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Tag: 2023

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement on Iranian nuclear steps reported by the IAEA [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement on Iranian nuclear steps reported by the IAEA [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 December 2023.

    Statement by the spokespersons of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States on the latest Iranian nuclear steps reported by the IAEA.

    The 26 December 2023 report by the IAEA highlights that Iran has increased its rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60% at Natanz and Fordow to levels observed between January and June 2023. These findings represent a backwards step by Iran and will result in Iran tripling its monthly production rate of uranium enriched up to 60%.

    We condemn this action, which adds to the unabated escalation of Iran’s nuclear programme. The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification and the reported production at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant further carries significant proliferation-related risks. We also take note of Iran’s decision to revert to the same cascade configuration as the one discovered by the IAEA in Fordow earlier this year. Iran’s delay in declaring this change in January 2023 cast serious doubts on Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the IAEA in full transparency.

    These decisions demonstrate Iran’s lack of good will towards de-escalation and represent reckless behaviour in a tense regional context.

    We urge Iran to immediately reverse these steps and de-escalate its nuclear programme. Iran must fully cooperate with the IAEA to enable it to provide assurances that its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful, and to re-designate the inspectors suspended in September 2023.

    We remain committed to a diplomatic solution and reaffirm our determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK takes lead of NATO Rapid Response Force [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK takes lead of NATO Rapid Response Force [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 28 December 2023.

    UK forces are taking lead of NATO’s rapid response force on 1 January 2024, placing thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days.

    NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) was created after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and deployed for the first time for the collective defence of the Alliance after Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Taking leadership of the VJTF will see the UK provide the majority of forces in the task force. The United Kingdom’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command.

    The leadership position is rotated annually among NATO members, and the UK now takes over from Germany, which led the force in 2023. The UK previously led the task force in 2017.

    Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

    The UK is at the heart of NATO. By heading up NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2024, we are taking another leading position in the Alliance, sending a clear message that Britain is stepping up to our global defence commitments as NATO enters its 75th year.

    The UK’s Armed Forces stand ready, at a moment’s notice, to defend our Allies and protect the British national interest.

    The world is a more dangerous and contested place than it has been for decades and we need NATO more than ever. The UK and its allies are committed to supporting NATO and what it stands for.

    The VJTF is the highest-readiness element of NATO’s larger Response Force (NRF), which also includes air, maritime and special operations forces. In 2024, VJTF land forces will comprise some 6,000 troops, with the UK’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team – the ‘Desert Rats’ – at its core.

    This is the same force that led the response during the activation of NATO’s Strategic Reserve Force in Kosovo last year. The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, and four light-mechanised infantry battalions with enabling artillery, engineering, logistics, and medical regiments. Major units include the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the 4th battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the 2nd battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment.

    The MOD’s 2023 Integrated Review Refresh was clear that NATO will remain the cornerstone of UK defence and security. The UK remains committed to offering the full spectrum of defence capabilities to the Alliance, and the past year has underlined the continued importance of the Alliance’s role in deterrence and defence.

    Our existing commitments to NATO include UK leadership of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission in Estonia, with a brigade of troops held at high readiness in the UK to reinforce Estonia and the wider Baltic at a time of crisis.

    Around 1,000 UK troops are persistently deployed to Estonia as part of the eFP mission – known as Operation Cabrit. This year, over 1,500 UK troops participated in Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia, the first time the UK conducted a brigade-sized deployment as part of Op Cabrit.

    The UK also provides a Reconnaissance Squadron to a US-led NATO battlegroup in Poland, as well as a Ground-Based Air Defence system (Sky Sabre) to help protect Polish airspace.

    In 2024, nine NATO Allies – UK, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Latvia, North Macedonia, Romania and Albania – will contribute to the NATO Response Force. The Alliance will transition the NATO Response Force into the new Allied Reaction Force in mid-2024.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms set to spark greater reuse and recycling of electrical goods [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms set to spark greater reuse and recycling of electrical goods [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 December 2023.

    Government will make it easier for people and businesses to reuse and recycle their old electrical goods.

    The Government is set to make it easier for households to recycle electrical cords, devices and white goods under new UK-wide plans announced today (28 December).

    Shocking statistics show an estimated 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools are wrongly thrown in the bin each year. UK homes are thought to hoard a further 527 million unwanted electrical items containing valuable materials such as gold, silver and platinum.

    The waste generated during the festive period demonstrates the scale of the problem: 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are discarded every year in the UK.

    To power the transition to a circular economy, government proposals unveiled today will change how we all dispose of electrical equipment, both large and small, ensuring retailers can turn old goods into new wares.

    The move builds on the major steps already taken by the Government this year to clamp down on plastic pollution and clean up our streets.

    A range of measures are proposed within the joint UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive consultation for introduction from 2026, including:

    • UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households – saving the public from having to trek to distant electrical disposal points. The collections would be financed by producers of electrical items, not the taxpayer, and not necessarily require any further bins.
    • Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product.
    • Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement.

    The proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is set to work closely with manufacturers, major retailers and small and medium enterprises throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and accessible options become a reality.

    Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:

    Every year millions of household electricals across the UK end up in the bin rather than being correctly recycled or reused. This is a sheer waste of our natural resources and has to stop.

    We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with and our proposals will ensure these gadgets are easy to dispose of without the need for a trip to your local tip. Our plans will also drive the move to a more circular economy and create new jobs by making all recycling simpler.

    The changes proposed also ensure suppliers of vapes properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste.

    Nearly 5 million vapes are now thrown away every week, the equivalent to eight per second and almost four times higher even than last year. Industry estimates the potential yearly cost of collecting and recycling vapes, which have been incorrectly disposed of, at £200 million.

    These measures build on the Prime Minister’s proposals to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, which is part of a separate consultation to create the first smokefree generation and crack down on youth vaping. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment.

    Elsewhere, the consultation proposes extending obligations to contribute to the collection of waste electricals and the financing of their recycling and preparation for reuse to online marketplaces such as Amazon. This would ensure that major international suppliers have to comply with the regulations as well – not just British businesses.

    A recent study on public attitudes and behaviours found that around 86% of people in the UK think it is worth recycling and taking the time to do it properly. It also showed many are unaware of or have difficulty accessing recycling points for waste electricals.

    Around three-quarters of UK adults say they would recycle their electricals at their local supermarket, electrical retailer or charity retailer if it was available to them. More than 77% of householders would view a retailer as more environmentally responsible if they knew they offered an electrical recycling service.

    As such, the Government has today launched a 10-week consultation on the proposed improvements to the industry-funded scheme for waste electricals, as committed to in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan earlier this year.

    Increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

    Rob Sant, Managing Director of AO.com’s electrical recycling operations, said:

    We’re the only UK electricals retailer with its own fridge recycling plant, having invested over £20m in our mission to make new appliances out of old ones through our facilities. We recycle a fifth of all the fridges that are thrown away each year and, since we opened it in 2017, we’ve recycled or reused over seven million large appliances.

    Being both a retailer and a recycler gives us a unique perspective to input to this consultation on the practicalities for our industry, driving higher standards and making it easier for customers to recycle more electrical waste.

    Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, said:

    Far too many electronic devices currently end up in the bin, so making it simpler and more convenient for householders to recycle waste electricals at home will undoubtedly play a key role in helping our sector return the valuable and rare materials in these devices back to the circular economy.

    On behalf of those operating recycling centres and kerbside collection services, we welcome the opportunity to contribute through consultation and help create an effective system that delivers on its intended outcomes and works, not just for householders, but for obligated producers and retailers too.

    Waste electricals and particularly vapes increasingly contain powerful batteries and are now responsible for hundreds of serious fires every year when not recycled responsibly, so we hope that offering convenient and widespread household collection services for these devices will also help reverse the growing trend of battery fires blighting the sector.

    The proposed reforms for waste electricals build on the Government’s wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New restrictions on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers came into force on 1 October to help reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.

    The Government is also moving forward with the implementation of our deposit return scheme for drinks containers and its extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.

    A ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products has already been introduced alongside restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic items like straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds and last year’s world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax. Meanwhile, the single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by more than 97% in the main supermarkets.

    We are taking action to conserve our finite resources, establish a more circular economy and protect the environment and human health from the negative impacts of waste.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Smokers encouraged to quit this new year for their health [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Smokers encouraged to quit this new year for their health [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 December 2023.

    The NHS is launching a brand new smokefree campaign to encourage all 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January.

    • Former England goalkeeper and ex-smoker David James urges parents to quit for their kids’ sake in poignant video campaign discussing own struggles to kick the habit
    • Research shows teens more than 3 times as likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers or friends do
    • Comes as NHS Smokefree campaign encourages 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January to improve health and reduce likelihood of young people starting
    • Major new survey shows three-quarters of people in England back government’s historic plans to create the first smokefree generation – regardless of age or region
    • First 259,000 vapes to be provided to local authorities nationwide to support smokers to quit under world-first Swap to Stop scheme

    In a hard-hitting campaign film released today, former England goalkeeper and ex-smoker David James joins a number of other ex-smokers to discuss the influence their parents’ smoking had on them taking up the habit themselves and how being around children was their motivation to quit.

    It comes as the NHS launches a brand new smokefree campaign to encourage all 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January – not only for their health, but also to help ensure young people are not being influenced to start smoking.

    Research lays bare the stark reality – teens are more than 3 times as likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers or friends do. In a new, poignant film released today, the former England goalkeeper discusses how his family members and friends smoked around him when he was a youngster, which led to him taking up the habit. In the film, he describes how smoking impacted his performance on the football world stage.

    The UK is now in the lead to be the first country in the world to create a smokefree generation by phasing out the sale of tobacco, and is set to introduce a new law to stop children who turned 14 in 2023 – or are younger – from ever legally being sold tobacco in England.

    Three-quarters (76%) of people in England support the principle of creating a smokefree generation a YouGov survey – commissioned by campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) – has found, with only 9% opposing. Support for creating a smokefree generation is similar regardless of age or region.

