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Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : Roads Minister tests the ‘Pothole Pro’ for National Pothole Day, following record £1.6 billion government boost [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Roads Minister tests the ‘Pothole Pro’ for National Pothole Day, following record £1.6 billion government boost [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 15 January 2025.

    Government pledges funding to fix up to 7 million potholes across the country this year.

    • Roads Minister visits JCB plant in Derbyshire on National Pothole Day, to see how the government’s record £1.6 billion boost is fixing the nation’s roads
    • new funding includes £75 million for the East Midlands which will see councils across England fill up to 7 million more potholes this year
    • as part of its Plan for Change, the government is investing to boost infrastructure and tackle the pothole plague to get Britain moving

    Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, is marking National Pothole Day (15 January 2025), with a visit to the JCB Factory outside Derby, to see cutting-edge technology helping councils tackle potholes.

    Derbyshire, highlighted by the RAC as the worst area in England for potholes, is set to benefit from a share of the government’s record £1.6 billion investment to resurface across England.

    This includes an additional £20 million for the East Midlands County Combined Authority, which includes Derbyshire, as part of a £1.6 billion funding for highway maintenance that will enable councils to fix up to 7 million more potholes.

    At the J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited (JCB) power systems factory, the Roads Minister will speak to engineers to learn about the latest innovations being used to tackle the pothole plague. She will operate JCB’s ‘pothole pro’, a machine that can fix a pothole in 8 minutes, with a cost of around £30. The ‘pothole pro’ is currently used by 20 local authorities.

    The minister will also meet with local leaders to discuss their plans for filling potholes to deliver safer, quicker and less costly journeys for all road users in Derbyshire. This is part of the government’s plans to work more closely with local authorities to ensure they have the powers to spend it where their communities need it most.

    As part of its Plan for Change, the government is committed to delivering safer, smoother journeys – reducing delays, saving drivers money and going above and beyond its manifesto pledge.

    Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

    Potholes are a clear sign of decline in our infrastructure and for too long roads like those in Derbyshire have been left in a state that endangers and costs road users.

    It’s time for change and we are investing £1.6 billion to fix up to 7 million more potholes across England this year, including over £75 million for the East Midlands Combined Authority.

    JCB’s ‘pothole pro’ is one of the many great examples of using new technology to repair potholes faster and demonstrates how companies are harnessing new technology to repair potholes faster.

    We’ll continue to engage with local leaders and industry to ensure innovations are being used to deliver roads the country deserves.

    Ben Rawding, general manager, municipalities at JCB, said:

     We are looking forward to introducing the minister to the benefits that innovation and technology can deliver in tackling the plague of potholes in our country.

    Last month’s announcement by the Department of Transport of £1.6 billion of funding for road repairs in England during 2025 is very welcome. Our appeal to the Minister will be for this funding to be spent wisely to ensure permanent long-term repairs become the priority for local authorities making best use of value-adding, productive technology such as the JCB pothole pro.

    RAC senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, said:

    There’s no motoring-related issue drivers are more concerned about than the state of their local roads – where almost everyone’s journeys begin and end.

    Going beyond merely patching potholes is the name of the game, and using the latest technology to perform permanent repairs is a much better use of public money. To stop our roads falling apart in the first place, we support councils surface dressing them at regular intervals and resurfacing those that are beyond reasonable repair.

    We’d also strongly encourage drivers to report potholes they’re aware of to their local authority, via GOV.UK, the RAC website or using the Stan app.

    The government’s latest road maintenance funding builds on the wider support it’s giving to councils to deliver core services and serve their communities. £69 billion of funding will be injected into council budgets across England to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change through investment and reform and to fix the foundations of local government.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £4 billion Malaysian investment in the UK creates 30,000 jobs [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : £4 billion Malaysian investment in the UK creates 30,000 jobs [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Business and Trade on 15 January 2025.

    £4 billion investment by YTL businesses in the UK over the next five years includes transforming the greater Bristol area and delivering over 30,000 jobs across the UK.

