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Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : Counter terror-style powers to strengthen ability to smash smuggling gangs [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Counter terror-style powers to strengthen ability to smash smuggling gangs [January 2025]

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

    Powerful new legislation will give law enforcement tougher tools to pursue people smugglers and disrupt their ability to carry out small boat crossings.

    New counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs will be introduced as part of landmark legislation to protect our borders.

    The measures will for the first time allow counter-terror style tactics to be used against smuggling gangs through unprecedented tools to stop smugglers before they act.

    This includes stronger powers to seize and search mobile phones to investigate organised immigration crime and introducing new offences against gangs conspiring to plan crossings, selling or handling small boat parts for use in the Channel, supplying forged ID documents, for migrants attempting to come here illegally.

    These laws, included within the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced in Parliament today (January 30), are inspired by powers used to combat terrorism and will transform the ability of law enforcement agencies to take earlier and more effective action against organised immigration crime.

    The robust, workable measures will directly go after organised crime groups who – even in the freezing temperatures in the Channel this month – are continuing to organise dangerous crossings, not caring if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. The legislation will give greater powers than ever to law enforcement agencies to treat people smuggling as a global security threat as part of our renewed effort to break the business model of these gangs for good and restore order to our asylum system.

    The new laws are being welcomed by law enforcement agencies like the National Crime Agency (NCA), Immigration Enforcement and police, and include:

    • allowing immigration officers and police to seize phones, laptops and other electronic devices at an earlier stage before arrests are made, if they are suspected of containing information about organised immigration crime
    • allowing law enforcement to arrest those involved in facilitating organised immigration crime at a much earlier stage than is currently possible, meaning they can intervene quicker, more effectively and before smuggling takes place
    • making it illegal to supply or handle items suspected of being for use by organised crime groups, for example the selling and handling of small boats parts, with those caught facing a prison sentence of up to 14 years
    • creating a new offence for collecting information to be used by organised immigration criminals to prepare for boat crossings – this includes arranging departure points, dates and times, with clear links back to the gangs facilitating the dangerous crossings
    • criminalising the making, adapting, importing and possession of specific articles that could be used in serious crime, carrying a prison sentence of up to 5 years – this includes templates for 3D printed firearms, pill presses and vehicle concealments
    • putting the role of the Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, on a legal footing, meaning he will have the authority to convene partners across law enforcement and set strategic priorities for achieving the Home Secretary’s goals – these will be shared with partners like the NCA as part of their ongoing work upstream to target people smuggling networks
    • to prevent more people being crammed into unsafe, flimsy boats and lives being put at risk by these gangs, we will make it an offence to endanger another life during perilous sea crossing to the UK – anyone involved in physical aggression, intimidation or coercive behaviour, including preventing offers of rescue, while at sea will face prosecution and an increased sentence of up to 5 years in prison

    Border security is one of the foundations of the government’s Plan for Change. The legislation being introduced today demonstrates our commitment to giving law enforcement the tools and powers they need to protect the integrity of the UK border as we put in place a serious, credible plan to restore order to our asylum system.

    Since July, we have already surpassed our pledge to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018, with 16,400 people with no right to be in the UK removed since this government took power and have ramped up our enforcement against illegal working by 32% as we look to end the false promise of jobs sold to migrants by people smugglers.   This is in addition to a stream of major people smuggling arrests through a renewed focus on joint international investigations involving the NCA.

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

    Over the last six years, criminal smuggling gangs have been allowed to take hold all along our borders, making millions out of small boat crossings.

    This bill will equip our law enforcement agencies with the powers they need to stop these vile criminals, disrupting their supply chains and bringing more of those who profit from human misery to justice.

    These new counter terror-style powers, including making it easier to seize mobile phones at the border, along with statutory powers for our new Border Security Command to focus activity across law enforcement agencies and border force will turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs.

    Our Plan for Change relies on strong border security. It is critical we have the tools at our disposal to pursue those who undermine them in every way we can.

    Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said:

    It is vital that government and our law enforcement partners, working together as part of the UK’s border security system, have the right tools to tackle the people smuggling gangs abusing our border.

    This bill will do exactly that, by equipping teams on the ground dealing with this issue first hand and empowering them to go further and act faster when dismantling organised criminality.

    These crucial measures will underpin our enforcement action across the system, and together with our strengthened relationships with international partners, we will bring down these gangs once and for all.

    NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said:

    Tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority for the NCA.

    The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill should help UK law enforcement act earlier and faster to disrupt people smuggling networks and give us additional tools to target them and their business models.

    These criminal gangs risk the lives of those they transport in their deadly pursuit of profit, and we remain determined to work with partners in the UK and abroad to do all we can to stop them.

    Based on counter-terror tactics, the new powers in this bill will allow law enforcement to make swifter interventions at a much earlier stage against those conspiring to smuggle people into the UK by small boats or in the backs of lorries.

    Where someone is suspected of selling or handling small boats parts or sharing suspect information online, we will be able to apply these offences against them at this point and make an arrest. Current rules mean law enforcement are unable to intervene until much later on in the process and after they’ve facilitated a small boat crossing.

    In November 2024, Amanj Hasan Zada was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of organising small boat crossings from his home in Lancashire. Each crossing involved Kurdish migrants who had travelled through eastern Europe, into Germany, Belgium and then France. It is possible the reasonable suspicion element means investigators would have met the requirements to arrest and charge earlier with the new offences. Evidence which showed Zada planning organised immigration crime facilitation – for example discussing moving migrants, purchasing vessels – would have likely been in scope of the offence. Instead of needing to prove a definitive link to a migrant facilitation under current legislation, the new offences could have met the threshold for earlier and faster action to be taken.

    The bill will also modernise biometric checks overseas to build a clear picture of individuals coming to the UK and preventing those with a criminal history from entering. During crisis evacuations to the UK, the new powers will allow checks to take place much earlier, resulting in the rapid identification of who is eligible to enter the country and reducing the risk of delays or security threats during time sensitive operations.

    In a major upgrade to serious crime prevention orders, we will also give law enforcement new powers to impose interim serious crime prevention orders, allowing them to place instance restrictions on organised immigration criminals alongside other serious criminals. This could include bans on travel, internet and mobile phone use, with curbs also leading to social media blackouts, curfews and restricted access to finances.

    Collectively, these measures will strengthen our response across the system, empowering partners and law enforcement to properly go after the people smuggling gangs.

    Through the Border Security Command, we’re already driving up activity to disrupt the criminal gangs behind this trade.

    The NCA continues to target smuggling networks in the UK and overseas. This includes 3 arrests this month in Iraq’s Kurdistan region as a result of a joint operation between the NCA and local law enforcement, the first of its kind.

    But with this legislation we will go further, giving our law enforcement stronger tools than ever before to dismantle the gangs.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Trade Minister visited South Africa and Botswana to strengthen trade ties [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Trade Minister visited South Africa and Botswana to strengthen trade ties [January 2025]

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

    This was the first visit to Africa by UK Minister for Trade Policy Douglas Alexander, which forms part of the UK Government’s wider resetting of partnerships with Africa, which the Foreign Secretary set out in November during his visits to Nigeria and South Africa.

    UK Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, Douglas Alexander, travelled to South Africa and Botswana to strengthen trade links and create opportunities for both African and UK businesses.

    He is the first Minister from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to travel to the continent since the UK election, which took place last summer.

    The UK is seeking to deepen trade and investment across the continent and drive mutually beneficial growth in both the UK and Africa, including by making progress on removing barriers to trade to help businesses export more easily and providing UK support to trade for development programmes across the continent.

    During his trip, the Trade Policy Minister co-chaired the first Southern African Custom Union and Mozambique (SACUM) – UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Joint Council. The Economic Partnership Agreement underpins all goods trade with the UK and SACUM members. The Joint Council discussed where there is potential to strengthen our trade and investment partnerships and support economic growth across all member countries.

