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Tag: 2024

  • PRESS RELEASE : Kendall launches blueprint for fundamental reform to change the DWP from a ‘Department of Welfare to a Department for Work’ [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Kendall launches blueprint for fundamental reform to change the DWP from a ‘Department of Welfare to a Department for Work’ [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 23 July 2024.

    Liz Kendall will today set out how Britain’s system of employment support must be fundamentally reformed to tackle the “most urgent challenge” of spiralling economic inactivity.

    • Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will use landmark first speech to set out the Government’s plans to reverse dire labour market inheritance and drive up Britain’s employment
    • Major new reforms will be at heart of Government’s ambition to reach an 80% employment rate, with a white paper on getting Britain working again
    • Kendall set to empower local leaders to tackle economic inactivity, alongside a new Labour Market Advisory Board to help drive change and get Britain working again.

    At the launch of the “Pathways to Work” report in Barnsley Ms Kendall will lay the path for a new Government white paper to get Britain working. This is central to delivering the Government’s first mission – to kickstart economic growth; making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    She will set out the dire inheritance from the last 14 years including:

    • Britain remaining the only country in the G7 whose employment rate has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
    • 2.8 million people out of work due to ill health or disability
    • 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or work
    • Spending on sickness and disability benefits is set to increase by £30bn over the next five years according to the OBR
    • Too many people trapped in low paid, poor quality work, with little prospect of improving their lot in life. Of those in low in pay in 2006, only one-in-six escaped it a decade later.

    Ms Kendall will argue:

    The fundamental problem we face is that the current system of employment support is designed to address the problems of yesterday – not today, tomorrow and beyond.

    She will say over the last 14 years the DWP has focused almost entirely on the benefits system, and specifically on implementing Universal Credit, and that “nowhere near enough attention has been paid to the wider issues – like health, skills, childcare and transport – that determine whether people get work, stay in work and get on in work.

    She will call time on the approach of the previous government and instead seek “employment opportunity unleashed for all” as part of the government’s long-term ambition to reach 80 per cent employment, with better quality of work, and higher earnings.

    The Secretary of State will set out bold plans to tackle economic activity by enabling local leaders to tailor schemes to get people back into work – and to prioritise good, rewarding, well paid work. She will say:

    I can confirm today that we will empower local leaders and local areas to tackle economic inactivity and open up economic opportunity.

    We will give local places the responsibility and resources to design a joined-up work, health and skills offer that’s right for local people.

    DWP will support local areas to make a success of this new approach.

    And we will devolve new powers over employment support to catalyse action and change.

    Setting out her vision for reform, the Work and Pensions Secretary is also expected to say:

    Over the last 14 years millions of people have been denied their rightful chance of participating in the labour market, and the hope of a brighter future. They’ve been excluded, left out, categorised and labelled. Britain isn’t working.

    We need fundamental reform so the department for welfare becomes a genuine department for work.

    We’ll pursue an ambitious plan alongside the government’s goals to raise productivity and living standards and to improve the quality of work. To get Britain growing again, get Britain building again and get Britain working again.

    As part of her drive to tackle economic inactivity, the Secretary of State will also announce a new group of external experts who will provide labour market insight and advice to drive change throughout the system.

    The Labour Market Advisory Board, which will be chaired by Paul Gregg – Former Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath – is expected to meet quarterly and will provide advice to the Work and Pensions Secretary and offer insight, expertise, and challenge to the department’s plans.

    The speech follows the announcement by the Work and Pensions Secretary, that the Government will, as part of the Growth Mission, publish a White Paper which will build on manifesto commitments of a three-pillared approach to support people into work:

    • A new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.
    • New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local areas.
    • A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.

    It forms part of a cross-government approach to help people into work, including the launch of Skills England, and cutting NHS waiting lists to build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.

  • Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, at Farnborough International Air Show on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning.

    It’s great to be here.

    Thank you, Paul, for the kind introduction, and thank you all for being here this morning and crowding around, it’s great to see you all.

    This is my first speech as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

    And I would like to start by telling you why I have chosen Farnborough to make my first speech.

    The first reason is one that I have got from meeting so many people who are working, innovating and driving the space sector.

    The second, personal reason – when I was appointed into the Shadow Secretary of State role by Keir Starmer, now the Prime Minister, back in September, I was keen as possible to get up and meet people who are working in the space sector. And something I’ve noticed straight away, whether it was in aviation, aeronautics, or in space, everyone single person I have met is dedicated to the sector in which you are working, that you go way beyond what I have seen in many other sectors. In innovations in other sectors, I think people, they test, they try, they try and find investment, but when it’s [inaudible] they don’t come together after a certain period, they move on and find another approach.

    But the sheer doggedness, the sheer passion, that I have seen in every single company, every single university research lab, and every aspect of space, it is a sector like no other.

    It is a sector who are so incredibly passionate about the sector, about their innovations, about their contribution to it but also passionate about the possibilities that space has. It’s infectious.

