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Tag: 2024

  • PRESS RELEASE : School-based nurseries funding round to launch next month [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : School-based nurseries funding round to launch next month [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 25 September 2024.

    The first stage of the government’s plan to deliver 3,000 nurseries by upgrading spare spaces in primary schools will begin next month, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced today.

    From next month, schools will be invited to bid for a share of £15 million capital funding, with capacity in the programme to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries in this first round.

    Schools will need to demonstrate how their proposals will respond to need in their local area, supporting the 2025 expansion of government-funded hours of childcare and early education for working parents to 30 hours a week.

    Funding will be allocated to successful schools in Spring 2025 to support delivery for the first cohort of places.

    This is the first step to delivering the government’s ambition for 3,000 new nurseries in primary schools, and long-term plan to make early years education and childcare more widely available, accessible, and high quality.

    Currently, availability of early years provision is not evenly distributed across the country, with the most disadvantaged areas often experiencing the lowest access to provision.

    To ensure the programme is delivered in a way that will benefit all parents and children, the department will use the first phase to take learnings for future years and better understand how we can best support underserved and poorer areas.

    Schools will be able to express interest for future phases of the programme to help assess demand in different parts of the country, and the department will engage with the sector on the most appropriate model to extend the programme across the country in its second phase.

    The government has urged schools interested in bidding for the first round to start discussing with their local authorities, governing organisations and wider stakeholders to consider pupil place planning, local childcare sufficiency and next steps for setting up and running new or expanded nurseries.

    Guidance to support schools will be issued at the date of launch.

  • PRESS RELEASE : ‘National conversation’ on curriculum begins [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : ‘National conversation’ on curriculum begins [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 25 September 2024.

    Professor Becky Francis has launched a call for evidence seeking views on the current curriculum and assessment system to help shape the future of education.

    Young people, parents, employers and education staff, leaders and experts are being invited to take part in a ‘national conversation’ about how the curriculum and assessment system can better prepare young people for life and work, as a call for evidence is launched today (25 September).

    The 8-week consultation aims to bring everyone into the conversation about what’s working well and what could work better in the curriculum and marks the next step in the government’s independent review.

    Responses will be invaluable in shaping the direction of the review and pivotal to the recommendations Professor Becky Francis and her expert panel put forward in 2025.

    Today’s call for evidence covers a range of specific areas, including how best to provide an excellent foundation in English and maths, support for children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

    The review will also take written and oral evidence from key stakeholders, alongside a series of regional engagement events from mid-October to meet and take input from young people and staff on the frontline.

    Spanning from key stages 1 to 4 and 16 to 19 education, the review will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve – in particular those who are socio-economically disadvantaged, or with special educational needs or disability (SEND).

    Professor Becky Francis said:

    The curriculum belongs to the nation. And especially, it must work for the young people who follow it, and the teachers and lecturers that communicate it.

    As such, it’s imperative that we hear perspectives and evidence from as wide a range of people as possible including children, young people, parents, education professionals and other stakeholders.

    The launch of our call for evidence today enables that. And we have sought to keep questions broad and wide-ranging, to enable people to have their say.

    There is much that is working in the present curriculum, but this is a chance to refresh, to address areas which aren’t working well, and to ensure excellence for all. I hope as many as possible will respond and I look forward to reading the responses.

    The review will look at ensuring all young people aged 16 to 19 have access to rigorous and high-value qualifications and training that will give them the skills they need to seize opportunity, as well as ensuring they are ready for the changing workplace.

    It will also look at whether the current assessment system can be improved for both young people and staff, while protecting the important role of examinations.    Following the review, all state schools – including academies which currently do not have to follow the national curriculum – will be required by law to teach the national curriculum up to age 16, giving parents certainty over their children’s education.

    The Improving the curriculum and assessment call for evidence runs from 25 September to 22 November 2024.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine [September 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 September 2024.

    The Prime Minister met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at UNGA this afternoon.

    The two leaders had a productive meeting, with the Prime Minister paying tribute to the continued courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression.

    The Prime Minister acknowledged that Ukraine is at a critical point in the war, but he reiterated the UK’s support is ironclad and will continue for as long as it takes.

    President Zelenskyy set out his ambitions for the coming months and thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s continued backing.

    They agreed to keep in close contact in the coming weeks.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement at the UN Security Council

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement at the UN Security Council

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, in New York on 25 September 2024.

    Thank you, President. And thank you to our briefers.

    I want start by paying tribute to those who see these terrible conflicts and walk towards them.

    With no agenda other than helping those in need.

