Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Scotland’s most remote towns and villages get huge broadband upgrade as UK government vows to end digital exclusion plight [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 1 May 2025.
- Around 65,000 homes and businesses in Scotland to gain access to lightning-fast broadband for the first time, helping to break down barriers to opportunity and kickstart economic growth under the Government’s Plan for Change
- UK Government signs largest ever contract worth £157 million to bring gigabit-capable internet to the Highlands, Outer Hebrides, and hard-to-reach areas across most of Scotland
- Rollout to help break down barriers to opportunity for those struggling to get online and boost local economic growth under the Government’s Plan for Change
Around 65,000 Scottish homes and businesses, including many in some of the most isolated areas of the United Kingdom, will receive access to fast, reliable broadband as government helps break down barriers to opportunity and boost economic growth under the Plan for Change.

Digitally isolated communities across Scotland, where using the web can be almost impossible due to outdated infrastructure, will be able to work, bank, shop and study online without buffering, thanks to gigabit-capable broadband funded by the UK government.

Several remote islands off Scotland’s west coast will benefit, including thousands of premises across the Outer Hebrides – a chain of over 100 islands where currently just seven per cent of premises can access gigabit broadband, among the lowest in the UK – as well as the isles of Skye, Islay and Tiree.

Rural parts of the Highlands will also be covered by this boost, such as Applecross, an extremely remote peninsula, and Durness, the most north-westerly village on the UK mainland.

The £157 million contract with Openreach is the largest ever under Project Gigabit. It will power up efforts to tackle digital exclusion across the entire UK – delivering the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, from boosting local economic growth through giving businesses the vital tools they need, to improving access to public services like virtual NHS appointments.

Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said:

Digital exclusion for people living and working in hard-to-reach areas across Scotland can be a huge obstacle to living a better and healthier life. Elderly and vulnerable people could miss out on the best treatment options in North Ayrshire, while budding entrepreneurs could be held back from their dream of running a successful business in Moray.

With our recent Digital Inclusion Action Plan, we have pledged to take everyone along with us in the digital revolution so that we don’t entrench existing inequalities as technological progress races ahead.

This huge UK Government investment is a commitment to using technology to make lives in Scotland better as well as turbocharging local economies to deliver on our growth mission under the government’s Plan for Change.

Openreach Deputy CEO, Katie Milligan, said:

Full fibre is the UK’s most reliable broadband technology, and more than half of Scotland’s homes can already order it thanks to Openreach. But we believe everyone deserves access to fast, reliable connections, so we’re proud to be helping extend access to communities that would otherwise be left behind. Our new network’s a catalyst for growth and jobs, with experts predicting it’ll bring a £4.4 billion boost to the Scottish economy and a raft of social and environmental benefits. We’re confident we’ll reach as many as 30 million UK premises by 2030, assuming the right economic conditions exist.

Yvonne Boles, Senior Site Manager of Tayside Reserves at RSPB Scotland, said:

We fell between a few gaps in local network improvements, but now we have gigabit capable fibre to the RSPB Loch Leven visitor centre, which has been a game changer for us.

The old internet was constantly going down or being very slow, which impacted our ability to work in the office as well as taking card payments in both the shop and the café.

We wasted so much time on the phone to IT trying to fix things for us. It’s been such a relief and a benefit to have reliable, powerful internet.

The deal was struck under an £800 million agreement with Openreach announced last August as part of wider plans to end the plight of digital exclusion across rural Britain, with work already underway to connect over 227,000 premises in hard-to-reach parts of Wales and England as part of the agreement. The agreement is funded by the UK government who will work alongside the Scottish Government and Openreach to deliver the coverage.

The contract will support significant work already being carried out through the Scottish Government’s R100 programme. It also builds on another Project Gigabit contract in Scotland, awarded in February through a partnership with the Scottish Government, for up to 11,000 premises in the Borders and Midlothian. More contracts are also expected to be signed later this year for Orkney, Shetland and across the east of Scotland.

Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:

This new contract brings even more investment to Scotland and we are committed to working with the UK Government and Openreach to drive efficiencies across both the R100 and Project Gigabit programmes and maximise gigabit coverage.

Through the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme and our ongoing efforts with R100, over one million faster broadband connections have been delivered across Scotland through public investment – developing infrastructure, knowledge and experience that will be essential in ensuring the success of Project Gigabit in Scotland.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

This £157 million UK Government investment is a game changer for tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the most remote areas of Scotland. Rolling out lightning-fast broadband will equip and inspire local businesses to thrive, enable families to access vital services, and build resilient communities. Our Plan for Change recognises that rural communities are the backbone of our nation and economic growth must reach every corner of Scotland, ensuring that opportunity isn’t determined by postcode but by potential.

Project Gigabit targets places too difficult or expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build and would otherwise be left behind with older digital infrastructure. The world-class networks being built across the UK is laying the foundations needed to kickstart economic growth, creating and supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs, empowering industries of all kinds to innovate and increase productivity by taking up digital technology.

