Tag: 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Trade-boosting North America Roadshow visits 12 UK cities in 12 days [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 27 February 2023.

Department for Business and Trade kicks off North America Roadshow, visiting 12 cities across the UK to promote business opportunities in the US and Canada.

A trade-boosting roadshow will visit 12 UK cities in 12 days to help British businesses up and down the country increase their exports to North America.

Organised by the Department for Business and Trade, the events will include a series of presentations and interactive sessions run by trade experts and sector specialists, including His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner Emma Wade-Smith who is usually based in New York.

They will run from Monday 27 February to Friday 10 March and will visit twelve cities across the country, including Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff, to highlight the support available for UK businesses looking to sell to consumers across the pond.

His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for North America, Emma Wade-Smith, said:

The USA and Canada are large and expansive markets offering a wide variety of opportunities for businesses aspiring to export their products and services outside of the UK.

My team and I look forward to meeting the talented UK companies who are ready to begin their export journey and to giving them the tools, insights and practical guidance they need to take those next steps.

Andy Burwell, International Director at the Confederation of British Industry, said:

It is clear the world has fully opened up again and savvy businesses are seeking new revenue streams and relationships to make themselves more resilient.

This North American roadshow is a fantastic opportunity for UK firms to explore what is happening in the US and Canada.

Demand for UK products and services is high, and businesses should use the roadshow connections to stimulate their growth.

Duncan Edwards, CEO of BritishAmerican Business, the largest transatlantic trade association said:

BritishAmerican Business is delighted to support the UK government’s North America roadshow. It reflects the continued importance of the US as a destination for British companies and products.

The US is the UK’s largest export market and offers a wealth of opportunity to UK companies of all sizes, across all sectors.

With the USA, you get 50 countries in one but it’s also important to recognise that each state requires careful research and consideration. Doing business in New York is very different to doing business in say Ohio, Texas or California.

That is why this roadshow is a great first step for any business embarking on transatlantic growth.

Each stop will be tailored to the business landscape in that city and include deep dive sessions on key growth opportunities in a range of sectors including finance and technology, creative industries, transport, space, and more.

The Roadshow forms part of the department’s strategy to reach a trillion pounds of exports a year by 2030, with exporters proven to create jobs, increase wages and boost productivity – all key in helping to grow the economy.

Already, British businesses operating in the US support over 1.2 million jobs, and US companies employ 1.5 million people in the UK.

Alongside top tips for exporting, attendees will gain insights into the UK’s North America trade strategy and our work to lift market access barriers for UK businesses.

With a combined population of around 380 million people, the US and Canada both rank as two of the world’s ten largest economies, presenting a wide range of export opportunities for high-quality British goods and services.

The UK is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with Canada, and is taking a twin-track approach to trade engagement in the US – our largest trade partner – strengthening ties at both federal and state level.

We have already signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and are actively engaging with further states, including California, Oklahoma, Utah, and Texas. These MoUs can help the UK to unlock barriers, seize investment opportunities, promote UK business – and, through the roadshow, we look forward to showing companies across the UK how they can benefit.

March 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : British brands embark on first UK fashion and beauty sales mission to India [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 27 February 2023.

A number of top UK brands have embarked on a first-of-its-kind fashion and beauty trade mission to India this week.
Lush and John Smedley among UK brands joining India’s Fashion Forum 2023, the nation’s largest fashion retail intelligence event

First-of-its-kind delegation looking to capitalise on Indian demand for high-class beauty and fashion products

Sales mission comes as UK and India negotiate a free trade agreement to create further opportunities for British brands

Top UK brands are this week travelling to India on a mission to capitalise on its rapidly growing demand for high-end fashion and beauty products.

A delegation including British success stories such as Lush and luxury knitwear brand John Smedley will travel to India Fashion Forum 2023, the nation’s leading international trade fair, in Bengaluru.

The trade mission is the first of its kind and has been organised by the Department for Business and Trade to help British brands showcase their expertise in luxury, heritage and innovation to potential buyers and distributers.

Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch said:

India’s growing economy and middle class represents an enormous opportunity for enterprising UK companies looking for new markets.

Removing barriers to business and boosting exports are two of my top trade priorities and I’m eager to make it easier and faster to do business with India through the free trade deal we’re currently negotiating.

India is set to become the third largest economy by 2050, by which time it will have a middle class of 250 million consumers.

According to the Robb report, in 2021, the Indian luxury goods market was valued at over $5 billion, and is expected to grow by another 10 percent over the next five years.