    Former England goalkeeper, David James, said:

    I smoked for about 15 years and at the time, it was normal. My mum smoked, my friends smoked, it was around me. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked.

    Looking back, it had a huge impact on my health and performance at the time, I wish I never started.

    My health, my children and my fans were huge motivators for me to quit – I didn’t want younger people to see me smoking and think it was okay.

    David James is joined by a number of other ex-smokers in the film to discuss the influence their parents’ smoking had on them taking up the habit themselves.

    They are accompanied by Nick Hopkinson, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London, who was involved with the UK Millennium Cohort Study research, and TV doctor, Dr Sarah Jarvis, who talks through the wider impact of generational smoking.

    Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said:

    Smoking causes a range of diseases that affect people throughout their lives.

    Stopping people becoming addicted to smoking and helping those who have been addicted to quit are 2 of the most important measures we can take to improve health.

    Quitting will improve your health whatever your age and no matter how long you have smoked, it’s never too late to stop.

    The government continues to go further and faster to support people to quit smoking. Under the world-first Swap to Stop scheme, the government has so far received requests from local authorities nationwide for an unprecedented 259,000 vapes.

    Vaping is rightly used by adults as a tool to quit smoking, but the health advice is clear: if you don’t smoke, don’t vape – and children should never vape.

    As part of the scheme, almost 1 in 5 of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit. This is part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of making England smokefree.

    Public Health Minister, Andrea Leadsom, said:

    Smoking is the biggest preventable killer in the UK and places a huge burden on our NHS.

    Cigarettes are responsible for 64,000 deaths a year in England alone – no other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users.

    That’s why we need to act now to prevent our children from ever lighting one. Our historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect the next generation from the harms of smoking and risk of addiction.

    Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of death in England. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital with a smoking-related disease.

    Smoking costs the economy and wider society £17 billion a year. This includes an annual £14 billion loss to productivity, through smoking-related lost earnings, unemployment and early death, as well as costs to the NHS and social care of £3 billion. This is equivalent to the annual salaries of over half a million nurses, 390,000 GPs, 400,000 police officers, or 400 million GP appointments.

    Reducing the prevalence of smoking will reduce those costs, lower pressure on the NHS and help the economy become more productive.

    Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London, Nick Hopkinson, said:

    We know that most people who smoke start as teenagers, and taking up smoking at a young age is linked to a greater risk of health problems later in life.

    Our research shows that the influence of family and friends is a significant driving force in young people taking up cigarettes in the first place, making them more than 3 times as likely to start smoking if their parents, caregivers or friends do.

    We must do what we can now to ensure our children are the first smokefree generation.

    Research suggests that people who start smoking under the age of 18 have higher levels of nicotine dependency and are less likely to quit smoking later in life. Imperial College London’s analysis of UK Millennium Cohort Study data also found that 1 in 10 (10.6%) teenagers were regular smokers at the age of 17 – this equates to approximately 160,000 young people in the UK being regular smokers by the age of 17.

    Currently, 4 in 5 smokers start before the age of 20 and smoking from a younger age is linked to being more likely to smoke in later years. This has a significant lasting impact, as someone who quits before turning 30 could add 10 years to their life.

    Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said:

    Over three-quarters of the public support the Prime Minister’s ambition to create a smokefree generation.

    Legislation to end cigarette sales to anyone born on or after the 1 January 2009 will be crucial to delivering that ambition. But as role models for their children, parents who smoke can play their part too.

    Stopping smoking will not only improve their health and put money in their pocket, but also significantly increase the chances their children will grow up to be part of the smokefree generation.

    TV doctor, Dr Sarah Jarvis, said:

    Smoking is highly addictive, particularly for our children. We know that most smokers start in their youth and many want to quit – but the addictive nature of cigarettes means they cannot.

    But there’s help available for those looking to stop smoking. The NHS has a range of free support, including local stop smoking services.

    Better Health offers a range of free quitting support, including a local stop smoking services look-up tool, as well as advice on stop smoking aids including information on how vaping can help you quit smoking.

    For free support to quit this January, search ‘Smokefree’.

    YouGov survey information

    The total sample size of the YouGov survey was 3,533 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15 and 17 November 2023. The survey was carried out online by YouGov. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in England (aged 18 and over).

  • PRESS RELEASE : British alcohol and chocolate companies in high spirits after CPTPP sales soar [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : British alcohol and chocolate companies in high spirits after CPTPP sales soar [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 28 December 2023.

    Exports of British festive treats to CPTPP countries have increased significantly.

    • Sales of British festive treats including chocolate, gin, whisky and sparkling wine to CPTPP countries are up significantly this year
    • Under CPTPP and existing trade deals tariffs on these festive products will be 0%
    • Scotch Whisky to Singapore has increased by 31% and by 43% to Malaysia, while UK sparkling wine exports to Japan have increased by 140%

    UK food and drink exporters are toasting success this Christmas as demand from consumers in CPTPP, the massive trade bloc in the Indo-Pacific the UK signed up to in July, has boomed ahead of the festive season.