    And I have been infected by their enthusiasm and drive.

    The second reason is something that is personal, and quite interesting for me today because so many people have already said to me ‘Is this your first Farnborough?’.

    This is my fourth Farnborough and the other 3 have always been out there, not on the Monday, but the other days of the week where the public are invited and I’ve sat with my dad and my partner at the time. My partner worked for a commercial airliner and my dad was a Royal Navy aircraft mechanic in the 1960s where he worked in [inaudible] fighter jets of the day.

    So my entire upbringing has been with my dad telling stories on the deck; battling in the most extreme circumstances, keeping our aircraft of the day, fighter jets, in the sky, and when they crash landed, picking up the pieces, and trying to repair some of the aircraft of the day in extreme circumstances.

    Coming here with my dad and my partner for 3 Farnborough’s, sitting out there with one yabbering in my ear with every single detail of civil aviation and the other one being able to tell me the things in the sky by the sound of the engine, gives you an insight into the kind of family life and background I had running up to this moment in time.

    But now we are here, and that spirit of innovation I told you about that I detected from people who are driving from the centre, and that was represented by people around me and in my personal life, I think we bring into the mission-led approach, this government.

    None of the 5 missions of this government, that are going to drive the national renewal over a decade, that we have come into power on, can happen if we stick to the tried and tested.

    To find the bold solutions to the problems that have dogged our country for decades, and the solutions we will face in the decades to come, we must do things differently.

    In other words, we need to innovate.

    I am sure that the irony of a minister standing here and talking to you about national missions, for those of you working in the space sector, will not be lost. I promise not to labour the analogy.

    But I do stand here today because there is no better example than the space sector that explains what we are trying to do as a government.

    Opportunity

    Today, the UK’s space sector is growing 4 times faster than the overall UK economy.

    Its workforce is twice as productive as the British average.

    To create opportunities for companies to start, scale and succeed in the UK, to create the good jobs that bring prosperity to communities up and down our country, these sectors need to learn from space and space needs to lead the way.

    Delivery

    If we want to deliver better public services and better lives for the people up and down our country, then the answer is simply the same.

    • Understanding the effects of our changing climate.
    • Providing rural communities with internet access.
    • Keeping our armed forces safe and aircraft in constant contact.

    These are not just opportunities, they are obligations and none of them can be fulfilled without space.

    Security

    The first obligation for any government, of course, is to keep our country safe.

    Today, space-based services like satellite communications and remote sensing are the cornerstones of our national security.

    Without them, the systems that keep Britain safe will grind to a halt.

    Secure financial transactions that rely on timestamps that are accurate to the millisecond.

    Emergency services that depend on precise GPS data to find the people who need their help.

    In an increasingly unstable world, space will matter more than ever.

    And, as orbits become more congested – and contested – we must work with our NATO allies to protect our people.

    Discovery

    So, to anyone who asks – does space matter?

    These are my 3 principles – security, delivery and opportunity – they provide the beginnings of the answer.

    And yet none of them can quite capture what is so unique about space.

    No metric of growth or productivity can distil what is so breath-taking about the images taken by the James Webb telescope.

    Or the pioneering spirit that will propel the Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars.

    And it would be just as hard to measure the sense of pride I feel knowing that it was the contributions of British scientists that made these missions possible.

    To that trio, then, I would add a fourth – discovery.

    New solutions to new problems

    Because the value of human knowledge is never solely defined by its ability to solve our current crises.

    The astronauts on board Apollo 7 could never have predicted the ways that companies like Space Forge in Cardiff could exploit the cold and uncontaminated properties of microgravity to find new cures to Alzheimer’s and cancer, to 3D print organs for transplant patients or manufacture the semiconductors that will power the digital revolution that is unfolding today.

    The century to come will bring new problems.

    And as we search for new solutions, we simply cannot predict the ways that each discovery in space might matter.

    We can only prepare by supporting the scientists and businesses with the boldness and brilliance to make them better.

    Later today [22 July 2023], I’ll be meeting one of those people – I’ve already met Rosemary Coogan, who became our third ever astronaut earlier this year.

    A strategic partnership with business

    Looking ahead, I will be guided by these 4 principles – discovery and delivery, security and opportunity.

    But I cannot chart a course for success in space alone.

    No mission can succeed without a strong team, united around a common goal.

    Working closely with our international partners, including the European Space Agency, I want to forge a strategic partnership with businesses, researchers, and investors.

    A meaningful relationship anchored not in the short-term solutions and shorter funding cycles, but in certainty and stability. Because businesses don’t want a new strategy every 6 months. I’ve heard this repeatedly day in, day out.

    They need a clear signal from a government that isn’t afraid to make hard choices about where to focus our efforts. Because we know that we cannot do everything.

    But that makes it all the more important to invest in those technologies where we really can lead the world. I know that this strategic partnership will take time to build. But that work starts here today.

    National Space Innovation Programme

    So, here in Farnborough, I am announcing £33 million in funding for innovative businesses from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP).