    • Bristol brownfield site set for development, creating 30,000 jobs as investors respond to Plan for Change with £4 billion boost
    • Malaysian Prime Minister announces multi-billion-pound investment that will transform Bristol and create 30,000 jobs across the UK over next five years
    • Investment over several YTL businesses, as development will deliver 6,500 homes, three schools and 19,500-capacity arena on brownfield site

    A £4 billion investment by YTL businesses in the UK over the next five years includes transforming the greater Bristol area and delivering over 30,000 jobs across the UK.

    The announcement comes as Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim is in London today [Wednesday 15 January] to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer and officially launch one of the largest brownfield developments in the UK alongside Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds hailed the investment as another huge vote of confidence in the UK that shows how the Government’s Plan for Change is delivering economic growth and ‘the power of investment to transform our cities and give working people the security they deserve’.

    Malaysian-owned YTL announced around £2 billion of the total investment will go towards the Brabazon Bristol development, which comprises of 6,500 homes, three new schools and a 19,500-capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space. According to YTL, the development will deliver more than 30,000 jobs, with the remaining £2 billion invested in YTL’s UK businesses over the next five years.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    “This investment is incredible news for the UK and will create a generational transformation for North Bristol, delivering infrastructure, new schools and creating thousands of new homes and jobs in the region.

    By creating the right conditions and giving investors the confidence they need to make big investments in Britain, our Plan for Change is delivering economic growth and showing the power of investment to transform our cities, and give working people the security they deserve.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    This investment is what our Plan for Change is all about. Investment that will boost growth, create good jobs  and shows that the UK is open for business.

    It builds on the £600m of investment I secured in China last week, and the success of last year’s record-breaking International Investment Summit, demonstrating global confidence in our economy.

    We will continue to go further and faster to kick start growth to make all parts of the country better off.

    Trade Minister Douglas Alexander will host his Malaysian counterpart Tengku Zafrul Aziz in the first ministerial-led Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) on Thursday to explore ways to increase our trade and investment relationship in priority areas including legal services, education, agriculture and SMEs.

    UK-Malaysia trade stood at almost £6 billion in the year to June 2024. This could grow further now the UK has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), giving us our first formal free trade agreement with Malaysia.

    Through CPTPP, Malaysian investors have greater certainty when investing in the UK, with the agreement ensuring that Malaysian and UK investors receive fair and equal access to each other’s markets.

    Background

    • In 2016, YTL Power acquired the disused Filton Airfield and associated Brabazon Hangars just north of Bristol. This 380-acre site is the largest brownfield development site in the South West and one of the largest in the whole of the UK. YTL is developing the site into a new town called Brabazon, and the iconic hangars, formerly home of the supersonic jet Concorde, will be turned into a major state-of-the-art arena, conferencing, and entertainment complex.
    • In November 2024, YTL obtained planning approval to deliver 6,500 homes, three schools, three hotels, 2,000 student beds, a retirement village, a new railway station and 60 acres of commercial development focused on high tech, aerospace and university facilities. The entertainment complex will include a 19,500 capacity carbon neutral arena, conferencing and exhibition space and a futuristic family entertainment attraction.
    • The Brabazon development is being constructed in the South Gloucestershire local authority area, just north of Bristol.
  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 January 2025.

    After months of devastating bloodshed and countless lives lost, this is the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for. They have borne the brunt of this conflict – triggered by the brutal terrorists of Hamas, who committed the deadliest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7th, 2023.

    The hostages, who were brutally ripped from their homes on that day and held captive in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families. But we should also use this moment to pay tribute to those who won’t make it home – including the British people who were murdered by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.

    For the innocent Palestinians whose homes turned into a warzone overnight and the many who have lost their lives, this ceasefire must allow for a huge surge in humanitarian aid, which is so desperately needed to end the suffering in Gaza. And then our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state.

    The UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of these crucial efforts to break the cycle of violence and secure long-term peace in the Middle East.

  • David Lammy – 2025 Statement on the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

    David Lammy – 2025 Statement on the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

    The statement made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, on 15 January 2025.