    Latest figures show luxury British staples such as Scotch Whisky, chocolate and sparkling wine are being ordered en masse by CPTPP countries including Singapore, Japan, Mexico and Malaysia. Over the past year, UK chocolate exports to Singapore have increased by 220% in current prices to over £26 million while UK sparkling wine exports to Japan have increased by 140% to over £26 million.

    The Indo-Pacific region is set to account for the majority of global growth and around half of the world’s middle-class consumers in the decades to come, presenting huge opportunities for UK businesses. Under CPTPP, which the UK is set to formally join next year, tariffs on 99% of UK goods exports such as chocolate to Mexico and Malaysia will be 0%, helping drive even more export success.

    Scotch Whisky continues to dominate the Singapore market, with over £380 million worth of Scotch Whisky exported from the UK to Singapore over the last year, an increase of 31% (£90 million) in current prices on the previous year. Its huge popularity extends to other markets in CPTPP, with a 43% (£11 million) increase of Scotch Whisky exports to Malaysia over the past year.

    Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

    This Christmas our fantastic British food and drink producers are already reaping the rewards of the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, with high demand in fast-growing economies such as Singapore and Malaysia for our world-renowned festive staples.

    Once we become a fully-fledged CPTPP member, tariffs on more than 99% of UK goods will be set at 0%, ensuring even more people across the globe will be able to celebrate next Christmas with a glass of English sparkling wine or dram of Scotch whisky.”

    Scotch Whisky Association Chief Executive, Mark Kent said:

    Exports of Scotch Whisky to the CPTPP countries have grown significantly in the past decade, collectively reaching more than £1.1bn in 2022.

    The UK’s accession to CPTPP will open up new opportunities for Scotch Whisky and other UK products in key markets in the region, including the phased elimination of Malaysia’s import tariff.

    With the potential for more countries to join CPTPP in the coming years, Scotch Whisky will benefit from further liberalisation in the region.”

    Jonathan Brenton Director of Public Affairs for Pernod Ricard UK, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail and Chivas Brothers said:

    We are excited by UK’s entry into the CPTPP. The Pacific rim is already the world’s most economically dynamic region and five CPTPP members are in the top 20 markets for our Scotch whiskies.

    CPTPP will reduce whisky tariffs in Malaysia to zero and will help us leverage the growing middle class and a trend towards premium products and cocktail culture in other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam.”

    Isle of Harris distillers are one such business who have been leading the charge in not just CPTPP markets but across the world too, so that now even more people can sample their award-winning gin and whisky. Singapore is also a big market for the UK gin industry, with enthusiasm for gin and tonic and the Singapore Sling driving a 56% (£3 million) increase in current prices in UK gin exports to the country over the past year.

    Peter Kwasniewski, International Business Development Manager at Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd. said:

    Exporting is a great way for a business to grow sustainably and at faster rate than just domestically and exporting to CPTPP is becoming an increasingly important part of our business, and we’ve seen an encouraging boost to our sales to member countries over the past year.

    Consumers worldwide are looking at drinking less but higher quality products. There is a clear demand for super premium quality products such as the Harris Gin and The Hearach – Single Malt Whisky we distil, and once Britain becomes a full-member of the trading bloc this should only improve things further with making the products more easily accessible to international consumers .”

    Singapore is not the only country with an increasing taste for British alcohol. For Kent-based Balfour Wines, Japan – which buys more sparkling wine from the UK than any other CPTPP country – is by far their biggest market, totalling 35% of sales. Japanese customers have uncorked more than £26 million worth of sparkling wine from the UK over the past year, up 140% (£15 million) in current prices on the previous year, and this could grow further when we join CPTPP and word of this first-class product spreads.

    Adam Williams, COO and Sales Director of Balfour Wines said:

    As a category, we are at the early stages in our export journey, but it’s clear that Japan is a hugely exciting market for English Wine.

    It is a mature market for premium wine, especially for high-quality sparkling wine, something that English wineries rightly have a worldwide reputation for.

    We’re looking forward to working closely in the market to build awareness of our wine.”

    Hampshire-based chocolate manufacturer Summerdown is another business enjoying new success after taking advantage of the UK’s recent trade deals. Their award-winning peppermint chocolates have hit shelves in Singapore, where the UK exported over £26 million of chocolate over the past year. With its large expat community, Singapore’s demand for British chocolate has reached new heights, sparking a 220% (£18 million) increase in current prices in exports to the country over the past year.

    Chief Mint Officer for Summerdown Jo Colman said:

    At Summerdown, knowing our products are being enjoyed around the world brings us enormous pride. Seeing what we are creating from my family’s farm in Hampshire sold on the shelves of the world’s best food halls from Singapore to Sydney will never not be exciting.

    The support we have received from DBT over the years in these key markets has always been invaluable in enabling us to focus on promoting and extolling the virtues of what makes everything we sell so special – our Black Mitcham peppermint.”

    Analysis reveals estimated £745 million surge for food and drink sector as the UK dismantles trade barriers, propelling British goods to global markets. This includes around £440 million in fresh opportunities for UK alcohol exporters.