    The UN and the ICRC have both lost staff this month, in Gaza, Lebanon and Donetsk. More than 200 aid workers have been killed so far this year, including British citizens.

    Their humanity should illuminate the work of this Council. Because we have heard again today just how dire the situation has become.

    The Security Council must deliver its responsibility for global peace and security. So I want to use this meeting as a call to action – in three key areas.

    First, we need to renew the international consensus on delivering humanitarian support. This should be the bare minimum.

    Yet, too often, we are falling short. We must address the situation in Gaza.

    The 7th of October was the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

    I utterly condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas. The ordeal of the hostages and their loved ones continues almost a year later.

    Six of them were killed in cold blood just a few weeks ago. So, I say again: let the hostages go.

    And we must face up to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza that continues to deepen by the day.

    Israel must grant humanitarian access to civilians in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law.  There can be no more excuses.

    Israel must open more crossings, allow vital, life-saving aid to flow and provide a safe environment for the UN and other humanitarian organisations to operate.

    The civilian suffering in Gaza is beyond belief. So we have restarted our funding to UNRWA.

    We’re supporting UK-MED to operate their field hospitals and we’re supporting UNICEF to deliver water, healthcare and specialist treatment for malnourished children.

    But the most fundamental need is even more basic. They need the fighting to stop.

    The situation in Sudan also demands our urgent attention. Millions are facing emergency or famine conditions, exacerbated by deliberate attempts to prevent aid reaching those in need.

    This is now the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today and the worst displacement crisis, with over 10 million people driven from their homes.

    It also risks destabilising South Sudan and Chad, which are already suffering their own humanitarian crises.

    The UK has doubled its aid for the victims of this war to almost £100 million. But much more help is needed. The world must step up.

    Second, I call on the Security Council to seek political solutions that can break repeating cycles of violence like that in the Middle East. The region is at the brink.

    We need an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah and the implementation of a political plan which allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes to live in peace and security.

    That security will come through diplomacy – not escalation. There is no military solution here. Nor is there a military-only solution to the conflict in Gaza.

    This Council must demand – again, an immediate, full and complete ceasefire in Gaza with the release of all the hostages.

    We need a political route to that agreement which provides a bridge to a better future. A credible and irreversible path towards a viable Palestinian state.

    Alongside a safe and secure State of Israel. This is the only way to provide security and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    In June, the UK brought a resolution to this Council on the war in Sudan.

    Calling for both parties to commit to a ceasefire. I repeat that call today. The warring parties must engage in ceasefire talks.

    We support the Secretary General’s Envoy in his efforts towards peace. We must keep working to bring this war to an end and we must ensure those responsible for committing atrocities are held accountable.

    This leads me to my third and final point. We must ensure accountability for those violating the UN Charter and this Council must recommit to the values that it sets out.

    This should go without saying. Yet, the greatest violation of the Charter in a generation has been committed by one of this Council’s permanent members.

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal. It threatens global security. And it has caused colossal human suffering. Over 35,000 civilians have been killed or injured, 6 million forced to flee and almost 20,000 Ukrainian children forcefully deported. Kidnapped, to put it bluntly.

    I think of Yaroslav Bazylevych, whose wife and three daughters were killed earlier this month by a Russian strike on civilians in Lviv. And I wonder how Russia can show its face in this building.

    Six hundred thousand Russian soldiers have also been killed or wounded in this war. And for what?

    The UN Charter – which they sit here to uphold speaks of human dignity. Not treating your own citizens as bits of meat to fling into the grinder.

    Russia’s war has triggered a global energy crisis and a global food security crisis, causing hunger in the Horn of Africa. They entered into the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain deal. Then withdrew.

    They tried to block the Pact for the Future. Now the world looks on as Russia deepens its military ties, wWith the likes of North Korea and Iran. So there can be no equivocation here.

    There must be accountability. Aggression cannot pay.  Borders cannot be redrawn by force.

    Russia started this illegal war. It must end it – and get out of Ukraine.

    We stand with the 89 countries who made clear at the Swiss Peace Summit that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be the basis of any just and lasting peace.

    Any process that does not recognise this will only be used as a pretext by Russia to regroup and come again.

    President, in this moment of deepening conflict, the world looks to this Council more than ever. To provide leadership for peace, preserve our collective security and protect the most vulnerable.

    The United Kingdom will always play its full part in fulfilling that responsibility.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister tells US investors “Britain is open for business” as he secured major £10 billion deal to drive growth and create jobs [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister tells US investors “Britain is open for business” as he secured major £10 billion deal to drive growth and create jobs [September 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 September 2024.