Managing Director, MENA Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Anita Baker said:

Lush is very happy to take part in this trade mission and we’re confident that in India, with its deep roots in natural cosmetics, we can find a partner that lives our ethics.

India has the opportunity to be a very sizable market and we aim to give our Indian shoppers the amazing customer experience they expect from visiting our shops around the world.

Global Sales Director, John Smedley Ltd, Bill Leach, said:

As India is one of the fastest growing luxury markets in the world, we are very excited to be attending the Fashion Forum as part of the trade mission.

It is hoped that the UK-India Free Trade Agreement that is currently being negotiated comes to fruition in the coming months, so that a growing number of discerning luxury consumers in India will enjoy greater access to The World’s Finest Knitwear.

Negotiations continue on a forward-facing trade deal with India, with the nations already enjoying a current trade relationship worth £34 billion to year end September 2022.

The deal, expected to boost the UK economy by billions over the longer term, is part of the UK’s strategy to forge stronger partnerships with fast-growing economies in the Indo-Pacific.

The UK wants an agreement that slashes barriers to doing business and trading with India’s £2 trillion economy and market of 1.4 billion consumers, including cutting tariffs on exports for British businesses such as Lush and John Smedley.

Background

The UK and India currently enjoy a strong trade relationship, with bilateral trade at £34 billion (year to Q3 in 2022). Our investment relationship supports over half a million jobs across both economies.

India accounts for 1.7 per cent of total UK exports and is the 12th largest UK export market in the four quarters to the end of the third quarter of 2022.

The Indo-Pacific region represents 40% of global GDP and has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Companies attending the fashion and beauty trade mission include:

Lush – www.lush.com

John Smedley Limited – www.johnsmedley.com

Wormser – www.wormsergroup.com

Raishma Ready to Wear Ltd – https://raishma.co.uk

Organic Apoteke – www.organicapoteke.com

Lilly and Sid – www.lillyandsid.com

Legology – https://legology.co.uk/

Benny Hancock – www.bennyhancock.com

VENIA Cosmetic Ltd – www.veniacosmetic.com

Jennifer Young Ltd – www.beautydespitecancer.com

ByErim Ltd – www.byerim.com
March 3, 2023
James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the UN Human Rights Council
The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 27 February 2023.
Mr President, 75 years ago, Eleanor Roosevelt dubbed our newly adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights ‘an international Magna Carta’. She was referring, of course, to that Great Charter’s role in laying the first of the many foundation stones on which the concept of human rights has been built.

In 1215, it established that sovereign power is limited by legal constraint. That States are answerable to their citizens. And that justice requires due process. Inspired by Magna Carta, generations of lawyers and statesmen in the United Kingdom and around the world created what we now call the rule of law.

But for centuries, the rule of law stopped at national borders. Until 1948, our predecessors took a gigantic step forward for humankind and made the rule of law universal.

I’m proud of my country’s long role in the struggle for human rights. A struggle that continues today across the world.

Russia and Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and illegal so-called annexations are a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

The Commission of Inquiry, which this Council established last year, has concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine. Abuses and violations of human rights have been committed by Russian forces on a systematic scale: torture and killing of civilians, rape and sexual violence, forced deportation.

The Human Rights Council must condemn Russia’s actions. We cannot allow this behaviour to go unanswered. These barbaric acts must never be repeated. The Ukrainian people must have justice.

That is why this session must renew the Commission of Inquiry’s mandate.

We remind Russia of the international human rights obligations, which it has freely undertaken. And of its obligations under the UN Charter.

We call upon Russia to:

enable humanitarian access into Ukraine and safe passage for civilians

restore human rights, within its own borders and outside, and

to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine

Russia

But the Ukrainians are not Putin’s only victims.

We call for the release of all those detained in Russia on political grounds, including Alexei Navalny. And for those imprisoned for their opposition to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, like Vladimir Kara Murza, to be freed.

Together with our international partners, the UK has invoked the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism which evidenced Russia’s repression of its own people.

We will support the UN Special Rapporteur’s work on human rights in Russia. We will attend the trials of human rights defenders in Russia. And we will use sanctions to hold human rights violators to account.

China

Last year, the High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report that found evidence of arbitrary detention, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced sterilisation, and the destruction of religious sites taking place in Xinjiang. And it found these abuses may amount to crimes against humanity.

Surely, such serious and well-evidenced findings merit further and proper discussion by this Council. But instead China has consistently sought to deny these findings and obstruct discussion.

I now urge China to engage with the Council and uphold the international obligations into which it has freely entered.