It’s also crucial to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, ensuring people can access vital services now and in the future, no matter where they are, from government services like Universal Credit and HMRC to online courses for those looking to improve their job prospects through new skills to helping pensioners combat loneliness by catching up with loved ones over higher quality video calls.
May 1, 2025
Harriet Cross – 2025 Speech on Licences and Licensing

The speech made by Harriet Cross, the Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

I hope it will be apparent that all Members of the House strongly support this motion. Certainly those of us on the Opposition Benches welcome the opportunity for pubs and other licensed venues across the country to stay open late to commemorate VE day without incurring any cost to extend their licences.

As time passes and those with direct memories of this momentous day grow older, it is critical that we continue to commemorate and remember the experiences of those who sacrificed so much and who in so many cases gave everything for our nation and for others’ freedom. We must celebrate the fact that their sacrifice was not in vain, but led to a great achievement, and recognise the efforts and endurance that overcame immense struggle. I hope I speak for all Members when I say that we are incredibly honoured to represent those who served in world war two and their family, friends and loved ones who survive to this day.

VE day is rightly a day for us all to share in celebration. As Churchill said on 8 May 1945,

“My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not a victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory for the great British nation as a whole.”

It is only appropriate that we continue to reflect the evergreen truth and celebrate VE day as we should: unified as a country, proud of our history of determination and of sacrifice.

The motion to extend licensing hours appears exceptionally appropriate. Not only was a national holiday declared in Britain on 8 May 1945, but it is said that on that morning, Churchill—with his focus very much on the real priorities—gained assurances from the Ministry of Food that there would be sufficient beer available in the capital. Meanwhile, the Board of Trade announced that people could purchase red, white and blue bunting without using ration coupons. We share that same spirit today by approving this motion, which I hope will allow people to fully and memorably commemorate this truly historic day.

April 30, 2025
Richard Foord – 2025 Speech on UK-USA Trade Agreements

The speech made by Richard Foord, the Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Secretary of State to lay before Parliament any trade agreement between the UK and the USA which the Government proposes to implement; to prohibit the implementation of such an agreement without the approval by resolution of each House; to make provision for the amendment of such agreements by Parliament; and for connected purposes.

Let us cast our minds back four years to the spring of 2021. Liz Truss was the Secretary of State for International Trade. Boris Johnson was Prime Minister. The export of British goods to the EU had fallen sharply in January of that year, and the end of the Brexit transition period was nigh. The Government were in a hurry. Boris Johnson sat down for dinner with the Australian Prime Minister here in Westminster. After three hours of small talk, a little negotiation and plenty of Australian red wine, Johnson agreed to remove tariffs on over 99% of Australian products entering the UK, including beef. The Government knew that such a deal would harm the UK agriculture and food industries. The Government’s own analysis predicted that the deal could leave the UK agriculture and food sectors £278 million worse off.

The Australian high commissioner, who had been sitting at the table, moved quickly. Scribbling down Johnson’s generous pledge, he excused himself to go to the toilet and handed a note to an aide as he did so. Within minutes it was scanned, turned into a formal trade document, printed and slipped into an official-looking folder. The high commissioner then casually walked back into the dinner carrying the so-called deal. That was all it took to sell out the UK’s farmers: a wine-soaked dinner, a hastily scribbled note and a signature from a Prime Minister prepared to ignore the good advice of his own trade negotiators.

Without proper parliamentary scrutiny and a vote on any deal with the United States, we risk adding to the pressure on our already struggling farmers, stripping away safeguards on British citizens’ data and sidelining democratic scrutiny itself. Currently, parliamentary scrutiny of international treaties in the UK is woefully inadequate. The Government can negotiate and sign a treaty with another country—even one as significant as the US—using prerogative powers, without having to put it to a vote in Parliament. Under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, known as CRaG, signed treaties must be laid before Parliament for 21 sitting days. Parliament can raise objections but it cannot propose amendments and there is no requirement for a vote. Recommendations born of scrutiny are advisory, and not in the least bit binding.

Evidence was provided to the International Agreements Committee in the other place last year. It showed just how outdated the UK’s treaty scrutiny system is, set against how trade arrangements have evolved and become more complicated. Modern trade deals now reach deep into domestic policy: they shape our food standards, our data rights and even the regulation of artificial intelligence. If Back-Bench MPs are shut out of the process, so too are the people we represent.

Parliamentary scrutiny was demonstrably weak in the wake of the UK’s trade deals with Australia and New Zealand. The International Trade Committee condemned the Government’s approach, saying that it had “undermined” scrutiny. The Johnson Government did this by triggering the 21-sitting-day statutory period before Committees had received evidence or completed reports on the trade deal. This meant that Parliament had little information with which to assess the agreements. When the Australia deal was signed, Labour—then in opposition—rightly demanded a parliamentary vote. Now in government, it would do well to heed its own previous calls for proper scrutiny.