    A major £10 billion investment which will create thousands of jobs in the North East of England has been announced by the Prime Minister in New York today.

    • Major U.S. company Blackstone has confirmed a £10 billion investment in the North East of England to create one of the largest artificial intelligence data centres in Europe
    • Move will create 4,000 jobs for British people and benefit the local community in Blyth
    • Prime Minister continues his international drive to boost the UK’s reputation on the global stage, unlock new opportunities to drive growth at home and improve the lives of British people

    A major £10 billion investment which will create thousands of jobs in the North East of England has been announced by the Prime Minister in New York today.

    The deal with US investment company Blackstone, facilitated by the Office for Investment, will create the biggest AI data centre in Europe, boosting the UK’s world leading capabilities in the AI sector and driving growth in the local community.

    Over 4,000 jobs will be created as a result, including 1,200 roles dedicated to the construction of the site in Blyth, Northumberland. Construction on the site is expected to begin next year, with the data centres set to store the vast amount of data needed to power AI, and to store the information generated by AI systems.

    The Prime Minister’s number one mission for government is economic growth, and foreign investment will be a key part of driving it – by creating jobs which will put money into the pockets of hard-working British people.

    The local community in Blyth – which suffered as a result of the failure of BritishVolt – will also directly benefit from the investment, with Blackstone confirming it will invest £110 million into a fund – supporting further skills training and transport infrastructure in the area.

    The UK is already home to the highest number of data centres in Western Europe and just last month, the government classed data centres as ‘Critical National Infrastructure’ in the first designation in almost a decade to provide greater reassurance to businesses that the UK is a secure place to invest in and develop data centres.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    The number one mission of my government is to grow our economy, so that hard-working British people reap the benefits – and more foreign investment is a crucial part of that plan.

    New investment such as the one we’ve announced with Blackstone today is a huge vote of confidence in the UK and it proves that Britain is back as a major player on the global stage and we’re open for business.

    Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone, said:

    The UK is a top investment market for Blackstone because of its powerful combination of talent and innovation along with a highly transparent legal system.  We are making significant commitments to building social housing, facilitating the energy transition, growing life sciences companies and developing critical infrastructure needed to fuel the digital economy. This includes a projected £10 billion investment to build one of Europe’s largest hyperscale data centres supporting 4,000 jobs. Blackstone is committed to Britain.

    The Prime Minister will meet Blackstone President Jon Gray in New York this morning, as he seeks to rebuild Britain’s reputation as an investment destination in order to drive growth and create opportunities for British people.

    This comes ahead of the UK’s International Investment Summit in October, which is set to bring together hundreds of leading CEOs and investors set to attend representing the best of business across the globe, with an ambitious programme to showcase the UK’s economic strengths.

    The summit will rebuild Britain’s reputation as an investment destination to drive growth and create opportunities for British people and cement the government’s enduring partnership with businesses to give them the certainty they need to invest and grow in the UK.

    Today’s investment also bolsters the UK’s bilateral trading relationship with the US which is already worth over £340 billion – making the US our largest single trading partner.

    Every day, 1.2 million Americans go to work for UK-owned businesses and 1.3 million Brits work for US owned companies. Just last year the UK and US together invested over $1.2 trillion in each other’s economies, across key sectors like financial services, green infrastructure, real estate and technology.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK provides essential humanitarian supplies to civilians in Lebanon as the situation deteriorates [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK provides essential humanitarian supplies to civilians in Lebanon as the situation deteriorates [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 September 2024.

    Government re-opens portal for British nationals in Lebanon to register their presence following deployment.

    • government re-opens portal for British nationals in Lebanon to register their presence
    • follows deployment of military, Border Force and Foreign office officials to Cyprus to support contingency planning
    • £5 million humanitarian package will support thousands of people who have been displaced or forced to flee

    The UK is sending £5 million to Lebanon to support humanitarian response efforts, where the United Nations [UNICEF] will distribute supplies to those in need.

    It comes as the UK also re-opens the register your presence service to support British nationals and provide vital updates.

    The UK has been calling for British nationals to leave Lebanon since October 2023. Yesterday, 700 troops, alongside Border Force and Foreign Office officials, also deployed to Cyprus to continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios in the region.

    The essential humanitarian support comes after further civilian casualties following air strikes in recent hours. Thousands more have been displaced or forced to flee their homes.

    The package includes essential medical supplies, hygiene kits and fuel for water stations, to help thousands of displaced civilians across Lebanon meet their basic needs.

    It will also help emergency teams respond to urgent health and nutrition needs, and provide a series of training sessions for key delivery partners and frontline workers to ensure an effective emergency response.