Hong Kong

Last year, the Human Rights Committee published its report on the implementation of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights in Hong Kong.

Under the National Security Law, independent media outlets have been closed down. The right to freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed in Hong Kong’s Basic Law has been eroded. Those who speak out, including journalists or businessmen like Jimmy Lai, have been arrested.

We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to uphold the Sino-British Joint Declaration and urge them to implement the recommendations of the HRC Report.

Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, curtailment of women’s human rights, including the ban on women going to university, is unacceptable. We will continue to press the Taliban on these issues.

Iran

In Iran, the killing of Mahsa Amini last September was yet another shocking reminder of the regime’s callous disregard for the lives of its own citizens. Since October, we’ve introduced 5 separate sanctions packages targeting those individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights violations.

We reaffirm our commitment to support the fact-finding mission established by this Council in November. We must ensure that the voice of the Iranian people continues to be heard.

Conclusion

Mr President, the United Kingdom will always ensure that human rights are upheld around the world and that we hold to account those who systematically violate them.

To achieve this, we want this Council to succeed. We will work with our international partners to ensure that it does. And we will back up our words with actions.

Thank you.
March 3, 2023
Leo Docherty – 2023 Speech at the UN Conference on Disarmament

The speech made by Leo Docherty, the Minister for Europe, in Geneva on 27 February 2023.

Every member state of this Conference has the responsibility to work towards a more peaceful and stable world, through disarmament. For the vast majority represented here, that is indeed our shared objective.

But all too often, we see some States doing the opposite.

It is over a year since Russia launched their illegal invasion of Ukraine.

It is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state.

And an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

We continue to see mounting evidence of horrific acts committed by Russia’s forces against civilians.

The UK and our allies will continue to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their existence.

Russia’s announcement last week that it has suspended participation in the New START treaty further shows their willingness to undermine strategic stability.

We continue to urge Russia to immediately return to full compliance of the Treaty and engage constructively with the USA on this matter.

We will continue to explore every diplomatic avenue to uphold international law, and strengthen our collective disarmament architecture.

In addition to major nuclear armed states willing to flout international norms of behaviour, we collectively face a range of challenges.

We face continuing proliferation concerns about the activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran.

We are concerned with DPRK’s continued escalation of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. We condemn these tests which are in clear breach of United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

We face Assad’s willingness to use chemical weapons.

And emerging threats posed by new and disruptive technologies.

To overcome these we must refresh our thinking, and redouble our commitment to build on the foundations of our common disarmament and non-proliferation institutions.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – or NPT – remains the cornerstone of international nuclear security. And the only pragmatic route to a world without nuclear weapons in our current security environment.

The UK remains firmly committed to the NPT, and to fulfilling our obligations under all three pillars of the Treaty.

We remain committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

And firmly believe the best way to achieve this is through gradual multilateral disarmament, negotiated within the framework of the NPT, including in this Conference.

Collectively we have the ability to create a safer and more stable world, where countries with nuclear weapons feel able to relinquish them.

However, the deteriorating security environment means we must remain realistic about what can be achieved in the short term.

The UK is focused on preparing the ground for what can pragmatically be achieved over the next NPT review cycle and beyond.

We are working with other States on the verification and irreversibility challenges, which will need to be addressed as part of final disarmament.

We will continue to play a leading role on transparency, within the limits placed by our non-proliferation obligations and our overarching national security concerns.

We will continue to develop concrete initiatives on reducing the risk of the use of nuclear weapons.

And we will continue to press for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

And the beginning of negotiations, in this Conference, on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty – the logical next step along the road to a world without nuclear weapons.

Mr President,

We only have to look to President Putin’s assault against Ukraine…

and Assad’s on his own people…

and the lives blighted by the illicit trade in small arms and lights weapons across the world…

to realise that the use of conventional and chemical weapons remains a present, real and urgent threat.

The diversion and misuse of conventional weapons – particularly small arms and light weapons – costs hundreds of thousands of lives every year…

destroys security and sustainable development…

and fuels conflict, crime and terrorism.

The effective control of conventional weapons and ammunition should therefore be a goal that unites us all.

The United Kingdom was proud to sign up to the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in Dublin in November. I warmly commend the Government of Ireland for its leadership in this endeavour. As Putin’s missiles rained down on Ukrainian homes and civilian infrastructure, the Declaration is a powerful commitment to strengthening the protection of civilians in urban warfare under International Humanitarian Law.