    He met with South Africa’s Minister for Trade Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, South Africa’s Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, Botswana’s Trade Minister and Vice-President, Ndaba Gaolathe, as well as his counterparts from Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia to discuss areas for future growth in key sectors including infrastructure, energy, transport and logistics, agriculture, minerals, and the digital economy. He also met with UK and South African companies and took part in a CEO roundtable, where he was seeking views from the private sector to help inform the Government’s cross-continent reset and wider trade strategy.

    Minister for Trade Policy, Douglas Alexander said:

    South Africa is our largest trading partner in Africa, with an exciting period ahead as the country assumes the G20 Presidency. I am keen to explore how we can strengthen further the bilateral trade between our two countries.

    Mutual economic benefit is also at the forefront of the UK’s relationship with Botswana. There is a huge opportunity for us to collaborate on sectors important to our economies including renewable energy and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our ties.

    Minister Alexander emphasised the UK’s support for South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 this year and reaffirmed the UK Government’s commitment to building mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries. This follows on from the UK Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to the continent in November 2024, during which he agreed to develop a UK-South Africa Growth Plan.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Minister for Latin America and Caribbean speech at RUSI Latin American Security Conference 2025 [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Minister for Latin America and Caribbean speech at RUSI Latin American Security Conference 2025 [January 2025]

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

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Latin America and Caribbean, Baroness Chapman of Darlington, gave a speech at the RUSI Latin American Security Conference 2025.

    Thank you, Malcolm. I was just saying to Malcolm before that the last time I was here was to hear Douglas Alexander speak. This was at a time before Brexit, before COVID.

    We had a coalition government – he was the Shadow Foreign Secretary then, and much in the world has changed since.

    And it’s been far too long – that was, I think 2014, so 11 years ago. And I hope that I’ll be back here – well let’s see if I’m invited back here after this morning!

    Anyway, thank you Malcolm for that warm introduction.

    And good morning, everyone – bom dÍa, buenos dias a todos y todas.

    If you are joining us from Latin America, as I believe some people are online. Thank you for getting up so early – muchismas gracias.

    My Spanish is atrocious, but I am getting some lessons, so hopefully that will be improving soon. And as the Brazilian Ambassador reminded me yesterday, a little bit of Portuguese wouldn’t go amiss either, so I’ll be working on that.

    Before I say anything else, I want to thank RUSI for bringing us together for the third Latin American Security Conference – and to all of your for making this a priority.

    I have a passion for Latin America, and it is great when you get the opportunity to be in a room full of other people that share that view.

    When I meet with Latin American leaders, they tell me that they do feel that they have an important role to play alongside the UK.

    Nobody has told me that they feel ignored by the UK – which is good – but they have all said that they have the desire to be more included in the future.

    The geopolitics that we all spend our time trying to understand and to shape, drives and shapes the prospects for many of the people in Latin America – whether that’s climate change, economic growth and security, in every sense, they are priorities there exactly as they are priorities for us here.

    The war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, the role of China, US elections – all influence the politics of Latin America.

    Throw in the descent of Venezuela into autocracy, and our as-yet un-ending tragedy that is Haiti – and we have got a lot to talk about together.

    As we approach 200 years of bilateral relations with Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, we should consider how far we’ve come, but also what needs to come next.

    Speaking recently to the next generation of officer cadets at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, some 200 years since the days when John Illingworth and Admiral Lord Cochrane supported growing independence across the region, our defence and security co-operation is strong. In Latin America there is pride in our past relationships, and a strong sense that we should do more, not less, together in the future.

    Combatting serious organised crime to protect communities here as well as there, including the heinous trade in human misery that is illegal migration; getting urgent humanitarian relief to those bearing the brunt of natural disasters across the region; pursuing Antarctic science and wider marine protection.

    Perhaps the fact that the UK has positive relationships in Latin America, the fact that it is a relatively safe, peaceful, democratic region, means the spotlight doesn’t rest on it all that often from here in the UK.

    But I see an open, growing, industrious region of the world, without which this government will find it that much harder to achieve our missions of growth, security and climate action.

    Looking across Latin America, the lesson is clear. Without security, you can’t have growth. And without growth, climate action is impossible.

    As we’ve all said hundreds of times – the first responsibility of every government, the bedrock on which the economy sits, and the ultimate guarantor of everything we hold dear, is security.

    While the focus of our attention is rightly on the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Latin America has led the news twice in recent days here in the UK.

    Extraordinary as that is – and I know because I’ve spoken to them, that Colombia and Panama do not always welcome the reason for this attention – there is a place for Latin American countries in geopolitics now that is changing.

    With attention, I think, being positive, comes opportunity.

    Panama – no longer on the financial services grey list; stable, democratic, and inviting infrastructure investment from the UK. We’re seen as a respectful, trusted partner, and they want to do business with us.

    Latin American countries really do want to work with the UK. They see the long-term value in the tailored offer from the investment and security space. We can be proud of it, but we need to make it easier for countries in Latin America to do business with us.

    And I would like to thank Ecuador particularly at the moment, for their term on the Security Council.

    Because we have so much in common with them as independent nations – we must all stand firm in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly as Russia turns its sights on Latin America as a key target for disinformation, because we know the truth.

    This illegal and unprovoked war by a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    It makes us all, wherever we are, less safe.

    And with so much strong support for Ukraine from across Latin America. I know you will all be looking forward to hearing from Yaroslav Brisiuck from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs later today – on deepening dialogue and cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean.

    We are not the only country who sees Latin America’s strategic relevance and weight.

    We know our allies in the US are considering their approach as well. The fact that Secretary Rubio’s first foreign trip is to the region, and that he spoke in his confirmation hearing about the positive relationships as well as the challenges that the US faces there demonstrates the centrality of Latin America for US foreign Policy.

    This is no bad thing. And whilst we will not always agree on the specifics every day of this approach or that, we believe that we must continue to be in close dialogue with the region and the US, to work towards common goals.

    When it comes to China’s engagement in the region, we must understand why so many Latin American countries pursue partnerships with China on development, investment and trade.

    But our job – where we can – is to provide Latin America with a choice. An alternative that many say that they want. Maybe not always cheaper, but better.

    From now on, our approach to China will be consistent – cooperating where we can, competing where we have different interests, and challenging where we must.

    But the most important thing about this, is consistency.

    The schizophrenic posturing doesn’t work.

    It’s about calm, straightforward diplomacy, never ignoring issues where we fundamentally disagree, such as the detention of Jimmy Lai.

    But cooperating where it’s in our interests, especially on climate and growth.

    But we know that sustainable growth can’t happen without security.

    Criminal gangs are multinational. Their power to feed off misery while making billions feeds of weak state institutions, drives corruption, deforestation, drug deaths and sex trafficking.

    They pursue profit at any cost, with little cost to themselves, through the production and trafficking of cocaine and other illegal drugs,  destroying lives, communities, and ecosystems in the process.

    Where organised crime gangs are in competition with the state – this is why our role in supporting the peace process in Colombia… this shows us why, it is so vital.

    Illegal mining, deforestation, and the loss of species, human rights abuses, organised immigration crime, channelling of illicit finance, modern slavery, I could go on.

    The impact is being felt now in Latin America, and on the streets of Britain,
    Most of the world’s cocaine produced in Latin America.

    It transits through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, before being trafficked via increasingly complex, global routes, entering the UK via European ports.

    But let’s be honest with ourselves about this.

    It is cocaine demand in this country that is fuelling so much misery and insecurity across Latin America.

    A kilo of cocaine was valued at approximately £1,600 – at the start of its journey in Latin America.

    But by the time it reaches the UK, its value leaps by more than 1600% to more than £28,000. And that is one hell of a margin. That’s why this trade is so pervasive.

    We are with working France and the Netherlands and European partners, on joint approaches to tackle maritime cocaine trafficking from Latin America into the UK. And we are working with our partners across the region on this as well.

    This includes £19 million from the UK across six Latin American countries over five years. This is not just about seizures.

    We’re backing our partners’ efforts, following the money, building stronger regional links,  and tackling the flow of illicit finance.

    In Ecuador – we are working with our partners to make sure fewer vulnerable people fall prey to transnational drugs cartels, whether as victims and perpetrators of Serious Organised Crime, as well as working alongside US law enforcement, to conduct regular counternarcotic and other illicit trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea.