    From the smallest start-ups to global giants, the recipients of the fund aren’t just creating cutting edge technologies, they want to use that technology to build a better future for Britain.

    In Cambridge, SuperSharp are designing a heat-detecting telescope to gather the data that we will need to tackle the climate crisis.

    In Hereford, ETL Systems are building ground equipment that links satellites to 5G and 6G mobile networks, transforming connectivity.

    In Harwell, Orbit Fab and Lunasa are working on refuelling and docking technologies that will extend the lifespan of satellites and preserve our space environment for future generations.

    Later this week, I’ll be travelling up to Glasgow to meet one of the winners myself.

    Spire Global are developing technology to supply unique weather forecasting data to global weather prediction centres.

    And their success in Scotland embodies the phenomenal potential of our science and tech economy.

    Once the shipbuilding capital of the world, Glasgow now makes more satellites than anywhere in Europe.

    Someday soon, the phrase ‘Clyde Built’ – used in previous generations to describe the incredible ships built on the banks of the Clyde – will be used for small satellites, too.

    Travel fifty miles East through the Central Belt, and you will find a unique combination of world-class universities and innovation centres that are cementing Edinburgh’s reputation as a ‘space data capital.’

    Fly north to the Shetland Islands, as I soon will do, and before long you’ll get to SaxaVord. In Autumn, that space port will host the first ever vertical satellite launch in Europe, putting Britain on the map in an increasingly competitive global market.

    Conclusion

    In all of these places, a better future for Britain is coming into view.

    Here in Farnborough, you can see that future very clearly indeed.

    People with decades of experience in aerospace and oil and gas are using their expertise to build the industries of tomorrow and create prosperity for their communities.

    Talented researchers in world-leading universities are developing technologies to tackle some of our toughest problems.

    Innovative start-ups and spinouts are taking those solutions out of the lab and into our lives.

    I will be a champion for those people. Those researchers. And those businesses too. Because we have an extraordinary opportunity here.

    Together, we can grow our economy and create good jobs for the future for our people.

    We can deliver the public services they deserve.

    And we can protect our country in an increasingly volatile world.

    If change is our mission.

    Then this is right here is where we start.

    Thank you.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at the Farnborough Airshow on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning, everyone.

    It’s really good to see so many of you here. Many people that I’ve met before and had intense discussions with before about the important work that you do, that has informed my thinking and informs the thinking of the Labour government – which is why you see some of those measures reflected in the King’s Speech of last week.

    So I am absolutely delighted to be able to be here again with you, but this time no longer as Leader of the Opposition. This time as Prime Minister – and please take that, in the beginning of week three in government, as a real statement of intent. It’s intended to be, and that is why we’ve got so many senior ministers here during the course of the show.

    Now look, as you all know, better than most – we live in a dangerous, volatile and increasingly insecure world.

    And that makes events like this, and the role that you play…

    Ever more important for the defence and security of our country.

    And as you may have seen, I have spent quite a lot of time at summits in the last week or two…

    At NATO and the European Political Community…

    And on Friday I had the pleasure of meeting the leader of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy, who came into Downing Street.

    And at those meetings, whether it’s NATO, whether it’s the EPC, or whether it’s seeing President Zelenskyy as I did on Friday, it always gives me great comfort,

    To know that Britain is at the cutting edge of defence and aerospace manufacturing…

    So thank you not only for being here today…

    But also for everything that you do for the security of our country.

    Now we are just beginning week three of government.

    The work of change has begun.

    The patient rebuilding of our country has started.

    And we’ve launched our Strategic Defence Review.

    We’ve taken the brakes off Britain with a plan for wealth creation in every community.

    Planning reform – to get Britain building again. Something many of us in the room have discussed with you on many occasions.

    And we’re getting started on a new Industrial Strategy. Again, a concept that came very much from you to us in terms of the sort of way in which you want the partnership between government and your sector to work.

    They are all signals of our intent…

    To deliver high living standards for working people…

    Economic security and national security.

    But of course we know that national renewal is not going to happen overnight.

    We are fixing the very foundation of our country…

    And that is long and patient work.

    But – I can announce another step along that road today…

    Another marker of the future…

    With the launch of a new organisation that we hope will transform, not just how we train our young people and adults…

    But also the relationship between business and the education system.

    A plan to make sure that we are training young people, not just for any business…

    But for the businesses that exist in their community.

    The skills you and they need…

    To take each other forward.

    So I am delighted that today we’re launching Skills England…

    And appointing Richard Pennycook as the interim chair.

    And I’m excited for the work that we can do together.

    I’ve just met this morning some fantastic apprentices.

    Bright, energic, intelligent…

    An absolute credit to Airbus and Rolls Royce.

    Now I’ve met the apprentices in both Airbus and Rolls Royce many times before – almost all of my speeches in the last two or three years have featured examples of the work that they are doing.