In east and mid-Devon, farmers who I represent have been hit hard by the poorly negotiated trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, which come on top of the planned changes to inheritance tax and the peremptory closure of the sustainable farming incentive. Even if a future UK-US trade deal upholds our food standards, west country farmers and others could still be undermined. The Government offer assurances about shutting out hormone-treated beef and chlorinated chicken, but concerns remain that the US could still flood the UK market with beef that is not hormone treated. The Government have assured us that there will be no compromise on environmental and animal welfare standards in the UK, but again, these assurances count for little if imports from overseas are not produced to the same environmental standards or with the same requirements for high animal welfare standards.

The UK is already too reliant on imported food. Imports made up around 40% of the UK’s food supply in 2023. UK food self-sufficiency has already fallen sharply, from 78% in 1984 to just 60% today. There are those who say that some sectors will always fall victim to trade negotiations, because the Government must balance the demands of various industries, but some of the factors currently being discussed by our trade negotiators are cross-cutting, and that includes matters of digital trade and data.

The US wants a digital-first deal. That would mean locking in rules that protect the interests of silicon valley, not the British public. It has already been speculated that the Government are considering reducing or scrapping the digital services tax, which would cut taxes for some of the wealthiest and most powerful American companies in the world at the expense of public service users in the UK. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasted that the tax raised £700 million in 2024-25—revenue that the Treasury can ill afford to forfeit at this time.

Vice President J. D. Vance alleged in a speech at the Munich security conference that

“old, entrenched interests”

are

“hiding behind ugly, Soviet-era words like ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation,’”.

That brand of free speech pays little heed to facts. Vance may be representing some not altogether transparent interests himself. The US is pushing to overcome data localisation. That could allow US-based tech firms to centralise their data operations in the United States and rule out data storage in the UK. If that came about, it would weaken the protection for British citizens’ data, making it difficult to enforce UK privacy laws.

Take as an example the contract that Palantir agreed with the NHS in 2023 to install its federated data system. If a US-UK trade deal restricted data localisation, it could allow NHS medical records to be exported to the US, handing Palantir the power to exploit the enormous commercial value of British citizens’ data. Although Palantir claims that it will only act as a processor of data, its business model is rooted in extracting value from data for commercial ends. With access to one of the world’s richest health datasets, Palantir could package insights and sell predictive analytic services to private healthcare providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies. Palantir’s co-founder Peter Thiel has called the NHS a system that “makes people sick”. He claims that freedom and democracy are no longer compatible. Parliament should have the means to ensure that Thiel’s understanding of freedom cannot bypass British democracy.

This is not just about trade; it is about trust. The Leader of the Opposition should know: the right hon. Member for North West Essex (Mrs Badenoch) was the Secretary of State for International Trade in 2023 when the Australia and New Zealand trade deals came into effect. Farming paid the price last time, and it could happen again—our digital freedoms could pay the price, too.

My Bill is simple: it does not block a US deal or tie the Government’s hands; it requires that Parliament has a greater say. That is what democracy demands, and that is what the public expects.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Tim Farron, Calum Miller, Helen Morgan, Sarah Olney, Edward Morello and Richard Foord present the Bill.

Richard Foord accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 May, and to be printed (Bill 228).

April 30, 2025
Andrew Bowie – 2025 Speech on Energy Grid Resilience

The speech made by Andrew Bowie, the Shadow Energy Minister, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement, and echo his comments; of course, the Conservatives’ thoughts are with all those affected by the blackouts in Spain, Portugal and more widely.

The Minister rightly addresses concerns about the security of our grid in the context of the shutdown witnessed on the Iberian peninsula, and I am glad that he can confirm that he is carrying on implementing the recommendations from Exercise Mighty Oak, in which I was involved, on the action that would be required if such an event took place in GB. The primary responsibility of the Minister’s Department is to keep the lights on in this country. The images from Spain and Portugal are a sombre reminder of what happens when the grid fails. Extended blackouts are devastating, and it is a relief that power was restored to 99% of customers by 6 o’clock yesterday morning. The grid collapse in Iberia has demonstrated the fragility of the complex, interconnected systems that support modern life, and the very real impacts on human life of such a collapse.

It is the Minister’s responsibility to ensure that the same thing does not happen in Great Britain, as the price for our economy and for communities across this country would be catastrophic. We cannot get away from the fact that this Government’s plans to rush ahead to build a grid that is entirely dependent on the wind and the sun in just five years’ time will make our electricity grid significantly less reliable.

