible to hold an internal recruitment competition for a senior civil servant role without explicit Ministerial approval.

    Whilst this change is already making a difference, we can and should do more.

    It is not enough simply to advertise a job externally..

    Currently, the ‘street to seat’ recruitment process can take as long as 80 days, if not longer and that’s before vetting…

    If we are fishing in a competitive pool for talent, trying to persuade those with much to give to turn their back on other opportunities and follow the rewarding path of public service, we need to get real about how we perform as recruiters.

    We must ensure that every aspect of civil service recruitment, from how we advertise, to how we recognise external expertise, to how we select and onboard recruits, supports good candidates.

    So, we are asking departments and professions to trial alternative recruitment approaches.

    They will experiment with running recruitment campaigns with simplified job adverts, ridding them of Whitehall speak…

    And they will speed up recruitment, with a focus on cutting the bureaucracy that puts off or times out brilliant candidates…

    And to help speed up onboarding,  we are improving our vetting system. UK Security Vetting are recruiting new staff and improving processes and systems to bring KPIs up to the levels we need to see. We are determined to deliver a radical overhaul of policy, process and systems.

    EMBRACING DIGITAL AND AI

    Growing our talent pool is great but our civil servants need the tools to finish the job.  A revolution is underway in digital and AI and our civil servants must be part of it: taxpayers will, rightly, demand the same ease of access to services and support that will become second nature in the private sector.

    We need to be better at utilising the digital talent we already have within the Civil Service and in stressing its importance.

    This September, our government-wide initiative ‘One Big Thing’ will be launched:. The focus for 2023 is data-upskilling.  It will engage every single civil servant – that’s half a million training days on data this autumn. This shows our determination to build knowledge and deliver.

    Over the next two years we are rolling out two new digital platforms to enable us to understand, develop and utilise the skills of our workforce and help staff move more easily between departments.

    The Government Skills Campus will provide a single platform across Government with better access to the learning civil servants need. It will use skills data to intelligently drive the right content to learners and provide the skills data needed to inform workforce planning.

    Another new platform will then enable all civil servants to move from one department to another – at pace and without friction. Not only will this save money – approximately £100m over the next 5 years – it means it will be easier to move the people with the right skills and experience to the right roles in government.  Placing colleagues in more satisfying roles and gleaning the benefits of targeted experience.

    Digital and data innovations like these are the defining tools of the 21st Century but they can only be effective when senior leaders understand them.  I am delighted that we are on track to exceed our ambition for 50% of Fast Stream hires for 2023 to have a STEM subject background.  But we cannot wait decades as they progress….

    Through the Digital Excellence Programme we will be equipping government leaders with these skills, starting with 3,000 senior leaders this year.

    We can offer digital technicians the most extraordinary opportunities to put their talents to the test in delivering solutions which matter to people day in day out.  I know how competitive that talent pool is but what better way to invest in your staff than to give them the opportunity of taking on some of the most fascinating challenges.

    To enhance our secondment programme we are developing a specific Digital Secondments pilot with our digital team in the Central Digital and Data Office.

    I know that there are people from the best tech firms in the country who believe in public service…

    Who want to help with the biggest challenges facing society today…

    So we will create a pathway for them to join the civil service through a secondment and empower them to drive real tangible change….

    DRIVING IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGITAL PROCESS

    We must attract and retain the best in digital talent so that we can harness the power of digital, data and technology in order to deliver most efficiently and effectively for the public.

    Our groundbreaking Roadmap for Digital and Data, encompasses 21 ambitious commitments to be achieved by 2025.

    Among these commitments, we have pledged to elevate 50 of the government’s top services to a “Great” standard and we are introducing One Login, a vital new system that will allow citizens to access all central Government services effortlessly using a single account.

    We need to ensure that GOV.UK, with over 1m visits a day and over 29bn page views since 2012 provides a service equal what we would expect to see in the public service.

    That’s why we’ve established a team to lead on digital service transformation across government. This team identified the opportunities, blockers and support to improve services.

    That’s also why 32 organisations in government have adopted the same pay framework to drive recruitment and retention of digital professionals, saving taxpayer money by reducing reliance on contractors and managed services.

    Recent months have seen huge developments in Artificial Intelligence technology, presenting, if developed appropriately, clear opportunities for government. Our ambition is to use AI confidently and responsibly, where it matters most, to improve public services and boost productivity.

