Tag: 2023

Kemi Badenoch – 2023 Speech at the Global Investment Summit

The speech made by Kemi Badenoch, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, at Hampton Court on 27 November 2023.

Good morning Ladies & Gentlemen and welcome to the 2023 Global Investment Summit.

Thank you to everyone who has travelled from across the globe to be here today to mark the next chapter in this country’s future.

Two years ago at our inaugural Global Investment Summit, we were still in the throes of a pandemic, yet investors put a near £10 billion vote of confidence in our country because they saw the huge potential for growth that we had to offer.

It sowed the seeds for our hugely successful Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September which put Belfast and Northern Ireland firmly on the global boardroom map.

And as a growing science and technology superpower, the Prime Minister held our first-ever AI Summit earlier this month to ensure the UK is at the forefront of a pioneering world of artificial intelligence.

Now, it won’t come as news for many of you in this room, but the UK is already a fantastic place to invest. That’s why you’re here.

We are now third in the world for total inward investment, currently standing at $2.7 trillion, and are the top destination in Europe for FDI projects. We have attracted more greenfield FDI than Germany and France combined.

We also have the most valuable tech sector, only the third in the world to reach $1 trillion in value.

Last year alone we created 112,000 jobs in all corners of the UK from inward investment, with many more being created here today.

Since the Department for Business & Trade was formed just a few months ago, we have seen even greater investment in this country.

In my first few days as Business Secretary, I ushered in a momentous deal for Airbus and Rolls-Royce providing new aircraft for Air India.

In September, BMW announced a transformation of their Oxford Mini plant which secured 4,000 jobs, with Stellantis pledging £100 million for electric vehicles at Ellesmere Port.

Our investment minister Lord Johnson signed a £10 billion MoU with Marubeni just last month for green projects.

Tata Group have pledged £4 billion to create a new gigafactory site in Somerset which will transform our battery supply chains and create thousands of jobs.

And last week, we saw £21 billion of Korean investment in renewable energy, life sciences and tech during the South Korea State Visit.

And on Friday we secured £2 billion from Nissan for their sites in Sunderland, which will help secure thousands of jobs.

And that’s not to mention the global leadership we are showing in free and fair trade.

Such as joining the CPTPP trading bloc, ushering in our first post-Brexit free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, and unlocking £6.5 billion of fresh export opportunities across 75 markets in the last year alone.

We’re also taking huge steps to ensure that the UK’s manufacturing sector is a world leader in innovation.

Yesterday I launched our £3 billion Advanced Manufacturing Plan which will invest in the long-term future of our innovative manufacturing industry by reducing costs and removing barriers to business.

This comes off the back of the UK’s manufacturing sector leapfrogging France to become the eighth biggest in the world.

But we cannot stand still. The world is changing fast, and the global economy is a very competitive place.

Just months ago our historic trade deal with Australia came into force – since then we’ve secured £10 billion from IFM Investors and £5 billion from Aware Super to turbocharge green transition, infrastructure, tech and life science projects, as well as £100 million from Patrizia for sustainable housing projects.

As part of a total £12 billion programme, Ibedrola have today confirmed £7 billion for our world-leading renewables sector, with Partner Groups’ portfolio companies North Star and Gren committing £1 billion and £500 million for new offshore wind infrastructure and community energy projects respectively.

And the UK tech scene continues its world-leading charge, with combined investments totalling nearly £6 billion from Microsoft, BioNTech, Yondr, the Ellison Institute, Aira, Oxford Quantum Circuits and MediaTek.

These investments total nearly £30 billion – a colossal vote of confidence in the UK, proving further how we are one of the best places in the world to invest.

But I want to take this further.

I want the UK to be even more innovative, even more dynamic and even more successful. I want business to look at the UK and see it as a dynamo for investment, free trade and growth.

I have said that my door is always open. My office is called the Department for Business.

I want your ideas on how we can create a more friendly common-sense regulatory environment; what things we should be doing differently rather than sticking to the status quo.

I want to move away from just seeing regulation as the solution, and focus instead on solving your problems.

The numbers speak for themselves, and at today’s summit you will see why we’re already on the path to even greater things.

I’m delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to the stage to tell us more.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Leasehold reforms give more rights and protections to homeowners [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 27 November 2023.

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill introduced to Parliament today will give homeowners a fairer deal, and greater rights and protections.

Millions of homeowners in England and Wales will be given greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes as part of the most significant reforms to the leasehold system for a generation.

A key part of the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Housing, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, introduced to Parliament today, will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their freehold, increase standard lease extension terms to 990 years for houses and flats, and provide greater transparency over service charges. The Bill will also rebalance the legal costs regime and remove barriers for leaseholders to challenge their landlords’ unreasonable charges at Tribunal.

The new powers will also help more leaseholders take over the management of their property if they wish to, instead of being stuck with the freeholder’s management choice, and we will make this process cheaper for leaseholders.

The Government will also bring forward further reforms which will extend access to redress schemes and make it easier and cheaper to get the information needed to sell a leasehold home.

Ahead of the Bill’s introduction, the Housing Secretary, Michael Gove said:

People work hard to own a home. But for far too long too many have been denied the full benefits of ownership through the unfair and outdated leasehold system.