The stability of our electricity grid depends on what is called inertia, which is the ability for the system to resist destabilising fluctuations in frequency. It is the reason our grid has been so secure and resilient over the decades the Minister references. This inertia is provided by turbines, like those found in nuclear, hydro or, crucially, gas power stations, but it is not provided by solar or wind farms. If the grid does not have enough inertia to resist sudden changes in frequency, it can become destabilised, and cascading grid failure can occur. That means blackouts. As the Spanish NESO said in its latest annual report, the closure of conventional generation plants, such as coal, gas and nuclear, has reduced the firm power and balancing capacities of its grid, as well as its strength and inertia. This has also happened here in Great Britain. Data from NESO shows that the inertia in our grid has been steadily decreasing over time, as gas and coal have come off the system, to be replaced by wind and solar. This comes with a hefty price tag, which is the problem with so much of the Labour Government’s approach to energy security. Their imposed targets are saddling the British people with mountains of extra costs, as the Government rush ahead towards a power system that depends on the weather, rather than on firm, reliable baseload.

Tens of billions of pounds are spent subsidising wind farms, expanding the grid, and providing back-up from reliable gas plants. The Government set their 2030 target, and now they are trying to work out how they can achieve it, but they refuse to be honest with the British people. They refuse to do an open and honest assessment of the costs and risks that come with this approach. It is no wonder that even Tony Blair has said that the present policy solutions are inadequate and doomed to fail.

The Conservatives believe in a system that delivers secure, affordable and clean energy for the UK. A cyber-attack has been ruled out by the Spanish Government as a cause of their grid collapse, but we know that the threat of interference from hostile states is constant. Will the Minister update the House on the action he is taking to protect the grid from hostile activity? When will he finally tell us which single Minister is responsible for the safety and security of our offshore energy infrastructure?

The lessons from the incident on the Iberian Peninsula are abundantly clear. We must retain inertia in our grid to keep it stable and resilient. Nuclear power provides vital baseload power generation, along with inertia, which would have helped to mitigate a cascading failure like the one earlier this week. Will the Minister give the nuclear industry the certainty that it is asking for, and commit to 24 GW of nuclear power, as the previous Government did? Will he ask NESO to provide this House with a full, transparent update on the role of inertia in our power system, on the consequences of declining inertia, on the impact that has on grid stability, and on the costs associated with it?

Finally, the Minister has said that Great Britain has never experienced a complete shutdown such as that seen on the continent. What assurances can he offer this House that work is being undertaken, so that NESO and the National Grid are prepared for a black start, if ever that is needed?

Michael Shanks

I shall start with the more serious of the hon. Gentleman’s questions, and then, in reply to some of his other questions, I might gently remind him who was in office not that long ago. On a serious note, I agree entirely with him on his opening point: the first priority of my Department and the Government is to ensure our energy security. The past few days in Spain and Portugal have brought to light just how much of our day-to-day lives are dependent on a functioning electricity system, so he is right to make that point, and we are very aware of it.

I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman did not recognise the work that the previous Government did on building the renewable system, and on introducing inertia into the system, because that all started a number of years ago. We have a resilient grid in this country, and it is important to continue to have that. That means building new grid infrastructure, which he and a number of his colleagues quite often oppose. It is important to build that grid infrastructure and to invest in it. We will continue to work with NESO and others to understand the full causes of this outage. I will not be drawn into speculation on what may have caused it, because clearly the first priority of the Spanish and Portuguese Governments has been restoring power, but they will carry out investigations to find out the cause, and we will implement any lessons from that.

Finally, the hon. Gentleman was right to reflect on Operation Mighty Oak, which was carried out under the previous Government. We have been taking forward those recommendations right across government. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is looking at resilience across Government. These are all important points. However, I say gently that energy security is an absolute priority for this Government, which means building the energy infrastructure that this country needs, and not opposing it at every turn.

April 30, 2025
Michael Shanks – 2025 Statement on Energy Grid Resilience

The statement made by Michael Shanks, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the resilience of the UK’s energy grid in the context of the widespread power outages experienced across the Iberian peninsula over the past two days. My thoughts are with all those affected by the widespread disruption across that peninsula on Monday. I am glad to hear that power has now been fully restored across the region.

I want to reassure the House that Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network, and that the incident in Iberia has not impacted Great Britain. The Secretary of State has been in regular contact with the National Energy System Operator over the past two days, and it has provided reassurance that there is no increase in risk to our energy supplies or system stability from this incident.

My Department was informed on Monday 28 April by NESO that a power outage had occurred across the Iberian peninsula, affecting mainland Spain, Portugal, Andorra and areas of France. While all power was restored to the impacted areas yesterday, Tuesday 29 April, the disruption had cascading impacts on other sectors across the vast majority of Spain and Portugal. The cause of the outage is yet to be confirmed; it is likely to take some time for the Spanish network operator to carry out a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the failure. Various independent reviews have been commissioned by Spain, Portugal and the European Commission to understand the cause.