    And it was brilliant to meet them here again this morning. Some of them were from a group that I met just a few months ago in Derby. So to review that, one of them was just two weeks into her apprenticeship. And so they were an incredible reminder of the talent that we have going forward.

    And I was allowed to speak to them without anybody else listening in because I wanted to hear directly from them. And ask them, as I always do, what inspired them to do it, what gave them that spark.

    And then towards the end of the time I had with them this morning, I said, “what do you want me to think about? Because this is a government of service, you’re entitled to have your say. What do you want me to think about as the Prime Minister heading a new government?”

    And after a few moments, they were pretty clear in their collective view that they wanted me and the government to think about the value of apprentices, and to make sure that that was valued alongside the other things that so many young people do.

    And that was them to me, and for all of you, I think you’d be very proud that that was their first thought. That was what they wanted me to think about as I go home from here.

    And so they are a reminder of the incredible talent that we do have in this country.

    Young people, with drive, ambition and hopes of a better future.

    But we do have also to be honest…

    All too often young people in our country have been let down.

    Not given access to the right opportunities or training in their community.

    And that has created an overreliance in our economy on higher and higher levels of migration.

    Now – I don’t for a second want to demean any of that…

    I do not criticise business who hire overseas workers…

    And I certainly don’t diminish the contribution that migration makes…

    To our economy, to our public services and of course to our communities.

    Migration is part of our national story – it always has been and always will be.

    And yet – if you stand back…

    As a system, it cannot be right that some people don’t get to feel the pride of making a contribution…

    The dignity of work…

    Just because we can’t find a way of creating a coherent skills system. That can’t be right.

    So – I have to say – we won’t be content just to pull the easy lever of importing skills…

    We are turning the page on that.

    But I want to be clear as well…

    We are going to make sure that there are highly motivated, ambitious, talented young people…

    Who want to work in your business.

    That is our long-term ambition.

    We’re going to fire up the training of more UK workers…

    And match peoples’ aspirations – which I know are there…

    With more opportunity.

    And in doing this we will drive growth.

    Because if there is one thing we know that will drive innovation and accelerate productivity…

    It’s having the skilled workers you need to grow your business.

    So from the get go…

    Skills England will work with the Migration Advisory Committee…

    We will identify current and future skills gaps…

    Put in place plans to address those gaps…

    And reduce our long-term reliance on overseas workers.

    We will also identify the training on which the Growth and Skills Levy can be spent…

    Something that I’ve spent many hours discussing with many people in this room.

    You told me it was not flexible enough, didn’t work well enough for you.

    Well we will change that with the Growth and Skills Levy, giving you more flexibility to spend funds on the training that you think is really necessary.

    And Skills England will also bring together central and local government…

    Training providers and unions…

    Working together in broader partnership with business.

    And this is key.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street, two weeks ago Thursday, that I wanted to govern for the whole country…

    And part of that is making sure we all understand each others’ needs…

    That we move beyond old antagonisms…

    And work for the common cause of national renewal.

    A partnership.

    So today with the launch of Skills England…

    We’re putting that partnership into action…

    Now we listened to you during the campaign and over the last few years…

    We listened to you when we were developing our Plan for Growth…

    And that informs it, some of your fingerprints are on our plan and I hope that they reflect the conversations that we’ve had. And we will carry on listening…

    Because that’s how a partnership works.

    We are making demands. We want growth. We want you to power up that growth.

    But you equally can say to us in order for that to work, this is the framework you need to put into place.

    That is how a partnership works, when both sides understand what their part is, but recognise they’re not the same part – government and business do different things.

    And that’s why we’ll have our new Industrial Strategy…

    On the Strategic Defence Review…

    And on much, much more.

    Together, I do believe we can deliver that growth and security.

    Fix the foundations…

    Put our economy on a stable footing…

    And create a coherent skills system.

    And everyone here has a vital part to play in this mission on growth…

    You already do an incredible amount…

    And I believe that with a government of service on your side…

    We can do even more.

    And in that spirit, it really is a huge honour, so early in this government, to open the Airshow, and to hope that you all have a productive time which I’m sure that you will.

    Use it obviously intensely in the time that we’ve got here together.

    Please keep talking and impressing on us the things that are important to you.

    Thank you so much for allowing me to make these remarks. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for your huge contribution to our country.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary champions UK industry at Farnborough Air Show [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary champions UK industry at Farnborough Air Show [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 22 July 2024.

    Defence Secretary John Healey announces a £6.5 billion complex weapons partnership and trials of a laser weapon fired from a British Army vehicle.

    The British defence industry’s positive economic impact was championed by Defence Secretary John Healey on the first day of Farnborough International Air Show – where he announced a £6.5 billion complex weapons partnership and ground-breaking trials of a laser weapon fired from a British Army vehicle.

    Meeting with industry leaders and defence apprentices, the Defence Secretary stressed the importance of replenishing stockpiles for the UK and Ukraine as he announced the renewal of a complex weapons partnership with MBDA, who manufacture the Storm Shadow missile used on Ukraine’s front line. This 10-year partnership will deliver battle-winning complex weapons faster and at lower cost. The contract will also support more than 5,500 jobs across the North-West, East of England and the South-West, as well as thousands of other jobs in UK’s supply chain.

