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Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – 16th Ukraine Defence Contact Group – National Armaments Directors Format [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – 16th Ukraine Defence Contact Group – National Armaments Directors Format [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 April 2025.

    Joint Statement from Ukraine, Germany and the United Kingdom, co-chairs of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG).

    On Friday 11 April the National Armaments Directors (NADs) from over 40 nations met at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. They were supported by multiple international government organisations.

    They agreed to ensure that the commitments made in the UDCG Ministerial Format are rapidly converted into contracts with industry and the tangible delivery of support to Ukraine to ensure Ukraine is able to sustain the resolute defence of her sovereignty and her people and negotiate a lasting and secure peace.

    The UDCG NAD Format, co-chaired by Ukraine, Germany and the UK and building on the work of the US since its inception, will report its progress to the June ministerial meeting.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Third international meeting of the Post-Holocaust Issues Special Envoys Network on Holocaust-era Restitution [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Third international meeting of the Post-Holocaust Issues Special Envoys Network on Holocaust-era Restitution [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 April 2025.

    Lord Pickles attends meeting in The Hague to discuss progress and challenges relating to the restitution of Holocaust-era assets.

    On 2 April, UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues Lord Pickles attended a meeting of the Special Envoys Network on Holocaust-era Restitution in The Hague. The meeting was hosted by the Netherlands’ National Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism, Eddo Verdoner, alongside the World Jewish Restitution Organisation and the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security.

    The US Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ellen Germain updated that 32 countries had now signed up to the Best Practices for the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art. She made a special plea to those countries who had signed the original Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art 25 years ago to sign up to the best practices document.

    Lord Pickles made the point that no country is immune from restitution claims. He reported that the Tate Britain art museum was set to reunite the great-grandchildren of a Belgian Jewish art collector with a painting looted from his home by the Nazis.

    The oil painting ‘Aeneas and his Family Fleeing Burning Troy’ by English painter Henry Gibbs was stolen from the home of Samuel Hartveld after he fled Antwerp with his wife in May 1940. The piece, dating from 1654, was one of hundreds of thousands the Nazis plundered from Jewish families during World War II.

    Its restitution has been a slow process, often involving legal battles and complex international searches. The return of the painting will mark the latest triumph for a special panel set up by the UK Government to investigate such works that have ended up in Britain’s public collections.

    The UK Spoliation Advisory Panel ruled the Aeneas painting was “looted as an act of racial persecution”, and has arranged for it to be returned to Hartveld’s heirs in the coming months.

    Lord Pickles welcomed the success of the Special Envoys Network on Holocaust Era Restitution in developing the best practices document, and in firstly tackling restitution of movable property.

    However, he acknowledged that there were still many Holocaust survivors and their families who had waited 80 years for justice and recognition of their loss of property.  He added that bureaucratic inertia had delayed the resolution of too many restitution claims for too long.

    Lord Pickles reflected that in some countries, the regulations were so stringent that it was very difficult for survivors who no longer live in the country of their birth to receive any restitution. This is a particular obstacle for survivor communities living in the US and Israel, as well as those in the UK. He stressed that it was time to focus on getting individual property back to their rightful owners, before it is too late.

    Lord Pickles said,

    Eighty years after the Holocaust, we have undoubtedly made progress, but there is still so much more to be done, and so little time left to do it. Meetings like this are essential for moving from principles to action. We owe it to survivors, their families, and future generations to ensure that justice is not only promised but delivered.

    On 3 April, the special envoys travelled to Amsterdam to visit the recently opened Dutch National Holocaust Museum. This is the first museum to tell the entire story of the persecution of the Jews in the Netherlands.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Scotland is the only UK nation that is reducing child poverty [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Scotland is the only UK nation that is reducing child poverty [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the SNP on 4 April 2025.

    Rachel Reeves could use her latest budget to match the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide, after research from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found that child poverty rates in Scotland have fallen compared to the rest of the UK.

    The question is, will she? And will Scotland’s Labour MPs also challenge her to do so?

    According to the CPAG, child poverty fell in Scotland, with the three-year average poverty rate falling in Scotland from 24% to 23% – with the latest one-year data showing a fall from 26% to 22%.

    Meanwhile in England it has risen from 30% to 31%, from 23% to 24% in Northern Ireland, and from 29% to 31% in Wales

    The CPAG states that “the key reason for this divergence is the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment” and that “this shows the impact investment in social security has on child poverty”.

    It also warns the Westminster government that child poverty is set to rise even higher in the absence of any poverty-reducing reforms, reaching 4.8 million by the end of this parliament in 2029.