Although GB is not directly connected to Spain and Portugal’s grid, NESO is in close contact with European counterparts, and is offering support where needed. The Government are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the Spanish and Portuguese authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of any British nationals in the affected regions.

I turn to our grid’s resilience, and our preparedness in the context of recent events on the Iberian peninsula. An event similar in impact in Great Britain would be equivalent to a national power outage—a total loss of power across the whole of GB—which is listed on the national risk register as a high-impact but low-likelihood event. In its 75-year history, Great Britain’s national electricity transmission system has never experienced a complete shutdown, or anything on the scale of what has happened in Spain over the past few days.

Our electricity system is highly resilient. The National Energy System Operator continuously monitors the condition of the electricity system to ensure there are sufficient inertia and reserves in the system to manage large losses and prevent large-scale power outages. NESO has also introduced innovative new approaches to managing system stability, as well as advanced safety systems to help to prevent such events from happening in GB. The system is built, designed and operated to cope with the loss of key circuits or systems without causing customer impacts. There are multiple redundant alternative routes through which power can flow should a fault occur, minimising the risk of a single fault cascading across the entire system to cause a total or partial electricity system shutdown.

However, as a responsible Government, we prepare for all eventualities, no matter how unlikely. I would like to reassure the House that the Government work closely with industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure, networks and assets to reduce vulnerabilities. This work includes having robust emergency plans, summarised in the national emergency plan for downstream gas and electricity, and regularly exercising emergency plans with the energy industry and Ofgem. That includes an exercise carried out by the previous Government; we have been taking forward the recommendations from that exercise. This work is ongoing across Government to ensure we are as resilient as possible as a nation in all eventualities.

We have also empowered the independent National Energy System Operator to carry out resilience functions across the electricity and gas systems, and will continue to work with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience of old, new and future energy infrastructure. Switching fossil-fuelled generation for home-grown clean energy from renewables, nuclear and other clean technologies is the route to long-term energy security. I will speak more broadly about the UK’s energy resilience in a debate in Westminster Hall on Tuesday.

To conclude, Great Britain has a resilient energy network, and we will ensure that that continues to be the case. I commend this statement to the House.

April 30, 2025
James Cartlidge – 2025 Speech on the UK Airstrike on a Houthi Military Facility

The speech made by James Cartlidge, the Shadow Defence Secretary, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

I am grateful to the Secretary of State for early sight of his statement and to the Minister for the Armed Forces for the briefing he extended to me and other parliamentarians earlier today. As far as His Majesty’s Opposition are concerned, the rationale for these actions has not changed since we undertook similar operations in government in the months leading up to the general election, with the support of the then Opposition. We agree that this action is effectively an act of self-defence on behalf of ourselves and our closest allies.

With the main target for RAF Typhoons being a Houthi drone factory, we should remember that drones were used by the Houthis to target our own naval ships, such as the attempted drone attack on HMS Diamond in January last year. While HMS Diamond was able to take effective action in response on that occasion, we know that this capability can be produced in very large numbers and that the threat remains a clear and present danger. Indeed, we understand that the US navy continues to be subject to Houthi aggression, including from drones. In our view, it is therefore entirely legitimate to support the defence of our close ally, the US, and to prevent future potential attacks on our own fleet and international shipping by attacking the Houthi drone threat at source.

The Houthis’ actions are not just a threat to ourselves and our allies; as the Secretary of State said, they are illegal and completely counter to international humanitarian priorities, given that their attacks have imperilled aid deliveries to the Yemeni people, while undermining a crucial shipping route for grain en route to some of the poorest people in the world. The Government therefore have our full support for this latest operation, and the Opposition are grateful to the brave and highly skilled personnel of the Royal Air Force who conducted the mission, including the Typhoon crews and those supporting the air-to-air refuelling mission. In particular, we welcome their safe return and the completion of what appears to be a successful operation in degrading Houthi drone capability.

The US has been undertaking its own self-defence against Houthi attacks, and we very much welcome the close working with US allies, as was the case when we were in government working with the previous Administration in the US. That underlines the continuity of our most important strategic military partnership, and it is right that we work as closely as possible with the US to address threats to freedom of navigation.

That being said, freedom of navigation is vital to the ships of many nations, not just the UK and the US. The whole world benefits from action taken to keep international shipping flowing, which supports the wider economy. Can the Secretary of State update us on what talks he has had with other allies, including NATO members, on providing direct military support against the Houthi threat in future? After all, it is not only a threat to many other nations, but involves other hostile states, notably Iran, with its long-running support not just for the Houthis, but for Hezbollah, Hamas and other armed groups in Iraq and elsewhere. How will the UK dock in to the approach being taken by the new US Administration towards Iran?

The Secretary of State referred to Russian involvement. Can he confirm reports that the Houthis have received targeting assistance with potential ballistic missile attacks from Russia? Does that not show why supporting Ukraine against Russia is about a much wider strategic picture that directly threatens the United Kingdom? He also referred to the use of our military base, Diego Garcia, for regional security operations, but soon it will not be ours. Does this kind of action not show why surrendering its sovereignty is so reckless?

