Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on illegal working and rogue employers in ‘gig economy’ [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 March 2025.

In the latest move to restore order to the asylum and immigration system, the government will introduce tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.

Companies hiring people in the gig economy will now be legally required to carry out checks confirming that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK, bringing them in line with other employers. These vital checks, which take just minutes to complete, confirm someone’s immigration status and allow them to legally work in the UK.

This means that for the very first time, employment checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

Currently, thousands of companies using these flexible arrangements are not legally required to check the status of these workers. This changes now.

Where businesses fail to carry out these checks, they will face hefty penalties already in place for those hiring illegal workers in traditional roles, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, business closures, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to 5 years.

Expanding illegal working checks will help level the playing field for the majority of honest companies who do the right thing. For example, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats already voluntarily carry out checks to ensure their delivery riders are eligible to work.

Clamping down on illegal working forms a critical part of the government’s plan to strengthen the entire immigration system, restoring tough enforcement of the rules and undermine people smugglers using the false promise of jobs for migrants.

The announcement comes a day before the UK holds the first ever Organised Immigration Crime Summit, bringing together over 40 countries to agree unprecedented new international action to take down every aspect of criminal smuggling gangs’ tactics.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Under our Plan for Change, we are restoring order to the asylum and immigration system by introducing tougher laws and bolstering enforcement action to tackle illegal working and stopping rogue employers in their tracks.

Turning a blind eye to illegal working plays into the hands of callous people smugglers trying to sell spaces on flimsy, overcrowded boats with the promise of work and a life in the UK.

These exploitative practices are often an attempt to undercut competitors who are doing the right thing. But we are clear that the rules need to be respected and enforced.

These new laws build on significant efforts to stop organised immigration crime and protect the integrity of our borders, including increasing raids and arrests for illegal working and getting returns of people who have no right to be here to their highest rate in half a decade.

Claire Pointon, Managing Director, Just Eat UK and Ireland said:

Just Eat is committed to supporting high streets and communities by ensuring a fair and well-regulated rapid delivery sector. Preventing unauthorised work is key to this, which is why we’re strengthening our measures by introducing biometric checks to swiftly remove those without the correct authorisation to work in the UK. We welcome this decision from the Home Office to expand these requirements to other sectors.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said:

Deliveroo has led the industry in taking action to secure our platform against illegal working, developing our approach in close collaboration with the Home Office. We were the first to roll out direct right to work checks, a registration process, daily identity verification and now additional device checks for riders, including substitutes. We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and will continue to strengthen our controls to prevent misuse of our platform. We welcome the government taking action to ensure all businesses and sectors adopt the same standards.

An Uber Eats spokesperson said:

Uber Eats is fully committed to fighting illegal work and the criminal networks who are often behind it, including by introducing state of the art identity and document video verification technology and mandatory substitute registration. We welcome efforts to enable and enforce further controls, and create a level playing field across the sector.

The checks take minutes to complete, and the Home Office provide this free of charge, with businesses able to utilise digital ID verification technology to support the process. There is also support in place for employers with enquiries about the process.

The new laws further build on measures announced in November to equip Immigration Enforcement teams with new technology. From May, body worn cameras will be rolled out to officers on the front line tackling illegal working and organised immigration crime. Backed by £5 milllion, this will help officers collect evidence to support prosecutions and make sure exploitative businesses undermining our immigration system are held to account.

The new measures go alongside a ramp-up of operational action by Immigration Enforcement teams, who since July have carried out 6,784 illegal working visits to premises and made 4,779 arrests – an increase of 40% and 42% compared to the same period 12 months ago. In that time, 1,508 civil penalty notices have been issued.

This also follows wider measures within the legislation announced earlier this month to impose tougher restrictions on foreign criminals whose removal we are pursuing but we are presently unable to deport. This includes the use of electronic tags, night time curfews and exclusion zones. Breaching these conditions would be grounds for arrest and the individual could face imprisonment.

The measures will help ensure the Home Office maintains close contact with individuals and makes it very clear that they should not become established in the UK, as the intention remains to remove them when possible.

Tomorrow (31 March 2025), the Home Secretary will convene key government and law enforcement leads at the UK’s 2 day landmark international Organised Immigration Crime Summit.

This will include Immigration Enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade, the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority and the National Crime Agency, holding a roundtable to discuss the importance of shutting down illegal working and government’s ongoing surge in operational activity.

The summit will bring together leaders from across the globe, with the aim of securing international commitments to intensify efforts against organised immigration crime gangs.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK firm to land Europe’s first rover on Mars [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 29 March 2025.