    The report by the CPAG was soon followed by another, published by the Changing Realities study of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which concluded that Labour could lift 700,000 children out of poverty if it adopted the SNP policy.

    These warnings come after the Westminster government’s own impact assessment revealed that the latest benefit cuts announced by Rachel Reeves will push 50,000 more children into poverty.

    The SNP has consistently called for the UK government to match the Scottish Government’s action on child poverty by matching the Scottish Child Payment.

    Instead of scapegoating struggling families on benefits for the UK’s ills the Chancellor should be using her spring budget to deliver the real and long-overdue action needed to tackle the increasing levels of child poverty in the rest of the UK.

    It is a mark of shame on a Westminster Labour government that child poverty is rising and expected to hit record highs by the end of this parliament.

    Westminster Labour government policies are now actively pushing children into poverty and holding Scotland back.

    Rachel Reeves could deliver emergency action now by matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide. As the Child Poverty Action Group and LSE have revealed it has made a difference by reducing child poverty in Scotland.

    As a result of the SNP government’s leadership, Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is expected to fall – it’s time the Westminster Labour government matched this action.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mayor reveals first to benefit from his Greener Schools programme and save thousands on energy bills [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mayor reveals first to benefit from his Greener Schools programme and save thousands on energy bills [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Mayor of London on 14 April 2025.

    38 schools across 16 London boroughs will receive share of £2.9 million City Hall funding to become energy efficient, with more funding unlocked for more schools

    • The Mayor’s new Greener Schools pilot will benefit children across the capital, helping schools save almost £15,000 on average per year
    • Innovative programme is a key part of Sadiq’s commitment to help schools in London reduce their carbon emissions and save money on their energy bills
    • The new Mayoral investment has leveraged further £9.6 million for schools to spend on energy-saving measures such as insulation, LED lights, solar panels and heat pumps

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today revealed the first beneficiaries of his ambitious new Greener Schools pilot, which will enable schools to spend less on their energy bills and more on children’s education.

    The new initiative will see 38 schools across 16 London boroughs [1] save an average of almost £15,000 on their energy bills [2] as part of Sadiq’s manifesto commitment to help them cut costs and carbon emissions.

    The Mayor invited London boroughs to apply for his £2.9 million Greener Schools pilot funding in December 2024 [3], and has since leveraged a further £9.6 million through boroughs delivering additional investment. [4]

    Beneficiaries from a wide variety of education settings and phases – including five special schools, two nurseries, two secondary schools and 31 primary schools – will receive an average of over £77,000 each. Following high demand from the boroughs and schools, further funding of almost £1 million has been allocated to support an additional 13 schools.

    The funding will enable schools to introduce key energy-saving measures such as insulation, LED lights, solar panels and heat pumps. It will also fund climate engagement activities such as school-wide sustainability projects including water conservation initiatives, helping to empower the next generation of climate change leaders in communities across the capital.

    The pilot is scalable and could be rolled out nationally to benefit more children and schools across the country. If all of London’s schools were to use energy saving interventions, this could save over £50 million annually from the education budget [5].

    Sadiq’s pilot has also inspired aspects of the Government’s Great British Energy project announced last month to put rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals – saving schools money for the next academic year [6].

    Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to announce the first schools across the capital to benefit from my new Greener Schools initiative. This investment will help schools reduce their energy costs so they can spend more on vital resources such as books, technology and staff – and cut carbon emissions so schools can play their part in tackling air pollution in the capital.

    “Working with the boroughs, we’ve been able to leverage a further £9.6m to fund more vital projects in more schools, helping to meet our target of achieving net zero by 2030, as we continue working to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

    Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, said: “It’s great that our Greener Schools programme has had such a positive and enthusiastic uptake from the boroughs and their schools.

    “Their collaborative approach has allowed us to unlock further funding, meaning that more schools and pupils will benefit from this important programme.”

    Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Too many schools have been saddled with sky-high energy bills, driven by the UK’s dependence on global fossil fuel markets. That is why it is fantastic to see these awards from the Mayor’s Greener Schools pilot, with new energy saving measures set to put more money back into classrooms across London.
    “This follows the launch of Great British Energy’s first major project to put rooftop solar panels on around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, saving them money on their bills.”

    Executive Headteacher at Brecknock and Torriano Federation, Helen Bruckdorfer, said: “We are thrilled to have received grant funding from the Greener Schools Pilot, which will play a key role in advancing the goals outlined in our Torriano School Climate Action Plan. This funding will help us enhance energy efficiency and implement sustainable solutions, such as solar PV and LED lighting.

    “Addressing climate change and promoting sustainability are fundamental to the partnership between Camden Council and its schools, and this initiative is a significant step toward a greener, more sustainable future for our community.”