That’s why liberating leaseholders forms a vital part of the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Housing.

So today marks a landmark moment for millions of leaseholders across the country, as we unveil laws to deliver significant new rights and protections, slash unfair costs and crack down on exploitation.

The Bill addresses one of the longest-term challenges that the country faces – fairness in the housing market. The measures in the Bill will put the country on the right path for the future by addressing the historic imbalances between leaseholder and freeholder to give homeowners a fairer deal, greater protections, and more rights.

The Bill will strengthen existing, and introduce new, consumer rights for homeowners by:
- Making it cheaper and easier for people to extend their lease or buy their freehold so leaseholders pay less to have more security in their home.
- Increasing the standard lease extension term to 990 years for houses and flats (up from 50 years in houses and 90 years in flats), so leaseholders can enjoy secure ownership without the hassle and expense of future lease extensions.
- Giving leaseholders greater transparency over their service charges by making freeholders or managing agents issue bills in a standardised format that can be more easily scrutinised and challenged.
- Making it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to take over management of their building, allowing them to appoint the managing agent of their choice.
- Making it cheaper for leaseholders to exercise their enfranchisement rights as they will no longer have to pay their freeholder’s costs when making a claim.
- Extending access to redress schemes for leaseholders to challenge poor practice. The Government will require freeholders, who manage their building directly, to belong to a redress scheme so leaseholders can challenge them if needed – managing agents are already required to belong to a scheme.
- Making buying or selling a leasehold property quicker and easier by setting a maximum time and fee that for home buying and selling information.
- Granting homeowners on private and mixed tenure estates comprehensive rights of redress, so they receive more information about what charges they pay, and the ability to challenge how reasonable they are.
The Government will also give greater rights to those in mixed-use blocks of flats. Currently leaseholders in these buildings are barred from taking over the management of the site or buying its freehold if more than 25% of its floor space is commercial – such as shops or offices on the ground floor. The Government will now increase the floor space limit to 50 per cent, so that more leaseholders can access the Right to Manage or the right to a collective enfranchisement.

It will also level up the rights of residents of freehold estates by granting freehold homeowners on private and mixed tenure estates the same rights of redress as leaseholders and equivalent rights to transparency over their estate charges.

The Bill will also rebalance the housing system for leaseholders by:
- Scrapping the presumption that leaseholders pay their freeholders’ legal costs when challenging poor practice that currently acts as a deterrent when leaseholders want to challenge their service charges.
- Banning opaque and excessive buildings insurance commissions for freeholders and managing agents, replacing these with transparent and fair handling fees.
- Banning the sale of new leasehold houses so that, other than in exceptional circumstances, every new house in England and Wales will be freehold from the outset.
- Removing the requirement for a new leaseholder to have owned their house or flat for two years before they can extend their lease or buy their freehold.
The Bill brought to Parliament today forms part of the Government’s long-term plan for housing and delivers the Government’s manifesto commitments on leasehold reform. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce some measures at first reading and others as amendments as the Bill makes its way through Parliament to deliver on the full range of commitments set out above. These will include measures to amend the Building Safety Act 2022 to make it easier to ensure that those who caused building-safety defects in enfranchised buildings are made to pay, and that the leaseholder protections are not unfairly weighted against those who own properties jointly.

The Government is also already consulting on options to cap ground rents for existing leases that will protect leaseholders from facing unregulated ground rents for no service in return. The consultation closes on 21st December and the Government will respond shortly afterwards.

Further information
- These reforms have been prepared using detailed reports to the Government provided by the Law Commission and have been extensively consulted on with the sector.
December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Bluetongue virus detected in Kent [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 November 2023.

The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has urged farmers to remain vigilant for bluetongue virus after the disease was found in five cows in Kent.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Pirbright Institute identified the first case of the disease earlier this month through Great Britain’s annual bluetongue surveillance programme. A 10km temporary control zone has been put in place around the affected farms, restricting the movement of susceptible animals except under licence.

Bluetongue does not affect people or food safety. The virus is transmitted by midge bites and affects cows, goats, sheep and other camelids such as llamas. The midges are most active between April and November and not all susceptible animals show immediate, or any, signs of contracting the virus. The impacts on susceptible animals can vary greatly – some show no symptoms or effects at all while for others it can cause productivity issues such as reduced milk yield, while in the most severe cases can be fatal for infected animals.

Through additional surveillance, the Chief Veterinary Officer has today (25 November) confirmed four additional cases of bluetongue virus at two premises in Kent within the temporary control zone. The infected animals will be culled to reduce the risk of onward disease transmission.

Strict rules on the movement of livestock from regions affected by bluetongue are already in place and farmers are reminded that animals imported from these regions must be accompanied by the relevant paperwork to clearly show they meet certain conditions designed to reduce disease risk, such as correct vaccination.

Following confirmation of BTV in a non-imported animal in England, some trading partners may restrict exports of bluetongue susceptible animals or their products. The latest information on availability of individual export health certificates can be found on Gov.uk.

NI and GB ruminants cannot be exported from an GB Assembly Centre to the European Union or moved to Northern Ireland until further notice.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

“Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but the disease can impact livestock farms, and cause productivity issues.