    Background

    • All figures in this release are in current prices, and any increases compare the 12 months to October 2023 to the previous 12 months.
    • Data for UK chocolate and sparkling wine exports was sourced from HMRC’s UK Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics, October 2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-overseas-trade-in-goods-statistics-october-2023.
    • Chocolate has been defined in the data as HS6 180620, HS6 180631, HS6 180632, and HS6 180690, sparkling wine has been defined as HS6 220410, Scotch Whisky has been defined as CN8 22083030, 22083041, 22083049, 22083061, 22083069, 22083071, 22083079, and gin has been defined as HS6 220850.
    • All exports figures compare the 12 months to October 2023 to the previous 12 months in current prices.
    • Not all UK exports of food and drink products are produced in the UK. Figures include products that have been re-exported by the UK.
    • The Digital Market Access Service (DMAS) is the internal government database of trade barriers facing UK businesses that enables closer collaboration across government in Whitehall and at overseas Posts to analyse and progress action to try and resolve them where feasible.
    • DMAS is not a comprehensive repository of all market access issues facing UK exporters, and reporting rates vary widely across countries and regions. As such, aggregate figures should be interpreted as an indicative estimate based on a selective sample.
    • Aggregate figures on the total value of barriers resolved are based on DBT analysis of specific market access, using the methodologies set out in the DBT analytical working paper. To calculate the aggregate figures, the mid-point for each valuation range is added to provide a central estimate. Further details on the methodology for the aggregate valuation figures are published in the DBT analytical working paper.
    • All individual barrier valuation figures presented are midpoints of a valuation range, and not an exact point estimate.
  • PRESS RELEASE : UK takes lead of NATO Rapid Response Force [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK takes lead of NATO Rapid Response Force [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 28 December 2023.

    UK forces are taking lead of NATO’s rapid response force on 1 January 2024, placing thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days.

    NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) was created after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and deployed for the first time for the collective defence of the Alliance after Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Taking leadership of the VJTF will see the UK provide the majority of forces in the task force. The United Kingdom’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command.

    The leadership position is rotated annually among NATO members, and the UK now takes over from Germany, which led the force in 2023. The UK previously led the task force in 2017.

    Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

    The UK is at the heart of NATO. By heading up NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2024, we are taking another leading position in the Alliance, sending a clear message that Britain is stepping up to our global defence commitments as NATO enters its 75th year.

    The UK’s Armed Forces stand ready, at a moment’s notice, to defend our Allies and protect the British national interest.

    The world is a more dangerous and contested place than it has been for decades and we need NATO more than ever. The UK and its allies are committed to supporting NATO and what it stands for.

    The VJTF is the highest-readiness element of NATO’s larger Response Force (NRF), which also includes air, maritime and special operations forces. In 2024, VJTF land forces will comprise some 6,000 troops, with the UK’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team – the ‘Desert Rats’ – at its core.

    This is the same force that led the response during the activation of NATO’s Strategic Reserve Force in Kosovo last year. The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, and four light-mechanised infantry battalions with enabling artillery, engineering, logistics, and medical regiments. Major units include the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the 4th battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the 2nd battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment.

    The MOD’s 2023 Integrated Review Refresh was clear that NATO will remain the cornerstone of UK defence and security. The UK remains committed to offering the full spectrum of defence capabilities to the Alliance, and the past year has underlined the continued importance of the Alliance’s role in deterrence and defence.

    Our existing commitments to NATO include UK leadership of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission in Estonia, with a brigade of troops held at high readiness in the UK to reinforce Estonia and the wider Baltic at a time of crisis.

    Around 1,000 UK troops are persistently deployed to Estonia as part of the eFP mission – known as Operation Cabrit. This year, over 1,500 UK troops participated in Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia, the first time the UK conducted a brigade-sized deployment as part of Op Cabrit.

    The UK also provides a Reconnaissance Squadron to a US-led NATO battlegroup in Poland, as well as a Ground-Based Air Defence system (Sky Sabre) to help protect Polish airspace.

    In 2024, nine NATO Allies – UK, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Latvia, North Macedonia, Romania and Albania – will contribute to the NATO Response Force. The Alliance will transition the NATO Response Force into the new Allied Reaction Force in mid-2024.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Smokers encouraged to quit this new year for their health [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Smokers encouraged to quit this new year for their health [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 December 2023.

    The NHS is launching a brand new smokefree campaign to encourage all 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January.

    • Former England goalkeeper and ex-smoker David James urges parents to quit for their kids’ sake in poignant video campaign discussing own struggles to kick the habit
    • Research shows teens more than three times as likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers or friends do
    • Comes as NHS Smokefree campaign encourages 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January to improve health and reduce likelihood of young people starting
    • Major new survey shows three quarters of people in England back government’s historic plans to create the first smokefree generation – regardless of age or region
    • First 259,000 vapes to be provided to authorities nationwide to support smokers to quit under world-first Swap to Stop scheme

    In a hard-hitting campaign film released today, former England goalkeeper and ex-smoker David James joins a number of other ex-smokers to discuss the influence their parents’ smoking had on them taking up the habit themselves, and how being around children was their motivation to quit.