    Headteacher at Durants School, Rachel Carli,     said: “As an Eco School we are committed to supporting the health of our planet. We are delighted to have received grant funding from the Greener Schools Pilot, which will play a pivotal role in advancing the goals outlined in the Enfield Schools Climate Action Plan.”

    Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Climate Action, Cllr Louise Krupski, said: “I am delighted to work with the Mayor of London and his team to decarbonise our local schools.

    “This funding will not only unlock significant environmental benefits but will also create opportunities to reinvest savings from energy bills into the classroom. This is an excellent example of climate action in practice.”

    Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Enfield Council, Cllr Abdul Abdullahi, said: “After declaring climate emergency in 2019, Enfield Council has committed to making the organisation carbon neutral by 2030 and a carbon neutral borough by 2040.

    “The Mayor’s Greener Schools Grant is a step towards achieving the Councils strategic objectives on sustainability and ambitions of the Climate Action Plan. We are pleased to be one of the authorities to have been selected for this pilot programme that will pave the way forward.”

    RAFT (Retrofit Action for Tomorrow) has been appointed as the pilot’s strategic partner and will support across key areas, including helping boroughs and schools deliver outreach and community engagement activities.

    The pilot is a vital step in delivering the Mayor’s climate plan which includes delivering a 100% zero-emission bus fleet in London, providing more than 40,000 new public bike parking spaces, and more than doubling the number of electric vehicle charging points to 40,000 – all by 2030.

    The innovative pilot also builds on Mayoral schemes already helping schools go green such as the Climate Kick-Start Prize, Climate Resilient Schools and Future Neighbourhoods 2030 [6].

  • PRESS RELEASE : Resident doctors in England re-enter dispute after ‘disappointing’ delay to pay recommendation report [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Resident doctors in England re-enter dispute after ‘disappointing’ delay to pay recommendation report [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the BMA on 9 April 2025.

    Resident doctors in England have re-entered a pay dispute with the Government, citing key provisions of last year’s agreements that have not been upheld. The Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB), which annually advises government on doctors’ pay, is late in publishing this year’s recommendation. The Government’s commitments to resolve pay disputes with the BMA include these recommendations being published by the start of the financial year, which began 6 April 2025.

    The BMA resident doctors committee (RDC) has voted in favour of going back into dispute, the first step before potentially balloting members for industrial action.

    Co-chairs of RDC, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said:

    “It is very disappointing to be in this position. We had hoped that the pay deal last year marked the start of a new era of cooperation between the Government and doctors in securing a path to pay restoration through mutual trust and negotiation. Wes Streeting has made it clear that he wants to avoid the mistakes of the previous government’s intransigent approach, and we welcome that.

    “However, cooperation requires mutual trust. The failure to keep to agreed timetables is an ominous sign that that trust is already eroding. We have no desire to move towards industrial action and the impact on patient care that will inevitably result. So right here, right now, let’s head this off at the pass.

    “Dispute does not need to mean discord, and we are keen to get around the table. We’re asking Wes Streeting to come forward with a plan to put us back on the road to pay restoration. The first step is publishing the DDRB’s recommendation. The second will be ensuring that the Government’s actual offer is sufficient.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Reappointments and extension of members of Cafcass [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Reappointments and extension of members of Cafcass [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 15 April 2025.

    The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State has approved the extension of the tenure of Rohan Sivanandan as a member of the Board of Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass).

    The Secretary of State has approved the extension of tenure of Rohan Sivanandan as a member of the Board of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) from 1 July to 31 December 2025.

    Rohan Sivanandan

    Rohan Sivanandan worked as an economist and senior executive in the private sector before moving into the education field. He has held a number of board, non-executive and trustee positions. Currently, he is: a non-executive director for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he chairs the Workforce and Education committee; a lay member of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel which provides advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; an independent member of the Greater London Authority on Mayoral appointments; an investigation panel member for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and; a panel chair of NHS Mental Health Act hearings.

    Rohan did not declare any political activity.

    Cafcass is the statutory body that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in Family Court proceedings.

    Appointments to the Cafcass Board are made by the Secretary of State for Justice. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire [April 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 April 2025.

    The King has been pleased to appoint Professor Elizabeth Barnes, CBE, DL, as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Staffordshire on the retirement of Sir Ian Dudson, KCVO, CBE, on 15th July, 2025.

    Liz Barnes (64) served as Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University for six years, overseeing a leap in its learning and teaching standards and championing social mobility.

    Born and bred in the county, she is a Trustee of the Peter Coates Foundation, which aims to regenerate Stoke-on-Trent, and of the Aspire Trust, which provides social housing across Staffordshire.