A UK aerospace company is set to land the first European rover on the red planet, as it wins £150 million to complete the touchdown system delivering the rover safely to Mars.
- Airbus UK wins European contract to engineer landing platform that will safely deliver rover on Mars.
- First British-built rover will explore the red planet in 2030 for signs of present and past life on Mars.
- Contract set to support around 200 high-skilled jobs and boost growth, supercharging Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.
The new contract, awarded by the European Space Agency and funded by the government through the UK Space Agency, will support a cutting-edge system that will land the Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface of Mars and support its deployment onto the planet. It will also sustain around 200 high-skilled jobs in the UK space sector and attract international investment, leading to wider growth in the UK economy as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

The first UK-built rover’s mission is to explore the red planet and drill 2 metres down into the surface to hunt for signs of ancient life, such as fossilised microbes, in an effort to find out how our solar system came to be. Exploring Mars is crucial to further our knowledge in climate shifts and may help answer whether life exists beyond our home planet.

The mission is made possible by advanced UK robotics and autonomous navigation technologies, which can also be deployed in challenging environments on Earth, such as nuclear power plants and the deep ocean.

Named Rosalind Franklin after the British scientist whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, the rover will be the first European made rover to land on Mars.

Britian’s growing space sector is helping to bring jobs and growth to communities and organisations across the UK, with 50,000 people already employed in the sector. It will be a top priority in the government’s Industrial Strategy, which has identified advanced manufacturing and digital and technologies as key growth-driving sectors.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

This inspiring example of world-class British science will bring us one step closer to answering long-asked questions on potential life on Mars.

Landing the first ever home-grown rover on Mars, Airbus will not only help Britain make history and lead the European space race but also bring hundreds of highly skilled jobs and investment as we secure Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.

The rover, entirely built in Stevenage by engineers from Airbus UK, is due to launch in 2028 with the support of NASA and land on Mars in 2030. It was ready to launch in 2022, until the European Space Agency (ESA) cancelled its cooperation with Russia following the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The rover, entirely built in Stevenage by engineers from Airbus UK, is due to launch in 2028 with the support of NASA and land on Mars in 2030. It was ready to launch in 2022, until the European Space Agency cancelled its cooperation with Russia following the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The UK Space Agency and international partners stepped up to replace Russian components in the mission, including the lander platform now under development in Stevenage and a key science instrument now led by Aberystwyth University.

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock DBE said:

The British built Rosalind Franklin rover will give us vital insight into the history of Mars. This type of information from other planets can give us a better understanding of our own place in space and our planetary evolution.

With its unique design that enables it to acquire samples at depth of up to 2 metres, we may get answers to some of the fundamental questions we ask about Mars. Drilling to this depth allow us to look for life away from the hostile Martian surface where radiation is likely to kill life as we know it.

Samples gathered by the Rosalind Franklin rover may help us answer the age old question “Are we alone in the Universe?

Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said:

This is humanity defining science, and the best opportunity to find if past life once existed on Mars.

We’re proud to have funded this world leading technology. The ripple effects of space exploration discoveries extend far beyond the realm of space exploration, driving progress and prosperity across multiple sectors in the UK, and inspiring technological advances to benefit us all.

Our journeys into space continue to improve our lives here on Earth.

Dr Louisa J Preston, a Co-Investigator on PanCam and Enfys who is based at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said:

The Rosalind Franklin Rover mission will be a unique ground-breaking mission; the first sent to drill 2 metres into the crust of Mars, collecting and analysing samples that are up to 4 billion years old, with the goal of discovering evidence of past or even present life hidden beneath the surface.

Rosalind is a truly international collaboration and the UK has taken a pivotal role in this through the development of the PanCam and Enfys instruments, building the rover, and now excitingly providing the landing platform. It is a privilege to be a part of this mission and we cannot wait to finally ‘open our eyes’ at Oxia Planum, the Martian plain where the rover will land, and begin this incredible adventure.

Under contract from aerospace company Thales Alenia Space (TAS), which is leading the overall ExoMars mission, Airbus teams in Stevenage will design the mechanical, thermal and propulsion systems necessary for the landing platform to ensure a safe touchdown for the rover in 2030.

This will include the landing structure, the large propulsion system used to provide the final braking thrust, and the landing gear to ensure the lander is stable on touchdown. The lander will feature 2 ramps that will be deployed on opposite sides to enable the rover to be driven onto the Martian surface using the least risky route.