    Anneliese Dodds, Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Women and Equalities, said:

    The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning. While we continue to urge British nationals to leave and have launched our ‘register your presence’ portal to aid their departure, the UK will always be a strong supporter of the Lebanese people. That is why we are providing £5 million to UNICEF to support civilians who have been displaced and are facing a humanitarian emergency.

    We need to see an immediate ceasefire from both sides to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure that displaced people can return to their homes.

    At UNGA this week the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah when he met G7 ministers. The UK was the first G7 country to call for an immediate ceasefire. The Foreign Secretary will deliver the UK’s intervention at the UN Security Council session on Lebanon.

    Flights from Beirut continue to run, and British nationals should depart on the first available carrier.

    The military teams have joined the already significant UK diplomatic and military footprint in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Royal Navy ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean to support British nationals and allies over the summer.

    The Royal Air Force also have aircraft and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.

    Background

    • today’s funding announcement comes from pre-existing Official Development Assistance budgets and is already accounted for
    • the UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable in Lebanon, including refugees and Lebanese communities, with timely, flexible assistance to address basic needs and reduce suffering
    • the UK’s bilateral humanitarian support to Lebanon this financial year (up to £21 million through the Lebanon Humanitarian Programme, including this £5 million for UNICEF) is focussed on:
      • supporting the most vulnerable refugee and Lebanese communities to meet their basic needs
      • providing essential education and child protection services to over 5,000 of the most vulnerable and marginalised out of school children and
      • supporting the Government of Lebanon to develop more inclusive, sustainable, and accountable social protection systems
    • through the Lebanon Humanitarian Programme, the UK is one of the largest donors to OCHA’s Lebanon Humanitarian Fund which has allocated $14.7 million to a range of non-governmental organisations for preparedness and response to displacement
    • earlier this year, a Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocation of $9 million was released to support UN partners response to the rising needs in Southern Lebanon. The UK is one of the largest donors to the CERF globally
    • $2.2 million Education Cannot Wait (ECW) funding has been released to support 5,000 children affected by the crisis. The UK is the second largest donor to ECW
  • PRESS RELEASE : This government will show global leadership on the climate crisis – UK statement at the UN [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : This government will show global leadership on the climate crisis – UK statement at the UN [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 September 2024.

    Statement by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise.

    Can I say what a privilege it is to address this incredibly important session here at the United Nations.

    I want to start by saying that in the new United Kingdom government, you have a partner that wants to show global leadership on these critical issues around the climate crisis.

    And we want to show that global leadership in three ways.

    First of all, we have come to this session to show solidarity with all of those states around the world that are threatened by sea-level rise.

    We know the combined threats of sea-level rise, climate change and increasing extreme weather events, which disproportionately impact Small Island Developing States, and indeed other coastal states.

    You are on the front line of the crisis and are leading the way to protect our oceans, and we must listen and learn from your experiences, and indeed come together to address the challenges you face.

    Secondly, we have a government in the UK that is willing to tell the truth about where we are, as we all must do.

    We are way off-track from where we need to be to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees, and this is something we must confront in the months and years ahead.

    And thirdly, a government in the UK that is determined to lead by example, and then use that to show international leadership too.

    It might interest this session to know that we won a general election on the basis of bold climate action –

    a pledge not to issue new oil and gas licenses,

    a pledge to decarbonise our power system by 2030,

    a pledge to ensure that we had a Nationally Determined Contribution consistent with 1.5 degrees.

    My pledge to you on the global stage is that we will act with the boldness that the situation demands.

    We will publish our NDC well ahead of COP30 in Brazil, and it will be bold, and it will be consistent with 1.5 degrees.

    We will be participants that argue for a strong and scaled-up finance goal as part of the NCQG; reform of the Multilateral Development Banks; and indeed, operationalising the Fund for Loss and Damage that was agreed last year at COP28.

    The world has been waiting for too long. Now is not simply the time for bold words, it is the time for bold action.

    And in the new United Kingdom government, you have a government committed to take that action in partnership with states around the world, particularly those states threatened by sea-level rise.

    Thank you very much.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Britain’s return to responsible global leadership will help drive growth at home, Prime Minister to tell United Nations [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Britain’s return to responsible global leadership will help drive growth at home, Prime Minister to tell United Nations [September 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 September 2024.

    Britain will return to responsible global leadership under my watch, the Prime Minister will tell the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

    • Prime Minister will travel to New York today to participate in United General Assembly meetings with important international partners.
    • He will contribute to sessions on major global challenges such as the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and climate change.
    • PM will pledge to return the UK to responsible global leadership to tackle the issues that rebound on British people at home.