    Talking face to face with the brave, specialist law enforcement teams in Ecuador, Colombia and the Caribbean, it is clear to me just how much they value UK expertise and support. And how much value we can add to their operations, because we listen to their needs, respect their expertise and are partners with them for the long term.

    In Peru, Brazil, Brazil, and Ecuador – we are working together to make financial investigations into mining and logging crimes more effective.

    In Colombia – working with state institutions to improve the enforcement of environmental law is at the heart of our work for forest protection.

    Because we can’t protect a single stick of rainforest. It is regional governments that do that. But we can help them with the tools they need to do the job.

    Access to satellite imagery, intelligence and security co-operation, support with judicial processes, police kit, registration of vehicles. Where we can help, we must.

    The Home Office is working with the courageous Colombian police in Bogotá – as part of their work developing key partnerships to identify and disrupt threats to the UK Border, from illegal migration and the trafficking of drugs.

    Together, we are now using advanced technical equipment, enhanced analytical and detection techniques, and improved intelligence flows – to strengthen border security and our collective ability to detect and prevent the movement of cocaine to the UK and Europe, especially in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.

    I have also made it my priority in my early months in the job to improve our departmental cooperation with the Home Office, The MoD and the NCA. The new Joint Home Office/FCDO Migration Unit will strengthen the cooperation in Whitehall and our efforts on the Ground.

    The Latin America that hundreds of thousands of UK citizens a year visit today is 660 million people strong and counting – with a combined GDP of nearly $6 trillion.

    And happily, in all my visits to the region as well as our conversations in the UK, our partners across Latin America have made it clear that they share this government’s ambition – to achieve long-term, resilient growth, and bring opportunity to people across our countries.

    This is something we are working together to achieve across a vast range of work.

    In Chile, during my visit at the start of the year, I saw how Anglo-American are introducing innovative, safer, and more responsible mining techniques.

    Extraordinary, as someone who comes from the North East of England, married to the son of Welsh miners, to see a remotely operated mine. Without mining obviously there is no decarbonisation, but this is mining that has been done from the centre of Santiago, out in a mine with nobody underground, nobody’s life at risk. It is really something to behold.

    When I travelled to President Sheinbaum’s inauguration, in Mexico we signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Mexican Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development – which will boost trade, advance sustainable agriculture, and renew our partnership.

    And at the end of last year,  the UK became the first European nation to accede to the growing Indo-Pacific trade bloc, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or ‘CPTPP’, joining Chile, Mexico, and Peru.

    This makes our collective GDP £12 trillion, means zero tariffs for more than 90% of exports between members, and opens up market opportunities across three continents.

    And building on the four agreements with the region we already have – this does represent a huge opportunity for businesses.

    Of course, none of this is possible if the bigger picture is not in place – which bring me to peace and democracy.

    Latin America is now home to many stable democracies – we share so many values.

    And we are working together to uphold human rights, and the rule of law, across the region and at the UN.

    When it comes to the Falkland Islands, our position is steadfast, and our commitment to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination will not waiver.

    Only the Falkland Islanders can and should decide their own future.

    This approach underpins the South Atlantic cooperation agreement with Argentina – announced by the Foreign Secretary and former Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, last September.

    We are grateful for our work in partnership and our dialogue on these issues with Argentina.

    When it comes to Colombia, this government will  advocate for implementation of the 2016 peace  agreement, as a priority.

    We have learned ourselves, through Northern Ireland, that no piece of paper achieves peace. It’s that consistent work of decades by political and community leaders that keeps peace. Peace is hard, requires constant vigilance, but the UK is with Colombia, for the long term, of this journey.

    But the impact of Venezuela’s catastrophic leadership is being felt across the region.

    That is why the UK sanctioned 15 new members of Nicolas Maduro’s regime, who are responsible for undermining democracy, and committing serious human rights abuses – on 10 January, the same day he asserted power illegitimately in Venezuela once again.

    And at a time where we know that you’re all worried about the wider impacts of the abhorrent violence in Haiti, as well as providing £28 million a year to the multilateral institutions still operating on the ground to support the population,  we are providing £5 million to the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission – working to bring about the stability that is so desperately needed, to pave the way for free and fair elections.

    However far away that prospect feels today, we must never give up hope.

    No country can do right by its citizens, or play its part in the world, when people live in fear and without hope.

    Our determination to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss binds us together. The region is home to so many of the natural assets on which our global prosperity depends.

    A quarter of the world’s tropical rainforest, including the mighty Amazon, and massive deposits of the metals and minerals we all need to make a leap to clean energy.

    The government welcomes the strong leadership we’re seeing from within the region. Building on generations of care led by indigenous people, and decades of pioneering innovation.

    We’re working together with Brazil, to make the next big climate summit in Belém a success, and I’m delighted that Brazil and Chile are working with us through the finance mission of the new Global Clean Power Alliance that the Prime Minister launched at the G20 in Rio with President Lula last year.

    When it comes to minerals that are critical to the transition away from fossil fuels, and toward clean energy, including two thirds of the world’s lithium, the reserves that we need for batteries, Latin America has the resources, and the UK holds the markets and the institutions.

    So we’re working together – across government in the UK and with businesses, and with partners across the region – to take a strategic approach to deliver more diversified and secure supply chains, while raising standards, and mining more responsibly.

    So to close I just want to thank RUSI for making it a priority to bring us together to discuss how the UK, Latin America and our wider partners and allies can work together even more effectively for our shared security and prosperity.

    I’ve sensed a real appetite for this from our partners across the region, but I want all of us here in the UK to be ambitious about what is possible when we work with Latin America.

    And I want us all to recognise the importance of Latin American leadership in changing what is possible at a global level as well, on the challenges and opportunities we face.

    Sure – this government here can improve our economy, we can do better on our security, and our borders, we can do our bit to reduce carbon emissions and support work against climate change.

    We can do that without changing our approach to Latin America. But how much better, and how much more successful, and how much more secure any gains we make will be if we work alongside our partners, our allies in Latin America, now and in the years ahead.

    Thank you.

  • John Healey – 2025 Speech at the ADS Annual Dinner

    John Healey – 2025 Speech at the ADS Annual Dinner

    The speech made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 28 January 2025.

    Good evening. Let me begin by thanking Kevin and his team at ADS for hosting this splendid event and for their work in promoting an industry that is the foundation for our way of life.

    ADS is going from strength to strength, with a double digit increase in your membership last year.

    You represent a commitment to innovation and excellence that are hallmarks of the British business spirit.

    Yours is an industry which proves that we are still – at heart – a nation of makers and inventors. I know recent times haven’t been easy. And as Defence Secretary, I am grateful to you all.

    This event brings us together from across the UK, across the industry and across the political divide.

    I welcome this because defence policy and procurement commitments reach beyond political cycles.

    I believe I’m the first Defence Secretary who’s spoken at this dinner, and tonight, you have two for the price of one with me as the warmup act for Penny Mourdant’s after dinner speech.

    Penny is someone with a lifelong connection and commitment to our armed forces, who rose to become the first woman ever to hold the role of Defence Secretary.

    I’ve had the privilege of six months in the role, part of a government taking on profound challenges in our economy, our public finances and our national security.

    Yet, as a new government, we’ve already:

    • Stepped up and speeded up support for Ukraine…
    • Increased defence spending by nearly £3 billion…
    • Launched a first of its kind Strategic Defence Review…
    • Given service personnel the largest pay rise in over 20 years… and still dealt with a multi-billion in-year deficit…
    • Signed the landmark Trinity House Agreement with Germany…
    • Secured a huge deal to buy back over 36,000 military homes to improve forces housing and save taxpayers billions…
    • Set new targets to tackle the recruitment crisis…
    • Begun a transformational MOD reform programme…
    • And got the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill through the House of Commons to improve service life.

    The point I want to make is that this is a new government that is delivering for defence.

    Something which I was able to underline last Friday at Rolls Royce, announcing a major new contract over 8 years, which will boost British jobs, business and national security.

    There’s incredible work being done there in Derby, by an incredible team, some of whom are here this evening.