Kata Escott, Managing Director Airbus Defence and Space UK said:

Getting the Rosalind Franklin rover onto the surface of Mars is a huge international challenge and the culmination of more than 20 years’ work. We are proud to have built the rover in our state-of-the-art Stevenage cleanroom and delighted now to develop the project to ensure its safe delivery to Mars. Rosalind Franklin will be the first Martian rover able to analyse samples from 2 metres below the surface in its search for past or present life. The mission will supercharge our space know-how in the UK, and will advance our collective understanding of our solar system.

The mission is a collaborative effort from science communities not just across Europe but also the UK, with a range of UK universities involved in the development and launch of the rover. For example, the panoramic camera (PanCam) system on the rover is led by scientists from University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory working with the University of Aberystwyth, Birkbeck College and the University of Leicester. The University of Aberystwyth is also building an infrared spectrometer for the rover, which will identify the most promising rocks to drill and test for evidence of ancient biology.

The UK Space Agency also launched the National Space Innovation Programme’s Call 2 funding competition on 27 March. £17 million of grant funding will be made available, supporting businesses, universities, and other space organisations across the UK to develop and commercialise the technologies of the future that will deliver benefits to the UK economy and its citizens.

Notes to editors

The contract returns the £150 million invested by the UK into the European Space Agency Exploration Programme to enable the Rosalind Franklin programme to continue. European Space Agency contracts delivered to the UK Space Agency provide an average return of £9.80 for every £1 spent.

The US was the last nation to send a rover to Mars in 2021, when NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected samples on the red planet.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK sends life-saving aid to the people of Myanmar following devastating earthquake [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 March 2025.

UK Government announces a package of up to £10 million support to help the people of Myanmar following recent earthquake.
- £10 million of UK support pledged to help deliver humanitarian response to the natural disaster
- UK Government working with local partners to get help to those most in need
- British nationals receiving ongoing consular support
The UK Government has today, 29 March 2025, announced a package of up to £10 million support to help the people of Myanmar following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s central region yesterday.

This UK funding will increase support in the hardest hit areas of the earthquake and geared towards food and water supplies, medicine, and shelter.

Baroness Chapman, Minister of State for Development, said:

The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.

UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground, and this £10 million package will bolster their efforts.

I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is offering support to British nationals in both Myanmar and Thailand following the earthquake.

British nationals in Myanmar who require consular assistance can call British Embassy Yangon on +95 (01) 370 863/4/5/7. British Nationals who require consular assistance in Thailand can call British Embassy Bangkok on +66 (0) 2 305 8333.

Anyone in the UK concerned about a British national in Myanmar or Thailand can contact the FCDO on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the High Commission on Ukraine [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commission – Oral update on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

High Commissioner, your update lays bare the toll this war has taken, bringing death, injury and lasting family separation to innocent children of Ukraine.

It is almost impossible to read your report or listen to your update without shock or dismay: toddlers sexually assaulted, other children summarily executed by Russian troops. Over 600 dead. Thousands forcibly separated and deported to Russia.

Children in occupied territories are also particularly vulnerable. Multiple reports lay bare the systematic indoctrination and militarisation of children in these areas. Of the 20,000 children reported to have been deported to Russia, only a handful have returned. Forced passportisation and punishment for speaking Ukrainian and studying the Ukrainian school syllabus are widely documented. A callous Russian attempt to erode Ukraine’s future by trying to reshape the identities of its youngest citizens, and wipe out Ukrainian culture, language and identity.

The Russian state must be held fully accountable for its actions. Ukrainian children are entitled to a childhood in which their rights are safeguarded, and a future which is free from war.

High Commissioner, your report highlights the worsening mental health of Ukraine’s children.

What more can we do to support Ukraine with expertise from countries who have experienced similar trauma for children and young people in past conflicts?

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti with the participation of the Independent Expert. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

We thank the High Commissioner for his report. The ongoing and rapid deterioration of human rights in Haiti is shocking.

The Haitian people have long suffered indiscriminate attacks by armed criminal gangs – these have contributed to over a million Haitians being displaced from their homes.

Widespread recruitment, exploitation and abuse of children by these gangs is still happening. At the same time the use of sexual violence as a form of punishment and to spread fear within communities is increasing.

Re-establishing security to end the scourge of gangs remains essential to Haiti’s long-term stability. The UK supports the work of the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti and is providing £5 million to OHCHR to ensure the Mission’s compliance with international standards on human rights, conduct and discipline.