    The Defence Secretary also revealed that scientists and engineers have successfully fired a laser weapon from a British Army vehicle, in a first for the UK. The ground-breaking trials, conducted at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) range in Porton Down, saw the laser weapon neutralise targets at the speed of light from more than 1km away, with each shot costing less than a cup of tea. The Raytheon-developed laser weapon could be mounted onto various armoured vehicles to defeat a range of drones, helping protect soldiers from aerial threats.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey said:

    “Farnborough International Air Show showcases the best of British industry and how a vibrant industrial base keeps us all safe and contributes to UK economic growth.

    “As Defence Secretary, I want to take the politics out of national security so where there is important work begun under the previous government, we will take it forward in the interest of national security. That is why we are renewing important partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological boundaries. This will drive prosperity and create skilled jobs across the country.”

    The partnership with MBDA, signed with Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the MoD’s procurement arms, is expected to deliver new systems to the UK such as the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon, Land Precision Strike and continue the evolution of Meteor missile system. It will enable ‘always-on’ manufacturing, holding industry at a high-state of readiness to respond to defence demands. As part of this partnership, a further £500 million will be invested in British manufacturing and technologies.

    The trialled laser weapon requires only two personnel to operate and could take less than two weeks to be trained on. The next phase of testing will involve trials with Army personnel later this year, further evaluating the system’s capabilities and benefits in real-world scenarios. The demonstrator has been tested by Team Hersa, comprising Dstl and DE&S, and developed in collaboration with a consortium of UK suppliers and showcases the potential of advanced technology in modern warfare. The British supply chain includes Raytheon UK, Fraser Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems, and Cambridge Pixel.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK condemns Houthi attacks against Israel and their wider destabilising activity in the Red Sea – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK condemns Houthi attacks against Israel and their wider destabilising activity in the Red Sea – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

    Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

    The UK is deeply alarmed by the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv which saw an Israeli civilian killed in his home and 10 other civilians wounded. My Foreign Secretary condemned this reckless escalation in his statement to the UK Parliament last week. We call for urgent de-escalation.

    Since October 7th, the Houthis have launched UAVs and missiles towards Israel, in dangerous and illegal attacks. These actions risk a further deterioration in the stability and security of the region and we call upon the Security Council to condemn the Houthi attacks against Israel in addition to their wider destabilising activity in the Red Sea. This includes launching over 305 attacks against international shipping, impacting over 100 ships and killing innocent crew. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew illegally detained by the Houthis since November 2023.

    In addition, we must not lose sight of the fact that Houthi actions, enabled by support from Iran, are part of a wider Iranian strategy to destabilise the region with its malign influence and use of proxies. We call upon Iran to cease its nefarious support to armed groups and terrorist organisations in the Middle East which only serve to increase the suffering of ordinary people.

    Finally, while we can confirm that there was no UK involvement in the Israeli strikes against the Houthis on 20 July, the UK remains resolute in its support to Israel’s right to self-defence in line with international law and international humanitarian law. The Houthis seek to use the situation in Gaza as justification for their reckless behaviour. Let me be clear, there is no justification for these attacks and more broadly there can be no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Yemenis are once again paying the price for the destructive actions of the Houthis and further escalation will only worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

    A diplomatic solution in the region is the only way forward. We strongly support the ongoing efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the US to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, get the hostages out and humanitarian aid in. The deal, as endorsed by this Council in resolution 2735, is the best chance to secure lasting peace. Innocent Palestinians continue to face unfathomable human suffering in Gaza, with a devastating impact on women and children. At least 120 hostages remain in horrific conditions. We urge both sides to show flexibility in negotiations and to recommit themselves to a renewed peace process resulting in a two-state solution. President, I reiterate the UK’s call for de-escalation and for meaningful progress to bring about lasting peace and security for the region.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Aid access in Syria should be granted for as long as it is needed – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Aid access in Syria should be granted for as long as it is needed – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

    Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Laura Dix at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

    First, as you’ve made clear, the humanitarian situation across Syria remains dire, borne out of over a decade of conflict and the actions of the regime. This includes its recent decision to blockade aid into Rukban camp, which has led to severe food scarcity. We call on the regime to permit commercial access into Rukban camp and to ensure all routes for humanitarian access – including into North West Syria – are sustained and predictable. Short-term, last-minute decisions are not appropriate as the UN continues to make clear. Access should be granted for as long as humanitarian needs demand it.

    Second, in light of the UN sanctions report published last week, I wanted to underscore that our sanctions against the Assad regime have a clear purpose: they are designed to hold to account those responsible for committing abhorrent atrocities over the last 14 years, including perpetrators of serious human rights violations and chemical weapons use. We have taken clear steps to ensure that sanctions and any tools aimed at holding the Assad regime accountable do not impact the wider Syrian population or the delivery of humanitarian support. We resolutely support those affected by the ongoing devastating conflict.