    Britain will return to responsible global leadership under my watch, the Prime Minister will tell the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

    He will use several interventions across his two-day visit to argue that our participation and reputation abroad is directly linked to our security, stability and prosperity at home.

    In a speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, he will say that it is only by being a reliable and trusted international partner, working together to solve global problems such as war, poverty and climate change – that we can build a safer and more prosperous UK.

    The Prime Minister will say:

    We are returning the UK to responsible global leadership. This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles and our willingness to defend them. To recommit to the UN, to internationalism, to the rule of law.

    Because I know that this matters to the British people. War, poverty and climate change all rebound on us at home. They make us less secure, they harm our economy, and they create migration flows on an unprecedented scale.

    The British people are safer and more prosperous when we work internationally to solve these problems, instead of merely trying to manage their effects. So, the responsible global leadership that we will pursue is undeniably in our self-interest.

    He will use his speech to set out how the UK will step up to play its part, guided by the rule of law, in tackling these challenges in a world that is increasingly dominated by conflicts – including those in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan.

    It follows a major drive by the Prime Minister in his first few months in office to reset the UK’s relationship with its key allies and prove that Britain is back as a major player on the world stage – a key part of his ambition to drive growth and improve the lives of hardworking British people.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement – Meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom and Argentina [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement – Meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom and Argentina [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 September 2024.

    The Foreign Secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina made progress on different issues regarding the South Atlantic.

    Looking forward to a new era of constructive cooperation within the bilateral relationship, characterised by improved dialogue and confidence-building measures, the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, Diana Mondino, met in New York on 24 September and made progress towards a broad agenda covering different issues relating to the South Atlantic. It is agreed that the formula on the safeguards of sovereignty in paragraph 2 of the Joint Statement of 19 October 1989 applies to this agenda and its outcomes.

    The Parties have agreed to resume negotiations to complete the third phase of the Humanitarian Project Plan together with the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to organise a trip to the Islands by next-of-kin of fallen soldiers before the end of 2024, so that they can visit the graves of the soldiers laid there to rest.

    They also agreed on the need to take concrete steps in the area of fisheries conservation and towards improved connectivity, according to the agreements reached in 2018, including the resumption of the weekly Sao Paulo flight to the Islands that stopped once a month in Cordoba.

    These steps will enable progress towards a more ambitious agenda for co-operation in different areas, under the sovereignty formula, aimed at promoting human and economic development and strengthening links between the Islands and the continent.

    Both the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Mondino welcomed the steps being taken to establish an improved bilateral relationship and agreed to speak again when opportunity allowed.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New measures set out to reduce net migration [September 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : New measures set out to reduce net migration [September 2024]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 September 2024.

    New measures to cut historically high levels of net migration have been announced today, bolstering the Home Secretary’s approach to tackle the root causes behind the UK’s long-term reliance on international recruitment.

    Sectors most reliant on overseas workers will be targeted to ensure they are addressing their failure to invest in skills here in the UK.

    The government will task the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) with monitoring and proactively highlighting key sectors where skills shortages have led to surges in overseas recruitment and provide a yearly assessment to ministers to inform policy decision making.

    Rules around visa sponsorship of migrant workers will also be strengthened so that strong action can be taken against employers who flout employment laws, restricting their ability to hire workers from abroad. This is in addition to work already underway to clamp down on existing sponsor licence holders and to stop visa abuse, such as the ramping up of investigation visits by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), and suspending and revoking licenses where employers abuse the immigration system and exploit migrant workers.

    This follows plans already set out by the Home Secretary to link migration policy with skills and wider labour market policy, so that international recruitment is no longer the default choice for employers filling skills shortages, as well as the government’s confirmation that changes made by the previous administration to the immigration system will remain in place.

    The new joined-up approach across government, set out by the Home Secretary in July, establishes a framework in which the newly formed Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council, together with input from the Department for Work and Pensions, will work closely with the MAC so that migration is not used as an alternative to tackling training or skills shortages in the UK.

    The MAC’s annual assessment will help industries respond swiftly to skills gaps and take necessary steps to reduce their dependency on migrant workers and invest in training, workforce plans, and higher quality jobs for workers here at home.

    The expanded role for the MAC will be bolstered by additional capacity and includes work to assess the root causes of why certain sectors are so reliant on overseas workers. It has already been commissioned by the Home Secretary to look at IT and engineering – key sectors which have consistently relied on the international workforce, rather than sourcing the workers and skills they need here in the UK.