Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Planning revolution to fuel growth and make Britain energy secure [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero on 10 March 2025.

Dozens of clean energy projects will jump to the front of the queue for grid connections, through new measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
- Grid connections for the most important projects for clean power to be prioritised by 2030, replacing the archaic ‘first come, first served’ process
- Wait for new grid connections will be cut by up to seven years
- Measures include speeding up the construction of new energy infrastructure with targeted reforms to support planning decisions on at least 150 major projects this Parliament
- Delivering the government’s clean power mission and Plan for Change to drive growth, create jobs, and protect billpayers in every region across the country
Dozens of clean energy projects, including wind and solar power, will jump to the front of the queue for grid connections, as the government paves the way for a new era of clean electricity through the Plan for Change to achieve clean power by 2030.

The landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be formally introduced to Parliament this week, laying the groundwork for a new approach to prioritise new transmission infrastructure which will unlock growth with £200 billion of investment and protect households from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.

Ready-to-go projects from solar farms to new factories currently face lengthy connection waits of up to 10 years due to an out of date connections process, creating uncertainty for communities and businesses, costing the taxpayer millions of pounds, and weakening the country’s energy security.

The flawed ‘first come, first served’ process is preventing viable infrastructure from being able to connect ahead of speculative projects clogging up the queue, and will be replaced by a ‘first ready, first connected’ system that prioritises the right homegrown clean power projects for quicker connections to build an energy system that can bring down bills for good.

For decades, developers, energy companies and businesses have been inundated with lengthy processes and planning delays that have acted as a barrier to growth, and the forthcoming Bill will set out how the delivery process for critical infrastructure will be streamlined.

Decisions for onshore and offshore wind, solar power, electricity grids, hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power stations will be fast-tracked to accelerate growth, creating thousands of new jobs, adding billions to the UK economy, and delivering more clean energy for people to heat and power their homes.

These changes will not only rollback planning delays to get Britain building but also deliver a more prosperous and energy secure future for the next generation, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to boost growth and living standards in every region across the country and put more money back into people’s pockets.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“Time and again blockers have been allowed to halt progress at every turn which has weakened our energy security and left our country exposed to soaring energy bills for working people, families and businesses. This cannot and will not continue under my watch.

“Through our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill we’re taking bold action to fix the broken planning system, paving the way for us to get Britain building more vital infrastructure so our children and grandchildren can grow up in a more energy secure world.

“This is just one of many steps we’re taking to deliver our Plan for Change for working people and families with a decade of national renewal, unleashing growth to boost living standards, slash everyday costs and increase prosperity for all.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“The only way to get Britain off dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators is with clean homegrown power that we control.

“By taking on a broken planning system that puts the brakes on growth, this Government is driving forward with our clean energy superpower mission and Plan for change

“Every turbine, every solar panel, every cable we connect helps protect families and paves the way for a new era of clean energy for our country.”

New measures will speed up the approval process for nationally significant infrastructure projects by making consultation less burdensome, strengthening guidance to expert bodies and local authorities about their role in the process, and updating National Policy Statements at least every five years to reflect government priorities for infrastructure delivery.

This will support the government’s pledge to make planning decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects, including wind, solar, and hydrogen, in this Parliament – almost tripling the 57 decisions made in the previous Parliament and more than 130 made since 2011.

The government has already agreed 10 so far, including several energy projects such as six solar farms, amounting to nearly 3 gigawatts of new clean energy for the country.

A series of targeted reforms to accelerate growth and speed up the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan will be brought forward in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. These include:
- People living within up to 500 metres of new pylons will get electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years to ensure those hosting critical grid infrastructure benefit from supporting the government’s mission to clean power by the end of this decade.
- Instructing Ofgem to deliver a ‘cap and floor’ scheme to unlock billions of pounds of investment in long duration electricity storage (LDES) to store renewable power and deliver the first major projects in four decades.
- Replacing street works licences with permits to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints and make it easier, cheaper, and faster to install on public roads and streets.
- Changes to the outdated planning rules for new clean electricity infrastructure in Scotland, such as onshore wind farms and pylons, cutting excessive and costly delays to the process while ensuring local voices are heard in applications.
- An extension to the generator commissioning period (GCC) from 18 to 27 months to reduce the number of offshore wind farms requiring exemptions when applying for licences to connect to onshore cables and substations.
Further changes will also be confirmed to the excessive rules around attempts to block major infrastructure through the courts with more unarguable cases thrown out, so nuclear plants and wind farms can be approved and built faster. This is on top of streamlining environment assessments to save developers time and money while boosting nature recovery and wildlife.