    Third, the only route out of this crisis is via a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement. This month’s parliamentary elections in Syria were held with the aim of sustaining Assad’s dictatorship and giving a semblance of popular legitimacy to his unreformed and undemocratic regime. In response, we have seen protesters inside Syria boycott the elections and demand a fairer and more transparent process. Legitimate elections in Syria can only be a product of a genuine political process in line with UNSCR 2254, which allows for the participation of all eligible Syrians, including members of the diaspora.

    President, I end by recalling that it is in Assad’s power to end this intolerable conflict and to take responsibility for the human rights violations and abuses that Syrians have endured. It is time to deliver on the legitimate demands of the Syrian people and to make a genuine commitment to peace in line with resolution 2254.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Skills England to transform opportunities and drive growth [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Skills England to transform opportunities and drive growth [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 July 2024.

    New body launched to bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.

    The Prime Minister and Education Secretary have announced the launch of Skills England to bring together the fractured skills landscape and create a shared national ambition to boost the nation’s skills.

    The Education Secretary has also today (22 July 2024) appointed Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the DfE, as the interim Chair.

    Skills are crucial to economic growth, with a third of productivity improvement over the last two decades explained by improvements to skills levels.

    But between 2017 and 2022 skills shortages in this country doubled to more than half a million, and now account for 36% of job vacancies.

    Skills England will bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.

    Supporting local areas to develop the skilled workforces they need – in particular across construction and healthcare – is fundamental to the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably. By working with the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England will also help reduce reliance on overseas workers.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades.

    They will help to deliver our number one mission as a government, to kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent.

    From construction to IT, healthcare to engineering, our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas.

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    Our first mission in government is to grow the economy, and for that we need to harness the talents of all our people to unlock growth and break down the barriers to opportunity.

    The skills system we inherited is fragmented and broken. Employers want to invest in their workers but for too long have been held back from accessing the training they need.

    Skills England will jumpstart young people’s careers and galvanise local economies. It will bring businesses together with trade unions, mayors, universities, colleges and training providers to give us a complete picture of skills gaps nationwide, boost growth in all corners of the country and give people the opportunity to get on in life.

    The organisation will identify the training for which the growth and skills levy will be accessible – an important reform, giving businesses more flexibility to spend levy funds on training for the skills they need, which employers have long been calling for.

    Skills England will be established in phases over the next 9 to 12 months to create a responsive and collaborative skills system.

    The Skills England Bill announced this week will transfer functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to Skills England.

    This sits alongside work to simplify and devolve adult education budgets to mayoral combined authorities to ensure that they can address their adult skills needs directly and support growth in their areas.

    Next steps for establishing Skills England:

    • The first phase of Skills England’s launch involves setting up the organisation in shadow form within the DfE, and starting work on an assessment of future skills needs while building strong relationships with employers. A permanent board, Chair and CEO will be appointed in due course.
    • The route for employers to shape skills training is currently offered by the IfATE. IfATE’s functions will transfer to Skills England, as part of the new organisation’s broader remit. IfATE will continue its important work in the interim as the transition of functions to Skills England is finalised.
    • Skills England will hold responsibility for maintaining a list of levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with the identified skills needs.
    • The government will also bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our industrial strategy.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Business and Trade Secretary gives lift-off to over £100 million for greener air travel [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Business and Trade Secretary gives lift-off to over £100 million for greener air travel [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 22 July 2024.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has announced over £100 million of funding for cutting-edge aerospace research and development projects.

    • £103 million government-industry funding for cutting-edge new green aerospace projects, supporting thousands of high-wage jobs across the UK.
    • Funding delivered through Aerospace Technology Institute Programme to help pioneer groundbreaking new tech, including zero emission hydrogen flight and sustainable propulsion systems.
    • Business and Trade Secretary announces funding at launch of the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, reinforcing government’s commitment to championing aerospace and advanced manufacturing in new Industrial Strategy.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has today (22 July) announced over £100 million of government-industry funding for cutting-edge aerospace tech projects to support greener air travel, at the launch of the 2024 Farnborough Airshow.

    It comes as the latest figures from the aerospace industry’s trade body ADS show the sector contributed £38 billion to the UK economy in 2023.

    Just under £103 million of funding in total, delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, has been announced for five aerospace R&D projects led by GKN Aerospace, Queens University, Rolls-Royce, Short Brothers and ZeroAvia.

    The projects will help pioneer innovations such as zero emission hydrogen-powered flight, new sustainable propulsion systems and turbine technologies, boosting thousands of high-skilled aerospace jobs across the UK and encouraging investment into the UK’s aerospace industry, as the Government prepares to launch its new Industrial Strategy.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    Our world-class aerospace sector added almost £40 billion to the economy last year, and by backing it to pioneer cutting-edge new technologies we’re delivering economic growth and supporting high-skilled jobs in every part of the UK.