We will continue to take action against perpetrators of human rights abuses in Haiti through sanctions.

High Commissioner,

Given the increasing chaos spread by Haitian gangs, how can the international community best assist the Haitian government in bringing about lasting improvements to the security environment?

Thank you.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Import ban of cattle, pigs, sheep, and deer from Austria to protect farmers [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 March 2025.

The government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border.

Due to the proximity of the new Hungarian case to the Austrian border, the decision has been made to suspend the commercial import from Austria of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, wild ruminants and porcines (including deer and wild boar), and their untreated products such as fresh meat and dairy.

The UK Government had already taken action to suspend the commercial import of these products from Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.

Action is already underway with local authorities and traders to address possible risks from goods on the way to GB. Such goods must be pre-notified and wider border systems in place will prevent consignments entering GB.

In addition, travellers can no longer bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products, certain composite products and animal by products of pigs and ruminants (including non-domestic species), or hay or straw, from Austria.

This is in addition to the action already taken by the UK Government to prevent the personal import of these products from Germany, Hungary and Slovakia to Great Britain.

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer is urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following the recent outbreaks in Hungary and Germany. There are no cases in the UK currently.

FMD poses no risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals such as wild boar, deer, llamas and alpacas. Livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity.

FMD causes significant economic losses due to production losses in the affected animals as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

Following the detection of a second foot and mouth disease case in Hungary, with a restriction area crossing the border into Austria, we have taken action to prevent the commercial import of potentially risky goods from Austria.

I would urge livestock keepers to continue exercising the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, ensure scrupulous biosecurity is maintained and to report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

We will continue to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by foot and mouth disease.

This is why we have acted immediately to impose import restrictions on Austria, we will continue to keep the situation under review and will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease continues to spread further.

What you can do

If you’re an animal keeper, read about how to spot foot and mouth disease and report it.

If you’re an importer or exporter, read about the import restrictions for foot and mouth disease.

Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the main signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed. In sheep and pigs, signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.

While horses and companion animals are not susceptible to FMD, hay feed or straw bedding, if sourced from an infected area, could act as a fomite and therefore also prevented from entering GB.

Maintaining good biosecurity is essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds and critical to preventing the spread of diseases such as FMD and preventing an outbreak spreading.

Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling:
- 03000 200 301 in England
- 0300 303 8268 in Wales
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Dame Karen Pierce visits Bosnia and Herzegovina [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, paid her first official visit in this role to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 27-28 March.

Dame Karen Pierce, one of the UK’s most experienced diplomats, has been appointed the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans in February this year, taking over from Air Chief Marshal The Lord Peach.

Dame Karen Pierce began her visit with talks with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina members, Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Foreign Affairs in which she reiterated the UK’s steadfast commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and security.

Dame Karen Pierce said:

It’s an honour to have been appointed as the UK’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans – a region of great personal attachment to me, and to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina so early on in my role. The UK remains fully committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I am visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in a moment of political crisis. It is important to underline that BiH has the institutions and mechanisms to respond to this crisis. An early domestic resolution will enable further progress on the country’s EU path. For our part, the UK will continue to support BiH in fulfilling its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

This autumn, the UK is hosting the Berlin Process summit with Western Balkans leaders to support stability, security and economic co-operation in the region Dame Karen Pierce discussed objectives and delivery with Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, a key regional partner.

During the visit, Special Envoy Dame Karen Pierce also met human rights defenders, journalists, and project partners with whom the UK works on a range of issues for the benefit of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In her meeting with leaders and representatives of the biggest religious communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, she urged them to work together to deescalate political crises and to build trust between communities: preserving peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina is paramount.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights Situation in Mali [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Oral Update of the Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Mali. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank You Mr Vice President.

We thank the Independent Expert for his report. His mandate is ever more vital following the withdrawal of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). We also welcome the cooperation of the Malian authorities in facilitating the Expert’s first visit and encourage their continued collaboration.

As we have heard, the human rights situation remains grave. Increased reports of gender-based violence, and violence against children are particularly concerning. Civic space continues to shrink, key opposition figures remain detained, and civil society organisations disbanded.

We therefore encourage authorities to create the necessary conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections, as soon as possible.

Mr President, the UK urges the Malian authorities to further strengthen independent accountability mechanisms, including for alleged incidents committed by military personnel and Russian proxies. These actors continue to create deep-rooted insecurity for the Malian people.