Note to editors:
- The government recently announced its commitment to deliver a new 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, providing more certainty for supply chains and helping to unlock private investment over the next decade for new housing, schools, hospitals, and public transport.
- New planning reforms unveiled this week will also support the government’s Plan for Change milestone to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, recognising that more renewable energy and electricity networks are crucial to meeting this ambitious target.
- Working with Parliamentarians, the government will ensure a smooth and speedy delivery of the Bill to become law as soon as possible.
- Reforms to the grid connections queue are subject to a final approval by Ofgem. In February, Ofgem announced it is minded to approve the reforms.
March 26, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on DPRK ballistic missile launches [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2025.

The FCDO has released a statement following ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 10 March.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

DPRK’s ballistic missile launches on 10 March are another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

The UK strongly urges the DPRK to stop such provocations and return to dialogue.

March 26, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Trump of the United States [March 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump ahead of the US Ukraine dialogue in Saudi Arabia.

The Prime Minister said that UK officials had been speaking to Ukraine officials over the weekend and they remain committed to a lasting peace.

The Prime Minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US aid and intelligence sharing to be restarted.

The two leaders also spoke about the economic deal they had discussed at the White House and the Prime Minister welcomed the detailed conversations that had already happened to move this forward. Both leaders agreed to stay in touch.

March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Delivered at the 58th HRC in Geneva.

Thank you Mr Vice President.

The United Kingdom thanks the panellists for their contributions to this important discussion.

We recognise the transformative impact that digital and assistive technology can have for people with disabilities.

Two and a half billion people globally need to use at least one type of assistive technology, but in low-income countries only 10% of people have access to what they need.

We note the report’s recommendations on building strong partnerships. The UK’s AT2030 programme will soon launch the Assistive Technology Growth Fund, an ambitious pathway for high-potential assistive technology, bringing together traditional donors and private capital.

We would also like to thank the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities for their report on the Beijing Declaration and women and girls with disabilities. When women, girls, and other marginalised groups are empowered, they lift up whole families, communities and economies.

Through our partnerships with grassroots women’s rights organisations, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and our engagement in multilateral fora, the United Kingdom will continue to empower and champion the rights of all women and girls, amplifying the voices and agency of women and girls with disabilities.

Thank you.

March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Water investment to fuel jobs, growth and sustainability in Bath [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 March 2025.

Water Minister Emma Hardy visits the £35 million expansion of the Saltford Water Recycling Plant which will support economic and residential growth in Bath.

Communities in Bath are set to benefit from new jobs, economic growth, and improved water quality on the River Avon with the expansion of the Saltford Water Recycling Plant.

After years of failure, our water infrastructure is crumbling, and public anger is growing over leaking pipes and sewage spills. We haven’t built a new reservoir in over 30 years, and by 2050, demand will exceed supply.

Visiting the site today (March 10), Water Minister Emma Hardy highlighted the project as a prime example of how £104 billion in private sector investment—the largest since privatisation—is driving forward major water infrastructure nationwide, including sewage pipes, treatment works, and nine reservoirs.

This builds on the government’s Plan for Change, which will support the infrastructure Britain needs to boost growth, construct 1.5 million new homes, and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

“This new expansion and major investment will create jobs, unlock new homes and ensure Bath thrives for generations to come through the government’s Plan for Change.

“We’ve been clear that we must go further and faster to fix our water infrastructure, which is why £104 billion of private-sector investment is being spent on upgrading the water sector.

“This funding will develop infrastructure nationwide, unlocking 1.5 million new homes, 150 major projects, and powering industries like gigafactories and data centres.”

This comes as the Water Minister and Environment Secretary travel to iconic water sites such as Windermere, the River Wye, the Havant Thicket Reservoir and others to set out how a wave of new water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies.

Significant reforms are already reshaping the water sector, with bold action driving real change. The government has put an end to water companies prioritising unjustified bonuses and shareholder payouts through our Water Act, rather than investing in our crumbling water infrastructure.

Money earmarked for investment will be ringfenced so it can only be spent on infrastructure upgrades, not paying bonuses or shareholder payouts.

