Tag: 2023

Ben Wallace – 2023 Statement on Ukraine

The statement made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, in the House of Commons on 16 January 2023.

Mr Speaker, may I start by apologising for the way the information contained in the statement has come out in the media? It does not do me any favours and nor does it make my job any easier. I apologise to Mr Speaker and to the House. It is certainly not my doing and it does not help us in furthering the policy.

It has been a month since I last updated the House on the situation in Ukraine. Over the last four weeks, extremely heavy and attritional fighting has continued, especially around the Donetsk oblast town of Bakhmut and in the less reported on sector of Kreminna in Luhansk. Over Christmas, Russia continued its assault on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, but no matter how cruel, or how much loss of life accompanies it, Russia has singularly failed to break the will of the Ukrainian people or change the policy of its leaders.

We continue to closely monitor how Russia’s long-range strike campaign will evolve as it eats deeper into the strategic reserves of its own modern missiles. It is notable that Russia is now using the forced labour of convicts to manufacture weaponry. Ukraine, however, continues to use its internationally provided long-range artillery to successful effect.

Throughout the war, Russia has managed to lose significant numbers of generals and commanding officers, but last week’s announcement that its commander in Ukraine, General Sergey Surovikin, had been unceremoniously bypassed, with the chief of the general staff, General Gerasimov, personally taking over field command, is certainly significant. It is the visible tip of an iceberg of factionalism within the Russian command. Putin apparently remains bullish, and with Gerasimov’s deference to the President never in doubt, we would now expect a trend back towards a Russian offensive, no matter how much loss of life accompanies it.

In 2023, there is no loss of momentum from the international community—quite the opposite. President Putin believed that the west would get tired, get bored and fragment. Ukraine is continuing to fight, and far from fragmenting, the west is accelerating its efforts. The United States has invested approximately $24.2 billion in support for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on 24 February last year. It has delivered thousands of anti-aircraft and anti-armour systems and has recently stepped up that support, delivering Patriot air defence battery and munitions and 45 refurbished T-72 Bravo tanks, as well as donating 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to assist with the counter-offensive. We also welcome the decision of the French Government to provide Ukraine with the AMX-10 light, highly mobile tank, which has been used very recently in reconnaissance missions by the French army and was deployed as recently as the Barkhane mission in west Africa.

Important as those contributions are in and of themselves, what matters more is that they represent part of an international effort that collectively conveys a force multiplier effect. None of this is happening unilaterally; no one is doing this on their own. I shall soon be announcing the first round of bids to the jointly Danish and UK-chaired international fund for Ukraine. I am grateful to Sweden for adding, over the festive period, to the pot of money donated. Those who have donated to the fund now include Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland and others.

Meanwhile, Russia, isolated and without such support, has now lost more than 1,600 main battle tanks in Ukraine since the start of the invasion. However, if we are to continue helping Ukraine to seize the upper hand in the next phase of the conflict, we must accelerate our collective efforts diplomatically, economically and militarily to keep the pressure on Putin.

In December, I told the House that I was

“developing options to respond”

to Russia’s continued aggression

“in a calibrated and determined manner”.—[Official Report, 20 December 2022; Vol. 725, c. 157.]

Today, I can announce the most significant package of combat power to date, to accelerate Ukrainian success. It includes a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks, with armoured recovery and repair vehicles. We will donate AS-90 guns to Ukraine; this donation, which comprises a battery of eight guns at high readiness and two further batteries at varying states of readiness, will not impact on our existing AS-90 commitment in Estonia. Hundreds more armoured and protected vehicles will also be sent, including Bulldog. There will be a manoeuvre support package, including minefield breaching and bridging capabilities worth £28 million; dozens more uncrewed aerial systems worth £20 million to support Ukrainian artillery; another 100,000 artillery rounds, on top of the 100,000 rounds already delivered; hundreds more sophisticated missiles, including guided multiple-launch rocket system rockets, Starstreak air defence and medium-range air defence missiles; and an equipment support package of spares to refurbish up to 100 Ukrainian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. While the tanks and the AS-90s will come from our stocks, along with their associated ammunition, a significant number of the other donations are being purchased on the open market or from supportive third-party countries.

Today’s package is an important increase to Ukraine’s capabilities. It means that it can go from resisting to expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian soil. President Putin cannot win, but he is equally certain that he can continue inflicting this wanton violence and human suffering until his forces are ejected from their defensive positions and expelled from the country. That requires a new level of support: the combat power only achieved by combinations of main battle tank squadrons, operating alongside divisional artillery groups, and further deep precision fires enabling the targeting of Russian logistics and command nodes at greater distance. We will be the first country to donate western main battle tanks, and we will be bringing a further squadron of our own Challenger tanks to higher readiness in place of the squadron sent. Even as we gift Challenger 2 tanks, I shall at the same time be reviewing the number of Challenger 3 conversions, to consider whether the lessons of Ukraine suggest that we need a larger tank fleet.