“This detection is an example of our robust disease surveillance procedures in action and it is also a clear reminder for farmers that the disease remains a threat, despite coming towards the end of the midge activity season.

“Farmers must remain vigilant and report any suspicions to APHA.”

BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of BTV in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301

More information about bluetongue is available here.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Industry leaders welcome landmark plan for UK Advanced Manufacturing [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 26 November 2023.

Industry leaders from across UK advanced manufacturing have welcomed the Government’s landmark Advanced Manufacturing Plan (AMP) backed by billions to boost Britain’s manufacturing sector, announced by Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch today (26 November).

The package of measures will build on our existing strengths in manufacturing and offer certainty to business by building on our successful programmes and committing more than £4.5 billion to 2030 in targeted funding to back the long-term future of the UK’s world leading industries as well as supporting SMEs through extending and expanding our Made Smarter digital adoption programme through this decade.

The Plan outlines key measures to improve the business environment and attract investment, including faster grid connections, full expensing and more apprenticeships.

Manufacturing Sector Organisations

Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation said:

A battery strategy is very welcome and much needed. Having a joined-up battery plan in place will be critical for the UK economy to benefit fully from new technological opportunities going forward, and we must ensure that manufacturing involves the entire supply chain, right from design to manufacturing and recycling, closely connecting car and battery industries.

Recycling will also be very important to recover those critical materials that are essential for the low-carbon economy, and this joined up Advanced Manufacturing Plan will help deliver better coordination across the whole of the clean energy sectors.

Make UK and industry will continue to work with the government on the practicalities of this plan, including how to incorporate manufacturing supply chains. These supply chains have a key role in supplying components and services for clean energy in the future low-carbon economy and we must ensure that the full potential is delivered to enable our companies to compete on the global stage.

Karen Betts, Chief Executive, The Food and Drink Federation said:

The advanced manufacturing plan will provide critical support to the UK’s largest manufacturing sector in helping to unlock innovative investments in food and drink businesses. The £4.5billion of funding will help to derisk and incentivise investments focused on the transition to net zero and strengthening food security while the expansion of Made Smarter will particularly help SMEs. Making full expensing permanent will support businesses across the sector, boosting productivity and growth.

Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said:

We’ve long believed that the UK’s has the potential to be a world leader in advanced and sustainable medicines manufacturing. This £520 million in support announced by the government will supercharge UK life sciences manufacturing, combatting the increasing international competition to attract major manufacturing investment.

Added to our existing strengths and technical expertise in manufacturing innovation, this announcement is a major step forward in delivering on our shared ambitions for long term growth.

Automotive

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive said:

Decarbonising road transport is essential if net zero is to be achieved, and that transition must be ‘built in Britain’. The government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan sets out measures to support the UK automotive supply chain as it undergoes the most significant transition in its history.

The plan, together with a new battery strategy to support the development and production of this critical technology, is essential if the UK is to compete in the face of fierce global competition. These initiatives can only help to attract the investment necessary to seize the growth opportunities a Net Zero economy offers.

Richard Kenworthy, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK said:

We welcome the announcement of a new Advanced Manufacturing Plan and the priority the Government is giving to the automotive sector.

Our industry is undergoing a significant transition as we make the changes and investments required to secure a zero-carbon future. It is important for manufacturers to continue to work together with the Government to deliver on this goal and ensure the global competitiveness of the UK automotive industry.

This new Plan will help prepare British businesses and the Government to maximise the opportunities this period of change will bring.

Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania, said:

We welcome the Advanced Manufacturing plan for the long-term approach presented for the UK automotive industry.

It addresses a number of important topics that will support our wider electrification strategy as we move to 100% electric vehicles, and also with the demands we’re seeing from consumers for cleaner, smarter, safer cars on the roads.

Jaguar Land Rover said:

JLR welcomes this package of investment and policy announcements for the Advanced Manufacturing sector. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan and UK Battery Strategy is an important first step and we look forward to working with the Government to create the right environment to ensure an innovative and internationally competitive sector.

Aerospace

John Pritchard, President of Civil Aerospace for GKN Aerospace said:

GKN Aerospace welcomes the Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan. To maintain its position as a global leader in aerospace manufacturing, the UK needs close collaboration between Government and Industry and significant investment to maintain our competitive advantage. This Plan is a step forward, providing important guidance for building resilience and increasing productivity in our manufacturing supply chain.

Coupled with the announcement to extend the funding of the Aerospace Technology Institute out to 2030/31, the Plan also provides further confidence and a stable base for international businesses to invest in the UK.

The Hydrogen Task Force is a particularly important and welcome development. Hydrogen will be at the core of future sustainable flight, as well as the UK’s wider economy and energy infrastructure. It is critical that Government and Industry collaborate now in order to develop and invest in the supply chain and position the UK as the destination of choice for investment in the future.

Dr Rob Watson, President-Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce said:

We warmly welcome the ATI budget extension and the recognition of advanced manufacturing, and aerospace in particular, as priorities for the UK. The ATI extension provides long-term stability in aerospace funding that will allow for investment in technologies that will make our sector more competitive.