    It’s a big investment, but behind the numbers are 200 apprentices a year who now feel they have a future.

    And suppliers – 92 per cent of which are British based – who now feel like have certainty.

    What really struck me – and it happens every time I visit a defence site – is the deep sense of pride and purpose.

    Defence workers are right to feel that way. Their efforts keep us all safe.

    And as an industry, you also invest huge sums in research and development. One of the great strengths of the defence industry is that you force us to reach for the future.

    Down the years, you’ve been responsible for some of the most significant innovations in history. Designed for times of war but which often produce lasting benefits for wider society well beyond the battlefield.

    As a nation, we’re good – and rightly so – at taking pride in the professionalism of our soldiers, sailors and aviators.

    But we know that that they are only as effective as the industry which equips them.

    We must be better at celebrating the role of the coders, programmers, scientists and engineers who provide our forces with the tools they need to protect us.

    It’s why I want us to not only change the way we work with the defence industry, but also change the way we see the defence industry.

    On the way we work with industry, I hope the last few months serve as a glimpse of type of partnership we want to forge.

    From industry involvement – for the first time ever – in our war gaming, to the creation of the new Defence Industrial Joint Council.

    And on the way we see industry, we know we have much to do.

    Right now, there’s growing security concerns for defence firms at university careers, you attend to offer young people a route to a better life.

    You’re facing harassment and intimidation, forced to cancel events on campus. This is wrong.

    This attitude takes for granted the privileged position we enjoy in Britain – to live in freedom and security… security our defence industry guarantees.

    So, today – alongside the Business and Education Secretaries – I’ve written to Universities UK for assurances about your safety on campuses.

    We’re also seeing defence firms ranked alongside tobacco and gambling in Environmental, Social and Governance audits. And pension funds divest from you.

    I have no doubt the intentions are well-meaning. But they’re fundamentally flawed.

    We don’t stop wars by boycotting our defence industry.

    We stop wars by backing it.

    Let’s not forget that national security is a pre-condition for economic security, investor confidence and social stability.

    I will always be a fierce advocate for you in the Department, to wider government, to the City, to the British public and to whoever needs to hear it.

    My challenge to you – as an industry – is to be louder and confident about your role.

    As my friend – Jonny Reynolds– said to the President’s Reception earlier:

    “You are exceptional in your importance… in helping to safeguard our national security and our way of life.

    “But you are also exceptional in your contribution to our economy. Nearly half a million well paid jobs are directly owed to aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.”

    To meet the challenges of this new era of threats, you’ve seen the direction we want to take with our Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent.

    And let me thank everyone who’s shared their insights so far in submissions to both our industrial strategy, and SDR consultations.

    I know – for some – our Statement of Intent may have been met with a degree of scepticism. You’ve been here before… I get that…

    New government, new ideas.

    But old habits die hard and entrenched interests dig in.

    Previous industrial strategies have produced policies – many of them good – but there wasn’t the plan, the structures and the relentless attention to reform needed to make change happen.

    So, why will this be different?

    First, it has to be different.

    The war in Ukraine confronts us with the deep truth that when a country faces conflict or is forced to fight, its armed forces are only as strong as the industry which stands behind them…

    That innovation and production capacity is a major part of our nation’s – and our alliance’s – deterrence.

    And that industry’s constant purpose is to give the nation’s war fighters the advantage over our adversaries.

    The last Defence Industrial Strategy was published in 2021, a year before Putin shattered the peace in Europe.

    Ours will hardwire in these lessons and so too will the Strategic Defence Review.

    Second, I’m driving deep reform to defence.

    It doesn’t make news headlines, but it’s an essential foundation for implementing both the SDR and Defence Industrial Strategy.

    For industry, it means you’ll be brought in earlier to the conversation on how we should fight…

    We’ll ask you how you can help solve our problems rather than giving you a requirement to deliver.

    You’ll also see the creation of a new role, the National Armaments Director, soon-to-be one of the most senior roles in UK Defence, sitting alongside the Chief of the Defence Staff and Permanent Secretary.

    Their responsibilities will include:

    • Repairing a broken procurement system…
    • Ensuring our armed forces have what they need to fulfil their duty of protecting our nation…
    • And championing your industry at home and abroad.

    Third, defence is part of our bigger British drive for growth – the government’s number one mission.

    The Chancellor is speaking tomorrow about how we are going to meet this challenge.

    But the message I want to reinforce is that defence is an engine for driving economic growth.

    Fourth, we’ve proved we can do it by supporting Ukraine through Taskforce KINDRED and HIRST.

    From the onset, when it took 287 days after Putin invaded to sign contracts for new NLAWs…

    … to today, when we’ve created industrial bases for new capabilities – virtually from scratch…

    Supplying – at scale – one of the most effective drone systems in Ukraine.

    Restarted artillery barrel manufacturing in the UK to deliver hundreds to the front line.

    Enhancing our own capabilities through Stormer and Starstreak…while Gravehawk, Snapper and Wasp have all been developed with breathtaking speed.

    I don’t just want this to be the government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, it needs to be a national endeavour… private and public… SMEs and primes… innovators and educators… trade associations and trade unions…

    All creating a defence industry which is better and more integrated…

    One that can keep our armed forces equipped… and innovating at wartime pace, ahead of our adversaries.

    The Shadow Defence Secretary is familiar with the challenges.

    I know he will play his part in holding us to account.

    And I trust he – and his Party – will play their part in backing reforms that strengthen our country’s defence and its defence industry.

    This is new era of threats, demands a new era for defence.

    Change is essential, not optional.

    Our success rests on a new partnership with innovators, investors and industry.

    Our government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence.

    Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    Thank you – enjoy your evening and I look forward to working with you over the coming years.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government unleashes offshore wind revolution [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government unleashes offshore wind revolution [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 29 January 2025.

    New measures will unlock up to £30 billion investment in homegrown clean power as permissions for new offshore wind projects are streamlined.

    Up to thirteen major offshore wind projects have today (Wednesday 29th January) been unlocked as the Government announced measures to accelerate the construction of offshore infrastructure.

    Inheriting outdated and archaic infrastructure restrictions that slowed and jammed the building of offshore clean energy projects, Ministers are streamlining the consenting process to accelerate their construction. As set out in the Chancellor’s growth speech, this will hasten the delivery of vital infrastructure projects and unlock growth as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, while protecting nature and the environment.

    Together, the unlocked projects will generate up to 16GWs of electricity – almost equivalent to the electricity generated by all of the country’s gas power plants last year – and create thousands of good jobs in the offshore wind sector, potentially spurring £20-30bn of investment in homegrown clean power.

    These changes will allow the Government to designate new Marine Protected Areas or extend existing Marine Protected Areas to compensate for impacts to the seabed caused by offshore wind development. This will prevent delays that have previously resulted from insufficient environmental compensation being agreed, while protecting the marine environment and contributing to our commitment to protect 30% of our seas for nature by 2030.

    Marine Minister Emma Hardy said:

    Under the Government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to boosting growth and making Britain a clean energy superpower while defending our important marine habitats.

    These changes show we can make significant progress in expanding homegrown British clean power in a way that protects vulnerable sea life.

    Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

    Offshore wind will be the backbone of delivering clean power by 2030 as we enter a new era of clean electricity.

    As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, today’s announcement will help unlock crucial offshore wind projects that will boost our energy security, protect billpayers from volatile fossil fuel markets, and help make the UK a clean energy superpower.

    Any new designations of Marine Protected Areas will follow the existing process required under legislation, and will include consulting other affected industries and communities.

    The new or extended Marine Protected Areas will protect a range of marine habitats, with the cost of their designation and management funded by offshore wind developers through the Marine Recovery Fund.

    This follows the announcement that the Government’s forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill will unlock much-needed infrastructure projects whilst supporting nature recovery, and targeted changes to the management of underwater noise will fast-track the UK to deliver a clean power system by 2030.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Charter for Budget Responsibility approved by Parliament [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Charter for Budget Responsibility approved by Parliament [January 2025]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 29 January 2025.

    Charter for Budget Responsibility has been approved in the House of Commons, enshrining new fiscal rules into law.