    Our central team of digital and technology experts is creating a practical framework to put this technology to work across the civil service, solving problems of privacy, ethics and security, and bringing insights and best practice from industry.

    I am excited to announce that following last year’s pilot the incubator for Automation and Innovation, known as i.AI, will become a permanent civil service team focussed on some of our most important and intractable challenges.

    And right at the heart of government, the Number 10 Innovation Fellowships program is bringing in AI experts from industry and academia to help solve problems in public service delivery using AI and automation.

    We are already creating a Data Marketplace to break down barriers to sharing data inside government. But we also know the potential for government data to drive value and innovation in the economy. Therefore, as recommended by the Vallance review, our ambition is to make the marketplace available to third parties outside government, such as businesses and researchers.  By 2025 our aim is to do just that.

    We will launch and scale a cross government digital apprenticeship programme to support recruitment and development of 500 new DDaT professionals this financial year.

    STRONGER ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC PROGRAMMES

    It’s an old adage that the only mistake you can make is by not learning from it…

    That is why since the Declaration on Government Reform we established the Evaluation Task Force to improve Government programme evaluation:   to better inform decisions on whether programmes should be continued, expanded, modified or stopped.

    I learned, to my exasperation as Minister for Defence procurement, that while I was desperately securing cash to back brilliant innovative ideas, without rigorous Ministerial testing others could quietly languish long after it became apparent they weren’t fit for purpose.

    In innovation a failure is when the project is allowed to continue when all hope is lost – fail fast, reinvest.

    The same must be true of policy.

    We need evaluation baked in from the outset in everything we do.

    Yes this can identify where policy, whisper it not, doesn’t deliver. It can happen.  Where it does, let’s act not hide.  A productive public sector is not one which is too shy to accept that not everything works.  In the commercial world it’s known, recognised, embraced.  We need to lose our hang ups.

    But we can and must learn from our successes

    The DLUHC supporting families evaluation showed not only the impact of the policy in reducing adult and juvenile custodial sentences, but was robust enough to know that for every pound we spent on the programme, it delivered £2.28 of economic benefits and £1.52 of financial benefits.

    The Task Force has provided advice on 211 evaluations across government, covering £115bn of spending.

    On the basis that only idiots learn from their own mistakes, the wise from other peoples’….

    I am delighted to announce that the Evaluation Task Force is launching the Evaluation Registry, which will provide, for the first time, a single online focus for evaluations across government.

    The Evaluation Registry has been built from the ground-up to be best-in-class in driving evidence based policy making. When it launches, it will be one of the biggest stores of information on social policy evaluations in the world, containing over 2000 evaluations from the outset.

    It will be available to all government departments this year and in the future supported by funds worth over £50m for evaluations to generate new evidence in critical areas of policy making.

    CONCLUSION: BRILLIANT PUBLIC SERVICE

    So let’s get back to our fictional Sir Arnold.

    Were he to return to our screens today he would I hope be disquieted by the notion that a new recruit may start their career, progress their career and end their career as a Permanent Secretary without necessarily ever working within 10 miles of Peter Jones.

    What’s more, talent is not only arriving directly into the upper echelons of the SCS, it’s being actively pursued and welcomed.

    We are embracing the opportunities of digital and AI and what that will mean for making us more efficient and improving the services we deliver.

  • Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Lord Mayor of London’s Dinner for HM Judges

    Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Lord Mayor of London’s Dinner for HM Judges

    The speech made by Alex Chalk, the Secretary of State for Justice, at the Mansion House in London on 18 July 2023.

    My Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, my Lord Chief Justice, members of His Majesty’s judiciary, ladies and gentlemen.

    Thank you, Lord Chief Justice for your kind words. It is of course a special honour to be speaking to you as Lord Chancellor. But can we all please spare a thought for at least three of your number here who led me at the Bar and are now feeling really, really old…

    So much has happened for all of us in the last decade. In 2013, I was at the Bar at 6KBW College Hill. It was a different time entirely; as a busy practitioner I confess I didn’t always pore over every dissenting Court of Appeal judgment; unaccountably, I find them absolutely compelling today.

    And it was in 2013 that I was selected as the Conservative candidate for Cheltenham. It wasn’t going terribly well. Door after door was opened by people who said they knew who I was, but added that although I was better than my brother, they weren’t going to vote for David Miliband either. When I fed that back to HQ they came up with what they assured me was a brilliant plan. They would send down the then-Mayor of London to boost my profile. Even then, I was aware that this could be a high-risk strategy.