    Today’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement is a moment of hope after over a year of agony, following Hamas’s appalling attack on 7 October 2023.

    For the hostages and their loved ones, including British citizen Emily Damari, and Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or, this has been an unbearable trauma.

    For the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes or loved ones, this has been a living nightmare.

    For the region, this has brought yet more division and conflict.

    With this agreement, hostages and their families will be reunited and Gazans can begin to rebuild their lives. I pay tribute to the tireless diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the incoming and outgoing US administrations.

    Much remains to be done – to implement all phases of the deal in full and establish a pathway to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

    From our first day in office, this Government has pressed for an immediate ceasefire, to free the hostages, and to bring relief, reconstruction and hope to civilians who have suffered so much.

    We will play our full part in the coming days and weeks, working alongside our partners, to seize this chance for a better future.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Anwar of Malaysia [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Anwar of Malaysia [January 2025]

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

    The Prime Minister welcomed Prime Minister Anwar of Malaysia to Downing Street this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister began by saying he was delighted to have the opportunity to host Prime Minister Anwar at No10, and the leaders agreed that now was an opportune moment to strengthen the relationship between the UK and Malaysia.

    They discussed closer cooperation and to upgrade the relationship to a strategic partnership across trade and investment, education, clean energy and defence.

    Both agreed on their shared ambition for economic growth, and the Prime Minister reiterated that the UK is a great place to do business. He welcomed the £4 billion investment by YTL businesses announced today by Prime Minister Anwar which will deliver for people in Bristol, creating 30,000 jobs and building new homes on brownfield sites.

    They underscored their shared commitment to net zero ambitions and noted that clean energy will support future growth in both our countries.

    As a dialogue partner to ASEAN, the Prime Minister welcomed Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship. Both leaders underlined their joint commitment to build a strong UK-ASEAN Partnership, underpinned by respect for ASEAN‘s role in maintaining a prosperous, peaceful Indo-Pacific.

    They looked forward to seeing one another soon.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK invests £5.5 million to tackle mpox in sub-Saharan Africa [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK invests £5.5 million to tackle mpox in sub-Saharan Africa [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 15 January 2025.

    £5.5 million to go towards vital research projects to tackle ongoing mpox outbreaks in DRC and neighbouring countries.

    • Ministers announce funding for research to tackle ongoing mpox outbreaks in Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries
    • Research projects will focus on transmission, improved surveillance of outbreaks, and new vaccines and treatments for the virus, particularly for mothers and newborns
    • Investment will help tackle mpox at source to protect the UK public

    The UK government has announced £5.5 million for research into transmission, new vaccines and treatments to tackle the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

    The significant investment is part of the UK’s international response to mpox: providing critical support to countries at the centre of the outbreak and strengthening global health security, while ensuring the UK is protected.

    The funding will go towards research projects focused on:

    • studying the genetics and transmission patterns of clade 1b mpox and strengthening public health responses in affected regions
    • developing vaccines, with particular attention to protecting vulnerable groups
    • supporting clinical trials involving mothers and newborn children – including improving the efficacy of vaccines and antiviral treatments

    Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:

    We are proud to be at the forefront of the international response to mpox.

    This crucial funding will develop our understanding of the disease, and hopefully develop new ways of protecting people at risk of this terrible disease – particularly mothers and their babies who are particularly vulnerable.

    It will also help protect the UK and improve our resilience to future outbreaks.

    Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said:

    Working together as genuine partners to tackle infectious diseases helps us all.

    Since August, the UK has been working with others including UNICEF and the WHO to bolster the international response to mpox and prevent its spread across borders.

    By investing in expertise, we will better equip the international community to tackle this disease and protect communities both in central Africa and at home in the UK.

    This funding has been given through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget and will support 9 major research projects in partnership with the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3).

    In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) due to the newly identified clade 1b outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This outbreak has expanded to neighbouring countries, and a small number of cases have been detected in other countries including Thailand, Sweden and the USA.