March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 10 March 2025.

The government has confirmed further reforms to overhaul the planning system and put growth at the heart of the statutory consultee system.
- Review of statutory consultee system to promote growth and unblock building
- Consultation on limiting the scope of statutory consultees and removing a limited number of them, including Sport England, Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust in planning decisions, while ensuring necessary community facilities and needs continue to be met
- Will also establish a new performance framework with greater ministerial oversight
- Reforms will reduce delays and uncertainty on planning proposals, demonstrating the government’s Plan for Change in action
Further reforms to overhaul the planning system have been set out today [Monday 10 March] putting growth at the heart of the statutory consultee system and helping deliver the government’s Plan for Change milestone of delivering 1.5 million new homes.

Under new plans organisations such as Sport England, Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust will no longer be required to input on planning decisions. The scope of other statutory consultees will be narrowed to focus on heritage, safety and environmental protection, speeding up the building process and preventing delays to homes being built.

“Statutory consultees” are official stakeholders legally required to provide advice on planning decisions to ensure developments can consider essential environmental, transport, heritage and safety elements. They play an important role in the planning system, but councils and developers report that the system is not working effectively.

The changes are part of the government’s ongoing stream of work to break down barriers to growth and get Britain building. They come ahead of the government’s flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will be introduced this week and will support the government’s Plan for Change commitment to build 1.5 million homes.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“We’ve put growth at the heart of our plans as a government, with our Plan for Change milestone to secure 1.5 million homes and unleash Britain’s potential to build.

“We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced, and does not create unintended delays – putting a hold on people’s lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need.

“New developments must still meet our high expectations to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that communities need.”

The list of statutory consultees has also grown haphazardly over time and now includes over 25 organisations. Problems expressed include statutory consultees:
- failing to engage proactively;
- taking too long to provide their advice;
- re-opening issues that have already been dealt with in local plans;
- submitting automatic holding objections which are then withdrawn at a late stage; and
- submitting advice that seeks gold-plated outcomes, going beyond what is necessary to make development acceptable in planning terms.
Problems with the operation of the system cause uncertainty, extensive delays, and increased costs. This is due to the time taken to provide advice and the complexities sometimes causing the provision of over extensive or unnecessary advice.

In the past three years over 300 applications were forced to be escalated for consideration by the Secretary of State because of disagreements from consultees.

In broader examples given to ministers, a government department reported a two-year delay to a simple planning application on the government estate because of inability to agree a position with a statutory consultee.

In Bradford, a development to create 140 new homes next to a cricket club was significantly delayed because the application was thought to have not adequately considered the speed of cricket balls.

While noting the broader role that statutory consultees play within the planning system in facilitating high quality development, the government is reforming the system to ensure it operates in a sensible, systematic way, and does not create unnecessary blockers.

The government recognises the importance of these organisations and their value to local communities. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will continue to apply and these organisations will continue to engage with the planning system through development of local and strategic plans, and through the publication of guidance and advice.

Proposed changes will put support for growth at the heart of the statutory consultee process by;
- Consulting on reducing the number of organisations, including the impact of removing Sport England, the Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust.
- Reviewing the scope of all statutory consultees, to reduce the type and number of applications on which they must be consulted – and making much better use of standing guidance in place of case-by-case responses.
- Clarifying that local authorities should only be consulting statutory consultees where necessary to do so, and decisions should not be delayed beyond the 21 day statutory deadline unless a decision cannot otherwise be reached or advice may enable an approval rather than a refusal.
- Instituting a new performance framework, in which the Chief Executives of key statutory consultees report on their performance directly to Treasury and MHCLG Ministers.
This follows the decision by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor earlier this year pausing the formation of new statutory consultees and a commitment to reviewing the existing arrangements.

The NPPF is clear that existing open spaces, sports, recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless an assessment has shown the space to be surplus to requirements or it will be replaced by equivalent or better provision. These strong policy protections will remain firmly in place, with the government expecting them to be taken into account in planning decisions.

The government will consult this Spring on the impacts of removing a limited number of statutory consultees and narrowing the scope of others so they can focus on the most important applications.

This comes ahead of the introduction of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill this week, which will bring forward significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding and remove unnecessary blockers and challenges to the delivery of vital developments like roads, railway lines and windfarms.
March 25, 2025
Peter Kyle – 2025 Speech at techUK Conference

The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on 10 March 2025.