    I thank Lord Burnett for his speech.

    The Lord Chief Justice has shown himself ready to serve in so many ways. He attended a Commonwealth conference in 2022. On the second night the hosts announced that the judges would be called to dance by rank, starting with Chief Justices, and starting with England & Wales.

    My source tells me that Lord Burnett did not hesitate to get to his feet, to the delight of the hundreds watching on. His Private Secretary still has the footage available in, I am told, clear contravention of a judicial order. There will be an auction at the end of the evening.

    Few in peacetime have been tested as Lord Burnett was. He showed leadership to help keep the courts open during Covid, in a judgement that was vindicated. He has promoted transparency, in particular broadcasting of sentencing remarks in the Crown Court. He has increased engagement with the public and students. And he has championed modernisation, digitisation, diversity and recruitment.

    MPs and peers of all parties hold him in the highest regard. Parliament, his profession and indeed the nation owe him a debt of gratitude and wish him well for whatever comes next.

    I want also to thank those of you who sat during the pandemic.

    You did so despite the fact that many of you, I’m sure, will have come under pressure from concerned friends and family not to come into court, not to put yourselves at risk. ‘Why you?’ they will have said; to which the only answer was that fate put you there, at that unique moment of jeopardy for our justice system and yours was the task to do.

    Thank you for all you did. Covid has a long tail when it comes to the courts, and plainly there are still significant pressures as the system heals – from family law (public and private) to the employment tribunal. But let us remember that those pressures would have been immeasurably greater without your efforts.

    I want to turn to some other points, and I’m pleased to say that No.10 were so delighted that I was attending this event that they even helped me draft this part of speech. So, turning to our five priorities…

    I recently visited Japan for the G7 Justice Ministers Conference. It was immediately clear just how strong the relationship is between the UK and Japan, and the importance that is attached by that country and indeed the ASEAN countries (from Malaysia to Singapore) to our playing our part in the Indo-Pacific.

    Now, that importance isn’t wholly or even mainly underpinned by the strong and growing military and industrial alliance through our collaboration with Japan on the Global Combat Air Programme – important though that is. Instead, absolutely at the heart of our offer to the Indo-Pacific and indeed to the world is our strong legal capabilities and tradition of upholding the rule of law – as demonstrated by Japan’s enthusiasm to single out the UK to sign a memorandum of cooperation on law and justice, including on our legal sectors.

    Because it is well understood internationally that our country has historically contributed a great deal, perhaps more than any other, to the development of private international law through the Hague Conventions, with their network of jurisdiction and mutual enforcement arrangements. It is also acknowledged that the UK has the biggest legal sector in Europe, second only worldwide to the United States, a sector that continues to thrive.

    And our international counterparts recognise that our common law system enjoys an endless potential for modernisation to respond to the latest trends, technologies and dispute flashpoints. The common law is ancient, yes, and yet relentlessly contemporary.

    Against that backdrop, we will of course assert this advantage, we will press for strengthened cooperation and exchange in legal services. That will help grow our economy and generate extraordinary opportunities for young people from this jurisdiction to go as far as their talents will take them – promoting the social mobility agenda which brought me into politics. Thank you to the judiciary, the Bar Council and the Law Society for what you are doing to support this endeavour.

    But in truth it’s about more than that. Despite the undoubted commercial opportunities, we will prioritise this agenda because every time we advance a PIL agreement, every time we improve access to a foreign legal market, every time we secure that exchange event between lawyers we strengthen the international rules-based order. In the Indo-Pacific and in the wider world, we must recognise that the argument for the rule of law is far from settled. That part of the world, as well as being the crucible of global economic growth over the coming decades, is also the crucible of competing visions. It is in some ways the epicentre of a global contest. And in that contest, free societies have to demonstrate that the rule of law matters – and ultimately it makes societies safer, and citizens freer and better off.

    So we will continue to speak up for the rule of law. We will make clear in the context of Russia’s unlawful full-scale invasion of Ukraine that might is not always right, that the international rules-based order counts for something, and that there are consequences for those who violate recognised borders.

    And we are putting resources behind our words. Quite apart from being the second largest provider of military support to Ukraine after the US, we have delivered war crimes investigation training to Ukrainian police on behalf of the ICC, we have provided training for Ukrainian judges led, by Sir Howard Morrison KC, and allocated additional funding to support ICC investigations.