We will also build apace on the Army’s modernisation programme. Specifically on artillery, I am accelerating the mobile fires programme so that, instead of delivering in the 2030s, it will do so during the current decade. I have also directed that, subject to commercial negotiation, an interim artillery capability is to be delivered. After discussion with the United States and our European allies, it is hoped that the example set by the French and us will allow the countries holding Leopard tanks to donate as well, and I know that a number of countries want to do the same. As I have said, no one is going it alone.

It is worth reiterating why we are doing this. In 2023, the international community will not let Russia wait us out while inflicting terrible suffering on Ukrainian civilians. The international community recognises that equipping Ukraine to push Russia out of its territory is as important as equipping it to defend what it already has. This week dozens of nations will meet in Ramstein, Germany, to progress further donations and international co-ordination. The Kremlin will be in no doubt that we are resolved to stand by Ukraine in her fight.

Doubling down on the success of our basic training of Ukrainian military personnel in the United Kingdom in 2022, we are increasing the number this year to a further 20,000. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, New Zealand and the Netherlands have already joined this effort, and I am pleased to say that we are to be joined by a group of Australian military to train in the UK as well—leaving their summer to join our winter, brave souls.

Our decision today is a calibrated response to Russia’s growing aggression and indiscriminate bombing. The Kremlin must recognise that it is Russia’s behaviour that is solidifying the international resolve, and that despite the propaganda, Ukraine and her partners are focused on the defence of Ukraine. None of the international support is an attack on Russia, or NATO-orchestrated aggression, let alone a proxy war. At its heart, it is about helping Ukraine to defend itself, upholding international law and restoring its own sovereignty. We believe that in 2023, increased supplies, improved training and strengthening diplomatic resolve will enable Ukraine to be successful against Russia’s poorly led and now badly equipped armed forces.

From the outset, President Putin believed that his forces would be welcomed with open arms, that Ukrainians would not fight, and that western support would crumble. He has been proved wrong on all counts. Today’s package will help to accelerate the conclusion of Putin’s occupation and all its brutality, and ensure that in 2023, and beyond if necessary, Ukraine will maintain its momentum, supported by an international community that is more than ever determined that Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion will fail.

January 19, 2023
Drew Hendry – 2023 Speech on the Execution of Alireza Akbari

The speech made by Drew Hendry, the SNP spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 16 January 2023.

May I also thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement? The SNP utterly condemns the execution of Alireza Akbari in the strongest possible terms, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Once again, this execution highlights the serious injustice and failings of the Iranian judicial system. The Foreign Secretary’s decision to sanction Iran’s prosecutor is welcome, but as we have been calling for many times, I urge the Foreign Secretary again to go further and to take forward the formal proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. I ask him again: will he commit to that?

We remain deeply concerned about the safety of other arbitrarily detained UK-Iranian nationals. Morad Tahbaz has been held for five years. Mehran Raoof has been held since 2020. Their families just want to see them come home safely. What are the Government doing to make that a reality? Does the Secretary of State know just how many dual UK-Iranian nationals are detained in Iran, and can he tell us that number?

The Foreign Office cannot make the same mistakes it has made in the past with other dual nationals, such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Anoosheh Ashoori and other UK-Iranian nationals detained and, as we have heard, sometimes tortured. This shameful execution should serve as an urgent wake-up call. These people and their families deserve better. What lessons have this Government learned, and what are they going to do differently in future to support these people?

James Cleverly

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we work tirelessly to support the release of British dual nationals held in detention in Iran. Our consular team supports their families. The work that we, our ambassador and his team do in Tehran is incredibly important. Their presence is to ensure that British dual nationals, whether they have been in incarceration or not, are supported, and we will continue to work with our international friends and allies to secure the release of those individuals. In regard to proscription, he raises an important point. He will have heard the answers I have given to other colleagues—we do not limit ourselves to the responses we have already announced.

January 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Major broadband rollout for Cornwall with £36 million awarded to Wildanet to connect thousands of rural premises [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 19 January 2023.

Thousands of people in rural Cornwall will get access to lightning-fast broadband after local supplier Wildanet was awarded £36 million from the government to roll out new connections.
- Contracts for local provider Wildanet will deliver lightning-fast broadband in South West and Mid Cornwall
- Move is part of the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit and will see up to 19,250 hard-to-reach homes and businesses connected
- 200 jobs to be created in a further economic boost for the region
Thousands of people living and working in rural Cornwall will get access to lightning-fast broadband after local supplier Wildanet was awarded £36 million from the government to roll out new connections.