The ATI has been instrumental in accelerating the next generation of aerospace innovation since 2013, helping sustain the UK as a global leader in aerospace. The pace and scale of progress on our UltraFan demonstrator, the world’s largest and most advanced jet engine, would not have been possible without the ATI. This additional 5 year commitment to the ATI will give the aerospace industry confidence in the UK’s desire to grow and export.

Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said:

ADS and our members welcome today’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan publication, reaffirming long-term backing for our world-leading advanced manufacturing sectors, including UK aerospace. This is a very timely intervention given the growing pace of aerospace recovery, huge aircraft order backlog and industries’ continued commitment to net zero.

Our aerospace sector provides high-skilled jobs throughout the country, and set against a backdrop of increasing global competition, the continued commitment towards aerospace R&D is significant. These measures will provide a boost to continued investment in innovation and advanced manufacturing in the UK, in turn securing the future advantage of our industry.

BATTERY

Dame Professor Clare Grey, Co-Chair of the UK Battery Strategy Team and professor at Cambridge University, said:

I – as both an academic working to optimise battery function and understand failure modes and a cofounder of the fast-charging battery company Nyobolt – welcome the publication of the UK battery strategy.

Clarity in the commitments, along with announcements of significant funding out to 2030, will be welcomed by the many industry sectors in the UK working towards achieving next zero, where certainly is key to making key business decisions and investments.

The continued funding is also critical for building on the momentum already achieved in the laboratory, to move some of the early-stage research out into commercial, manufactured products.

The breadth of the strategy – from skills, manufacturing, critical mineral supply chains, financing, recycling and the circular economy, to regulation and speeding up grid connections – along with the commitments towards implementation – will be critical in building battery- and related industries in the UK.

Tom Flack, CEO of Agratas said:

Through our multi-billion-pound investment, Agratas is building the UK’s largest battery cell manufacturing facility and pioneering next-generation battery technologies, powering the transition to net zero and creating thousands of green economy jobs. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan and the UK’s Battery Strategy outline the vision, collaboration and support required to deliver on that ambition. We look forward to working closely with the Government to grow a globally competitive UK battery sector.

Brian Holliday, Managing Director, Digital Industries at Siemens:

The new investment clearly says that UK manufacturing matters. It represents a tremendous boost for our makers that will enable the confidence to invest in innovation, productivity and sustainability.

Key sectors benefit but so does the long tail of small and medium firms which is really important to directly address our recent challenges of weak overall productivity and investment.

The business benefits of digitalisation are now clear, while being an enabler for industrial decarbonisation too – the package of measures announced in bolstering Made Smarter, targeted regulatory reform and sector support, along with our world-class Catapults and Universities now makes the UK one of the best countries on the planet to sustainably design, make and export goods.

Merlin Hyman OBE, Chief Executive, Regen and Electricity Storage Network, said:

The Electricity Storage Network welcome this strategy to develop the UK’s capability in the vital area of battery storage. The UK is leading the way in putting electricity storage at the heart of a high renewables, flexible power system with over 3GW now installed and world leading expertise in battery optimisation.

Developing a UK grid scale storage supply chain, environmental standards, and recycling facilities will be key to the resilience of the sector and to achieving our goals for secure, net zero power and high value jobs in the low carbon industries of the future.

Nicholas Beatty, Founder Director of Zenobē said:

I am delighted to support the Taskforce’s vital work to develop the UK’s domestic battery industry.

As the UK’s largest independent owner of battery storage, Zenobē welcomes these efforts to cut planning and grid connection delays, develop innovative financing for the battery industry, and introduce new models to increase the use of second life batteries.

These measures will help to secure the UK’s green supply chain as we transition to a decarbonised energy and transport system. With the right government support, the UK can be a leading global player in the future battery industry.

Nyobolt said:

We welcome the publication of the first UK Battery Strategy, which highlights the importance of the sector. Long-term commitment is critical for providing the confidence to invest and ensure that the UK plays a leading role in the transition to Net Zero.

As a growing UK battery company making fast charging a reality, we look forward to working with Government to realise this commitment and bring the batteries of the future to the UK today.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Business and Trade Secretary launches landmark plan for UK Advanced Manufacturing backed by £4.5bn in Autumn Statement [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 26 November 2023.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has launched the landmark Advanced Manufacturing Plan (AMP) backed by billions to boost Britain’s manufacturing sector.
- Kemi Badenoch launches Advanced Manufacturing Plan (AMP) with over £2bn earmarked for the automotive industry, including batteries, and £975m for aerospace.
- New plan set to build on recent investment wins including up to £2bn from Nissan, £600m from BMW and £4bn from Tata to build a gigafactory.
- Hundreds of thousands of UK jobs on offer in battery sector alone, as new Battery Strategy includes £50m newly allocated government funding to deliver a globally competitive battery supply chain by 2030.
- Plan backs British industry, ensuring the long-term success of the advanced manufacturing sector and reinforces the UK as one of best places in the world to invest and do business.
Plans to build on British excellence in advanced manufacturing to secure long-term private investment and create high-paid jobs have been unveiled by the Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch today (26 November).

The landmark Advanced Manufacturing Plan (AMP) sets out the government’s initiative to ensure the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow a manufacturing business.