The UK will continue to play a leading role in tackling the scourge of landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war, including as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

We must also do more work together to counter IEDs, and prevent non-State actors and violent extremists from obtaining the components to make them.

The United Kingdom condemns Syria’s use of chemical weapons in Douma and in multiple other attacks.

It is time for the disarmament community to move from severe condemnation to severe consequences, for those that use them.

The UK will continue to work for a world free from chemical and biological weapons, and we urge all states to play a constructive part in this process.

As the Biological Weapons Convention nears its 50th year in force, the UK will strive to make the most of the process we all agreed at last year’s Review Conference to bolster our implementation of this Convention. It represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to meet the evolving threats from biological weapons in the 21st century. We must seize it and endow the Convention with the scientific and technical advice it needs, and explore ways in which new technologies can help assure compliance with its obligations.

Mr President,

Just as the threats we face in the nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional domains have evolved, so it is in outer space.

We are pleased to see progress in the Open-Ended Working Group on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours.

All of our societies and economies rely on a cooperative approach to the use of technologies in space.

So we encourage all states to engage constructively and work towards a consensus report, that can inform next steps in the UN General Assembly.

This Conference also has a vital role to play in negotiating agreements on preventing an arms race in outer space, whether legally binding or otherwise.

To conclude, Mr President.

The UK is firmly committed to playing a full role in advancing the international disarmament agenda.

And we are grateful for the cooperation of all partners who approach these thorny issues constructively, and with integrity.

Let me point out that many of those partners are not members of this Conference, and are being barred from taking up their rightful seats as observers by the Russian delegation. We deplore this obstructionism, and call for all UN Member States to be allowed to participate in the work of this Conference as has long been our practice.

The challenges facing our collective work are monumental.

We must take a constructive and open-minded approach to finding new solutions to old problems.

But we must also stand by the frameworks and agreements that we have so painstakingly built.

And hold all states accountable to agreed norms and standards, and the commitments they have made.

Thank you.

March 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL appointed Commissioner of Historic England [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 27 February 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Dame Julie Kenny as a Commissioner of Historic England for a term of four years from 1 February 2023 until 31 January 2027.

Dame Julie Kenny

Dame Julie Kenny is a successful South Yorkshire based entrepreneur. Following the sale in 2016 of award winning Pyronix Limited which she built from start up in 1986, Julie continues her involvement in serving business and local communities.

Founding Chair of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust which is committed to securing a sustainable future for the largest restoration project in the Country. A true Levelling Up project in the North. Julie also Chairs Robson Handling Technology Limited, a NED of AES Engineering, Chair of Maltby Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust Chair of RISC and Joint Chair of SRGP, two national committees dealing with Security, Resilience and Growth for the Defence, Security and Tech UK Sector.

Julie served as an Intervention Commissioner with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council between 2015 and 2018.

Julie was honoured in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June 2019 with a Damehood for her work with heritage. Julie’s CBE in 2002 and Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 2005 were conferred in recognition of her contribution to business in the region. Julie was awarded Freewoman of Rotherham in 2020.

Julie has 3 grown-up children and had a successful career as a litigation lawyer in local authority and private practice before changing direction and founding Pyronix Limited.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Commissioners of Historic England are remunerated £4,113 per annum. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Dame Julie Kenny has declared no such activity.

March 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Name of new Yorkshire prison revealed [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 2023.

The name of the UK’s first all-electric prison has been revealed today by Prisons Minister Damian Hinds.
- UK’s first all-electric prison named HMP Millsike by public
- jail to create over 500 jobs in local community
- naming marks latest milestone in government commitment to create 20,000 modern places
The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the skills they need to find work on release as part of the government’s drive to cut reoffending and keep the public safe.

HMP Millsike – situated on land opposite the existing HMP Full Sutton – has been named after Millsike Beck, a local river that runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into its local community.

The jail will be the first in the UK to run solely on electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning it will use approximately a quarter of the energy used to heat traditional Victorian prisons such as HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

This will slash energy costs to taxpayers by over £1 million a year – ensuring the new prison protects both the public and the public purse.

Prisons Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

Naming this site puts us one step closer to our new prison playing its vital role in protecting the public and cutting crime.

This is a vital advancement towards our goal of creating 20,000 modern, innovative places.

The new infrastructure project is also playing an integral role in boosting the local economy – creating over 500 new jobs within the prison when completed, on top of hundreds more during construction.

In addition, over 40 per cent of construction orders fall within 50 miles of the site – filling order books for local supply chain businesses.