Normally, it takes half an hour to get blood samples from the Guy’s Hospital, in London Bridge, to the lab over the road at St Thomas’ for testing.

Like anything in medicine, even that small delay can make a massive difference.

Between a quick recovery and weeks – months, even – spent bed-bound on a hospital ward.

The team at Guy’s are acutely aware of that fact. So – working with two innovative firms – Apian, a British start-up founded by NHS doctors, and Wing, a global drone delivery company – they decided to find a solution.

Fed up with being stuck in traffic jams, they’re using drones to deliver blood samples for high-risk patients who suffer from bleeding disorders like haemophilia. Instead of half an hour, delivery takes just 2 minutes.

Make no mistake. This will save lives.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to extend the trial today is brilliant news.

Too often, though, pioneering projects like these can’t get off the ground in Britain. Or they flounder in the face of bureaucratic headwinds. Even for this trial, my officials were told that if a single noise complaint was made – the whole thing could be blown off course.

A single noise complaint – and vulnerable people are left waiting for the care they desperately need.

I think that tells you everything you need to know about what’s going wrong in Britain today.

In the last decade, we’ve had a succession of strategies.

Piecemeal plan after piecemeal plan.

And yet what has changed?

Growth is anaemic – at best.

Most households are barely better off now than they were in 2010. Across the country, communities are clinging on to industries that are disappearing.

Because no one has confronted the question of what comes next.

You have to ask yourself – why?

Why has government after government found it so difficult to design or deliver a coherent plan for our economy? I think part of the answer is a failure to imagine what a better future for our country could actually look like.

That is a failure of optimism. An inability to believe in Britain’s potential.

But – without a plan for realising that potential – it’s also a failure of pragmatism.

What other conclusion can you come to? When the data centres we need to power our digital economy get blocked because they ruin the view from the M25?

When life sciences firms are demanding millions of square feet in new lab space.

But over half of applications for lab space in Oxford are snarled up in our archaic planning process.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

There is 10 times as much lab space in Boston as there is in Oxford, Cambridge and London combined.

In San Francisco, it takes a couple of minutes to hail a self-driving taxi for you and your kids if you’re late for the school run.

In many cities in China, a drone delivering your takeaway is an ordinary, unremarkable part of everyday life.

While others have forged ahead, we risk being left behind.

And – as ever – it’s working people who have paid the price.

The stats are clear.

Mario Draghi’s recent report into European competitiveness showed that the vast productivity gap between the EU and the US is almost entirely down to the growth of the tech sector.

And Britain isn’t much better.

That’s not because we have a shortage of brilliant businesses or innovative entrepreneurs.

We’ve got the third largest tech sector in the world.

Between 2019 and 2023, our digital sector grew over five times faster than the rest of the economy.

But, for too long, government has failed to be a reliable partner for you.

Our industrial strategy – ‘Invest 2035’ – will change that.

It will set out a decade-long plan for our economy, squarely focused on the eight sectors with the greatest growth potential and anchored in a positive and pragmatic vision of what Britain’s future could look like.

There is no possible version of that future which does not have technology at its heart.

Just as there is no route to long-term growth, no solution to our productivity problem, without innovation.

That’s why I will be bringing forward – for the very first time – a dedicated plan for our digital and technologies sector.

That plan will be a partnership with you and with local leaders in regions with the highest growth potential.

And it will be rooted in a firm belief that technology can be a force for good in working people’s lives.

Whether that’s climate-resistant crops that will provide affordable food in the face of floods and droughts. Quantum scanners that will help us understand devastating diseases like dementia and epilepsy.

Semiconductors like the ones I saw last week in South Wales, which are powering every part of modern life.

New telecoms technologies that will allow people and businesses to access the internet anywhere in the UK – or protect our armed forces abroad.
Drones that can save lives – or simply deliver a takeaway to your door.

Too often, though, British businesses trying to bring technologies like these to market face a mountain of red tape.

That’s bad for growth.

And it’s bad for British people, who spend longer waiting for the products and services they want. I created the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to change that, focusing on four of our fastest-growing, highest-impact sectors.

Engineering biology. AI in healthcare. Space. And, of course, autonomous technology like drones.

Today, we have announced that David Willetts will take on the role of Chair.

David brings with him an unparalleled wealth of experience.

He may have once sat on the other side of the House.