As outlined by the Chancellor last week, the government will offer certainty to business by committing more than £4.5 billion in targeted funding to back the long-term future of the UK’s world-leading manufacturing industries – automotive, aerospace, clean energy and life sciences. This includes support for batteries and industries undergoing fundamental changes to remain at the forefront of the global transition to net zero.

The plan outlines the key measures to improve the business environment and attract investment, including faster grid connections, full expensing and more apprenticeships.

It will ensure the UK uses its competitive advantage in manufacturing to become a world leader in the development of zero emissions technology, taking advantage of the thousands of jobs on offer. Our world-leading track record of decarbonisation makes us well placed to seize opportunities in the new global green economy.

This package builds on recent investment wins including up to £2 billion investment from Nissan in Sunderland, the £4 billion Tata gigafactory, the £600 million Electric Mini investment from BMW and Boeing unlocking £80 million of aerospace manufacturing investment in Sheffield, and ensures that the government can continue to help create jobs, grow the economy, and secure the future of great British manufacturing.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

The UK recently overtook France to become the world’s eighth largest manufacturing economy. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan will build on that success by targeting funding at where we have a competitive advantage.

Industry wants a stable, long-term plan that has support for cutting edge technologies and a trade policy that delivers. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan does precisely that, securing the highly-skilled jobs of the future and driving economic growth.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: 

We are going full throttle to back British businesses and make the UK a world leader in manufacturing – which already makes up over 43 percent of all our exports and employs 2.6 million people across the country.

Today’s plan will not only give the industry the long-term certainty they need to grow and invest further in the UK, but it will also lay the foundations to create more jobs and opportunities for people across the country.

As we bring together the world’s biggest CEOs and investors together for the global investment summit tomorrow, this plan – backed by £4.5 billion – and the record sums of investment we’ve already attracted, make undoubtedly clear that the UK is open for business and is a vital part of our plan to grow the economy.

The battery sector alone could create 100,000 highly paid and skilled jobs in the UK and the Government has also today published the UK’s first ever Battery Strategy, outlining our plan for the UK to attract investment and achieve a globally competitive battery supply chain by 2030.

Global companies are already choosing to invest in the UK and for every pound of Government investment in the future of manufacturing, we are leveraging five pounds of additional private sector investment, providing a welcome boost for industry ahead of next week’s Global Investment Summit.

The Advanced Manufacturing Plan will build on this success and ensure we’re creating the right conditions for manufacturing to flourish, and that bureaucracy does not get in the way of investment.

To boost growth in small and medium sized manufacturing businesses more widely, it has also been announced that the government will expand the Made Smarter Adoption programme, offering the scheme to all English regions in 2025-26 before working with the Devolved Administrations to explore expanding the programme further from 2026-27.

Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

Growing the battery industry is vital to positioning the UK as the best location in the world to manufacture electric vehicles, and building on the confidence we’ve given our supply chain through recent successes such as the investments from Tata, BMW and Nissan, plus the wealth of government support available to businesses.

I wanted to be ahead of the curve in working with Industry to produce a Battery Strategy. This will help businesses become more innovative and productive, future-proofing our economy and supporting our ambition towards a cleaner, greener future, and forms a crucial part of our Advanced Manufacturing Plan to back British industry for the long term.

The plan focuses on:

Investing in the future of UK manufacturing

A new Hydrogen Taskforce will maximise investment opportunities for the UK manufacturing of hydrogen propulsion systems. Hydrogen is expected to represent a crucial part of the UK’s future net zero energy system and is critical to supporting the UK’s energy security.

The Government’s Hydrogen Strategy sets out ambitions to reach up to 10GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half coming from electrolytic or ‘green’ hydrogen.

Building supply chain resilience

The prize in getting our battery industry right alone is worth 100,000 jobs by 2040, with thousands of further jobs available in the wider sector.

The UK’s Battery Strategy will seek to invest £50 million in developing the UK’s battery world-class capabilities, emphasising the importance of developing the batteries of the future by leveraging the UK’s world-leading research and innovation, securing a resilient UK manufacturing supply chain, and enabling the development of a vibrant and sustainable sector.

Reducing costs and barriers to business

At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced further measures to back businesses and remove barriers to investment. This includes making the Full Expensing scheme permanent so businesses can invest for less – delivering an effective permanent tax cut of £11 billion a year for businesses who invest in IT equipment, plant and machinery. The move is set to boost business investment by £14 billion and help grow the economy.

With the tax cut now permanent, the UK will continue to have both the lowest headline corporation tax rate in the G7 and the most generous capital allowances in the OECD group of major advanced economies, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Germany. Since the introduction of the super deduction – the predecessor to full expensing – in 2021, investment in the UK has grown the fastest in the G7.

The Advanced Manufacturing Plan also builds on existing support for the sector that includes the British Industry Supercharger ensuring energy costs for key industries like steel, metals, chemicals, and paper producers are in line with other major economies around the world and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund supporting the deployment of technologies that is enabling hundreds of businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive said:

Decarbonising road transport is essential if net zero is to be achieved, and that transition must be ‘built in Britain’. The government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan sets out measures to support the UK automotive supply chain as it undergoes the most significant transition in its history.