Let me finally turn to the subject of the strategic defence review. It is very concerning that the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence told the Public Accounts Committee on Monday:

“it is a strategic defence review that will need to be translated into a set of specific investment decisions in individual capabilities and projects. That will be work for later in the summer and into the autumn.”

The Secretary of State knows of the need for urgent procurement decisions relating directly to the Houthi threat in the Red sea, not least on upgrades to the Sea Viper system, which we believe must be accelerated. He also knows that procurement is largely on hold, awaiting the publication of the SDR. He promised to publish it in the spring; can he confirm that it will definitely be published in May—which is the last month of spring—and, most importantly, can he confirm that in May we will see the full details of all major individual procurement choices, so that the MOD can get on with them as a matter of the utmost urgency?

John Healey

I welcome the tone and content of the hon. Gentleman’s response to my statement. Labour backed the last Government’s strikes against the Houthis and, as he pointed out, the rationale then was the same as the rationale now. That was a useful contribution to this discussion. The hon. Gentleman was right to say that the clear and present threat that the Houthis pose to all nations, including ours and our closest allies, is also the same.

When I was shadow Defence Secretary and responded to what was said by the last Government, I did so as the hon. Gentleman has responded today, because this is bigger than politics. It is about freedom of navigation, it is about regional stability, and it is about that most important security relationship that the United Kingdom has with the United States.

The hon. Gentleman asked me about specific capabilities. We are now able to plan to provide the best possible kit for our armed forces, because of the historic commitment that the Prime Minister made to the House in February to raise the level of defence spending to 2.5%—three years earlier than the date that was in the hon. Gentleman’s own unfunded plans—and then to raise it to 3% in the next Parliament. He asked about the capabilities on some of our naval ships. When I met the crew of HMS Diamond in the autumn, they demonstrated to me, and described to me in detail, just how exceptional their response to that multiple attack was, and just how effective the weaponry on the ship was at that time. We are upgrading those ships with a number of capabilities, including DragonFire. It was the hon. Gentleman who first talked about that, but we are installing it not on just one ship, as he proposed, but on four; we are installing it sooner than he planned; and we are funding it fully, which he had not done.

The hon. Gentleman asked about discussions with other nations. The importance of regional stability, the Houthi threats and the freedom of navigation in the Red sea were discussed by Foreign Ministers at the G7, and have been discussed by NATO Foreign Ministers in the last month. The very carrier strike group whose deployment the hon. Gentleman welcomed last week is multinational by design. It is designed to exercise together but also, together, to reassert some of the basic principles that last night’s attacks were designed to support, such as the freedom of navigation of our seas.

April 30, 2025
John Healey – 2025 Statement on the UK Airstrike on a Houthi Military Facility

The statement made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, in the House of Commons on 30 April 2025.

I wish to make a statement to update the House on the action we took last night against a Houthi military target. We did so in collective self-defence and to uphold the freedom of navigation, as Britain has always done.

Yesterday, UK forces conducted a joint operation with US allies against a Houthi military facility in Yemen. Our intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings 15 miles south of Sanaa used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red sea and in the gulf of Aden. Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from RAF Voyager tankers, struck a number of those buildings with Paveway IV precision bombs last night. This action was limited, targeted and devised to minimise the risk to civilian life. Everyone involved in the UK operation has returned to base safely. On behalf of the House, I thank all members of our armed forces involved in this operation and pay tribute to them for their total professionalism and courage.

Yesterday’s operation was carried out alongside the US, our closest security ally. It was conducted in line with both the UN charter and the established UK policy of this Government and the last; you will remember, Mr Speaker, that when Labour was in opposition, it backed the Government when they conducted five separate strikes with the US against Houthi targets.

Yesterday’s attack aligns with four broad objectives. The first is to restore freedom of navigation in the Red sea and the gulf of Aden, the second is to degrade Houthi capability and prevent future attacks, the third is to reinforce regional security alongside allies and partners, and the fourth is to protect our economic security at home. First thing this morning, the Government briefed the shadow Defence Secretary, the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge); the Speakers of both Houses; the Liberal Democrats’ defence spokesperson, the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire); and the Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi). I can now tell the House that our initial assessment is that the planned targets were all successfully hit, and we have seen no evidence of civilian casualties.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have been waging a campaign of aggression against international shipping in the Red sea. To date, there have been over 320 attacks; those attacks are illegal and deadly, and we totally condemn them. Maritime routes have been disrupted, sailors have been killed, and commercial ships have been hit and sunk. The Houthis have even targeted aid vessels destined for Yemen itself, as well as military vessels of our allies and partners. Both the Royal Navy and the US navy have been forced into action in the Red sea—last September, I met the crew of HMS Diamond, who shot down a ballistic missile and multiple drones in self-defence during their deployment in the Red sea.