    It’s fitting that I’m launching this new support here at Farnborough Airshow, where the best of British innovation is showcased on the global stage, reinforcing our commitment to placing innovation and manufacturing at the heart of our Industrial Strategy.

    Aerospace Technology Institute CEO Gary Elliott said:

    The ATI Programme is continuing to target investment in world-class research projects that will deliver benefit for UK aerospace: accelerating technology development, growing our manufacturing capability, strengthening our supply chain and ensuring that the sector continues to generate economic return to the UK.

    The projects announced today focus on advanced technologies that take us a significant step closer to sustainable aviation, from new lightweight materials to new fuel systems. We look forward to building on this investment in support of an ambitious Industrial Strategy.

    Rolls-Royce Director of Research and Technology Alan Newby said:

    The HOTLINE project, together with other projects that have been supported by the ATI, will improve the cost competitiveness and product performance of our current and future engines, vital for meeting not only industrial and government Net Zero targets but potential growth opportunities for the UK.

    Full details of ATI projects:

    • The ATI Programme is a joint government and industry investment. Its purpose is to competitively offer funding for research and technology development in the UK, to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace and accelerate the transition to net zero aviation.
    • The Department for Business and Trade has a dynamic approach to supporting the aerospace sector. Since 2013, government has co-invested with industry through the ATI Programme a total project cost of about £3.6 billion in total costs (grant and industry match funding). These projects have had 438 unique partners involved from across the UK, including 290 SMEs.
    • The Hot Section Lifting and Materials (HOTLINE) project – led by Rolls Royce, with project partners Cranfield University and the University of Birmingham will develop turbine technologies that reduce unit and life cycle costs. Total Project cost of £20.5 million.
    • Advanced Fuel Cell for Aviation Decarbonisation (AFCAD) – builds on ZeroAvia’s success with the Hyflyer I and II projects, to take the high temperature (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks technology to commercialisation stage, enabling zero emission hydrogen flight, with applications for rotorcraft and eVTOL. Total project cost of £17.5 million.
    • Scenic Composites – By developing a variety of high value testing and manufacturing equipment at the Advanced manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), this project led by Queens University Belfast will build capability in the aerospace cluster in the Belfast region around composite materials. Total project cost of £10.9 million.
    • IVI – Spirit AeroSystems (Short Brothers) are leading this project with a key objective to produce lighter, more structurally efficient aerostructures with fewer parts, increasing fuel efficiency for a range of aircraft platforms, and enabling transition to new sustainable technologies. Total project cost of £10 million.
    • H2FlyGHT – led by GKN Aerospace and a UK-based consortium of major aerospace suppliers and academic partners, including Parker-Meggitt Aerospace and the universities of Nottingham and Manchester aims to develop and test a fully integrated liquid hydrogen fuel system and 2 megawatt cryogenic electrical propulsion system for the next generation of zero emission aircraft. Total project cost of £44 million.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Situation in Bangladesh – FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State’s statement [July 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Situation in Bangladesh – FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State’s statement [July 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 July 2024.

    FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Catherine West gave a statement on the current situation in Bangladesh.

    Catherine West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), said:

    The UK is deeply concerned by the violence we have seen in Bangladesh in recent days, with reports of hundreds killed and thousands injured. The loss of life is unacceptable. Peaceful protestors must not be subject to violence.

    The rights to protest, to peacefully assemble and to express different political views are rights which the UK holds dear and must be protected.

    Access to the internet and communications services must be restored quickly so people in Bangladesh can be reconnected with their families and friends in the UK and across the globe.

    We urge an end to the violence and loss of life and call on all sides to find ways to restore calm across Bangladesh, including by establishing a pathway for constructive political dialogue in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.

    Our thoughts are with everyone affected. The people-to-people connections between our two countries are strong, with a strong Bangladeshi community in the UK contributing enormously.

  • Jonathan Brash – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    Jonathan Brash – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    The maiden speech made by Jonathan Brash, the Labour MP for Hartlepool, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    I congratulate all Members who have made their maiden speeches today, including the hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire (Mr Bedford), who paid a moving tribute at the end of his speech.

    I thank staff across the parliamentary estate for diligently and patiently looking after new Members in these first few days.

    It is an honour to be called to make my maiden speech, which I do proudly as the Member of Parliament for my hometown of Hartlepool. To represent the place where I grew up, where I met my wife Pamela and where we are raising our young family holds a special kind of responsibility for me. The challenges that Hartlepool people face are personal, because they are challenges that I share. When one of our local businesses closes due to spiralling costs, there is a good chance that I have visited it in better times. When a local play area is the victim of arson, my children are among those devastated at the loss of a place they enjoyed, and when someone tells me that they are living in pain because they cannot see an NHS dentist in a town that has been described as a dental desert, I know how they feel, because I cannot get one either.