The plan, together with a new battery strategy to support the development and production of this critical technology, is essential if the UK is to compete in the face of fierce global competition. These initiatives can only help to attract the investment necessary to seize the growth opportunities a Net Zero economy offers.

Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said:

ADS and our members welcome today’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan publication, reaffirming long-term backing for our world-leading advanced manufacturing sectors, including UK aerospace. This is a very timely intervention given the growing pace of aerospace recovery, huge aircraft order backlog and industries’ continued commitment to net zero.

Our aerospace sector provides high-skilled jobs throughout the country, and set against a backdrop of increasing global competition, the continued commitment towards aerospace R&D is significant. These measures will provide a boost to continued investment in innovation and advanced manufacturing in the UK, in turn securing the future advantage of our industry.

Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK said:

A battery strategy is very welcome and much needed. Having a joined-up battery plan in place will be critical for the UK economy to benefit fully from new technological opportunities going forward, and we must ensure that manufacturing involves the entire supply chain, right from design to manufacturing and recycling, closely connecting car and battery industries.

Recycling will also be very important to recover those critical materials that are essential for the low-carbon economy, and this joined up Advanced Manufacturing Plan will help deliver better coordination across the whole of the clean energy sectors. > Make UK and industry will continue to work with the government on the practicalities of this plan, including how to incorporate manufacturing supply chains. These supply chains have a key role in supplying components and services for clean energy in the future low-carbon economy and we must ensure that the full potential is delivered to enable our companies to compete on the global stage.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

If we are to seize the enormous potential for advanced manufacturing to create jobs and grow the economy in every part of the UK, it is critical that we support our brightest minds in turning brilliant ideas into marketable products, and even entire businesses.

The £61 million investment we are making in battery R&D will help UK manufacturers grow this burgeoning industry, by ensuring they can access the skills, infrastructure and early investment that they need to flourish.
December 4, 2023
Steve Barclay – 2023 Speech at the International Grain Conference

The speech made by Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 November 2023.

Thank you to President Zelenskyy for hosting this important summit.

To say that we Brits have been inspired by the resilience, courage and indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people would be a typically British understatement.

Your resilience honours the memory of the millions of innocent Ukrainians who lost their lives in the Holodomor – some 90 years ago.

And now, while Russia’s full-scale invasion is having a ripple effect on global food security – nowhere have the impacts of Putin’s aggression been felt more keenly than here, in Ukraine.

In the wake of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam this summer, that left tens of thousands of Ukrainians in need of food, water, and basic supplies, I am proud that the UK was able to provide additional £16m of support – including response teams, pumps, and temporary barriers, that helped Ukrainian emergency workers deflect water and protect critical infrastructure like hospitals and schools.

Of course, flooding across 100,000 hectares land has had an untold impact on Ukraine’s wildlife and habitats, and on important grain and oil crops as well.

And amid the turmoil of war, the determination of Ukrainian farmers to get much of the harvest in, here in the breadbasket of Europe and your initiative to get the grain from Ukraine to some of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world, at a time when Ukrainians themselves are suffering so much – this demonstrates the very best of humanity.

And indeed, this work is immensely and increasingly important.

Even before this terrible conflict began, already, the number of people going hungry was on the rise – with around a billion people affected worldwide.

The number of people facing the consequences of severe drought – including conflict – is on the rise as well, with the impact of emergencies across the Horn of Africa and the Central Sahel falling disproportionately women and girls.

45 million children now suffer from acute malnutrition at any given time – and this preventable, life-threatening condition remains one of the biggest contributors to childhood deaths.

That means children under five are succumbing to common childhood illnesses that a well-nourished child would fend off, and simply wasting away, bringing profound and lasting impacts for the rest of their lives. So, I want to thank the Government of Ukraine for bringing us together to help change that.

Putin’s efforts to pitch us against one another must fail, and let us be clear – that is exactly what he wants to do.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative had enabled the export of 33 million tonnes of food from Ukraine, to 45 countries around the world – and until this summer, the World Food Programme procured 80% of its global wheat grain from Ukraine.

Yet as well as scuppering that initiative in July, Putin has attacked Ukrainian civilian grain and port infrastructure – systematically destroying more grain in attacks on Ukrainian ports than Putin promised to donate to African countries, with some 280,000 tonnes of grain gone, and counting – that is enough to feed over a million people, for a year – inflating global grain prices to boost the value of Russian exports and line the Kremlin’s coffers.

And all for the sake propping up Russia’s murderous war machine.

So much for solidarity. In the face of Putin’s crocodile tears – our focus remains resolutely on the real solutions we need.

That is why the £2m Grain Verification Scheme is part of the work that the UK has led through the G7 – to help identify stolen grain and frustrate Russia’s efforts to profit from theft.

The UK Ministry of Defence is working to establish a comprehensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operation in the Black Sea – to deter Russian attacks on cargo vessels.

We have developed an innovative insurance facility with a UK insurer for ships using Ukraine’s humanitarian corridor to help scale up exports.

And I am proud that the UK was the first country to liberalise all tariffs on imports of Ukrainian goods in support of your economy as well – alongside our wider commitments at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London earlier summer.