Two contracts, part of the government’s nationwide £5 billion Project Gigabit to supply hard-to-reach areas with better broadband, have been awarded to the Liskeard-based supplier. It will see up to 19,250 homes and businesses in South West and Mid Cornwall connected.

Work will start today to survey rural homes and businesses from Newquay to Fowey. Building work to connect those in need to the fastest broadband on the market is set to begin as early as this summer.

Project Gigabit is the biggest broadband rollout in British history. It will help communities to seize the benefits of gigabit-capable networks – speeds of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) – and be ready for the future. It will allow users to work, stream and use multiple smart devices online without a battle against bandwidth and the disruption often experienced with ageing networks.

The investment in the region reflects the government’s commitment to roll out gigabit broadband nationally and will help to create a level playing field for hard-to-reach communities and businesses around the county, bringing with it economic, environmental and social benefits for local people.

As a result of these new contracts, Wildanet expects to create 200 jobs on top of the 150 the company has created in the area already. This will include a range of skilled roles across the build operation – including network design, surveying and partner management – plus engineering and head office roles. There will also be indirect opportunities for local companies such as civil contractors and through the supply chain.

Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said:

From Tintagel to Tredavoe, we are investing millions of pounds to connect almost 20,000 homes and businesses across Cornwall to lightning-fast broadband. This will generate growth and opportunity for people in the region’s rural communities.

The move is part of the government’s flagship £5 billion Project Gigabit programme to spread fast, reliable and fit for the future broadband to rural and remote communities in the UK.

Wildanet is already investing more than £50 million in an ultrafast broadband network across Cornwall and Devon – bringing fast, reliable internet to homes, businesses and communities. The new 10 Gbps network represents a significant technological leap for Cornwall. It is capable of speeds up to 100 times faster than the average internet speeds available in the county.

Wildanet’s Training Academy, and its well-established apprenticeship programme, will also continue to deliver skills to ensure that the jobs created through these contracts can be taken by people from the county.

Helen Wylde, Wildanet Chief Executive Officer said:

This is great news for remote communities in Cornwall as we continue to connect Cornwall’s homes and businesses to full fibre broadband in non-urban areas, with the economic and social transformation that brings.

The funding from the government will help to breathe new life into Cornwall’s rural communities and give people access to the opportunities that gigabit broadband provides. It will also send out a positive signal to remote communities across the country who, to date, do not have the broadband connectivity to benefit from the digital age that many of us now take for granted in our daily lives.

Wildanet undertakes to deliver on this project using the public funds provided through these awards as a key player for Cornwall, by Cornwall, and of Cornwall. We passionately believe that the funding provided by DCMS for these two vitally important infrastructure projects will assist Cornwall in growing its economy, connecting more people and businesses, and democratising digital services so that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that they present.

Cornwall Council portfolio holder for economy, Louis Gardner, said:

We’ve been working closely with DCMS to progress these procurements and it’s good news that the two contracts have been awarded, bringing the benefits of access to ultrafast, full fibre broadband connections to more of Cornwall’s residents. This builds on the legacy of previous investments since 2011 through the Superfast Cornwall programmes, including existing 49% coverage of gigabit-capable full fibre, one of the highest in England for a rural county.
- Locations in line for connections include: The Lizard, Hayle, Praze-an-Beeble, Portloe, Fowey, Tintagel, Penwith, Otterham, Tredavoe, Mullion, Gweek, Praze-an-Beeble, Sennen Cove, Lelant, Angarrack, Trethosa, St Mawgan, Constantine, Bodmin, Luxulyan
January 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Landmark Levelling Up Fund to spark transformational change across the UK [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 January 2023.

More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund to create jobs and boost the economy.
- More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund
- Projects will benefit millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and create jobs and boost economic growth
- £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration and £594 million to restore local heritage sites
- Successful bids include Eden Project North in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, regeneration in Gateshead, and rail improvements in Cornwall
Landmark levelling up funding will breathe new life into more than 100 communities, with up to £2.1 billion awarded today to transformational projects across the United Kingdom. These include Eden Project North visitor attraction in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, a new rail link in Cornwall, and a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead that will create jobs and grow the economy.

Major government investment will benefit millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and spread opportunity to historically overlooked areas – with £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration, and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.

A total of 111 areas have been awarded funding from the second of the government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund, providing greater investment in communities that will create new jobs, drive economic growth, help restore people’s pride in the places where they live, and spread opportunity more equally. Secretaries of State will be visiting winning projects across the UK to see how local leaders will deliver for local people.

This will drive forward the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy by levelling up and provide the foundations for building a better future in communities across the UK. By working as one United Kingdom, the country is better able to collectively tackle the individual challenges faced by every region and nation across the country.