Construction firm Kier, leading the way on the building of the jail, is also employing approximately 50 ex-offenders – helping former prisoners turn their back on crime through meaningful work before the prison has even opened its doors.

Today’s news follows hot on the heels of the opening of HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’ prison which opened last year. Work is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse Way, the new 1,700-place prison set to open in Leicestershire this spring.

The government has committed to creating 20,000 modern, innovative prison places that rehabilitate offenders and cut crime as part of its ambitious Prisons Strategy White Paper, published last year.

Further information:
- The name was agreed upon by the Deputy Prime Minister, who was presented with a shortlist decided by a panel made up of MOJ representatives and local residents.
- The final shortlist of options was chosen following a 6 week consultation, which involved asking local residents to submit suggestions for what they thought the new prison should be called.
March 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New transgender prisoner policy comes into force [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 2023.
- updated framework in place from today (27 February 2023)
- transgender women offenders no longer housed in women’s prisons if they have male genitalia or have committed sex crimes
- new approach extended to include those who have committed violent crimes
The Deputy Prime Minister has also announced measures will go one step further than previously set out – by extending the rules to cover transgender women who have been convicted of violent offences.

The new guidance will apply regardless of whether transgender prisoners have a Gender Recognition Certificate, with exemptions only to be made in the most exceptional cases – and with the express approval of Ministers.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said:

Safety has to come first in our prisons and this new policy sets out a clear, common-sense approach to the housing of transgender prisoners.

With these sensible new measures in place, transgender offenders who have committed sexual or violent crimes or retain male genitalia will not serve their sentence in a women’s prison, unless explicitly approved at the highest level.

Under the changes, transgender women who are sentenced to custody in the future will not be held in the general women’s estate if they retain male genitalia or have been convicted of a violent or sexual offence – unless in the most exceptional cases. Exemptions will be considered for those currently held in the women’s estate who are assessed as low-risk.

At present more than 90% of transgender women are housed in men’s prisons and most do not request a move to the women’s estate. There is currently no obligation to place a transgender prisoner according to their preference, and where individuals are held is based purely on risk. However, the government has decided to take this further step as an additional measure to protect women.

Transgender women prisoners who cannot be safely housed in a men’s prison can be imprisoned in a specialist unit.
March 2, 2023
Andrew Mitchell – 2023 Statement on the Turkey and Syria Earthquakes

The statement made by Andrew Mitchell, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office, in the House of Commons on 1 March 2023.

With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the situation in Turkey and Syria. I know that the House will join me in offering sincere condolences to all those affected by the recent earthquakes.

Last week when I visited Turkey, I witnessed at first hand the terrible scale of human suffering. I also had the opportunity to speak to Syrian partners and the United Nations about their work on the immediate response. I pay tribute to the hundreds of British personnel engaged in specialist health, humanitarian and rescue work in Syria and Turkey. I saw for myself the outstanding work that Britain is doing on the ground to save lives and support those who are suffering. Throughout these events and our responses, there has been excellent co-ordination across the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Today, the death toll across Turkey and Syria stands at more than 48,000, and at least 118,000 people have been injured. Approximately 25 million people have been affected, with homes, businesses and key infrastructure destroyed. The further earthquakes on 20 and 27 February, which have tragically led to additional deaths, show that the danger has not passed. In Syria, this disaster adds to years of turmoil inflicted by conflict, striking hardest in the very place that has borne the brunt of Assad’s war machine.

I turn to the initial response. Turkey requested international support immediately after the earthquakes. The UK Government delivered aid as swiftly as possible, working closely with Turkey, the United Nations, international partners, non-governmental organisations and charities. That included deploying a 77-strong search and rescue team in Turkey, along with state-of-the-art heavy equipment. We also quickly announced £4.3 million in new support to Syria Civil Defence—the White Helmets—who have carried out search and rescue operations in 60 villages, helping thousands of civilians. The British Government rapidly engaged with the Turkish Government at the highest level, and the Foreign Secretary, my noble Friend Lord Ahmad and I immediately spoke to the senior UN humanitarian officials to ensure a rapid and co-ordinated response in Syria.

As part of the immediate response, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office set up a field hospital in Türkoğlu, including an emergency department and a 24/7 operating theatre. I saw for myself 150 UK-Med and Ministry of Defence personnel working side by side with Turkish medics to save lives. I was deeply impressed and moved during my visit by the lifesaving work that those teams are doing. Together, they have treated more than 5,000 patients so far.