Our Prime Minster, Rishi Sunak, has announced £3m for the World Food Programme – building on our earlier contributions to President Zelenskyy’s initiative.

This time last year, the UK contributed £5m to this scheme, which funded the delivery of 25,000 tonnes of grain to Kenya.

Together, contributions from all donors to the scheme have brought 170,000 tonnes of relief to communities in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Yemen.

The UK’s contribution of £3m – which equates to $3.7m – will fund a shipment that will get grain from Ukraine, to those who are suffering from acute food insecurity in Nigeria, taking the UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine to £9.6bn, since the start of the invasion.

In short, the British people continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, here in Ukraine, and with those affected around the world, and if we all continue to stand together – in defence of the freedom, democracy, and common decency that we treasure so deeply – then together, we will prevail.

Thank you.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Up to £600 winter support for pensioners arriving in bank accounts [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 25 November 2023.

Payments of up to £600 are landing directly in the bank accounts of around 11.5 million UK pensioners for the second year running.
- Comes as part of extensive Government package helping people of all ages, including recent £300 Cost of Living payments to more than seven million eligible households.
- After meeting our pledge to halve inflation, the Government this week also confirmed an 8.5 percent increase to the State Pension next year.
Pensioners across the country have started to receive up to £600 to help with energy bills this winter.

Winter Fuel Payments – boosted again this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment – will land in bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

We have delivered on our promise to halve inflation and will continue to support people right across the country, including pensioners who may be facing particular challenges over the colder months.

As well as up to £600 to help our pensioners stay warm this winter, we’re boosting pensions through the Triple Lock – increasing the full rate of the New State Pension by over £900 next year.

The money will appear in bank statements with the payment reference starting with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP WFP’ for people in Great Britain, or ‘DFC WFP’ for people in Northern Ireland.

The overwhelming majority of Winter Fuel Payments are paid automatically but some people need to make a claim, such as those who qualify but do not receive benefits or the State Pension and have never previously received a Winter Fuel Payment. The payments deliver additional support to pensioners, the majority of whom are on fixed incomes and also are unable to raise their incomes through fixed employment.

The start of the Winter Fuel Payments season comes hot on the heels of the recent £300 Cost of Living payments made by the DWP to more than seven million eligible households across the UK.

This latest payment is the second of up to three Cost of Living Payments being made this financial year. These payments – which are all tax-free and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards – demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting low-income families with financial pressures.

Pensioners getting Pension Credit also qualify for this extra support. The average Pension Credit award is now worth £3,900 per year and there is still time for those who are eligible to apply and receive the £300 Cost of Living payment.

This is because an eligible claim for Pension Credit can be backdated by three months provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time.

Including measures announced in the Autumn Statement this week, our total commitment to ease cost of living pressures has risen to £104 billion. That includes paying around half the cost of the average energy bill since last October and amounts to an average of £3,700 per household.
December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Environment Secretary Steve Barclay – UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine to protect global food security [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 November 2023.

Environment Secretary addresses Kyiv conference and announces further support for Ukraine food security initiatives.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay set out a package of support for Ukraine while addressing the international community at the Kyiv International Summit: Grain from Ukraine today – showing the UK’s solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked assault.

In his video address to the conference, the Secretary of State reaffirmed the UK’s support for President Zelenskyy’s Grain from Ukraine initiative, with £3 million of additional funding to enable shipments of Ukrainian grain to Nigeria in 2024, coordinated through the World Food Programme. This follows £5 million that the UK contributed to the initiative in 2022, which facilitated lifesaving grain shipments to Kenya.

The event comes on the day Ukraine marks Holodomor Memorial Day – the famine caused by the Soviet government forcibly seizing grain and other food from Ukrainians in 1932-33 leading to the deaths of at least 3.9 million people.

After tearing up the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia destroyed over 280,000 tonnes of grain in one month, which could have fed over 1.25 million people for a year. In the face of these relentless and targeted attacks on ports and grain infrastructure, the initiative ensures Ukrainian grain still reaches those most in need while protecting global food security, keeping prices down and strengthening markets.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

From our government to our farmers, our solidarity with the people of Ukraine remains cast iron. The UK is committed to ensuring Ukraine can continue to export grain to those most in need.

I am also proud we will be able to share the UK and Defra’s expertise to help Ukraine’s farmland and nature recover from the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam and the impact of the conflict.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay also updated the conference on the development of our Grain Verification Scheme, which is being backed with £2 million in UK funding. The scheme will use cutting edge science to determine where grain has been grown and harvested – supporting Ukraine’s efforts to trace and stop theft of grain from occupied regions. Further information on the scheme will be unveiled early next year.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has also had a disastrous impact on Ukraine’s natural environment. During his speech, the Secretary of State noted the UK’s support to help restore contaminated agricultural land and nature in Ukraine that have been devastated from both flooding and conflict. This includes in June when the Environment Agency provided £16 million of flood equipment, including pumps and temporary barriers, following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam which led to widespread flooding and damage.

As part of the Grain from Ukraine programme, Ukraine has sent 170 thousand tonnes of grain to countries experiencing the greatest food insecurity, including Ethiopia, Somalia, and Yemen. The programme is planned to be expanded to other countries in need with the UK providing a further £3 million, which was previously announced by the Prime Minister at the G20 Summit, to fund a shipment of Ukrainian grain to Nigeria.