Make no mistake: the Houthis act as an agent of instability across the region. They continue to receive both military and financial backing from Iran, and even Russia has attempted to support the Houthi operations. The aggression in the Red sea and the gulf of Aden is yet another example of how our adversaries are increasingly working together against our interests. As such, I want to be clear that this Government reject any Houthi claims that attacking ships in the Red sea is somehow supporting Gaza. The Houthis were targeting tankers and seizing ships well before the war in Gaza began, and their attacks since have targeted vessels of all nations, so hear me when I say that these attacks do absolutely nothing for the Palestinian people or the push for a lasting peace.

An estimated 12% of global trade and 30% of container traffic passes through the Red sea every year, but the Houthi threat has led to a drastic fall. Levels are down by 55% on what they were in November 2023; the majority of ships now take a 5,000-mile diversion around the Cape of Good Hope, adding a full fortnight to a journey between Asia and Europe and pushing up prices for the goods that British people and others rely on. This cannot continue.

In opposition, I argued that, for what is now 80 years,

“the lion’s share of the responsibility for protecting international freedom of navigation in the Red sea is being shouldered by the Americans, just as the US has been doing across the world”—[Official Report, 24 January 2024; Vol. 744, c. 355.]

Since last month, the US has been conducting a sustained campaign, targeting the Houthis in Yemen to restore freedom of navigation. It moved two carriers into the region, and its recent strikes have destroyed multiple command and control centres, air defence systems, advanced weapons manufacturing sites and advanced weapons storage sites. The US military says that its operations have now degraded the effectiveness of the Houthi attack, reporting that ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69% and one-way drone attacks are down by 55%.

The US continues to be the UK’s closest security ally. It is stepping up in the Red sea, and we are alongside it. Yesterday’s joint operation builds on the broader support that we have provided to the US in the region in recent months. That includes air-to-air refuelling; the use of our important military base, Diego Garcia, for regional security operations; and RAF Typhoons to support the defence of the US carrier strike group, which has been coming under near-daily attack from Houthi missiles and drones.

This Government will always act in the interests of our national and economic security. The UK is stepping up and encouraging allies to do more to protect our common security, just as we are with the eight-month deployment of our carrier strike group to the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific, which started last week. The UK has a long and proud history of taking action to protect freedom of navigation. This illegal Houthi aggression does not just disrupt shipping and destabilise the region; it hits our economy here at home. That is why the Government took this decision. It is why the UK has taken this action to help protect freedom of navigation, reinforce regional stability and strengthen economic security for families across the country. We are determined that we will keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

April 30, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State for Northern Ireland provides update on Brown case [April 2025]

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 30 April 2025.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has today filed applications with the Court of Appeal seeking an extension of time for decision-making and seeking protective leave to appeal to the Supreme Court in the case brought by Bridie Brown, whose husband was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997.

Mr Benn said:

The murder of Sean Brown nearly 28 years ago was brutal and despicable and it has caused deep pain and anguish to Mrs Brown, her family, and many in the wider community. I know that this has been exacerbated by the time it has taken to find answers.

As I have said many times, I am committed to ensuring that there is a full, thorough and independent Article 2-compliant investigation into the murder of Sean Brown.

I am taking steps to repeal and replace the previous government’s Legacy Act to ensure that we have a legacy system that is capable of delivering for all families who lost loved ones during the Troubles, and who are seeking answers.

It is clear that the detailed judgement requires a full and considered response. I have therefore today asked the Court of Appeal for more time to consider it and the terms of the declaration. This will allow me to receive comprehensive advice that responds in full to the issues the Court has identified.

Also, given the approaching deadline from the Court for requesting leave to appeal, I have today asked the Court for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, in case that should ultimately be necessary.

These steps will not delay the Government’s determination to take the necessary steps to ensure that the system for dealing with legacy is human rights compliant and can command the confidence of victims and families.

April 30, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Birmingham wholesaler, SAK Wholesale, which left trail of debts is shut down [April 2025]
The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 30 April 2025.

Wholesaler accused of falsely inflating company credit rating and failing to pay for goods and services purchased on credit.
- Investigators feared SAK Wholesale Limited in Birmingham had become a ‘vehicle for fraud’
- They were unable to trace where funds for more than £2.5 million of payments came from
- Accounts were falsely inflated to boost company credit rating – then management disappeared, leaving creditors out of pocket
A Birmingham-based wholesaler has been shut down amid concerns it was a ‘vehicle for fraud’.

SAK Wholesale Limited, based on the Alexandra Trading Estate in Handsworth, was wound up at a hearing at the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 29 April.

The court was told there were concerns about the accuracy of the company’s annual accounts and that profits may have been overstated, enabling the directors to apply for thousands of pounds of goods and services on credit which were never paid for.