    It comes as the NHS launches a brand new smokefree campaign to encourage all 5.3 million smokers in England to make a quit attempt this January – not only for their health, but also to help ensure young people are not being influenced to start smoking.

    Research lays bare the stark reality – teens are more than three times as likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers, or friends do. In a new, poignant film released today, the former England goalkeeper discusses how his family members and friends smoked around him when he was a youngster, which led to him taking up the habit. In the film, he describes how smoking impacted his performance on the football world stage.

    The UK is now in the lead to be the first country in the world to create a smokefree generation by phasing out the sale of tobacco, and is set to introduce a new law to stop children who turned 14 in 2023 – or are younger – from ever legally being sold tobacco in England.

    Three quarters (76%) of people in England support the principle of creating a smokefree generation a YouGov survey – commissioned by campaign group Action on Smoking and Health –has found with only 9% opposing. Support for creating a smokefree generation is similar regardless of age or region.

    Former England goalkeeper, David James, said:

    I smoked for about 15 years and at the time, it was normal. My mum smoked, my friends smoked, it was around me. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked.

    Looking back, it had a huge impact on my health and performance at the time, I wish I never started.

    My health, my children and my fans were huge motivators for me to quit – I didn’t want younger people to see me smoking and think it was okay.

    David James is joined by a number of other ex-smokers in the film to discuss the influence their parents’ smoking had on them taking up the habit themselves.

    They are accompanied by Nick Hopkinson, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London, who was involved with the UK Millennium Cohort Study research, and TV doctor, Dr Sarah Jarvis, who talks through the wider impact of generational smoking.

    Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said:

    Smoking causes a range of diseases that affect people throughout their lives.

    Stopping people becoming addicted to smoking, and helping those who have been addicted to quit are two of the most important measures we can take to improve health.

    Quitting will improve your health whatever your age and no matter how long you have smoked, it’s never too late to stop.

    The government continues to go further and faster to support people to quit smoking. Under the world-first Swap to Stop scheme, the government has so far received requests from local authorities nationwide for an unprecedented 259,000 vapes.

    Vaping is rightly used by adults as a tool to quit smoking, but the health advice is clear: if you don’t smoke, don’t vape – and children should never vape.

    As part of the scheme, almost 1 in 5 of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit. This is part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of making England smokefree.

    Public Health Minister, Andrea Leadsom, said:

    Smoking is the biggest preventable killer in the UK and places a huge burden on our NHS.

    Cigarettes are responsible for 64,000 deaths a year in England alone – no other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users.

    That’s why we need to act now to prevent our children from ever lighting one. Our historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect the next generation from the harms of smoking and risk of addiction.

    Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of death in England. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital with a smoking related disease.

    Smoking costs the economy and wider society £17 billion a year. This includes an annual £14 billion loss to productivity, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, and early death, as well as costs to the NHS and social care of £3 billion. This is equivalent to the annual salaries of over half a million nurses, 390,000 GPs, 400,000 police officers, or 400 million GP appointments.

    Reducing the prevalence of smoking will reduce those costs, lower pressure on the NHS, and help the economy become more productive.

    Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London, Nick Hopkinson, said:

    We know that most people who smoke start as teenagers, and taking up smoking at a young age is linked to a greater risk of health problems later in life.

    Our research shows that the influence of family and friends is a significant driving force in young people taking up cigarettes in the first place, making them more than three times as likely to start smoking if their parents, caregivers or friends do.

    We must do what we can now to ensure our children are the first smokefree generation.

    Research suggests that people who start smoking under the age of 18 have higher levels of nicotine dependency and are less likely to quit smoking later in life. Imperial College London’s analysis of UK Millennium Cohort Study data also found that 1 in 10 (10.6%) teenagers were regular smokers at the age of 17 – this equates to approximately 160,000 young people in the UK being regular smokers by the age of 17.

    Currently, 4 in 5 smokers start before the age of 20 and smoking from a younger age is linked to being more likely to smoke in later years. This has a significant lasting impact, as someone who quits before turning 30 could add 10 years to their life.

    Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said:

    Over three quarters of the public support the Prime Minister’s ambition to create a smokefree generation.

    Legislation to end cigarette sales to anyone born on or after the 1 January 2009 will be crucial to delivering that ambition. But as role models for their children, parents who smoke can play their part too.

    Stopping smoking will not only improve their health and put money in their pocket, but also significantly increase the chances their children will grow up to be part of the smokefree generation.

    TV doctor, Dr Sarah Jarvis, said:

    Smoking is highly addictive, particularly for our children. We know that most smokers start in their youth and many want to quit – but the addictive nature of cigarettes means they cannot.

    But there’s help available for those looking to stop smoking. The NHS has a range of free support, including local stop smoking services.

    Better Health offers a range of free quitting support, including a local stop smoking services look-up tool, as well as advice on stop smoking aids including information on how vaping can help you quit smoking.