The government has also confirmed there will be a further round of the Levelling Up Fund, providing more opportunity to level up places across the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Through greater investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity everywhere.

That’s why we are backing more than 100 projects with new transformational funding to level up local communities across the United Kingdom.

By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people’s lives and the places they call home.

Projects awarded Levelling Up Fund money today include:
- Eden Project North will receive £50 million to transform a derelict site on Morecambe’s seafront into a world class visitor attraction. It will also kick-start regeneration more widely in Morecambe, creating jobs, supporting tourism and encouraging investment in the seaside town.
- Cardiff Crossrail has been allocated £50 million from the fund to improve the journey to and from the city and raise the economic performance of the wider region.
- Blackpool Council and Wyre Council will receive £40 million to deliver a new Multiversity, a carbon-neutral, education campus in Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway Central Business District. This historic funding allows Blackpool and The Fylde College to replace their ageing out-of-town centre facilities with world-class state-of-the-art ones in the heart of the town centre. The Multiversity will promote higher-level skills, including automation and artificial intelligence, helping young people secure jobs of the future.
- Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands. The service is a lifeline for the island, supporting its residents, visitors and supply chains, and without its replacement the community will become further isolated.
- A total of £20 million is going towards the regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will include a new arena, exhibition centre, hotels, and other hospitality. The development will attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year and will create more than 1,150 new jobs.
- A £50 million grant will help create a new direct train service, linking 4 of Cornwall’s largest urban areas: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn. This will level up access to jobs, skills, education, and amenities in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the UK.
- There is £5.1 million to build new female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs across Northern Ireland.
The UK government will also today launch an interactive map online so people can see which projects in their area are receiving Levelling Up Fund investment. This will be available at https://levellingup.campaign.gov.uk/.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

We are firing the starting gun on more than a hundred transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential.

This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

This is a major down payment on local jobs, growth and regeneration, all part of our mission to level up opportunity across the country.

To unlock more growth right across the country, we are making it easier for locally-elected leaders to make things happen without banging on a Whitehall door by extending devolution deals to all areas of England that want them by 2030.

The successful bids announced today follows the allocation of £1.7 billion to 105 projects from Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund in 2021. The government confirmed last year that Round 2 funding would match Round 1 but increased this by more than £400 million after receiving a high number of transformative bids – taking the total allocated so far from the fund to £3.8 billion.

Today’s allocations also come on top of significant action already taken by the government to level up communities across the country. This includes opening 7 freeports, signing 6 devolution deals, connecting 740,000 homes and business with gigabit broadband, and helping 70 community groups take ownership of their cherished pubs, clubs and local landmarks at risk of closure.

The Towns Fund has been providing funding of up £25 million, to 101 towns in order to boost local economies outside of big cities and deliver vital infrastructure.

Developing better transport links

More than £670 million from the Levelling Fund has been allocated to 26 projects across the United Kingdom to improve transport links.

This includes £40 million for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to transform its bus services, especially in areas of deprivation and for communities who do not have access to a car.

The North East Combined Authority will receive nearly £20 million to buy more than 50 new electric buses. This will provide more than 3,000 seats for passengers, improve air quality, reduce congestion and support businesses in the region.

Belfast International Airport will receive £2.3 million to purchase an electric bus fleet, which will have significant benefits for travellers and local people with better air quality and reduced noise.

Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for the Shetland Fair Isle in Scotland, providing a lifeline for the community, visitors and vital supply chains.

Revitalising towns and cities

Over £760 million is being provided to regenerate towns and cities and unlock thousands of new homes.

This includes £20 million to regenerate Accrington town centre, which will see the renovation of the Grade II listed Accrington Market Hall into a bustling food hall and trading space and the refurbish of the vacant and dilapidated Burtons Chambers and Market Chambers into band-new office spaces.

There is £18 million for a transformation of Cleethorpes seafront, including the historic market square and regenerating Pier Gardens.

The construction of Willenhall Garden City in Walsall will be accelerated by a £20 million grant, which will unlock a £210 million regeneration plan, enabling the delivery of new homes, parks, and a railway station.

More £17 million will level up Leek Town Centre through a refurbishment plan that will upgrade the old market halls for new business use, upgrade the public library and museum, and create a swimming facility as part of wider town centre regeneration.

Restoring local heritage

£545 million will restore local landmarks and protect them for generations to come.

This includes nearly £18 million to transform the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, one of the most recognisable buildings in South Wales, which is currently deteriorating after years of piecemeal refurbishments.

There is £20 million to restore the Grade II listed Haigh Hall in Wigan, which will rejuvenate the area and make the site a popular destination for culture, community, events and hospitality.