The directors failed to co-operate with Insolvency Service investigators, who discovered the company’s registered office in Handsworth had been stripped and abandoned, despite its website still being operational.

David Hope, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “There are serious concerns about SAK Wholesale being used as a vehicle for fraud.

The company has seemingly been abandoned – but still owes over £270,000 to its creditors. Despite this, payments of over £2.5million were made from the company over a period of two months in 2022, but without proper records, we were unable to confirm where this money came from.

Accounts were not submitted for the last financial year, and the veracity of accounts submitted in previous years is in doubt.

Despite the directors of SAK Wholesale refusing to cooperate with our investigation, the records we uncovered showed the company operated with a real lack of transparency and had a history of improper behaviour.

This winding-up order will help protect the public and business community by ensuring SAK Wholesale can’t be used for future trading.

Investigators from the Insolvency Service found the company had used its good credit rating to secure thousands of pounds of goods and services from suppliers.

Investigators also discovered that wording on the company’s website had been lifted directly from a local competitor’s website.

A lack of banking records for SAK meant investigators were unable to identify legitimate trading, customers or company expenditure – with £2.5m of payments made from a company account between April and June 2022 essentially unaccounted for.

Alongside this, one of SAK’s company accounts received an unauthorised third-party payment of £200,000 which SAK was not entitled to. This transaction was refunded by the bank when the third party discovered the money had left its account.

The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of SAK Wholesale Limited.
April 30, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Kanga power, Homegrown cotton for a homegrown economy – UK & Kenya launch Lamu cotton processing facility [April 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2025.

A partnership between Kenya, the UK and private sector to deliver growth and jobs by reducing reliance on foreign imports, supporting women and the environment.

The UK, Kenya, and the County Government of Lamu have joined forces to lay the foundation stone at a new cotton processing facility in Lamu County.

This four-way partnership between the UK, national government, local government and the private sector is a great example of the how the UK and Kenya are working together to deliver homegrown economic growth and jobs – a standout example of the tangible results that collaboration can achieve.

Construction will begin immediately and is hoped to be completed by November 2025. The project is expected to support up to 5000 jobs in the next three years.

The Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, said:

The ginnery, by Thika Cloth Mills, will boost cotton uptake and thus earn farmers more income, create jobs, and provide raw material for the textile industry.

With the infrastructure supporting export including a special economic zone, Lamu Port and LAPPSET, Lamu will be the hub for investors in the region.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya, Ed Barnett, said:

The UK is a long-term partner for long-term economic growth in Kenya. This project is a testament to the power of partnerships – the UK, national government, and county governments have joined forces with the private sector to deliver 5,000 jobs and future economic growth.

This partnership will reduce reliance on imports, put money in the pockets of farmers. It will strengthen, stabilise and support a sustainable homegrown cotton industry in Kenya. Long live Kenya kanga!

This partnership directly supports the Government of Kenya’s textiles and garments national development priority, by reducing reliance on foreign imports – which currently make up around 90% of cotton in the country. Kenya currently produces 3,000 bales of cotton per year, whilst the total demand ranges between 140,000 – 260,000. This partnership will develop a homegrown cotton industry and allow Kenyan businesses to capitalise on economic opportunities within their own country.

The processing plant will create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Lamu County. It is hoped the facility will triple cotton production in Lamu from 2,000 bales per year to 6,000 over the next three years. This will also support local cotton farmers as the facility will be built close to farms, reducing transportation costs as well as providing them with a larger market for their produce. The proposed plant will not only source cotton from Lamu County but from Kilifi, Tana River, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties.

The reduced need for transportation is expected to decrease the carbon footprint of the textile production process by 262 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, supporting Kenya’s climate ambitions.

This project will also have a positive social impact and place a significant emphasis on providing substantial economic opportunities to women and promoting gender equality, as the employees at the processing plant are expected to be at least 50% women.

The programme falls under the UK’s Sustainable Urban Economic Development programme (SUED), which aims to add value to Kenyan agricultural produce before export.

The UK has provided seed-funding to de-risk the investment for all partners involved. The Government of Kenya has provided additional funding, with the remaining funds being provided by Thika Cotton Mills. Lamu County sealed the deal by providing land for the ginnery.

SUED has been operational in Lamu for four years, and this is the programme’s fourth value-chain project in the county. It has secured investors for the cotton ginnery as well as fish processing, coconut processing, and cashew nut processing facilities. Across Kenya, our £8 million seed fund investments through SUED have helped unlock £48 million in private capital and supported the creation of more than 10,000 jobs.

The UK Government partners with Kenya across multiple sectors in Lamu County. The UK supports: trade and investment though the development of infrastructure and customs processes at Lamu Port; regional security through programmes to counter violent extremism; and environmental programmes to reduce plastic pollution and increase biodiversity.

April 30, 2025