Meanwhile, the UK has delivered 465 tonnes of relief items to Turkey and Syria through civilian and Royal Air Force flights. That includes tents and thermal blankets for families made homeless in freezing conditions, as well as solar lanterns, water purification tablets and hygiene kits. On 15 February, we announced a further £25 million in funding to bolster our humanitarian response. That is supporting the work of the UN and aid agencies on the ground in Syria, helping communities ravaged by war, as well as by this natural disaster. It also continues to support the recovery effort in Turkey, led by its Government.

Beyond our support to the White Helmets, UK-funded charities and NGOs in northern Syria have cared for the injured through mobile medical teams and health centres. The UN has distributed food and other essential items, to which the UK has contributed. Further assistance will be delivered in the coming days as part of the UN’s Syria cross-border humanitarian fund, to which the UK is one of the most significant donors. The fund has already allocated $50 million to scale up the response. There is a particular focus on displaced families, the elderly, women, children and people with disabilities.

The UK has also supported and bolstered the response through our existing support to key multilateral organisations that are helping in Turkey and Syria. The UN’s global fund, Education Cannot Wait, announced a $7 million grant for Syrian children affected by the earthquake, and the Global Partnership for Education will provide $3.75 million to support the emergency education response. The UK is one of the most significant donors to both funds.

We are also a long-standing partner and donor to the World Bank, which announced $1.7 billion to assist Turkey, and the United Nations central emergency response fund, which has released $50 million for the crisis. Most significantly, our constituents—the British public—have demonstrated extraordinary generosity through the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, raising more than £100 million. That figure includes £5 million from the UK taxpayer in matched seed funding.

His Majesty the King visited Turkish diaspora groups and members of the British Syrian community at Syria House, a donation point in Trafalgar Square, on 14 February. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Syria House on 16 February.

It is clearly vital to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it as efficiently as possible in Syria. I will continue to engage with the United Nations to ensure maximum access for as long as is required. We welcome the accelerated pace of United Nations deliveries and are monitoring the situation closely in the Security Council in New York.

The House will understand that the scale of this tragedy is immense. The UK will continue to stand in solidarity with Turkey and with the people of Syria during these most testing of times. I commend this statement to the House.

March 2, 2023
Robert Neill – 2023 Speech on the Independent Public Advocate

The speech made by Robert Neill, the Chair of the Justice Committee, in the House of Commons on 1 March 2023.

I pay tribute to the right hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle), a fellow member of the Justice Committee, for the work she has done, and to the former Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).

The former Prime Minister’s point about the risk of cover-ups by those in authority is an important one. That is why, while I very much welcome what the Secretary of State has said—it is an important step—I hope that when engaging on how best to refine and advance these proposals, he looks again at the Justice Committee’s recommendation that there should be an extension of legal aid availability. Although the situation has already improved, we should be extending non-means-tested legal aid to all cases where there are mass fatalities, or where public bodies are potentially at fault. It is not fair—there is no equality of arms—when those public bodies are represented by teams of lawyers, but the bereaved families have to rely on sometimes getting legal aid and sometimes not, or on pro bono representation. Equality of arms would surely mean representation as a matter of right in those cases.

Dominic Raab

I thank my hon. Friend, the Chair of the Select Committee. I think that this policy will create stronger advocacy on behalf of the bereaved, the victims and the families, and having panels with the right expertise, range and status will go a long way towards getting the answers.

Again, I understand the point about compulsion of evidence. There is not a theological objection to it, certainly as far as I am concerned: it is a question of reconciling competing powers when an inquiry is set up. I will, of course, look at the Justice Committee’s report and recommendations on that issue. In general, of course, inquiries are not supposed to be adversarial, which is why the rules in relation to legal aid are as they are, but we will look at this and work with colleagues in all parts of the House as we introduce these important clauses.

March 2, 2023
Matt Hancock – 2023 Statement on Leaking of WhatsApp Messages

The statement made by Matt Hancock on 2 March 2023.

I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott. I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people – political colleagues, civil servants and friends – who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.

There is absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach. All the materials for the book have already been made available to the inquiry, which is the right, and only, place for everything to be considered properly and the right lessons to be learned. As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.

Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.

Last night, I was accused of sending menacing messages to Isabel. This is also wrong. When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had ‘any clues’ about it, and got no response. When I then saw what she’d done, I messaged to say it was ‘a big mistake’. Nothing more.

I will not be commenting further on any other stories or false allegations that Isabel will make. I will respond to the substance in the appropriate place, at the inquiry, so that we can properly learn all the lessons based on a full and objective understanding of what happened in the pandemic, and why.

March 2, 2023