    Five cases of clade 1b mpox were confirmed in England last year. The risk of clade 1b mpox to the UK population remains low, and the government is closely monitoring the disease.

    In September 2024, the UK government secured more than 150,000 doses of mpox vaccines to help boost resilience against clade 1 mpox and protect the UK population.

    Protecting the UK’s health from current and future threats, and strengthening our collaboration with global partners to better prevent outbreaks worldwide, is part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    Building scientific expertise through international research – by better understanding diseases and developing vaccines – will be crucial to achieving the core shift from sickness to prevention, an important part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan.

    Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of NIHR, said:

    Scientific research can improve lives, and this vital funding will strengthen our international response to mpox. By building on our scientific expertise and collaborating with global partners, we can better prevent and control future outbreaks worldwide.

    This research will look into ways to protect vulnerable people, especially women and newborn children, who have been disproportionately affected by the mpox outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa. This work is crucial for advancing health equity and building more resilient communities.

    Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

    Research funding for mpox focused in the areas most affected in Africa is critical to the scientific understanding of this disease. This collaborative funding, alongside ongoing international efforts, will provide a much needed injection of support to reduce the spread of mpox across the globe.

    There has been extensive planning by the government and UKHSA to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to and contact trace any further cases.

  • PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on DPRK ballistic missile launches [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on DPRK ballistic missile launches [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 January 2025.

    The FCDO has released a statement following ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 14 January.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    DPRK’s ballistic missile launches on 14 January 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.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Design selected for LGBT+ armed forces community memorial [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Design selected for LGBT+ armed forces community memorial [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 14 January 2025.

    A new memorial for the LGBT+ armed forces community will be constructed in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

    • Memorial to be constructed in National Memorial Arboretum to honour LGBT+ veterans and serving personnel
    • Artist collective Abraxas Academy’s metal structure, a crumpled letter with words from impacted LGBT+ veterans, to be unveiled later in the year
    • Builds on government’s response to Lord Etherton Review, including Financial Recognition Scheme announced in December

    A new memorial for the LGBT+ armed forces community will be constructed in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

    The design and construction, overseen by LGBT military charity Fighting with Pride, is being funded by a £350,000 grant from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs in the Ministry of Defence.

    Abraxas Academy’s design – entitled “Crumpled Letter” – was selected by a judging panel on Friday 10 January at an event onboard HMS Wellington, moored on the River Thames in London. The event was attended by LGBT+ veterans and serving personnel, service charities and the shortlisted artists.

    The Abraxas Academy is a group of individual artists working together as a collective. Artists Charlotte Howarth, Nina Bilbey, Sue Aperghis, James Spedding and Kate Homes are behind the LGBT+ armed forces community memorial design. Their winning idea is a crumpled, free-standing letter made from forged bronze. The letter is a combination of words taken from evidence that was collected from former personnel who were impacted by the LGBT ban. The letter symbolises swearing the oath of allegiance, evidence of mistreatment of LGBT personnel that was discarded and the comfort of letters from home while away on operation.

    Nina Bilbey, lead artist at Abraxas Academy said:

    This is extremely personal for some of our members, some of whom have been affected by the armed forces exclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, and some simply affected by lived queer experience. All our members make a living in the arts by designing and delivering beautiful sculpture, making and inspired by the act of collaboration.

    We hope this memorial will help ease some of the distrust and pain suffered by individuals, past and present, and be of inspiration to future generations who will witness this work and be reminded of the healing power of reconciliation and the public acknowledgement of historic discrimination.

    The memorial represents three of the 49 recommendations made in Lord Etherton’s independent review into the service and experience of LGBT+ veterans who served prior to 2000.

    Fighting With Pride consulted the LGBT+ veterans, serving personnel and their families to make sure the winning design would reflect their needs.

    Ed Hall, Chair of Fighting With Pride, said:

    The trustees are delighted that we have such a strong winner for the LGBT+ armed forces community memorial. It’s been incredibly important to all of us at Fighting With Pride that we held a rigorous creative process to find the right design that will provide a place of peace and reflection for the LGBT+ armed forces family. I’d like to thank everyone who submitted designs, and the LGBT+ serving and veterans’ community who have helped shape the selection.