    Previously a teacher in Stoke-on-Trent, she has also co-chaired the Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area; been a Director of the Donna Louise Trust, providing end-of-life care across the county; and served on the board of the Local Enterprise Partnership and on the Stoke-on-Trent Children’s Services Improvement Board.

    Professor Barnes lives in Abbots Bromley, near Rugeley, with her husband, Chris.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Clean energy projects prioritised for grid connections [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Clean energy projects prioritised for grid connections [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 15 April 2025.

    Ofgem is expected to confirm the National Energy System Operator’s ambitious new plan to reform grid connections and unlock billions of investment.

    • Grid connections for businesses that will deliver clean energy prioritised, driving growth to put more money in working people’s pockets
    • Pro-growth reforms to help unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure, with industries of the future such as data centres accelerated for quicker grid connections
    • Comes as £43.7 billion of private investment announced into the UK’s clean energy industries since July

    So-called ‘zombie’ projects will no longer hold up the queue for connection to the electricity grid to prioritise businesses that will drive growth and deliver energy security.

    Companies are currently waiting up to 15 years to be connected to the grid leaving promising businesses ‘grid-locked’, and over the last 5 years, the grid connection queue has grown tenfold.

    The changes will help to kick-start the economy to put more money in working people’s pockets, the first priority of the government’s Plan for Change.

    Ofgem is expected to confirm the ambitious new plan later today (Tuesday 15 April), drafted by the National Energy System Operator in partnership with the energy industry.

    The reforms will help unlock £40 billion a year of mainly private investment, growing the economy, creating jobs and raising living standards as a key part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    This builds on the latest figures showing that since July, the clean energy industry is now booming in Britain, with £43.7 billion of private investment being announced into the UK’s clean energy industries.

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

    Too many companies are facing gridlock because they cannot get the clean energy they need to drive growth and create jobs.

    These changes will axe ‘zombie’ projects and cut the time it takes to get high growth firms online while also fast-tracking connections for companies delivering homegrown power and energy security through our Plan for Change.

    In an uncertain world, our message to the global clean energy industry is clear; come and build it in Britain because we are a safe haven. If you want certainty, stability and security when it comes to your investments, choose Britain.

    The plan comes after the Prime Minister has said that a new era of global insecurity means that the government must go further and faster reshaping the economy through the Plan for Change, and that this requires a new muscular industrial policy that supports British industry to forge ahead.

    Lack of access to grid connections has been a significant factor holding back new investment in UK industries.

    Under the new changes, industries of the future from data centres and AI, to wind and solar projects, will be accelerated for grid connections.

    That means deprioritising those projects that are not ready or not aligned with strategic plans.

    New commitments to investing in the UK have topped £38 billion since July 2024 for data centres alone, but grid access is the single biggest challenge facing these projects.

    Today’s reforms will help fast track projects to generate homegrown, renewable electricity into homes and businesses, protecting British billpayers from the rollercoaster of global fossil fuel markets and building an energy system that can bring down bills for good.

    Delivering these reforms will help unleash £40 billion a year of mainly private investment in homegrown clean power projects and infrastructure across the country, creating good jobs across the country including engineers, welders and construction workers.

    By taking a strategic, planned approach the changes will remove the need for tens of billions of pounds of unnecessary grid reinforcement, saving billpayers £5 billion that would have been funded through charges on bills.

    Ofgem CEO, Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive Officer, Ofgem said:

    The proposed connection reforms will supercharge Great Britain’s clean power ambitions with a more targeted approach anticipated to unlock £40 billion a year of investment and energise economic growth.

    The reforms would cut through red tape, consign ‘zombie projects’ to the past and accelerate homegrown renewable power and energy storage connections as we head to 2030.

    Houses and hospitals, electric vehicle charging stations, data centres and the emerging AI sector, would also all benefit from the proposed streamlined fast-track approach, which would help boost energy security and drive down bills.

    Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer, National Energy System Operator, said:

    Reforming the connections process is a key enabler for delivering Clean Power by 2030 and will drive economic growth for Great Britain. Today’s milestone reflects the close collaboration across the energy industry with support from the government and Ofgem.

    Together with the wider energy industry, NESO will focus on prioritising agreements for projects that are critical and shovel ready, bringing these to the front of the queue and giving developers the certainty they need to support investment decisions.

    Notes to editors

    Through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also bringing forward legislation to support Ofgem and NESO to deliver the reforms.

    Every family and business in the country has paid the price of Britain’s dependence on foreign fossil fuel markets, which was starkly exposed when Putin invaded Ukraine and British energy customers were among the hardest hit in Western Europe, with bills reaching record heights.