All areas were invited to bid for Round 2 by August 2022.
January 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Switzerland hands over Ukraine Recovery Conference hosting to UK [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 18 January 2023.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps marked the handover at Davos of the next Ukraine Recovery Conference which will take place in London in June 2023.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps today (Wednesday 18 January) met Swiss and Ukrainian representatives to mark the official host handover of the Ukraine Recovery Conference from Switzerland to the UK.

The Business Secretary attended the event at the World Economic Forum, Davos. Alongside Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, he held a press conference to mark the handover of the next conference from Switzerland to the UK as co-host, jointly with Ukraine.

The next Ukraine Recovery Conference will take place in London on 21 to 22 June 2023. The event is a continuation of the series of annual conferences dedicated to Ukraine’s transformation. The first took place in London in 2017 as the Ukraine Reform Conference.

This year’s conference will focus on the mobilisation of international and private sector support for the economic and social stabilisation of Ukraine.

Speaking at Switzerland House Grant Shapps said:

Our steadfast commitment to Ukraine extends to also helping them secure the financial support required to recover from the destruction so cruelly meted out by Moscow.

It was a privilege to mark the official handover of the Ukraine Recovery Conference and I have no doubt that as hosts this June, Britain will rise to the challenge of mobilising support from across the world.

Prime Minister Shmyhal noted:

We expect that the next Recovery Conference in London will make it possible to mobilize international support for Ukraine’s urgent recovery for this year. In addition, we expect that, together with our partners, we will clearly set out the provisions on what resources should be used for long-term recovery.

Swiss Federal Councillor Cassis commented:

The decisions taken in Lugano will be followed up in London.

I believe we need a compass to guide us, even in the dark times we are currently experiencing. The Lugano Declaration serves as that compass.

The 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference will be a major, high-profile event attended by senior representatives from the G7 and other international and multilateral partners, International Finance Institutions, the private sector and Civil Society.

January 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UK opposes all unilateral actions that will make Israeli-Palestinian peace harder to achieve – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council briefing on MEPP.

Thank you, Mr President, and we thank the Special Coordinator for his briefing.

Last year saw large numbers of Palestinians and Israelis killed, worsening rates of settler violence, and the emergence of new Palestinian militant groups. Unfortunately, 2023 has also started with violence and instability. In this context, the UK Minister of State, Lord Ahmad, visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this month. There, he underlined the UK’s support for a two-state solution and urged the parties, supported by the international community, to do all they can to de-escalate, restore calm, and rebuild trust.

To this end, Mr President, first, the parties must demonstrate through their statements and their policies a genuine commitment to peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians and to a two-state solution. This is the only way to end the conflict, preserve Israel’s Jewish and democratic identity and realise Palestinian national aspirations. The UK opposes all unilateral actions that will make peace harder to achieve, whether taken by the Palestinian or Israeli side, including the Government of Israel’s measures against the Palestinian Authority, announced on 6 January.

Second, the UK calls upon all parties to continue to uphold the historic Status Quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites. During his visit, Lord Ahmad visited Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount. He emphasised the UK’s unwavering commitment to the Status Quo and to working with the parties to ensure the safety of all who visit. We value Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Third, we urge the leaders on both sides to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence. The desecration of 30 Christian graves in a Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion this month speaks to the dangers of increasing division along ethnic and religious lines. We are grateful to all sides for their swift condemnation of these shocking acts. As a defender of freedom of religion or belief for all, the UK urges respect for all burial and holy sites, which must be treated with dignity.

Finally, Israel must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire when protecting its legitimate security interest. In the first three weeks of this year, 14 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces, including 3 children.

Restoring stability and securing peace is still possible, but requires effort from all sides in a process towards a two state solution. The UK stands ready to support these important objectives.

January 18, 2023
Alicia Kearns – 2023 Speech on the Execution of Alireza Akbari

The speech made by Alicia Kearns, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in the House of Commons on 16 January 2023.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The thoughts of the entire Committee are with Mr Akbari’s family.

From hostage taking to terrorist plots, assassinations, nuclear extortion and destabilisation of the middle east and Europe, Iran is a terrorist state and it has weaponised human life. This is the first murder of a dual national since the 1980s. It is a clear escalation.

I make four asks. First, the House is clear that we need to proscribe the IRGC. Can the Foreign Secretary confirm that he recognises that that is a policy decision, not a legal one? Secondly, we need to close down the IRGC’s operating centres within the UK, such as the one in Maida Vale. These are centres for spreading hostile influence within the UK. Can the Secretary of State also confirm that he will consider reactive sanctions to help the ordinary Iranians for whom no one else will stand up? After every state murder, we should impose sanctions to show we will give their voice some support. Finally, can he reassure me that he is confident of the safety of our staff in Tehran? I remember the stories of my colleagues who were under siege by the Iranian state in the past, and I am gravely concerned about their safety at this time.