    But as well as advocating the rule of law abroad, we must show focus and vigilance to maintain it here at home. Although deep-rooted in our society, it must never be taken for granted. It requires care and effort to keep it in good health – particularly in an era of social media and disinformation which throws up new, dystopian misinformed challenges.

    So, the starting-point is to make the case for why it matters – to bring it to life in terms that are accessible to all. In my swearing-in speech I stated that the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and access to justice aren’t quaint, obscure notions to pay lip-service to – but the essential building blocks of a safe, fair and prosperous society – as relevant today as in any year of the modern era.

    And what access to justice and independence of the judiciary mean in practice is walking out of court as an advocate or litigant having lost, and knowing deep down that despite your disappointment you have been heard by judges of formidable intellect and unimpeachable integrity. And you have had a full and fair hearing. That is inestimably precious.

    So what must we do to nurture it?

    Well, in the first place, show respect to its key custodians. The Government is pleased to have been able to accept in full the PRB pay recommendations, including the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendation. In doing so, the Government is sending I hope a clear message about its deep regard for the judiciary, and the value attached to the essential work that you do.

    Second, I believe very strongly that we must invest in the infrastructure of the courts estate. The physical condition of the buildings that discharge justice matters. It is difficult to uphold the dignity and authority of the law, important by the way to promote the small matter of compliance with court orders, when there is a bucket catching drips in the corner of the room.

    It is equally difficult as a practitioner to feel proud of the profession you have worked hard to join as you open your case to the jury in Isleworth (as I did in the past) and know that all anyone is thinking about is the overwhelming smell of damp in the carpets. (Those have been replaced by the way).

    Poor maintenance impacts capacity of course – but it also corrodes morale. And we need that morale, not least to unwind the pressures Covid created. It is only by sustaining and growing pride in the justice system and pride in the legal profession that we will continue to retain the practitioners we need and attract the brightest and the best to join. Every improvement in infrastructure sends out a ripple of confidence, through robing rooms, chambers and into university lecture theatres; and it enhances the overall attractiveness of the profession. Notwithstanding the £185m spent on court maintenance in the last two years, and the extra £38m in the last financial year for redecorations and deep cleans, we can go further. It’s a point I raised on my first day in office. I have prioritised it since, and I look forward to being able to say a little more in due course.

    Third, we must be vigilant in clamping down on those who would misuse our courts, absorbing capacity with bogus lawsuits cynically designed to intimidate journalists and campaigners, and stifle freedom of speech. So I am pleased that we have acted through amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill to create an early dismissal process in respect of spurious SLAPPS which are connected to financial fraud and corruption – the overwhelming majority of actions.

    Fourth, we should take every opportunity to promote access to justice. And let me say that legal aid plays an important role in delivering that. So I am pleased that we have published our response to the Legal Aid Means Test Review, which when fully implemented will lead to over six million more people falling within the scope of legal aid.

    All this we do and more. As a junior minister in the department, I devised ELSA (Early Legal Support and Advice) as the umbrella term for a suite of proposals to improve access to justice. Politics is the art of the possible, and we won’t get everything done overnight. But I will give it my all.

    Fifth, we must abandon for good the outdated complacency that assumes all those who rise to positions of responsibility in our country are experts (or at least experienced) in the inner workings of our constitution. We should dismiss what has come to feel like a conspiracy of romantic hopes that through their education and wider upbringing people somehow acquire osmotically an understanding of the balance of our constitution, the conventions that secure it and – yes – the boundaries.

    And yet, this is something that as a society we devote little or no effort to. Despite the fact that new legal practitioners receive ethics training as part of their preparation for practice, for those entering public life there is no such guidance or investment at all. There should be.

    And so, with a general election due in the next 18 months, preparations should be made to ensure that Members of the next Parliament and the people they work alongside, are given the assistance and information they require. As the President of the Supreme Court noted earlier this month, and I agree, maintaining the rule of law is a joint responsibility of Parliament and the courts. Far from being a contest for power between the two, we have a shared commitment and we should support each other in delivering it.

    And in that spirit we must work together to support the parliamentarians of the future. Precisely how that support is framed will be a matter for discussion and careful thought. But it shouldn’t be put off.

    Finally this. I know there are real pressures in the system. I have referred to them already. I know that despite the Magistrates’ Court snapping back fast, the caseload in the Crown Court is high.