    The government’s clean power mission is the solution to this crisis; by sprinting to clean, homegrown energy, including renewables and nuclear, the UK can take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes with cleaner, affordable power.

    The Clean Power Action Plan estimated that Clean Power 2030 could require around £40 billion of investment on average per year between 2025 to 2030. This includes around £30 billion of investment in generation assets per year, estimated by DESNZ, and around £10 billion of investment in electricity transmission network assets per year, estimated by NESO.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Paul Lee appointed as new Chair of UK Endorsement Board [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Paul Lee appointed as new Chair of UK Endorsement Board [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 15 April 2025.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has today [15 April] appointed Paul Lee as the new Chair of the UK Endorsement Board (UKEB), replacing current Chair Pauline Wallace at the end of her term in September 2025.

    The UKEB is the UK’s national standard setter for international accounting standards. It influences the development, and considers the adoption, of new or amended standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, part of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation.

    Companies report using these standards to provide robust and comparable financial information.

    The UKEB is committed to ensuring that the interests of the UK corporate reporters are effectively represented to ensure standards meet the needs of UK companies and investors.

    Paul Lee brings extensive corporate reporting experience from his roles as Head of Stewardship and Sustainable Investment Strategy at Redington and Member of the Committee of Reference for the Premier Miton Ethical Fund. Paul is also currently a Non-Executive Member and one of the founding members of UKEB, bringing four years of UKEB experience to the Chair role.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    UKEB provide an invaluable service in scrutinising and adopting international accounting standards and representing our largest companies on an international stage.

    Paul will bring strong leadership to UKEB as Chair and his extensive knowledge of corporate reporting standards as one of the Board’s founding members will be vital in driving growth in the sector and economy as part of our Plan for Change.

    I would like to thank Pauline for her work over the past five years and look forward to continuing work with Paul.

    Incoming Chair of the UK Endorsement Board, Paul Lee, said:

    As an investor I understand the importance of international accounting standards and the role they play in supporting UK economic growth and inward investment. I also recognise the unnecessary burden that might be placed on companies if standards don’t achieve the right balance.

    I was pleased to join the UKEB Board four years ago because I firmly believed that the organisation’s remit, to act as the voice of UK stakeholders in the development of comparable and proportionate standards that add value to the UK long-term public good, forms part of the core foundation of a strong and growing UK economy. I still believe that.

    The UKEB has been robustly effective under Pauline’s thoughtful leadership, and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to lead the Board. I’m looking forward to getting started and deepening my work with our excellent Board and Secretariat.

    There are economic challenges ahead, both in the UK and globally, and my focus, and that of the Board, will be on understanding, supporting and balancing the needs of all UK stakeholders as we navigate those challenges.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government secures raw materials to save British Steel [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government secures raw materials to save British Steel [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 15 April 2025.

    The Government has secured raw materials needed to save British Steel.

    The Business Secretary pushes ahead with efforts to safeguard British Steel. Today [Tuesday 15 April] he will travel up to Immingham as the raw materials that have been waiting in the dock are unloaded and transported to the site, following the government settling payment for them.

    The materials – which have arrived from the US – are enough to keep the blast furnaces running for the coming weeks, with officials continuing to work at pace to get a steady pipeline of materials to keep the fire burning.

    A separate ship which contains yet more coking coal is on the way to the UK from Australia. This cargo was the subject of a legal dispute between British Steel and Jingye over the weekend that has now been resolved. The materials have been paid for using existing DBT budgets.

    New legislation passed last weekend, in an unprecedented move, gives Government the power to direct the company’s board and workforce, ensure they get paid, and order the raw materials to keep the blast furnaces running. It also permits the Government to do these things itself if needed. The government acted to protect 37,000 jobs in supply chains and ensure we can build the infrastructure needed to deliver growth which is fundamental to the Plan for Change.

    On Monday, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds confirmed the appointment of Allan Bell as interim Chief Executive Officer, and Lisa Coulson as interim Chief Commercial Officer, both with immediate effect – ensuring the right expertise is in place to keep the site running smoothly.

    After intensive work over the weekend, the government has secured coke and iron ore pellets for the blast furnaces and is confident there will be enough materials to keep the furnaces burning.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    We will always act in the interest of working people and UK industry. Thanks to the work of those at British Steel, and in my department, we have moved decisively to secure the raw materials we need to help save British Steel.

    Our industries depend on UK steel and – thanks to our Plan for Change – demand is set to shoot up: helping build the 1.5 million homes, railways, schools and hospitals we need to usher in a decade of national renewal.