    • Rules demonstrate the government’s commitment to stability and investment to drive growth.
    • New fiscal rules confirmed as the Chancellor commits to going further and faster to kick start economic growth and make working people better off as part of the Plan for Change.

    Today (Wednesday 29 January) the House of Commons voted to enshrine the Charter for Budget Responsibility and the new fiscal rules into law.

    These fiscal rules provide the stability which underpins the Plan for Change and the Government’s number one priority to kickstart economic growth.

    There are two new non-negotiable fiscal rules. The first is the stability rule which ensures that day to day spending is matched by tax revenues, so the Government is only borrowing to invest.

    The second is the investment rule which requires the government to reduce net financial debt as a share of the economy, keeping debt on a sustainable path while allowing much needed investment to grow the economy.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    In our Plan for Change we were clear that our top priority is growth built on stability. Today I have announced how I will go further and faster on growth and our fiscal rules, which have been enshrined in law, are now non-negotiable and the bedrock of that stability.

    Through the Charter, fiscal and economic stability will be enhanced by confirming the government’s intention to move to one major fiscal event per year, giving families and businesses certainty of tax and spending plans.

    Stability is also reinforced by confirmation that the Treasury will conduct Spending Reviews every two years, setting spending plans for at least three, to ensure public services have certainty on their funding.

    Fiscal transparency and accountability will also be strengthened as the Chancellor has accepted all of the recommendations of the OBR’s review of the March 2024 forecast for Departmental Expenditure Limits, including to improve the spending information that the Treasury shares with the OBR.

    In addition, the Charter now requires the OBR to report on the long-term impacts of capital investment and other policies at fiscal events, showing how economic growth and the health of the public balance sheet is bolstered by good investment decisions.

    The Charter also outlines the detail of the fiscal lock – the first legislation passed by this government – so that no government can announce fiscally-significant measures without being subject to an independent assessment by the OBR, ensuring they can never again be sidelined.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Universal Periodic Review 48 – UK Statement on Madagascar [February 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Universal Periodic Review 48 – UK Statement on Madagascar [February 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 January 2025.

    UK Statement at Madagascar’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    Thank you, Mr Vice President,

    The United Kingdom thanks Madagascar for setting out its efforts to protect human rights. We urge the government to implement the new code of work, and to provide clarification that the work code also covers child labour.

    We urge the government to ensure that all children have access to free primary and secondary education and to strengthen children’s rights and fair living conditions.

    We recommend:

    1. Improve the quality and accessibility of services in health centres by applying free primary care, eradicating discrimination against the poor, lowering the price of medicine, and increasing the number of hospitals, health centres and health staff working in childcare.
    2. Implement a registration and identification process of children who are effectively homeless and to strengthen existing laws to protect them from further exploitation.
    3. Strengthen women’s economic empowerment and strengthen support for victims of sexual abuse.

    Thank you.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2025 Speech on Kickstarting Growth

    Rachel Reeves – 2025 Speech on Kickstarting Growth

    The speech made by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 29 January 2025.

    Thank you everyone.

    It’s fantastic to be here at Siemens at this amazing facility.

    Today, I want to talk about economic growth.

    Why it matters.

    How we achieve it.

    And what we are going to do further and faster to deliver it.

    Before we came into office…

    … the Prime Minister and I have said loud and clear:

    Economic growth is the number one mission of this government.

    Without growth, we cannot cut hospital waiting lists or put more police on the streets.

    Without growth, we cannot meet our climate goals…

    … or give the next generation the opportunities that they need to thrive.

    But most of all…

    … without economic growth…

    … we cannot improve the lives of ordinary working people.

    Because growth isn’t simply about lines on a graph.

    It’s about the pounds in people’s pockets.

    The vibrancy of our high streets.

    And the thriving businesses that create wealth, jobs and new opportunities for us, for our children, and grandchildren.

    We will have succeeded in our mission when working people are better off.

    I know that the cost of living crisis is still very real for many families across Britain.

    The sky high inflation and interest rates of the past few years have left a deep mark…

    … with too many people still making sacrifices to pay the bills and to pay their mortgages.

    But we have begun to turn this around.

    Everything I see as I travel around the country gives me more belief in Britain.

    And more optimism about our future.

    Because we as a country have huge potential.

    A country of strong communities, with small and local businesses at their heart.

    We are at the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world…

    … like artificial intelligence and life sciences…

    … with great companies like DeepMind, AstraZeneca, Rolls Royce… and of course Siemens…

    … delivering jobs and investment across Britain.

    We have fundamental strengths – in our history, in our language, and in our legal system – to compete in a global economy.

    But for too long, that potential has been held back.

    For too long, we have accepted low expectations and accepted decline.

    We no longer have to do that.

    We can do so much better.

    Low growth is not our destiny.

    But growth will not come without a fight.

    Without a government willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s future for the better.

    That’s what our Plan for Change is all about.

    That is what drives me as Chancellor.

    In my Mais lecture in March last year, I set out my approach to achieving economic growth…

    … and identified the fundamental barriers to realising our full potential.

    The productive capacity of the UK economy has become far too weak.

    Productivity, the driver of living standards…

    …has grown more slowly here than in countries like Germany and the US.

    The supply side of our economy has suffered due to chronic underinvestment…

    … and stifling and unpredictable regulation…

    … not helped by the shocks we have faced in recent years.

    The strategy that I have consistently set out…

    … is to grow the supply-side of our economy…

    … recognising that first and foremost…

    … it is businesses, investors and entrepreneurs who drive economic growth…

    … a government that systematically removes the barriers that they face – one by one and has their back

    This strategy has three essential elements:

    First, stability in our politics, our public finances and our economy – the basic condition for secure economic growth.

    Second, reform – reform which makes it easier for businesses to trade, to raise finance and to build.

    And third, investment, the lifeblood of economic growth.

    Let me explain each of those in turn.

    Stability – the first line of our manifesto was a promise to bring stability to the public finances.

    It is the rock upon which everything else is built.

    And it is the essential foundation of our Plan for Change.

    Because economic stability is the precondition for economic growth.

    That’s why the first piece of legislation that we passed as a government was the Budget Responsibility Act…

    … so never again will we see our independent forecaster sidelined.

    At my first Budget in October…

    … it was my duty as Chancellor…

    … to fix the foundations of our economy, and repair the public finances that we inherited.

    To restore stability and create the conditions for growth and investment.

    I set out new fiscal rules which are non-negotiable, and will always be met.

    We began to rebuild our NHS and our schools – the start of a programme of public service reform.

    I capped the rate of corporation tax – and I extended our generous capital allowances for the duration of this parliament – as the CBI and the BCC have long called for.

    And I protected working people after a cost of living crisis…

    … by freezing fuel duty…

    … and with no increases in their National Insurance, Income Tax or VAT.

    But taking the right decisions and the responsible decisions does not always mean taking the easy decisions.

    The increase in Employers’ National Insurance contributions has consequences on business and beyond.

    I said that up front in my Budget speech.

    I accept that there are costs to responsibility.

    But the costs of irresponsibility would have been far higher.

    Those who oppose my Budget know that too.

    That is why, since October, I have seen no alternative put forward.

    No alternatives to deal with the challenges we face.

    No alternatives to restoring economic stability…

    … and therefore no plan for driving economic growth.

    Alongside stability, we need to drive forward the reform which makes investment more likely…

    … by removing the constraints on the supply side of our economy…

    … making it easier for businesses to trade…

    … to raise finance…

    … and to build.

    Let me first address our approach to trade.

    We stand at a moment of global change.

    In that context, we should be guided by one clear principle above all.

    To act in the national interest…

    … for our economy…

    … for our businesses…

    … and for the British people.

    That means building on our special relationship with the United States under President Trump.

    The Prime Minister discussed the vital importance of growth with the President last weekend…

    … and I look forward to working with the new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent…

    … to deepen our economic relationship in the months and the years ahead.

    Acting in our national interest also means resetting our relationship with the EU – our nearest and our largest trading partner – to drive growth and support business.