    That is in part a function of the fact that we didn’t abandon jury trials, even when some suggested we should. That was manifestly the right decision. Because jury trials remain the lamp of our liberties, and the ultimate guarantors of fair trials which enjoy the public’s confidence. But we have to recognise that this had a consequence, and the sheer volume now is at least in part the price we pay for principle.

    We will do all we can to help. We have removed the cap on sitting days for two years in a row, ensuring the Crown Court can sit at maximum capacity. We have passed the PCSC Act so that remote hearings can continue, where appropriate. 24 Nightingale courtrooms have been extended beyond March 2023 to provide additional capacity. We expect criminal legal aid spending will increase by approximately £141m per year in a steady state.

    We are recruiting up to 1,000 judges across jurisdictions. And we have raised the statutory mandatory retirement age to 75 for judicial office holders, estimated to retain an additional 400 judges and tribunal members.

    But I am acutely conscious that it is you and the practitioners that you see in your courts and tribunals that will do more than anyone else to bear down on these volumes, and do so in a way that delivers justice.

    So I want to thank you for what you have done, but all that you will do. It is not easy I realise.

    We use the adjective ‘world-beating’ sparingly these days. But excessive diffidence is to be avoided too. It is entirely reasonable to point out that we have a judiciary that rightly enjoys enormous respect globally – and not just for the quality of its dance moves. In terms of sheer intellectual horsepower and fundamental fairness it stands out.

    And it is underpinned by unswerving professionalism. To serve in our courts, as judge or practitioner, is to follow a vocation – to know that you are part of something extraordinarily precious, something far more important than any one of us. And it means all of us, whether judge, practitioner or Lord Chancellor are united by a common desire to serve, and leave the system of justice in our country stronger for our having been here. That is what you might call, my ‘overriding objective’.

    Thank you for your attention. Let me close by offering a toast to our hosts – to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Whitehall set to bring in AI and data experts under plans to turbocharge productivity [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Whitehall set to bring in AI and data experts under plans to turbocharge productivity [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 19 July 2023.

    Digital gurus from the private sector will be parachuted into government departments as part of radical plans to turbocharge the technological skills of civil servants, Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin revealed today.

    • New Digital Secondment Programme to bring experts from top tech businesses into government
    • AI to be harnessed to boost productivity
    • Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin gives speech on digitally-focussed reform priorities

    DIGITAL gurus from the private sector will be parachuted into government departments as part of radical plans to turbocharge the technological skills of civil servants, Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin revealed today.

    Delivering a speech at respected think tank Policy Exchange, Minister Quin set out a number of measures which will drive forward the government’s plans to harness innovation and technology to make Whitehall run more efficiently.

    The Minister demonstrated his clear intent to overhaul the way digital and data is utilised in government departments. This will start with a series of secondment programmes which are set to kick off in Autumn, beginning with the Digital and Data secondment scheme. Government will work with the major tech players, with plans to target FTSE100 companies in order to second digital experts into departments as well as giving civil servants the chance to spend time working within industry-leading businesses. This will then be expanded to other sectors such as science and engineering.

    Minister Quin set out his ambition for the government to use AI confidently and responsibly, where it matters most, to improve public services and boost productivity. One example is the unit responsible for exploring Automation and Innovation in government, known as i.AI, who will become a permanent civil service team following a successful trial.

    Another initiative is the creation of a Data Marketplace which will break down barriers to sharing data inside government. As we believe there is potential for government data to drive value and innovation in the economy, the government intends to make the marketplace available to third parties outside government, such as businesses and researchers by 2025.

    In his speech, Minister Jeremy Quin said:

    There are brilliant people in our Civil Service but I know there are many, as can be the case in any organisation, that feel frustrated and stifled by bureaucracy.

    Alongside the Cabinet Secretary, I shared with Civil Service colleagues at Civil Service Live in Cardiff last week that we need every colleague to be calling out waste and inefficiency, determined to end the frustrations I know many share.

    They can do so by more specialisation, more access to outside voices and fresh ideas, staying longer in post, delivering certainty on what we are seeking to achieve and benefitting from crisp evaluation on whether we have, while embracing the digital future which will transform all our working lives.

    It comes as the latest efficiency drive, led by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, has published savings of £4.4 billion in the last financial year. The savings were made through central government teams, including more than £1.3 billion saved through  fraud prevention and detection, much of which came from advanced data analytics,  and more than £370 million of efficiencies found through modernising legacy IT systems.