James Cleverly

My hon. Friend the Chair of the Select Committee raises incredibly important points. She knows the long-standing convention about speculating about sanctions and proscriptions, but I absolutely take the points that she has made about ensuring that the response we take here in the UK and, indeed, in conjunction with our international partners sends an incredibly clear message to the regime that these actions are unacceptable and will be responded to each and every time they take place. With regard to the actions that we take domestically here in the UK, I can assure her that we work closely with our Home Office colleagues on our collective response, and I agree with her that the safety of our team in Tehran is incredibly important. I pay tribute to them for the work that they do in incredibly challenging circumstances, and I also pay tribute to the demonstrations of international solidarity that we regularly receive from other platforms in Tehran.

January 18, 2023
Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on the Execution of Alireza Akbari

The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Shadow Foreign Minister, in the House of Commons on 16 January 2023.

I thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement. I am responding on behalf of the Opposition as my right hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy) is on a visit to Northern Ireland and so is unable to be here.

The execution of Alireza Akbari is the most horrendous human rights abuse—a barbaric act of politically motivated murder at the hands of the Iranian regime. The whole House’s condolences and solidarity are with his family at this time of unimaginable grief.

That the Iranian regime chose to take Mr Akbari’s life to make a political point to the British Government is a disgrace. The death penalty should never be used for any crime, but we must call these executions in Iran what they are: a gross attempt to silence a protest movement by striking fear into the hearts of ordinary Iranian people. In Mr Akbari’s case, his execution is a direct message to the British Government. Such executions are, in the words of Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, state-sanctioned killings.

Mr Akbari returned to Iran after a successful career in business in the UK to advise the Government on the nuclear deal between the west and Iran. He wanted to see a successful deal to end the western sanctions on the country.

We have discussed many times in this House the importance of a strong response to this brutal regime. The Government must now proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, either through the existing process or by amending the National Security Bill to create a new process of proscription for hostile state actors. The playbook of the regime is to use brutality and violence for its own political ends and its own survival. In his most recent threat update, MI5 director Ken McCallum referred to 10 kidnap and death plots by the Iranian regime on British soil. When an organisation threatens the lives of British journalists and British Iranian activists in the UK, that organisation is a terrorist organisation.

When will the Foreign Secretary proscribe this heinous organisation, and what action will he take to protect the lives of British Iranians in the UK and in Iran? I heard what he said about the condemnation internationally, but what further conversations has he had with international partners to ensure a co-ordinated response to condemn and curtail the regime’s appalling attack on the lives and human rights of its own people?

James Cleverly

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments on the solidarity that the whole House sends to the family of Mr Akbari. He will know that the future proscription or sanctions designation of individuals or entities is not something that we speculate about or discuss at the Dispatch Box. However, he should know that we share the revulsion that he expressed.

As I said, we do not limit ourselves to the actions that we have already announced. I have spoken with His Majesty’s ambassador to Tehran and I will of course be speaking with other parts of Government about what further action we can take in response to the vile behaviour of the regime. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we speak regularly with our international friends on our collective response to Iran, both in the region and beyond, and we will continue to do so.

January 18, 2023
James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Execution of Alireza Akbari

The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 16 January 2023.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the execution of a British national in Iran.

On Saturday morning, Iran’s regime announced that it had executed Alireza Akbari, a British-Iranian dual national. I know that the thoughts of the whole House will be with his wife and two daughters at the time of their loss. They have shared his ordeal—an ordeal that began just over three years ago when he was lured back to Iran. He was detained and then subjected to the notorious and arbitrary legal process of the regime. Before his death, Mr Akbari described what was done to him and how torture had been used. Let there be no doubt: he fell victim to the political vendettas of a vicious regime. His execution was the cowardly and shameful act of a leadership that thinks nothing of using the death penalty as a political tool to silence dissent and settle internal scores.

In February last year, Mr Akbari’s family asked the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for our support, and we have worked closely with them ever since. I want to pay tribute to them for their courage and fortitude throughout this terrible period. In line with their wishes, the Minister of State, my noble Friend Lord Ahmad, lobbied Iran’s most senior diplomat in the UK as soon as we learned that Mr Akbari’s execution was imminent. We maintained the pressure right up until the point of his execution, but, sadly, to no avail.

When we heard the tragic news on Saturday morning, we acted immediately to demonstrate our revulsion. I ordered the summoning of Iran’s chargé d’affaires to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to make clear our strength of feeling. Our ambassador in Tehran delivered the same message to a senior Foreign Ministry official. Ten other countries have publicly condemned the execution, including France, Germany and the United States, and the European Union has done the same. I am grateful for their support at this time.