The Kyiv International Summit: Grain from Ukraine brought together more than 60 leaders of countries and organisations, covering strengthening Ukraine’s humanitarian role with global food security, expanding the Grain from Ukraine initiative, both in terms of funding and recipient countries, encouraging business involvement in the initiative, coordinating activity to end blockage of and attacks on Black Sea ports by Russia.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : North Korea missile launch on 22 November – FCDO statement [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 November 2023.

Following North Korea’s ballistic missile launch on 22 November, a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson gave a statement.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

North Korea’s ballistic missile launch on 22 November is, again, a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

The UK strongly urges North Korea to refrain from further provocations, return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation.

December 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Changes to data protection laws to unlock post-Brexit opportunity [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 24 November 2023.

Common sense changes to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will safeguard the public, prevent fraud, and unlock post-Brexit opportunities.
- Data Protection and Digital Information Bill amendments tabled to further improve data security, bolster national security and prevent fraud
- changes include better use of data to identify fraud – tackling benefits cheats intent on ripping off the taxpayer
- new measures also brought forward around preserving the data of deceased children, supporting bereaved families and coroner investigations
A raft of common-sense changes to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will build an innovative data protection regime in the UK, crack down on benefit fraud cheats, and allow the country to realise new post-Brexit freedoms which are expected to deliver new economic opportunities to the tune of at least £4 billion.

The changes include new powers to require data from third parties, particularly banks and financial organisations, to help the UK government reduce benefit fraud and save the taxpayer up to £600 million over the next five years. Currently, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can only undertake fraud checks on a claimant on an individual basis, where there is already a suspicion of fraud.

The new proposals would allow regular checks to be carried out on the bank accounts held by benefit claimants to spot increases in their savings which push them over the benefit eligibility threshold, or when people send more time overseas than the benefit rules allow for. This will help identify fraud take action more quickly. To make sure that privacy concerns are at the heart of these new measures, only a minimum amount of data will be accessed and only in instances which show a potential risk of fraud and error.

Another measure offers vital reassurance and support to families as they grieve the loss of a child. In cases where a child has died through suicide, a proposed ‘data preservation process’ would require social media companies to keep any relevant personal data which could then be used in subsequent investigations or inquests.

Current rules mean that social media companies aren’t obliged to hold onto this data for longer than is needed, meaning that data which could prove vital to coroner investigations could be deleted as part of a platform’s routine maintenance. The change tabled today represents an important step for families coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, and takes further steps to help ensure harmful content has no place online.

The use of biometric data, such as fingerprints, to strengthen national security is also covered by the amendments, with the ability of Counter Terrorism Police to hold onto the biometrics of individuals who pose a potential threat, and which are supplied by organisations such as Interpol, being bolstered.

This would see officers being able to retain biometric data for as long as an INTERPOL notice is in force, matching this process up with INTERPOL’s own retention rules. The amendments will also ensure that where an individual has a foreign conviction, their biometrics will be able to be retained indefinitely in the same way as is already possible for individuals with UK convictions – this is particularly important where foreign nationals may have existing convictions for serious offences, including terrorist offences.

Maintaining the UK’s high standards of data protection is central to both the wider Bill and the proposed amendments which have been laid today.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said:

Britain has seized a key Brexit opportunity – boosting small businesses, protecting consumers and cracking down on criminal enterprises like nuisance calling and benefit fraud.

These changes protect our privacy and data while also injecting common sense into the system – whether it is cracking down on cookies, scrapping pointless paperwork which stifles productivity, tackling benefit fraud or making it easier to protect our citizens from criminals.

These changes help to establish the UK as a world-leading data economy; one that puts consumers and businesses at the centre and removes the ‘one-size-fits-all’ barriers that have held many British businesses back.

The Bill’s focus is to create an innovative and flexible data protection regime which will maintain the UK’s high standards of data protection, streamline processes for companies, strengthen national security, and support grieving families. Making it easier to use personal data which will improve efficiency, lead to better public services, and enable new innovations across science, innovation, and technology.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said:

These new powers send a very clear message to benefit fraudsters – we won’t stand for it. These people are taking the taxpayer for a ride and it is right that we do all we can to bring them to justice.

These powers will be used proportionately, ensuring claimants’ data is safely protected while rooting out fraudsters at the earliest possible opportunity.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

My priority is to continue cutting crime and ensuring the public is protected from security threats. Law enforcement and our security partners must have access to the best possible tools and data, including biometrics, to continue to keep us safe.

This Bill will improve the efficiency of data protection for our security and policing partners—encouraging better use of personal information and ensuring appropriate safeguards for privacy.

The amendments tabled today show the practical steps being taken by the UK government to improve how the nation uses and accesses personal data, capitalising on the UK’s departure from the European Union to introduce measures which will protect the public purse, strengthen national security, and offer important support to grieving families.

These amendments will also help the Bill realise its ambition of bulldozing burdens for businesses and removing restrictions for researchers, ensuring new advances in science, innovation, and technology can be fuelled by more practical ways to access data.
December 4, 2023