    The latest figures published by the Crown Commercial Service, an agency of the Cabinet Office who help procurement teams from different parts of government buy collectively, show a huge £3.8 billion in savings and commercial benefits achieved in the last financial year.

    Minister Quin highlighted the need to address the skills deficit in the Civil Service, confirming his intention to oversee a streamlined recruitment process including a new digital platform for moving civil servants between departments seamlessly. This will allow the Civil Service to be more agile as different areas need more resourcing and is expected to save approximately £100m over the next 5 years.

    There were also further commitments to increase transparency related to how the government evaluates its spending through the establishment of a publicly-available Evaluation Registry. This will be active across government from September 2023 and will be publicly available from March 2024.

    Previous reforms have already shown positive results, with the Cabinet Office now on track to exceed its ambition for 50% of Fast Stream recruits to have a STEM subject background.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s leadership cannot justify this war to its generals let alone its soldiers – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s leadership cannot justify this war to its generals let alone its soldiers – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2023.

    UK military advisor, Ian Stubbs, says that Russia’s military are increasingly aware they are fighting and dying for an unjustified and unprovoked war of choice.

    Thank you, Madam Chair. On 17 July, explosions struck the Kerch Strait Bridge. Following the explosions, President Putin vowed a response stating that what had happened had no logic from a military point of view. Madam Chair, let us be clear, opened in 2018 by Putin himself, the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge was a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    It is a bridge built by Russia on Ukraine’s territory. It is a bridge that provides Russia with a key logistics link for sustaining its forces in southern Ukraine. It is a bridge that has played a key role in moving heavy military vehicles and equipment as well as fuels, oils and lubricants to the southern front of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Accordingly, any substantial damage to this bridge will almost certainly have a significant impact on Russia’s already strained ability to sustain its forces under pressure in southern Ukraine.

    Madam Chair, for over 500 days Putin and the Russian military leadership have consistently underestimated the will, determination and courage of the Ukrainian military and civilians to defend their homeland from a brutal and barbaric invader. These miscalculations continue to have a demonstrable and enduring impact on the combat capability of Russian forces.

    On 12 July 2023, the Ukrainian Centre for Defence Studies reported the average Russian battalion strength in Zaporizhzhia as 200 troops; that is 30-40% of its regular establishment. This is plausible following recent high intensity combat. Russia has likely also introduced ammunition conservation measures in Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut, limiting daily expenditure to 12 rounds for some types of gun. Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistic depots are likely partially responsible for reducing Russian materiel reaching the front line.

    Russia is also almost certainly struggling with a crisis of combat medical provision, after suffering an average of around 400 casualties a day for 17 months. The influx of military casualties has likely undermined the normal provision of some Russian civilian medical services, especially in border regions near Ukraine. It is likely that many dedicated military hospitals are being reserved for officer casualties.

    As claimed by the head of the Kalashnikov Company’s combat medicine training division, it is likely that up to 50% of Russian combat fatalities could have been prevented with proper first aid. Very slow casualty evacuation, combined with the inappropriate use of the crude in-service Russian combat tourniquet, is reportedly a leading cause of preventable fatalities and amputations.

    The discontent and poor morale amongst Russia’s troops now also appears to have reached its highest ranks. On 12 July 2023, 58th Army Commander Major General Ivan Popov was relieved of command. He has claimed he was sacked for criticising Russian Ministry of Defence deficiencies. In an address by Popov to his forces, circulated on Telegram, he said he had complained about, “the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery”.

    As of 15 July 2023, Russia has also likely dismissed the commander of the Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska’s (VDV) 106th Guards Airborne Division, General-Major Vladimir Seliverstov. There has been no official confirmation as to the reasons why Seliverstov has been dismissed, but 106th VDV division has been in intense combat near Bakhmut since January 2023. Russian military bloggers also suggest that the divisional commander of the 90th Tank Division (Eastern Military District), General-Major Ramil Ibatullin, has been arrested. There are multiple reports which indicate that several other military commanders have or are also being removed from post.

    Madam Chair, at the last FSC, we noted that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion on the weekend of 24 June represented an unprecedented challenge to Putin’s authority, and that it was clear that cracks were emerging in Russian support for the war. Those cracks now appear to be shaking the very foundations of Russia’s forces in Ukraine. Russia’s leadership cannot even justify this war to its generals let alone its soldiers. All, increasingly aware that they have been sent to fight Putin’s horrific, unjustified and unprovoked war of choice – poorly trained, poorly equipped, and poorly led.