    It is these experiences that drove me to serve my hometown, and it is Hartlepool people who have given me that opportunity. It is now my duty to respond in kind by delivering for them the opportunities that they have been denied for far too long. That is why I welcome this King’s Speech, which prioritises growth in every part of the country, not just those already blessed with affluence.

    Hartlepool’s history is one of innovation and industry. Once the bedrock of the British economy as the country’s third-largest port, we built ships that shipped the Durham coal that powered the world. At one point in our history, Hartlepool’s shipyards, such as William Gray and Company, launched more ships than anywhere else in the world. As a major exporter of steel, we built the bridges, the ships, the railways and the infrastructure that transformed not just our economy but economies across the globe. Such was Hartlepool’s strategic importance that, along with only two other places on the north-east coast, it was targeted for bombardment by the German navy during the first world war. In true Hartlepool style, we were the only place to fire back, making the Heugh gun battery the UK’s only first world war battlefield.

    Our industrial heritage has not left us. The Expanded Metal Company, which I have had the pleasure of visiting, provided metal mesh for buildings such as the Stephen Lawrence centre in Lewisham, the Young Vic theatre and New York’s New Museum, among many others. Our world famous, and award-winning, Camerons brewery was built during Hartlepool’s industrial heyday, but it has survived, grown and adapted to a changing economy, and a pint of Strongarm is as good today as it was back then.

    In moving the Humble Address, my hon. Friend the Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd) mentioned the famous Antony Gormley statues in his constituency. Although there are no Antony Gormley statues in Hartlepool, we are proud to have built the most famous one. Whenever I travel up the A1 through the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Gateshead South (Mrs Hodgson) and see the magnificent Angel of the North, I remember three simple words: “Made in Hartlepool.”

    If our history is one of industry, innovation and growth, I must tell the House in all candour that it must also be our future. Too often, towns such as Hartlepool have been left behind, an afterthought in our national conversation, able only to reminisce about what we once were, not plan for what we can be. This must change, and I believe it will change under this Labour Government.

    Right now, we are witnessing a new industrial revolution sweep the world as we shift to a net zero future. Whereas our past was in coal and ships, our future is in new nuclear, wave and tidal. The election of this Labour Government means that revolution is finally coming to our shores, with a national wealth fund investing in jobs in every part of the country, a proper industrial strategy that forges a real partnership with business, and Great British Energy, which will make the UK a clean energy superpower.

    I am determined that Hartlepool will play its part in this transformative agenda, once again at the metaphorical coalface of our country’s prosperity and economic growth. That is nothing less than Hartlepool people deserve. They are my inspiration, with their defiance, grit and determination to succeed in the face of challenge. Even in the toughest of times, we come together, stronger, more united and standing up for each other.

    Everywhere in our town, we see courage, community and compassion. I have been privileged to work with brilliant Hartlepool people every day to improve our town, from those in our voluntary sector organisations and community groups to our faith leaders and those in our schools, colleges and clubs, including Hartlepool United; my children and I are proud season ticket holders. All of them are working together in the service of our town.

    Hartlepool has produced many leading lights across a variety of professions, from Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers to world boxing champion Savannah Marshall, fashion designer Scott Henshall and television presenter Jeff Stelling, whose repeated and impassioned outbursts defending the north-east, its culture, heritage and people from those who would seek to criticise it display all the formidable characteristics of a person raised in Hartlepool.

    The Prime Minister has rightly talked about putting his Government back into the service of working people. My unfaltering belief in public service was instilled in me from a young age. I want to take a moment to pay tribute to my father, Charles Brash, a doctor in Hartlepool for over 30 years. One of my earliest memories is of him coming home from a night on call—GPs did that in those days—having a quick bite to eat, and then heading straight back out for his morning surgery. Some people still call me “the doctor’s son”, and I wear it like a badge of honour. His career, spent in the service of others, shaped my values, and my belief that only by putting people first can we achieve the change we need.

    I pay tribute to my predecessor, Jill Mortimer. Since her election in 2021, Jill has forged strong relationships in Hartlepool, particularly with veterans’ groups, which I hope to emulate. Public service is never easy, and I thank Jill Mortimer for her service to Hartlepool.

    I close by returning to the idea of opportunity. Right now, in 2024, in one of the richest countries in the world, nearly 20% of Hartlepool’s children live in absolute poverty. Nothing could better symbolise the spectre of opportunity denied—the opportunity for a safe and secure upbringing, to fulfil their boundless potential, to get a good job and raise their own family in security and prosperity. So I welcome the announcement by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and for Work and Pensions on developing an ambitious child poverty strategy, because as Members know, the record is clear: when Labour is in government, child poverty falls.

    I am privileged to stand in this place, but I will never lose sight of the fact that it is a privilege gifted to me by Hartlepool people, far too many of whom have been denied opportunity for far too long. Hartlepool people have a reputation for, on occasion, electing fighters as opposed to quitters, and I am pleased to tell the House that they have done so again. My duty, my service, is to fight for them every day to secure the brighter future that our town deserves.