    It’s a mark of how far we’ve come as a society that the competition for this prestigious commission has been so fiercely contested by some amazing creative minds. We received 38 exceptionally high standard designs for the panel of judges to choose from and we now have an outstanding design as the worthy winner.

    Last month, the Ministry of Defence opened applications to the Financial Recognition Scheme. This will enable those impacted by the ban while serving between 27 July 1967 and 11 January 2000 to apply for recognition payments. The government also announced the rollout of the two final restorative measures – qualification of administrative discharge and restoration of rank.

    Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns DSO OBE MC MP said:

    When I joined the Royal Marines in 1999, this abhorrent ban on homosexuality in the armed forces was still in place. A quarter of a century later, we turn a page on that shameful chapter in our national story.

    This government is committed to renewing the contract with those who serve and have served, and we will continue to drive this forward until every recommendation of Lord Etherton’s review is completed.

    I thank the LGBT+ community and the charities that supported it, particularly Fighting With Pride, for their courage and continued efforts to bring this to a resolution, and urge everyone affected to visit the LGBT veterans page for support.

    Those affected by the ban are still encouraged to register for restorative measures at LGBT veterans: support and next steps.

    Veteran Dame Kelly Holmes (MBE mil) OLY said:

    Veterans are courageously rebuilding their lives after enduring trauma, the loss of their careers and livelihoods. While the injustices of the past remain unchangeable, I am pleased to see the government’s commitment to support LGBT+ veterans going forward.

    The memorial’s design is a powerful way of showing how damaging, words are, but how healing words can be. Twenty-five years ago, LGBT+ veterans were met with condemnation; today, they are embraced with honour and respect.

    I see this memorial as a celebration of our community, a space for veterans to reflect on our journey, and a testament to the progress we’ve achieved together. Let’s remember that every step forward is a victory for dignity, inclusion, and unity.

    Under this government, further support has been secured for UK armed forces veterans. This includes £3.7 million of funding for social housing, a local connection exemption for veterans seeking social housing, the upcoming rollout of digital HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards and Birmingham’s successful bid to host the Invictus Games in 2027.

    Notes to editors

  • PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Al-Sudani of Iraq [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Al-Sudani of Iraq [January 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 January 2025.

    The Prime Minister met with Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani in Downing Street this afternoon.

    He welcomed the fact that Iraq has become safer and more prosperous under Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s leadership and said that the UK is keen to assist in building that momentum through a modern and future-looking partnership between the UK and Iraq.

    The leaders reflected on the situation in the Middle East and emphasised the importance of supporting peace and stability across the region following recent developments in Syria.

    They also welcomed the deepening of bilateral defence ties through the signing of a new joint statement on defence and committed to continuing strong cooperation on counterterrorism.

    Turning to economic growth, the Prime Minster welcomed the expanding partnership between the UK and Iraq in this space, as illustrated by the signing of the landmark Partnership and Cooperation Agreement today and the announcement of a £12.3 billion trade package.

    On illegal migration, the leaders discussed their intent to work towards a new and ambitious returns agreement between the UK and Iraq. They welcomed the progress on border security made during the Home Secretary’s visit to Iraq in November and committed to working even more closely to disrupt people smuggling networks.

    The leaders agreed to remain in close touch and looked forward to further strengthening the relationship between their two countries in the coming years.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister of Iraq [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister of Iraq [January 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 January 2025.

    This joint statement was released following the meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

    The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, hosted the Prime Minister of The Republic of Iraq, His Excellency Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani as part of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s official visit to the United Kingdom, from 14-16 January 2025.

    Prime Minister Starmer congratulated PM Al-Sudani on the stability and growth that Iraq has enjoyed under his leadership. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the vision of a prosperous, sovereign Iraq through a new partnership focused on trade and investment, deepening educational and cultural ties, as well as tackling security, migration and climate change challenges. This visit re-affirms the UK and Iraq’s commitment to work together on shared regional and global interests and underlines a shared commitment to the long-term strategic relationship.