    Madam Chair, the UK and our allies are committed to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself and push Russia out of Ukraine’s sovereign territory. This is the swiftest, and only, path to a just and lasting peace. We will stand by Ukraine for however long it takes. Ukraine will win. Thank you.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Onward Think Tank

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Onward Think Tank

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on 19 July 2023.

    Thank you Onward for hosting today’s event

    It’s an event dedicated to young people.

    I’d like to start by thanking those organisations in the room that spend their time supporting young people.

    Groups like The National Youth Agency and UK Youth, working with colleagues right across the sector to support the youth workforce.

    The National Citizen Service Trust, our DCMS Youth ALB.

    The Back Youth Alliance putting young people’s voices at the heart of their vision.

    The Youth Endowment Fund, the Youth Futures Foundation and the George Williams College, helping shape an evidence-based approach to working with young people.

    What I want to focus on today is why it is so important that we invest in maximising the potential of young people across the country.

    And I wanted to start with a story.

    It’s a story about maximising that potential.

    A story about a remarkable woman.

    Called Yetta Frazer.

    Who was my grandmother.

    She had the most enormous amount of self belief, determination and focus.

    And became the first female barrister in Leicester.

    She would remind me, every time I saw her of a quote from Robert Browning.

    “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for”.

    This was translated as.

    Life is full of opportunities.

    Think big,

    Be ambitious,

    Believe in yourself.

    I was lucky to have her.

    Because she instilled those values in me.

    They are essential core conservative values.

    Everybody has potential.

    Everybody can fulfil it.

    They may need a step on the way. And if they need it, or want it, we will give it to them.

    They may not, and if they don’t, and can do it on their own, we won’t stand in the way of. success or tell them what they should be doing or how they should be doing it.

    We will support all young people to maximise their potential.

    And that’s what I want to talk to you about.

    The potential of everyone across our country.

    And how we help them fulfil it.

    And I want to start with what we have already done.

    Because we have invested heavily in supporting young people across government.

    And we have done it in a conservative way.

    That is, thoughtful consideration of how and where money ought to be spent.

    Based on evidence about what makes the most difference.

    So there is DfE funding for education. The highest on record.

    Including free school meals and the holiday activity and food programme.

    Home Office funding for the youth endowment fund on programmes which prevent children being exploited and getting involved in serious violence.

    MoJ funding on youth justice, to support every council to catch and prevent youth offending earlier than ever.

    DWP funding for the kickstart scheme which provided a vital leg up in the world of work for young people who needed it,

    As well as their boosted Youth Hubs and Youth Employability coaches who help address barriers to employment.

    DHSC help, including mental health support teams in schools and increasing access to community health services.

    DLUHC funding local authorities to level up opportunities and preventing significant risks for young people such as youth homelessness.

    And here in DCMS, we have been leading from the front, with the National Youth Guarantee.

    A landmark programme backed by over half a billion in funding, to broaden the horizons of young people right across the country.

    And we are already seeing results.

    Over £100 million of the Youth Investment Fund has gone out of the door, giving thousands more young people access to opportunities in their community.

    Supporting young people is not the job of one department.

    It is the job of every government department.

    And today I want to focus on what we are doing in DCMS and what more we can do.

    Because I want to ensure that every young person has more opportunities than their parents.

    And I’m going to explain it in three short ways, which I think will be familiar to all of you.

    Everywhere in the country people should have

    Someone to talk to,

    Something to do,

    Somewhere to go.

    Turning first to “someone to talk to”.

    As I said, I was lucky.

    I had supportive parents and a trailblazing role model of a grandmother.

    And I know millions of people across the country are just as lucky as me.

    Others find supportive individuals on their journey.

    Some people find teachers.

    My grandfather was a headmaster and I remember a few years after I had been elected as an MP, I received an email out of the blue from one of his former pupils,

    This former pupil, now an adult, wrote to me and said:

    “Your grandfather was one of the most inspirational people in my entire life”.

    ” Although he was a scientist, he recognised in me a youthful artist and did everything he could to set me on the path and with the aims that have shaped my career.

    ” He had a huge part in shaping who I have become.

    ” My career has been as a costume designer in film and theatre.

    ” Dr Hyman Frazer joins Harold Pinter, Ridley Scott, and Franco Zeffirelli in having had a major influence in my development as an artist and a person.

    ” But in fact your grandfather was the first of those influencers”

    So some young people find some support themselves outside of the family.

    But some young people have no-one.