    For free support to quit this January, search ‘Smokefree’.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms set to spark greater reuse and recycling of electrical goods [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms set to spark greater reuse and recycling of electrical goods [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 December 2023.

    Government will make it easier for people and businesses to reuse and recycle their old electrical goods.

    The Government is set to make it easier for households to recycle electrical cords, devices and white goods under new UK-wide plans announced today (28 December).

    Shocking statistics show an estimated 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools are wrongly thrown in the bin each year. UK homes are thought to hoard a further 527 million unwanted electrical items containing valuable materials such as gold, silver and platinum.

    The waste generated during the festive period demonstrates the scale of the problem: 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are discarded every year in the UK.

    To power the transition to a circular economy, government proposals unveiled today will change how we all dispose of electrical equipment, both large and small, ensuring retailers can turn old goods into new wares.

    The move builds on the major steps already taken by the Government this year to clamp down on plastic pollution and clean up our streets.

    A range of measures are proposed within the joint UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive consultation for introduction from 2026, including:

    • UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households – saving the public from having to trek to distant electrical disposal points. The collections would be financed by producers of electrical items, not the taxpayer, and not necessarily require any further bins.
    • Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product.
    • Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement.

    The proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is set to work closely with manufacturers, major retailers and small and medium enterprises throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and accessible options become a reality.

    Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:

    Every year millions of household electricals across the UK end up in the bin rather than being correctly recycled or reused. This is a sheer waste of our natural resources and has to stop.

    We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with and our proposals will ensure these gadgets are easy to dispose of without the need for a trip to your local tip. Our plans will also drive the move to a more circular economy and create new jobs by making all recycling simpler.

    The changes proposed also ensure suppliers of vapes properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste.

    Nearly 5 million vapes are now thrown away every week, the equivalent to eight per second and almost four times higher even than last year. Industry estimates the potential yearly cost of collecting and recycling vapes, which have been incorrectly disposed of, at £200 million.

    These measures build on the Prime Minister’s proposals to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, which is part of a separate consultation to create the first smokefree generation and crack down on youth vaping. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment.

    Elsewhere, the consultation proposes extending obligations to contribute to the collection of waste electricals and the financing of their recycling and preparation for reuse to online marketplaces such as Amazon. This would ensure that major international suppliers have to comply with the regulations as well – not just British businesses.

    A recent study on public attitudes and behaviours found that around 86% of people in the UK think it is worth recycling and taking the time to do it properly. It also showed many are unaware of or have difficulty accessing recycling points for waste electricals.

    Around three-quarters of UK adults say they would recycle their electricals at their local supermarket, electrical retailer or charity retailer if it was available to them. More than 77% of householders would view a retailer as more environmentally responsible if they knew they offered an electrical recycling service.

    As such, the Government has today launched a 10-week consultation on the proposed improvements to the industry-funded scheme for waste electricals, as committed to in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan earlier this year.

    Increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

    Rob Sant, Managing Director of AO.com’s electrical recycling operations, said:

    We’re the only UK electricals retailer with its own fridge recycling plant, having invested over £20m in our mission to make new appliances out of old ones through our facilities. We recycle a fifth of all the fridges that are thrown away each year and, since we opened it in 2017, we’ve recycled or reused over seven million large appliances.

    Being both a retailer and a recycler gives us a unique perspective to input to this consultation on the practicalities for our industry, driving higher standards and making it easier for customers to recycle more electrical waste.

    Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, said:

    Far too many electronic devices currently end up in the bin, so making it simpler and more convenient for householders to recycle waste electricals at home will undoubtedly play a key role in helping our sector return the valuable and rare materials in these devices back to the circular economy.

    On behalf of those operating recycling centres and kerbside collection services, we welcome the opportunity to contribute through consultation and help create an effective system that delivers on its intended outcomes and works, not just for householders, but for obligated producers and retailers too.

    Waste electricals and particularly vapes increasingly contain powerful batteries and are now responsible for hundreds of serious fires every year when not recycled responsibly, so we hope that offering convenient and widespread household collection services for these devices will also help reverse the growing trend of battery fires blighting the sector.

    The proposed reforms for waste electricals build on the Government’s wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New restrictions on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers came into force on 1 October to help reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.

    The Government is also moving forward with the implementation of our deposit return scheme for drinks containers and its extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.

    A ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products has already been introduced alongside restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic items like straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds and last year’s world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax. Meanwhile, the single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by more than 97% in the main supermarkets.

    We are taking action to conserve our finite resources, establish a more circular economy and protect the environment and human health from the negative impacts of waste.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government to crack down on corruption in the property sector [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government to crack down on corruption in the property sector [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 27 December 2023.

    A consultation launched today will ensure greater transparency and tackle corruption in the property sector, by making it clearer who owns land trusts.

    • New proposals to make it clearer who owns trust-owned land.
    • Greater transparency to help target illicit finance and corruption in property sector.
    • Consultation aims to lift the veil of secrecy currently afforded to land-holding trusts.

    As part of decisive action to ensure greater transparency and tackle corruption in the property sector, it will be made clearer who owns land trusts.