    We are pragmatic about the challenges that we have inherited from the last government’s failed Brexit deal.

    But we are also ambitious in our goals.

    … we will prioritise proposals that are consistent with our manifesto commitments…

    … and which contribute to British growth and British prosperity…

    … because that is what the national interest demands.

    Our approach to trade also means building stronger relationships with fast-growing economies all around the world.

    That is why I led a delegation to China for the first Economic and Financial Dialogue since 2019…

    … alongside world-leading financial service businesses, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and Schroders…

    … unlocking £600 million of tangible benefits for the UK economy.

    And I am pleased to confirm that the Business and Trade Secretary will shortly visit India …

    … to restart talks on the free trade agreement and bilateral investment treaty.

    Our businesses can only realise these opportunities if they can recruit the skilled staff that they need.

    So we are reforming our employment system to create a national jobs and careers service.

    We have created Skills England to meet the skills of the next decade in sectors like construction and engineering.

    And we will deliver fundamental reform of our welfare system.

    That includes looking at areas that have been ducked for too long…

    … like the rising cost of health and disability benefits…

    … and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will set out our plans to address this ahead of the Spring Statement.

    Next, the Immigration White Paper, that will bring forward concrete proposals to bring the overall levels of net migration down.

    But we know that the UK is in an international competition for talent in vital growth sectors.

    That is why last week, I set out plans for attracting global talent.

    We will look at the visa routes for very highly skilled people…

    … so the best people in the world choose the UK to live, work and create wealth…

    … bringing jobs and investment to Britain.

    To help businesses access the finance and support they need to grow…

    … we have delivered significant reforms to provide greater flexibility for firms and founders to raise finance on UK capital markets, by rewriting the UK’s listing rules.

    In my Mansion House speech, I announced a series of reforms to our pensions system…

    … including the creation of larger, consolidated funds…

    … which have much greater capacity to invest in high growth British companies at the scale that we need them to.

    The consultation on these reforms is already complete and the final report will be published in the Spring.

    Yesterday we confirmed that we have plans to go further, whilst always protecting the important role that pension funds play in the gilt market.

    We will introduce new flexibilities for well-funded Defined Benefit schemes…

    … to release surplus funds where it is safe to do so…

    … generating even more investment into some of our fastest growing industries.

    I know too that businesses are held back by a complex and unpredictable regulatory system…

    … and that is a drag on investment and innovation.

    We have already provided new growth-focused remits to our financial services regulators…

    … we have announced a new interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority…

    … and we have established the Regulatory Innovation Office, with an initial focus on synthetic biology, space, AI, and connected and autonomous vehicles.

    But we need to go further and we need to go faster.

    So earlier this month, I met the Heads of some of our largest regulators.

    They have already provided a range of options to drive growth in their sectors…

    … and proposals for how they can be more agile and responsive to businesses…

    … and we will publish that final action plan in March to make regulation work much better for our economy.

    To get Britain building again…

    … we have delivered the most significant reforms to our planning system in a generation.

    I have been genuinely shocked about how slow our planning system is.

    By how long it takes to get things done.

    Take the decision to build a solar farm in Cambridgeshire – a decision the Energy Secretary took only a few weeks into the job in July…

    The Deputy Prime Minister has already driven significant progress across government in addressing these issues.

    My colleagues have determined 13 major planning decisions in just six months…

    … including for airports, data centres and major housing developments.

    We have significantly raised housing targets across our country and made them mandatory, so that we can build one-and-a-half million homes in this parliament.

    We have reformed decades-old “green belt” policies, making it easier to build on the “grey belt” land around our major cities.

    And we have opened up our planning system to build new infrastructure – like onshore wind farms or data centres driving the AI revolution.

    Having listened closely to calls from business groups like the Institute of Directors…

    … and businesses across our economy about the need to speed up infrastructure delivery…

    … including Mace, Skanska and Arup who are here today…

    … and members of our British Infrastructure Taskforce like Lloyds, Blackrock and Phoenix…

    … we have now set out plans to go even further.

    Last week we confirmed our priorities for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill …

    … to rapidly streamline the process for determining applications…

    … to make the consultation process far less burdensome…

    … and to fundamentally reform our approach to environmental regulation.

    The problems in our economy…

    … the lack of bold reform that we have seen over decades…

    … can be summed up by a £100 million bat tunnel built for HS2…

    … the type of decision that has made delivering major infrastructure in our country far too expensive and far too slow.

    So we are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into the nature restoration fund that we have created…

    …so they can focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about bats and newts.

    And to build our new infrastructure like nuclear power plants, trainlines and windfarms more quickly…

    … we are changing the rules to stop blockers getting in the way of development…

    … through excessive use of Judicial Review.

    This Bill, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is a priority for this government.

    It will be introduced in the Spring…

    … and we will work tirelessly in parliament to ensure its smooth, and speedy and rapid delivery.

    By providing a foundation of economic stability…

    … and by delivering the reforms needed to make it easier for businesses to succeed and grow…

    … we will create the right conditions to increase investment in our economy – the final key element of our strategy.

    Investment and innovation go hand in hand.

    I want to see the sounds and the sights of the future arriving.

    Delivered by amazing businesses like Wayve and Oxford Nanopore.

    They are the future.

    And Britain should be the best place in the world to be an entrepreneur.

    That is why we protected funding for research and development…

    … and it is why one of the first decisions I made as Chancellor…

    … was to extend the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust schemes for a further 10 years…

    … to get more investment into new companies, driving their innovation and growth.

    I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest.

    That was my message in Davos last week.

    That ambition demands action.

    The International Investment Summit that we hosted in October delivered £63 billion of investment right across our country…

    … from Iberdrola doubling its investment in clean energy in places like Suffolk…

    … Blackstone investing £10 billion in a data centre in Northumberland…

    … and Eren Holdings investing £1 billion in advanced manufacturing in North Wales.

    While the lifeblood of growth is business investment, a strategic state has a crucial role to play.

    That is why we established the National Wealth Fund…

    … to create that partnership between business, private investors and government to invest in the industries of the future…

    … like clean energy.

    Today I can announce two further investments by the National Wealth Fund.

    First, a £65 million investment for Connected Kerb, to expand their electric vehicle charging network across the UK.

    And second, a £28 million equity investment in Cornish Metals…

    … providing the raw materials to be used in solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles…

    … supporting growth and jobs in the South-West of England.

    There is no trade-off between economic growth and net zero.

    Quite the opposite.

    Net zero is the industrial opportunity of the 21st century, and Britain must lead the way.

    That is why we will publish a refreshed Carbon Budget Delivery Plan later this year, which alongside the Spending Review, will set out our plans to deliver Carbon Budget 6.

    Today, I can also announce that we are removing barriers to deliver 16 gigawatts of offshore wind…

    … by designating new Marine Protected Areas to enable the development of this technology in areas like East Anglia and Yorkshire…

    … crowding in up to £30 billion of investment in homegrown clean power.

    And there’s more.

    Our industrial and manufacturing base, brilliantly represented by Make UK, have been banging their heads against the wall for years at the lack of a proper industrial strategy from government.

    That is why we have launched our modern industrial strategy…

    … to drive investment into the industries that will define our success in the years ahead.

    We have already provided funding to unlock investment in sectors like aerospace, automotives and life sciences…

    … and we have set out reforms to boost financial services, the AI sector and creative industries.

    We are not wasting any time, and we will move forward with the next stages of the Industrial Strategy ahead of its publication in the Spring.

    We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.

    This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Port of Tilbury and Dover, London Gateway and Medway…

    … alleviating severe congestion…

    … as goods destined for export come from the North, and the Midlands and across the country to markets overseas.

    To drive growth and deliver value for money for taxpayers, we are exploring options to privately finance this important project.

    And we have changed course on public investment, too…

    … with a new Investment Rule to ensure that we don’t just count the costs of investment – we count the benefits too.

    We are now investing 2.6% of GDP on average over the next five years, compared to 1.9% planned by the previous government..

    … delivering an additional £100 billion of growth-enhancing capital spending…

    … which catalyses private sector investment…

    … in more housing…

    … better transport links…

    … and clean energy.