We then imposed sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, who bears heavy responsibility for the use of the death penalty for political ends. His designation is the latest of more than 40 sanctions imposed by the UK on the Iranian regime since October, including on six individuals linked to the revolutionary courts, which have passed egregious sentences against protesters, including the death penalty. In addition, I have temporarily recalled from Tehran His Majesty’s ambassador, Simon Shercliff, for consultations, and we met and discussed this earlier today. Now we shall consider what further steps we take alongside our allies to counter the escalating threat from Iran. We do not limit ourselves to the steps that I have already announced.

Mr Akbari’s execution follows decades of pitiless repression by a ruthless regime. Britain stands with the brave and dignified people of Iran as they demand their rights and freedoms. Just how much courage that takes is shown by the appalling fact that more than 500 people have been killed and 18,000 arrested during the recent wave of protests. Instead of listening to the calls for change from within Iran, the regime has resorted to its usual tactic of blaming outsiders and lashing out against its supposed enemies, including by detaining a growing number of foreign nationals for political gain. Today, many European nationals are being held in Iranian prisons on spurious charges, including British dual nationals, and I pay tribute to our staff—both in Tehran and here in the UK—who continue to work tirelessly on their behalf.

Beyond its borders, the regime has supplied Russia with hundreds of armed drones used to kill civilians in Ukraine. Across the middle east, Iran continues to inflict bloodshed and destruction by supporting extremist militias. And all the while, the steady expansion of the Iranian nuclear programme is threatening international peace and security and the entire system of global non-proliferation. In the last three months alone, Britain has imposed five separate packages of sanctions on Iran, and today we enforce designations against more than 300 Iranian individuals and entities. We have condemned the regime in every possible international forum, securing Iran’s removal from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and, alongside our partners, creating a new UN mechanism to investigate the regime’s human rights violations during the recent protests.

The House should be in no doubt that we are witnessing the vengeful actions of a weakened and isolated regime obsessed with suppressing its own people, debilitated by its fear of losing power, and wrecking its international reputation. Our message to that regime is clear: the world is watching you and you will be held to account, particularly by the brave Iranian people, so many of whom you are oppressing and killing. I commend this statement to the House.

January 18, 2023
Lucy Neville-Rolfe – 2023 Speech at Deloitte Digital Conference (Baroness Neville-Rolfe)
The speech made by Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, on 17 January 2023.

I am delighted to be here today. I have spent a lot of time with Deloitte over the years and have seen their spectacular growth and success and I have an enduring passion for small business – my father was a farmer who went bust, but he rose from the ashes and founded a successful small consultancy business – in Brussels as it happens trading on his brilliant language skills.

Before entering politics I spent a long time in business. I was a main board and executive director at Tesco but I also worked at much smaller companies, including Dobbies garden centres and most recently at Crown Agents which provided overseas development services most brilliantly on vaccine delivery and in the Ukraine war. I know the challenges SMEs face every day, and I also know the opportunities we can unlock by making the right changes in government – particularly to the complex procurement rules that are the bane of the small businesses.

Happily I am now helping make these changes happen through the Procurement Bill which I have steered through the House of Lords and today is a great chance to discuss how the Bill and the changes I have pioneered will help small businesses get a bigger slice of the public procurement pie, both directly and through the supply chain. It’s good for you and it’s good for the country as a whole. By supporting your enterprise we help to grow the economy – one of the Prime Minister’s five core pledges to kickstart the New Year.

I want to start with some good news. Our determination to support small businesses through opening up public sector opportunities has led to record central government spending with SMEs – the £19.3 billion spent in 2021/2022, the latest data available, was the fourth consecutive increase. I’m sorry to say it’s not yet 1 in 3, it’s 27%, but progress has been made and obviously we’re determined to make further progress.

And it’s been thanks to some fantastic collaborative working with you – the SMEs – and across government. Along the way, we have been holding departmental feet to the fire and challenging our own colleagues. What are they doing to increase their spend with SMEs and start-ups? How are they helping to overcome obstacles involved with bidding for work or contracting with central departments and agencies?

We have been listening and learning. Working with industry, trade bodies, and the Cabinet Office’s own SME Advisory Panel – which hears first hand from 25 SME owners and entrepreneurs about the challenges and barriers they must overcome.

And we have been taking practical steps, such as government departments having the power to exclude suppliers from the procurement process if they cannot demonstrate a history of prompt payment to their supply chain, and using the Public Procurement Review Service, based in the Cabinet Office, to unblock overdue payments on cases that are raised with them.