But few people know the UK science and technology landscape better than him. That’s just as well – because he’s got his work cut out.

David and Minister Vallance went to Guy’s last Friday.

The stifling straightjacket of rules that the team faced before they could start the trial isn’t just keeping drones grounded.

It’s everywhere you look.

That’s why transparent, adaptable, pro-innovation regulation will be the central pillar of the digital and technologies sector plan.

Today, I’ve set up a forum to get our regulators ready for the quantum revolution.

Because I want them to give British businesses the confidence they need to embrace a technology that will transform every part of our lives. I’ve also launched new funding for engineering biology sandboxes which will help us accelerate regulatory reform for products like lab-grown organs for transplant or cell-cultivated meat.

This approach is being replicated right across government – even in the places you’d expect it least.

Right now, the humble banana – Britain’s favourite fruit – is at risk.

Because almost all the bananas in the world are genetically identical clones, Panama disease could wipe them all out at once.

So Tropic Biosciences – a UK start-up based in Norwich – have come up with an alternative.

Their gene-edited, disease-resistant bananas offer hope for the future.

Better still – they’ve also developed bananas that ripen, but don’t go brown.

Those have already been licensed for consumption in the Philippines.

But not yet in the UK.

Soon, though, that might change.

Bolstered by the reinstatement of the precision breeding working group, Ministers in Defra are working on enabling a route to market for precision bred crops, that will help us to cope in a new era of climate change and food insecurity.

Britain must belong to the bold – not the blockers.

Government must not be afraid to reform the way we regulate to favour innovation.

Nor must we hesitate to embrace the unpredictable nature of research.

One of the challenges of designing a plan for this sector is just how rapidly technology is changing. Imagine if you’d published a ten-year plan for AI the day before ChatGPT was released.

You may as well rip it up and start again.

Though we can see glimpses of our future in places like Guy’s Hospital, there’s much we cannot predict.

We can be certain, though, that British science will have a pivotal role to play. To future proof our industrial strategy, we shouldn’t try and guess where research might end up before scientists have even started.

Instead, we’ve got to be a stable partner that our researchers can rely on – working with them to tackle the challenges that will define the decade to come.

R&D will be the anchor for this sector plan.

Today, we’ve invested another £23 million in cutting edge telecoms research that will cement the UK’s leadership in advanced connectivity and support projects delivering real, tangible change for people and businesses across Britain.

From using smart sensors to prevent damp and mould in social housing in Glasgow.

To using 5G to help farmers in Sussex monitor their vineyards and maximise their yields.

We’ve announced the winners of the Quantum Missions Pilot competition, too.

The ten pioneers we’ve selected will now get to grips with the barriers that are preventing us from commercialising and adopting quantum technologies across the country.

Every one of these investments sends a clear signal.

That Britain isn’t just the place where tomorrow’s companies are born.

But the place where they can scale and succeed.

A place where the people who are deciding what the next decade looks like will be proud to call home. Because every pound these people on British soil has the potential not just to change working people’s lives, but to secure our nation’s position as a maker, not a taker, of tomorrow’s technology.

That is why we published the AI Opportunities Plan.

We cannot afford to simply sit back and wait for the AI revolution to shape us.

We have got to step up and make sure that Britain is the place where the shape of that revolution gets decided.

That will require working with companies to deliver the compute infrastructure that the researchers leading it will rely on.

In the Action Plan, we committed to increasing the capacity of the AI Research Resource – our current network of cutting-edge super computers – by at least 20 times by 2030.

Today, we are launching market engagement for the private partnerships we will need to meet that commitment. Details of how to take part are now online.

If you want to work together to secure our stake in the future of this technology, I urge you to get in touch.

So we will be bold on regulation. On R&D. On infrastructure.

And I want businesses right across our economy to be bold, too. If we want British people to be the first to benefit from technologies like AI, we’ve got to empower companies large and small with the confidence to adopt them.

When I talk about partnership, this is what I mean.

Purposeful, long-term collaboration in pursuit of a common goal.

So we’ve asked Angela MacLean and Dave Smith to work with you to overcome the barriers to tech adoption in every sector of the industrial strategy.

But we’re also capitalising on our own position as a customer for our digital and technologies sector, using procurement to drive innovation and deliver a smaller, smarter state that offers better value for money for taxpayers. Everywhere you see, there is an imbalance of power in this country.