    These are significant steps in just six months…

    … and we are seeing some encouraging signs in the British economy.

    The IMF have upgraded our growth prospects for 2025…

    … the only G7 country outside the US to see this happen.

    This gives us the fastest growth of any major European economy this year.

    And a global survey of CEOs by PWC, has shown Britain is now the second most attractive country in the world for businesses looking to invest.

    The first time the UK has been in that position for 28 years.

    This is all welcome news.

    But there is still more that we can and will do.

    I am not satisfied with the position we are in.

    While we have huge amounts of potential, the structural problems in our economy run deep.

    And the low growth of the last 14 years cannot just be turned around overnight.

    This has to be our focus for the duration of the parliament.

    Because the situation demands us to do more.

    And today I will go further and faster in kickstarting economic growth.

    Our mission to grow our economy is about raising living standards in every single part of the United Kingdom.

    Manchester is home to the UK’s fastest growing tech sector.

    Leeds is one of the largest financial services centres outside of London.

    These great northern cities have so much potential and promise…

    …which our brilliant metro mayors, Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin, are working hard to realise…

    … just like our other metro mayors are doing to deliver new opportunities in their areas.

    And there is so much more that government can do to support our city regions.

    To achieve this requires greater focus on two key areas: infrastructure and investment.

    If we can improve connectivity between towns and cities across the North of England, we can unlock their true growth potential…

    … by making it easier for people to live, travel and work across the area.

    At the Budget, I set out funding for the Transpennine Route Upgrade…

    … a multi-billion-pound programme of improvements that will connect towns and cities from Manchester to York via Stalybridge, Leeds and Huddersfield.

    We are delivering railway schemes to improve journeys for people across the North…

    … including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square and by electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line.

    We have committed to supporting the delivery of a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire.

    And in Spring, we will publish the Spending Review and a 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy…

    … which will set out further detail of our plans for infrastructure right across the UK.

    New transport infrastructure can also act as a catalyst for new housing.

    We have already seen the benefits that unlocking untapped land around stations can deliver in places like Stockport…

    … where joint work spearheaded by Andy Burnham and council leaders has delivered new housing and wider commercial opportunities.

    We will introduce a new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default answer to yes.

    We are working with the devolved governments to ensure the benefits of growth can be felt across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland…

    … including by partnering with them on the Industrial Strategy to support their considerable sectoral strengths.

    And in December, I met with Metro Mayors from across England.

    They told me that more opportunities for investment are vital if their local economies are to grow in the years ahead.

    We are listening closely to them.

    As the Metro Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, has called for…

    … we will review the Green Book and how it is being used to provide objective, transparent advice on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.

    This means that investment in all regions is given a fair hearing by the Treasury that I lead.

    The Office for Investment is going to be working hand in hand with local areas…

    … to develop a commercially attractive pipeline of investment opportunities for a global audience…

    … starting with the Liverpool City Region and the North East Combined Authority, led by Kim McGuinness.

    The National Wealth Fund is establishing strategic partnerships to provide deeper, more focused support for city regions, starting in Glasgow, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester.

    We are supporting key investment opportunities across the UK.

    The government is backing Andy Burnham’s plans for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, which promises to create new housing and commercial development around a new stadium…

    … to drive regeneration and growth in the area.

    We are moving forward with the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone…

    … focusing on the area’s strengths in advanced manufacturing…

    … backed by major businesses like Airbus and JCB…

    … to leverage £1 billion of private investment in the next ten years…

    … creating up to 6,000 jobs.

    So I can announce today that we will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard…

    … to support their efforts to recreate South Yorkshire Airport City as a thriving regional airport.

    And finally, I am pleased to announce a partnership between Prologis and Manchester Airport Group in the East Midlands, where the Metro Mayor Claire Ward is doing an excellent job growing the local economy there.

    Prologis and MAG will work together to build a new advanced manufacturing and logistics park at East Midlands Airport …

    … unlocking up to £1 billion of investment and 2,000 jobs at the site…

    … a major investment from a global business into our country…

    … representing a huge vote of confidence in the East Midlands and in the UK.

    This is just the start of our work to get more investment into every nation and region of Britain.

    Next, I want to set out further detail for plans for the area we are in today.

    Oxford and Cambridge offer huge potential for our nation’s growth prospects.

    Only 66 miles apart…

    … these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world…

    … and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms.

    This area has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley.

    To make that a reality, we need a systematic approach to attract businesses to come here and to grow here.

    At the moment, it takes over two and a half hours to travel between Oxford and Cambridge by train.

    There is no way to commute directly by rail from places like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge.

    And there is a lack of affordable housing right across the region.

    In other words, the demand is there…

    … but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth here.

    We are going to fix that.

    The Ox Cam arc was initially launched in 2003 – over 20 years ago.

    We are not prepared to miss out on the opportunities here any longer.

    So working with the Deputy Prime Minister…

    … who is already driving forward vital work in the region…

    … we are going further and faster to unlock the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

    First, we are funding the transport links needed to make the Oxford Cambridge growth corridor a success…

    … including East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes starting this year…

    … and road upgrades to reduce journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

    East West Rail will also support vibrant new and expanded communities along the route.

    We have already received proposals for New Towns along the new railway…

    … with 18 submissions for sizeable new developments.

    At Tempsford – the nexus of the East Coast Mainline, the A1 and East West Rail…

    …we will move quicker to deliver a mainline station, meaning journey times to London of under an hour…

    … and to Cambridge in under 30 minutes when East West Rail is operational.

    Second, we are ensuring that the area has the right infrastructure and public services in place to support the growth corridor as it expands.

    A new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is being prioritised for investment as part of wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme.

    Water infrastructure has also been a major hindrance to development.

    So we have now agreed water resources management plans, unlocking £7.9 billion of investment in the next 5 years…

    …including plans for the new Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge and the South East Strategic Reservoir near Oxford.

    And I can confirm today that the Environment Agency have now lifted their objections to new development in Cambridge, following this government’s intervention to address water scarcity…

    … which means 4,500 additional homes, new schools, and new office, retail and laboratory space can be built.

    Third, I am delighted that Cambridge University have come forward with plans for a new flagship innovation hub at the centre of Cambridge…

    … to attract global investment and foster a community that catalyses innovation, as other cities around the world like Boston and Paris have done.

    Just yesterday, Moderna completed the build for their new vaccine production and R&D site in Harwell, right here in Oxfordshire, alongside a commitment to invest a further £1 billion in the UK.

    And we are creating a new AI Growth Zone in Culham to speed up planning approvals for the rapid build-out of data centres.

    And finally, to take this project forward at real pace…

    … and catalyse private sector investment into the region…

    … I am pleased to announce that the Deputy Prime Minister and I have asked Lord Patrick Vallance to be the champion for the Oxford Cambridge Growth Corridor.

    Lord Vallance has extensive experience across the sciences, academia, and government.

    He will work with local leaders and with the Housing and Planning Minister to deliver this exciting project…

    … including with Peter Freeman, who is already doing excellent work in Cambridge…

    … and a new Growth Commission for Oxford, which will help to accelerate growth in the city and its surrounding area.

    This is the government’s modern Industrial Strategy in action.

    With central government, local leaders and business working together…

    … the Oxford and Cambridge Growth Corridor could add up to £78 billion to the UK economy by 2035 …

    … driving investment, innovation and growth.

    Finally, I come to the decision that perhaps more than any other…

    … has been delayed…

    … has been avoided…

    … has been ducked.

    The question of whether to give Heathrow …

    … our only hub airport…

    … a third runway…

    … has run on for decades.

    The last full length runway in Britain was built in the 1940s.

    No progress in eighty years.

    Why is this so damaging?

    It’s because Heathrow is at the heart of the UK’s openness as a country.

    It connects us to emerging markets all over the world, opening up new opportunities for growth.

    Around three-quarters of all long-haul flights in the UK go from Heathrow.

    Over 60% of UK air freight comes through Heathrow.

    And about 15 million business travellers used Heathrow in 2023.

    But for decades, its growth has been constrained.

    Successive studies have shown that this really matters for our economy.