    The Prime Ministers signed a landmark Partnership & Cooperation Agreement (PCA), a wide-ranging treaty on trade and strategic cooperation and agreed a trade package worth up to £12.3 billion, underpinned by a series of export agreements, to bolster the growing trading relationship between the UK and Iraq.

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani agreed to develop and further UK-Iraq co-operation on a wide range of sectors, including:

    Trade, Economy and Investment

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani discussed their shared objective of increasing prosperity and their commitment to an ambitious expansion of UK-Iraq trade and investment.

    They agreed to utilise UK private sector expertise on critical water, energy, telecoms and defence infrastructure, and to secure future investment projects in the clean energy, pharmaceutical, logistics, and financial services sectors. This will be supported through a UK Export Finance (UKEF) Memorandum of Cooperation to boost private sector investment and financing in Iraq, signed by the UK Foreign Secretary and Iraqi Foreign Minister. The Prime Ministers welcomed the recently announced agreement between the Government of Iraq and BP for a long-term investment in Iraq.

    The Leaders announced a trade and export package of £12.3 billion, over 10 times last year’s total UK-Iraq bilateral trade, consisting of the following UK-led projects in Iraq:

    • De-mining: UK Companies have been appointed to remove legacy mines across all of Iraq: a contract worth £330mn.
    • Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Al-Qayyarah airbase: UK private sector expertise will deliver the £500mn rehabilitation of Iraq’s Al Qayyarah airbase providing Iraq with air defence coverage and capability for North & West of Iraq.
    • Comprehensive Water Project: a UK-led consortium will lead a significant water infrastructure project worth up to £5.3bn in UK exports. This will improve water quality, irrigate agricultural land, and provide clean water in the South and West of Iraq, improving living conditions for millions of Iraqis.
    • Basra Water Project: a UK company has been appointed to build large-scale infrastructure for desalination and water processing plants, providing clean water for the 3 million Iraqis in the Basra province. This project is worth up to £3.3bn in UK exports.
    • Iraq-Saudi Grid interconnection: UK-made power transmission systems will interconnect the Iraq and Saudi grids, a project worth at least £1.2bn.
    • Enhancement of the Iraqi National Grid: GE Vernova will supply and install £82mn worth of power substations to improve Iraq’s electricity grid.
    • 5G rollout: Vodafone has been appointed to design the new 5G network planned by the government in a project set to be worth £410mn over twenty years.
    • Iraqi Railway project: A UK company will deliver a £82mn construction project to build a new railway in Iraq.
    • Hilla Phase 2: a UK company has been appointed to deliver sewage and water processing solutions serving 3 million Iraqis, worth £260mn in exports.
    • Baghdad Sanitation Project: a UK company has been appointed to provide up to £655mn worth of water management, and sewage treatment solutions for the Mayoralty of Baghdad.
    • Provision of UK Firefighting vehicles: 62 British-made fire-fighting vehicles will be exported to Iraq, in a UKEF-facilitated £27.5mn export.
    • Provision of radio communications equipment: UK firms will export £98mn worth of communications technology to provide the Iraqi emergency services with equipment to tackle emergencies and incidents more efficiently across Iraq.
    • Border technology: UK companies will provide £66.5mn worth of border security equipment to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, to make Iraq’s crossings, checkpoints, and airports safer.

    The UK is supporting Iraq as it undertakes the bold long-term reforms needed to grow its economy. As a global financial leader, the UK is harnessing expertise to support the establishment of PM Al-Sudani’s high ambition for the Iraq Fund for Development (IFD), Iraq’s first Strategic Investment Fund. The IFD has the potential to support socio-economic infrastructure development projects in Iraq and provide a gateway to the world for attracting private investment.