    The government has today, 27 December 2023, launched a consultation setting out plans to improve the transparency of trust information.

    Land ownership through a trust means someone legally owns and manages the land on behalf of the true owner and beneficiary. Currently, the identity of the beneficiary is not always recorded or publicly available, potentially leading to secrecy or corruption in the sector.

    The new plans will mean residents, the media and the public will be able to find out more about who owns land and property, who can control it and receives financial benefit from it.

    Housing Secretary Michael Gove said:

    It matters who really owns land and property. It matters for how and where we build our homes, grow our food, and power our country.

    These proposals will lift the veil of secrecy currently afforded to land-holding trusts.

    Transparency about land ownership is crucial if we want to make our housing and land markets fairer. In its absence, injustices, corruption and crime can flourish.

    Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:

    There’s no place for fraud and other illegal activity in our society, so it’s fantastic so see the launch of this consultation which fulfils a government commitment and ensures more is being done to make the trust information held on the Register for Overseas Entities more transparent.

    The Register for Overseas Entities is imperative in ensuring we weed out kleptocrats and oligarchs buying up British properties under false names and has already helped identify absent landlords so that they can be held to account.

    The changes will make it as easy as possible for people to access all land and property ownership data across the range of different public registers, providing as much free and readily available information as possible.

    Greater transparency will help tackle illicit finance and corruption in the system, with offshore trusts in the UK property sector identified as posing a higher risk of money laundering*.

    The consultation runs for eight weeks and seeks views on widening access to trust information held on the Register of Overseas Entities and on how ownership of land involving trusts can be made more transparent.

    This meets the commitment the government made during the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 to launch a consultation on how we to improve the transparency of trust information before the end of this year. The government intends, subject to this consultation, to bring forward changes as soon as possible thereafter.

    Through this act the government strengthened the Register of Overseas Entities – a list of the true owners of offshore companies that own UK land, while the Trust Registration Service in 2017 created the first register of beneficial ownership of trusts with UK links, clamping down on money laundering and terrorist financing.

    This builds on new transparency powers announced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act to demand more information on land and property ownership and look behind the legal ownership of property to find the true ultimate ownership.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Many happy returns from 4,757 festive filers on Christmas Day [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Many happy returns from 4,757 festive filers on Christmas Day [December 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 27 December 2023.

    Thousands of customers filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day.

    There were 4,757 customers who filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

    A day traditionally dominated by eating, drinking, and exchanging gifts saw a perhaps surprising number of customers also find time to go online and complete the essential job of filing their tax return for the 2022 to 2023 tax year, ahead of the 31 January 2024 deadline.

    Over the three-day festive period, 25,769 customers submitted their tax return, an increase compared to the same period last year, with 8,876 filing on Christmas Eve and 12,136 on Boxing Day. The peak time was between 12:00 and 12:59 on Boxing Day, when 1,121 returns were received by HMRC.

    Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

    Our Christmas Day filers proved that there is no time like the present to get started on Self Assessment, and with our online tool it can be a simple task that’s easy to fit around other festive commitments. There’s no need to delay, getting it done ahead of the 31 January deadline means less stress and longer to work out payment options. Get started today by searching ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK.

    Customers can submit their tax return online, but they do not have to pay until 31 January 2024. However, those who file before 30 December may have the option of paying any tax owed through their PAYE tax code.

    HMRC has a wide range of resources online including a series of video tutorials on YouTube, help and support on GOV.UK, to support customers in completing their tax return.

    They can pay through the free and secure HMRC app. For a full list of ways to pay any tax owed, visit GOV.UK.

    If customers cannot pay in full by the deadline, they may be able to set up a Time to Pay arrangement online if the amount owed is less than £30,000. There is a new affordability assessment for customers to enter their income and spending to calculate disposable income and set up an affordable payment plan.

    Customers need to be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone – even a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.

    Further information

    More information about Self Assessment.

    The breakdown of figures for those who opted to file during the festive period are:

    • Christmas Eve: 8,876 tax returns were filed – the peak time for filing was between 12:00 and 12:59, when 850 returns were received
    • Christmas Day: 4,757 tax returns were filed – the peak time for filing was between 12:00 and 12:59, when 402 returns were received
    • Boxing Day: 12,136 tax returns were filed – the peak time for filing was between 12:00 and 12:59, when 1,121 returns were received

    During December and January, the HMRC helpline is supporting customers who have queries about Self Assessment payments, refunds and who need help completing their tax return.  For all other queries go online where you’ll find guidance, videos and tools that will help you. Go to GOV.UK and search ‘Self Assessment’.

    HMRC has lots of information and support available online which includes:

    The small minority of customers who require extra support or struggle to engage with us digitally can still speak to an adviser.

    Customers are reminded to include their bank account details on their tax return so they can get any repayment due quickly and securely.

    It is important that customers let HMRC know of any changes to their circumstances. Customers can use the HMRC app to update their details including a new address or name. Customers also need to let us know if they’ve stopped being self-employed or need to change their business details. This can be done online at GOV.UK.