Rules which favour the blockers, not the bold.

It is that imbalance which has – for too long – made it impossible to imagine a better future for Britain.

When regulation empowers the people complaining about the sound of drones – not the patients waiting for life saving care.

When businesses lack the support they need to invest in risky R&D.

And researchers can’t access the infrastructure they need to make breakthroughs that will make British people better off. When procurement favours the same old suspects.

And firms struggle to adopt technologies that could keep them competitive in the decades to come.

We don’t know what 2035 will look like.

But we know that tech will have a pivotal – and positive – role to play.

Engineering biology and AI.

Semiconductors and cybersecurity.

Quantum and telecoms.

Every one of the technologies I have talked about today offers a chance to change working people’s lives for the better.

But that will only happen if we have the courage to take that chance.

And an understanding of the radical, far-reaching reform which will be required to do that.

We cannot afford to be cautious.

Together, we’ve got to shift the balance of power.

Away from stagnation and old ideas. Towards innovation and opportunity.

Away from the naysayers. Towards the can-doers.

Away from the blockers standing in the way of growth. Towards you – the bold people building a new future for Britain.

Thank you.

March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government ambition to end sewage discharges into Windermere [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 March 2025.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today (Monday 10 March) set out government ambition to end sewage discharged into Windermere.
- The Government has pledged to work with local partners to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake including treatment facilities and storm overflows.
- Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today meet with local campaigners to pledge his support to cleaning up the iconic site.
- Visit marks start of Ministers’ week-long tour as part of government’s Plan for Change to upgrade our crumbling water infrastructure and boost economic growth using over £100 billion private investment.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed will today (Monday 10 March) pledge to ‘clean up Windermere’ setting out the Government’s support for the long-term ambition of ‘only rainwater’ entering England’s largest lake.

This comes ahead of a thorough feasibility study – established by the ‘Only Rainwater’ local coalition including United Utilities, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Save Windermere, Love Windermere, the Lake District National Park authority, and Westmorland and Furness Council. The study will determine what would be needed to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake, drawing on successful examples and innovation from around the world to create a roadmap for delivery.

As a first step, government is working on new methods to reduce pollution from private sewage discharges into Windermere. Along with new treatment plants and enhanced maintenance, the government is supporting the delivery of First-Time Sewerage schemes which provide a mechanism for owners of septic tanks and package treatment works to request connection to the mains sewer under certain conditions. This will be vital in consolidating the wastewater infrastructure in the catchment, enabling our long-term objective.

The Environment Secretary will also reiterate his support for local action and regulation to protect and improve water quality, including 33 additional Environment Agency specialist officers in the region and a quadrupling of water company inspections.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

Windermere is a stunningly beautiful national treasure – but it’s being choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution.

As part of our Plan for Change, the Government is committed to cleaning up this iconic lake.

That is why we are working with a range of local groups and organisations to stop all sewage going into the lake and restore it to its natural beauty.

The action forms part of this government’s work to transform the water sector and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. This includes the Water (Special Measures) Act that will create a level playing field through stronger regulation alongside securing £104 billion of private sector investment to upgrade our crumbling infrastructure, boost economic growth and create thousands of good, well-paid jobs right across the country.

Following approval by Ofwat last year, United Utilities are investing £200 million to upgrade 9 wastewater treatment works at Windermere and reduce the spills from all 6 storm overflows discharging into the lake to 10 per year by 2030. Across the country, over £100 billion of private sector money will be invested into the water sector – the largest investment into water in history. This will help to upgrade and build new water infrastructure in every region of the country with sewage pipes, water treatment works and nine reservoirs, supporting 1.5 million new homes, 150 major infrastructure projects and power new industries such as gigafactories and data centres.

This vital investment is a good start – but in the face of climate change, we must go further and faster to protect precious natural assets like Windermere, which is why government is backing the ambition to eliminate sewage discharges into the lake.

Windermere, part of the Lake District National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to more than 14,000 people and its beautiful scenery, rare species and cultural heritage attract a further 7 million visitors per year, generating £750 million for the local economy. The lake faces pollution from a range of sources including rural and urban land use, wastewater from United Utilities and private sewage treatment – issues that are being made worse by climate change.

The Environment Secretary’s visit to Windermere is the first of seven visits that he and Water Minister Emma Hardy will make on a ‘Things Can Only Get Cleaner’ tour this week, to see where investment in water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes, create jobs and turbocharge local economies – a cornerstone of the government’s Plan for Change.