    Defence and Security

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani re-affirmed the strong historical UK-Iraq defence and security relationship. Noting that 2025 marks over ten years of the Global Coalition’s military mission in Iraq, both Prime Ministers reflected on the historic successes of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition in achieving the territorial defeat of Daesh in Iraq and honoured the sacrifices made by Iraqi, UK, and other forces in securing this aim.

    The Prime Ministers signed the Joint Statement on the Strategic Bilateral Defence Relationship that establishes the basis for a new era in security cooperation and paves the way for a new agreement to reflect the ambition of both countries. This deepens our defence cooperation for the future, including through the provision of UK-Iraq military education exchange, UK advisory support on capability and institutional reform, and the development of defence industrial partnerships. The Defence & Security Joint Statement underlines shared objectives, including counter-terrorism, regional security and stability and a strong and prosperous Iraq. The Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani jointly highlighted the importance of aviation safety and security standards.

    Migration and Organised Immigration Crime

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani committed to enhance vital migration cooperation between the UK and Iraq, given the importance of our strategic partnership in disrupting irregular migration upstream, and the significant work being led by the Government of Iraq to provide reintegration support to those returned.

    The Prime Ministers agreed the principles of a specific returns agreement that delivers on a joint commitment to ensure those who have no right to be in the UK can be returned swiftly. They discussed the practical next steps on how to do so, building on the Home Secretary’s recent visit, in which landmark agreements set out how the two countries will strengthen border security and enhance law enforcement cooperation to tackle people smuggling organised crime organisations.

    Both agreed that the increasingly global nature of organised immigration crime underscores the need to stop people smuggling gangs from putting so many lives at risk and that strengthening the border security of our nations is a key part of this effort – UK private sector expertise plays an important role in this, announcing the provision of police communications equipment, border technology and comprehensive training programmes to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, ensuring Iraq has state-of-the-art technology and emergency response capability to support our shared objective of strengthening border security, whilst also contributing to UK growth.

    Culture and Education

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani noted the importance of educational and cultural exchange in building shared opportunities and mutual trust and understanding and acknowledged strong people-to-people connections between the two countries. They discussed Iraq’s history of educational achievement and PM Starmer strongly welcomed Iraq’s investment in international scholarships with PM Al-Sudani announcing a significant scholarship scheme enabling over 2000 Iraqi students to study in the UK. They noted the potential for high-quality teaching, learning and research collaboration between UK and Iraqi universities and academics with a number of high-level agreements being signed with UK Universities. They discussed the importance of English language learning and UK international school qualifications, which unlock opportunities for greater educational and cultural exchange, and recognised the work of UK and Iraqi institutions working to widen access.

    Women, Peace and Security

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani committed to deepening cooperation on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, with PM Starmer welcoming Iraq’s plans to launch its third National Action Plan and a network of Iraqi women peacebuilders in March 2025. The Prime Ministers agreed on the importance of supporting women-led and women’s rights organisations. They recognised the need for on-going support, justice and accountability for all survivors of Daesh-perpetrated sexual violence, including mothers and their children born of conflict-related sexual violence, and continued efforts to end violence against women and girls. They agreed on the importance of girls completing a quality education and women’s economic empowerment, benefitting all of society.

    Climate and Environment

    Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani underlined the importance of working together to tackle climate and environmental issues. The Prime Ministers welcomed the Government of Iraq’s commitment to end flaring of associated gas by 2028, as a part of its transition towards a cleaner energy system, and dry gas venting, that has negative environmental and economic consequences, and the UK’s commitment to clean power by 2030.

    The parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Climate Change, the Environment, Energy Transition and the Carbon Economy. This will deepen cooperation on a broad range of climate and environment issues. In particular, it recognises a partnership to enhance co-operation to deliver Iraq’s commitment to end flaring.

    Sport Cooperation

    The two Prime Ministers underlined the importance of developing sports exchange mutual benefit. The leaders encouraged further contact and development of cooperation over sports affairs and encouraged their sports associations to coordinate their activities and strengthen exchange and cooperation, including in sports science and medicine. The Prime Ministers expressed a strong interest in exchanging visits among sport teams of the two countries.