    And that’s why we need mentors and role models.

    They could be youth workers,

    Guide leaders, sports team coaches, music teachers.

    They could be trusted adults found in youth centres.

    I know some of you are directly training and providing mentors.

    At DCMS, we too are already providing some funding individually – through our bursaries for youth workers, with our Million Hours Fund.

    Through NCS we are supporting the One Million Mentors scheme and working with the Youth Endowment Fund, providing mentors to help young people in Leicester at risk of exclusion to stay in school.

    I want every young person to have a rock of some kind, someone they can turn to, if they don’t already have that.

    And we will set out in due course how we can grow the work we are doing to achieve that.

    Second, turning to “Something to do.”

    Young people need something to belong to.

    Something constructive on which to spend their time and feel part of.

    That is why we have delivered improvements to over 3,300 grassroots football facilities up and down the UK, and a third of our target of 3,000 renovated tennis courts.

    Earlier this month, we announced school holiday activities in antisocial behaviour hotspot areas, with more to come.

    We’ve also announced a number of initiatives to support young people on their career paths, like our Discover Creative Careers programme.

    Through the National Youth Guarantee, we have created multiple opportunities for young people to join scouts, guides, and take part in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

    Thousands of young people have signed up to the new NCS programme which provides more activities which give young people real skills, teach them resilience and build their confidence.

    We will continue to build on the National Youth Guarantee and explore other opportunities for young people, with more ways to build their confidence, resilience, employment and life skills.

    And finally “somewhere to go”.

    We have already announced the first 43 organisations across the country to receive Youth Investment Fund grants,

    Which we will be continuing to roll out to level up areas and increase the number of young people accessing those spaces.

    We also want to look further at which places are ones we can develop to support young people which may include looking at the use of our schools and community buildings more broadly.

    Our policies are and will be evidence-based.

    As everyone in this room, who works so hard in such an important sector, knows these types of support change lives.

    Put those on the wrong path, onto the right one.

    And for others unlock opportunities to enrich the lives of every young person.

    Turning to the evidence, I have no doubt that you all know. that mentoring can have a significant impact on the development, of social emotional skills, reduces the risk of entering into the justice system and adds months of academic progress.

    In fact, the Youth Endowment Foundation estimates that mentoring can reduce youth violence by 21%.

    And the value of sport, uniform groups and youth employment is more than just doing the activity.

    It is the sense of belonging and the new social network that is gained.

    The evidence shows that these pro-social connections and feelings of belonging are key to social mobility.

    Robert Putnam summarises the evidence like this:

    ‘The influence of peers …has been shown on teens’ academic achievement, educational aspirations, college going, misbehaviour, drug use, truancy, and depression … High standards and aspirations tend to be contagious – as do low standards and aspirations.’

    Raj Chetty’s landmark study on social mobility found that social connection with those of different income and race, and membership of clubs and societies were 2 of the top 5 drivers of social mobility.

    We want to create positive experiences for young people, and something they can belong to, a sports team, a youth group, a summer programme.

    That’s why all the work you are doing is so vital to our young people’s future.

    And we will continue to develop policy to expand these young people’s horizons in this way.

    Someone to talk to, something to do, somewhere to go.

    These should not just be the preserve of the kids of pushy parents or tiger moms, but available to every young person everywhere.

    I’d like to end with a thought. It’s a positive thought.

    Often it is said we don’t understand people if we haven’t had their experience.

    You can’t help someone in poverty or without work, someone who has been in the justice system, unless you too know what that feels like.

    But if that means that those who have had a positive experience cannot bring that to the table to improve the lives of others.

    I profoundly disagree.

    To know what it is like to be supported.

    To have experienced that sense of belonging.

    To have learnt from the values of those you trust, and seen first hand the importance of passing those to others.

    To truly understand these positives can be powerful and valuable.

    We should believe in all young people, and want for them, at least what we have had for ourselves.

    If we don’t believe in young people and what they can achieve. Nor will they.

    I believe in levelling up. Not levelling down.

    And believe that we can give our young people a better life and more opportunities than we had ourselves.

    I believe we can achieve this together.

    As Yetta would have said otherwise ‘what’s a heaven for’.

    That’s what today is about.

    Supporting young people is not just the preserve of Government, we all have a role to play.

    That includes the youth sector, local authorities, schools, parents, and the private sector.

    So I want to hear from all of you, and I want us to work together to deliver even more for young people in the coming months.