Mr Gonzalez, as reports of human rights violations and abuses persist, international accountability processes remain vital to hold perpetrators to account. What more could the International Criminal Court do to enhance accountability under the existing referral?

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New 1,500-place prison opens as government grips crisis [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 March 2025.

“Public safety must never be put at risk again by the failure to have enough prison places”, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said as she opened a new nearly 1,500-place prison in Yorkshire.
- Major milestone in plan for 14,000 more prison places nationwide by 2031
- New prison designed to cut crime and get offenders into work
- Part of government’s Plan for Change to create safer streets
HMP Millsike is the first of four new jails to be built as part of the Plan for Change to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. This extra capacity will help put more violent offenders behind bars, make streets safer and ensure the country never runs out of cells again.

Last summer, the government inherited a prisons system days away from collapse which would have left police unable to take dangerous criminals off the streets.

Ms Mahmood said the opening marked another milestone in her work to get a grip of the prisons crisis that has dominated her first nine months in post.

As a Category C prison, HMP Millsike has been designed with a clear aim – cutting crime. It includes 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good so fewer people become victims in the future.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, said:

This Government is fixing the broken prison system we inherited, delivering the cells needed to take the most dangerous criminals off our streets.

HMP Millsike sets the standard for the jails of the future, with cutting crime built into its very fabric. It is a huge step in our plan to add 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.

But building jails only takes us so far in ending this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous offenders and make our streets safer.

The prison is the size of 39 football pitches and comes fitted top-to-bottom with security technology to combat the drugs, drones and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years and risked the safety of frontline officers.

This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drone activity, hundreds of CCTV cameras, and X-ray body scanners to spot and stop contraband entering the prison.

The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody and will have education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus on site to give offenders the tools they need to find work on release and stay on the straight and narrow.

The construction of the prison alone generated nearly 800 jobs and around 600 will be created now it is in full operation, providing an economic boost to Yorkshire.

With the country still using many of its Victorian prisons, HMP Millsike has been built to also stand the test of time. Its use of modern materials and fittings will keep running and repairs costs to a minimum for taxpayers.

Russell Trent, Managing Director, Mitie Care & Custody said:

We are a proud partner to the MoJ, focused on building safer communities.

As a resettlement prison, our focus is on rehabilitation and restoration centred on future orientation to break the cycle of reoffending. We want our prisoners to leave HMP Millsike qualified, employable and equipped for life in the outside world. Everything from the building design to the technology, education and training opportunities has been engineered to create an environment where people leave ready to integrate and contribute to society.

Stuart Togwell, group managing director at Kier Construction said:

Using our significant experience in the justice sector, Kier has delivered a state-of-the-art, carbon-efficient facility designed to support rehabilitation, which has also provided new jobs, economic investment and skills development for the surrounding communities.

HMP Millsike supports the government’s commitment to increasing prison capacity and reducing reoffending, and joins our growing portfolio of prison redevelopment and build projects awarded in recent years.

Its opening is a major milestone in the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. This plan includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

The government started the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk earlier this month, and a new houseblock providing nearly 460 places at HMP Rye Hill in Northamptonshire recently received its first prisoners.

It follows a £2.3 billion investment to deliver these prison builds, with a further £500 million going towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service. The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.

Background information
- Situated on land next to the existing HMP Full Sutton, HMP Millsike has been named after Millsike Beck, a local stream that runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into its local community.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : The UK commends the historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

Connor Creeley (UK Delegation to the OSCE) praises the landmark border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which resolves decades of conflict and instability along their shared border.

Thank you Chair.

The UK commends this historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Since the 1990s, there have been repeated outbreaks of violence over the long, shared border. After the most recent clash in September 2022, both governments agreed that enough was enough and began negotiations to resolve the conflict. Through hard work and patient cooperation, a decades-long issue – and source of instability for Central Asia – has now been resolved, with the border delineated.

We note positively that both states achieved this agreement without the need of any third-party mediators. Such actions by our fellow participating States help to reaffirm the OSCE commitments and uphold the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles of non-use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes and cooperation among States. We hope this peaceful resolution will help to promote stability throughout the region and serve as an example to the wider world.

I encourage both countries to support their local communities on the border. This agreement offers huge potential for regional integration and supports economic cooperation and development. We look forward to the resumption of cross-border trade and travel that will help to build people-to-people ties. The UK will continue to reiterate – in this Council and beyond – the importance of diplomacy to help resolve disputes. We look forward to a new era of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the OSCE stands ready to support.

March 31, 2025