But there is so much further for us to go together. After all, procurement accounts for around a third of all public expenditure each year: £300 billion, everywhere from huge projects like HS2 to local government, schools and prisons. Our focus is always on delivering the best possible value and outcomes from that investment: it is a major contributor to driving efficiency in public services. We want to see your portion of that public procurement pie chart grow even bigger – by using the Procurement Bill to help you, as well as venture capital and start-ups making a debut in contracting with the public sector.

I remember when I was at Tesco I was asked if we could help with schools, I looked into it and it was a nightmare of bureaucracy, so I said it wasn’t for us, but we have to change this. Your enterprise and innovation is the hallmark of companies represented here today. It is a sad fact that productivity has largely flatlined ever since the financial crisis and we are determined to change that paradigm. If we could get productivity up we could grow the economy without pain so we do need to work on that and we want to change that paradigm.

I know how important it is to get the details of the new rules right – and to support the underlying cultural change – so that public sector contracts are properly accessible and attractive for SMEs. We understand the limitations and restrictions of a regime – or rather, regimes: there are no fewer than four, comprising 350 EU-based rules – designed primarily to support the EU single market rather than what we put first: value for money, efficiency, and doing a lot more to support British jobs. And that’s why we consulted widely to get a clear sense of what needs to improve. I know we’ve had too many ministers in the Cabinet Office but there has been a thread of constant officials and we’re moving in the right direction. We heard, for example, about:
- The inflexibility of the procedures, and the inability to negotiate and evolve bids – something that would be standard practice in the private sector;
- A cultural reluctance to work with potential suppliers, to test the market and help develop in partnership, before embarking on the procurement;
- Less obvious barriers to SME participation: seen in some procurers’ practice of insisting that bidders provide three years’ audited accounts when their size means they aren’t required to file any; or that they have insurance to cover the contract even before putting in a bid, in case they win the contract. And possibly most important,
- The perennial problem of late payment, a particular curse for indirect suppliers.
The new consolidated regime we are putting in place – which covers everything from paperclips to hospital buildings – directly addresses these challenges, and more. Even as the Bill moved through the House of Lords, I made a number of amendments to improve it, acting on feedback from the sector and with a surprising degree of cross party support.

I know that SMEs welcomed the new provision that I instigated which explicitly requires contracting authorities to think about SMEs as routine. It means procurement teams will have to make sure there are no unnecessary barriers that might hinder smaller companies in the contract; and ensure that bidding timelines are realistic.

It also means there is more consistent and helpful feedback to unsuccessful bidders, showing how their bid compared to the winning bid, and this is something I’ve had complaints from not only SMEs but local government bidding for central government contracts, we always lose and we don’t know why, this is not good practice. And I know many here will welcome the application of 30-day payment terms to public sub-contracts the entire length of the supply chain, regardless of whether they are written into the contract.

We have also put provisions on the face of the Bill for the new single central online platform that underpins the new system, and will achieve a step change in transparency. The platform, which will be free for all to access, will make life easier for suppliers in a range of ways. For example, it will let suppliers see forward pipelines. This will allow them to find out more, plan which contracts to go for, where to invest, and when to prepare to bid or work with partners to develop consortia and joint bids. It will establish a single place for suppliers to register and self-authenticate their key bidding information – a “tell us once” approach that will cut out needless repetitive bureaucracy.

One point in particular, for this audience, is the greater flexibility coming your way, and the simpler processes you will see, that will support innovation. Commercial teams will have more flexibility to design and run a procedure that suits the market in which they are operating, tailoring a procurement to their exact needs. Contracting authorities will find it easier to contract with partners to research, develop and eventually buy a new product and service in a single process; and they will be able to build in stages to the procurement process such as product demonstrations – something I know the tech sector has been pressing for – so for example a contracting authority would be able to invite bidders to come in, meet the buyer and showcase the new app they’re developing, so that they can get a really thorough appreciation of solutions being offered by suppliers and understand what those solutions do in practice, not just on paper.

The new rules will also make clear that innovation in procurement does not apply just to buying something brand new: it can be about developing an existing product to meet fresh requirements.

We recognise, however, that changing the law is only one half of the story. Changing the culture and behaviours of public sector buyers is another. Having the flexibility to work innovatively is not the same thing as working innovatively. That’s why we are investing in what I trust will be clear guidance, but also a significant training programme for contracting authorities ahead of implementation in 2024.

Businesses have a key role in unlocking value from public contracts – we look forward to continuing our work with business groups and trade associations, and our regional Growth Hubs, to ensure that the supplier community is also well prepared. I was at our Darlington economic campus last Friday and in York talking about how we can make a real difference from the Cabinet Office.

This is because I want to see SMEs right across the UK helping the recovery by being more successful and winning much more of that procurement pie.

There are exciting times ahead, from which we can all benefit.

Thank you for listening. I look forward to your comments and questions.
January 18, 2023