The government also confirmed today that locally led schemes to clean up waterways are set to receive up to £11m, with money based on water company fines and penalties ringfenced to deliver local water projects. Applicants to the Water Restoration Fund, including some in the Lake District, will be notified today. Successful projects will begin this year and focus on improving the water environment in the same regions where the fines and penalties were issued. This could include projects to restore waters to good ecological status; support biodiversity in water-dependent habitats and build resilience to climate change.
March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : COVID-19 Day of Reflection brings communities together to commemorate those who lost their lives during the pandemic [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 March 2025.

Communities up and down the country are set to come together tomorrow (9 March) to mark the COVID-19 Day of Reflection.
- COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday to be marked with local events in communities up and down the country
- Members of the public invited to take part in the COVID-19 Day of Reflection in ways that are meaningful for them
Hundreds of events and spaces for reflection have been organised by communities to remember and commemorate those who lost their lives during the pandemic. They will also be an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made, the impact on our daily lives, and pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers and researchers during what was an unprecedented time.

Events, gatherings and commemorations are taking place across the country, including:
- A procession along the National Covid Memorial Wall, followed by a ceremony and a minute’s silence, and flowers being cast from London’s Lambeth Bridge
- NHS Charities Together will be holding an event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which commemorates the thousands of people who tragically lost their lives since the pandemic began, and pay tribute to the critical role played by the NHS, its workforce and NHS charities in supporting patients and communities during the pandemic.
- Manchester Cathedral will host a special prayer service, honouring and reflecting upon the experiences felt by the Black, Caribbean and African community who faced unique challenges during the pandemic.
- Local authorities are recognising the day across the country. In Liverpool St George’s Hall will become the city’s focal point for the Day’s activities and in Sheffield the City Council is partnering with a community-led, NHS-funded programme, Compassionate Sheffield, for commemoration, speeches and a showing of the Stories from the Pandemic documentary.
- In Scotland, Covid19 Families Scotland will be hosting an event outdoors at Glasgow Green which includes a piper, choir and minute’s silence.
- In Treorchy, South Wales, the COVID-19 bereaved will gather and remember their loved ones and place named flags in a yellow heart made of local stones, which was created in 2021 on Bwlch Mountain. The yellow heart became a memorial to all those that died from COVID-19 in Wales and has been brought back to its former glory by the COVID-19 bereaved group this year.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland, Memory Stones of Love, who are a group set up by bereaved families during the pandemic, will be marking the day by holding a remembrance concert with music, poems and readings, as well as displaying their stones with inscriptions of those we lost during the pandemic.

Members of the public can find more information to help them to mark the day if they wish, including an interactive map that displays all the events taking place up and down the country, at gov.uk/day-of-reflection.

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said:

The pandemic impacted us all in different ways, with many sadly losing loved ones and others making great sacrifices in their lives. This COVID-19 Day of Reflection will allow people the space and time to reflect and I would encourage everyone to take part in a way that feels right for them.

Chair of the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, Baroness Morgan of Cotes said:

It is right that, as a country, we take the time to remember the COVID-19 pandemic, to reflect on what happened, remember those whose lives were impacted in so many ways and honour those who tragically lost their lives. Today is an opportunity for communities to come together to reflect and commemorate their loved ones.

The COVID-19 Day of Reflection is one of the ten recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration.

The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations made by the Commission and a full response will be published in due course.

Notes to editors
- The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration recommended a Day of Reflection to be held on the first Sunday in March where possible to align – as far as possible – with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They acknowledged that at times this would clash with other significant national events, for example, St David’s Day in Wales.
- This follows last year’s COVID–19 Day of Reflection on Sunday 3 March 2024.
- After working closely with bereaved family groups, and with other government departments and the devolved governments, it was decided that the COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025 will be on Sunday 9 March to ensure it can be observed across the UK.
March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer call with Prime Minister Albanese of Australia [March 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese this morning.

The Prime Minister began by expressing his support for all Australians affected by the Cyclone and paid tribute to the strength of the partnership between the two countries.

He welcomed Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to consider contributing to a Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine and looked forward to the Chiefs of Defence meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister also reiterated the UK’s commitment to the AUKUS programme.

The leaders agreed to stay in touch.

March 25, 2025