    According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43% by 2050.

    Over half – 60% of that boost, would go to areas outside London and the South-East.

    … increasing trade opportunities for products like Scotch whiskey and Scottish salmon – already two of the biggest British exports out of Heathrow.

    And a third runway could create over 100,000 jobs.

    For international investors, persistent delays have cast doubt about our seriousness towards improving our economic prospects.

    Business groups, like the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Chambers of Commerce right across the UK…

    …as well trade unions like GMB and Unite are clear…

    … a third runway is badly needed.

    In 2018, the previous government steered its Airports National Policy Statement through parliament.

    But no action was taken.

    It simply sat on the shelf.

    We are taking a totally different approach to airport expansion.

    This Government has already given its support to expansion at City Airport and at Stansted.

    And there are two live decisions on Luton and Gatwick which will be made by the Transport Secretary shortly.

    But as our only hub airport, Heathrow is in a unique position – and we cannot duck the decision any longer.

    I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would unlock further growth…

    … boost investment…

    … increase exports…

    … and make the UK more open and more connected.

    And now, the case is stronger than ever…

    … because our reforms to the economy…

    … like speeding up the planning system…

    … and our plans for modernised UK airspace…

    … mean the delivery of this project is set up for success.

    So I can confirm today that this Government supports a third runway at Heathrow…

    … and is inviting proposals to be brought forward by the summer.

    We will then take forward a full assessment through the Airport National Policy Statement.

    That will ensure that the project is value for money – and our clear expectation is that any associated surface transport costs will be financed through private funding.

    And it will ensure that a third runway is delivered in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.

    Heathrow themselves are clear that their proposal for expansion will meet strict rules on noise, air quality and carbon emissions.

    And we are already making great strides in transitioning to cleaner and greener aviation.

    Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuel by around 70%.

    At the start of this month, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate became law.

    And today I can announce that we are investing £63 million into the Advanced Fuels Fund over the next year…

    … and we have today set out the details of how we will deliver a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to encourage investment into this growing industry.

    These measures will encourage more investors to back production in the UK, bringing good, high-skilled jobs to areas like Teesside…

    … demonstrating that investment in the right technology can help us deliver both our growth and our clean energy missions.

    Now is the moment to grasp the opportunity in front of us.

    By backing a third runway at Heathrow, we can make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business.

    That is what it takes to make bold decisions in the national interest.

    That is what I mean by going further and faster to kickstart economic growth.

    The work of change has begun.

    We have already made great progress.

    But I am not satisfied.

    And I know that there is more to be done.

    We must go further and faster if we are to build a brighter future.

    The prize on offer is immense.

    The next generation with more opportunities than the last.

    An engineer in Teesside, working in some of the most exciting industries of the future – from carbon capture to sustainable aviation fuel.

    A scientist in Milton Keynes or Bedford, working in our life sciences industry to solve some of the most important medical challenges in the world.

    A small business owner in Scotland, knowing that they can expand and export to new markets right across the globe.

    Wealth created, and wealth shared, in every part of Britain.

    This is a Government on the side of working people.

    Taking the right decisions to secure their future, to secure our future.

    Stepping up to the challenges we face.

    Ending the era of low expectations.

    Putting Britain on a different path.

    Delivering for the British people.

    And I am determined, this Government is determined, to do just that.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Reeves – I am going further and faster to kick start the economy [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Reeves – I am going further and faster to kick start the economy [January 2025]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 29 January 2025.

    Chancellor unveils new plans to deliver the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that will boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035.

    • Rachel Reeves will today vow to go ‘further and faster’ to deliver the government’s Plan for Change to kick start economic growth and put more pounds in people’s pockets.
    • Chancellor to unveil plans to unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that will add up to £78 billion to the UK economy according to industry experts, catalysing growth of UK science and technology.
    • Comes after Chancellor last week announced National Wealth Fund and Office for Investment will take new approaches to spur regional growth across the UK.

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves will today vow to go “further and faster” to kick start the economy, as she unveils new plans to deliver the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that will boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035 according to industry experts.

    In a speech in Oxfordshire, the Chancellor will tell regional and business leaders that economic growth is the number one mission of this government and its Plan for Change. She will declare that Britain’s economy has “huge potential” and is at the “forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world like artificial intelligence and life sciences.”

    She will back the redevelopment of Old Trafford and will review the Green Book – the government’s guidance on appraisal – in order to support decisions on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.

    The speech comes after the Chancellor last week announced a new approach for the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and the Office for Investment (OfI) to work with local leaders to build pipelines of incoming investment and projects linked to regional growth priorities. This includes the NWF trialling Strategic Partnerships in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, and Glasgow City Region and the OfI piloting an approach in the Liverpool City Region and the North East Combined Authority to connect their regions to central government and industry expertise in order to unlock private investment.

    Reeves will say “low growth is not our destiny, but that economic growth will not come without a fight. Without a government that is on the side of working people. Willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s course for the better.”

    The Chancellor is expected to say:

    Britain is a country of huge potential. A country of strong communities, with local businesses at their heart.

    We are the forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world like artificial intelligence and life sciences. We have great companies based here delivering jobs and investment in Britain.

    And we have fundamental strengths – in our history, our language, and our legal system – to compete in a global economy.

    But for too long, that potential has been held back. For too long, we have accepted low expectations, accepted stagnation and accepted the risk of decline. We can do so much better.

    Low growth is not our destiny. But growth will not come without a fight. Without a government that is on the side of working people. Willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s course for the better.

    That’s what our Plan for Change is about. That is what drives me as Chancellor. And it is what I’m determined to deliver.

    In her speech the Chancellor will announce:

    • The Environment Agency has lifted its objections to a new development around Cambridge that could unlock 4,500 new homes and associated community spaces such as schools and leisure facilities as well as office and laboratory space in Cambridge City Centre. This was only possible as a result of the government working closely with councils and regulators to find creative solutions to unlock growth and address environmental pressures.
    • That the government has agreed for water companies to unlock £7.9bn investment for the next 5 years to improve our water infrastructure and provide a foundation for growth. This includes nine new reservoirs, such as the new Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge and the Abingdon Reservoir near Oxford.
    • Confirming funding towards better transport links in the region including funding for East-West Rail, with new services between Oxford and Milton Keynes this year and upgrading the A428 to reduce journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
    • Prioritisation of a new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital as part of the New Hospitals Programme bringing together Cambridge University, Addenbrookes Hospital and Cancer Research UK.
    • Support for the development of new and expanded communities in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and a new East Coast Mainline station in Tempsford, to expand the region’s economy.
    • That she welcomes Cambridge University’s proposal for a new large scale innovation hub in the city centre. As the world’s leading science and tech cluster by intensity, Cambridge will play a crucial part in the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.
    • A new Growth Commission for Oxford, inspired by the Cambridge model, to review how best we can unlock and accelerate nationally significant growth for the city and surrounding area.
    • Appointment of Sir Patrick Vallance as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion to provide senior leadership to ensure the Government’s ambitions are delivered.

    The Chancellor is expected to say:

    Oxford and Cambridge offer huge economic potential for our nation’s growth prospects.

    Just 66 miles apart these cities are home to two of the best universities in the world two of the most intensive innovation clusters in the world and the area is a hub for globally renowned science and technology firms in life sciences, manufacturing, and AI.

    It has the potential to be Europe’s Silicon Valley. The home of British innovation.

    To grow, these world-class companies need world-class talent who should be able to get to work quickly and find somewhere to live in the local area. But to get from Oxford to Cambridge by train takes two and a half hours.

    There is no way to commute directly from places like Bedford and Milton Keynes to Cambridge by rail. And there is a lack of affordable housing across the region.

    Oxford and Cambridge are two of the least affordable cities in the UK. In other words, the demand is there but there are far too many supply side constraints on economic growth in the region.

    Designed to take advantage of the region’s unique strengths and potential, the announcements are further evidence of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy in action as it seeks to create the right conditions to increase investment in our leading growth sectors like life sciences, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

    She will add:

    Taken together, these announcements show that for the first time a government is providing real leadership to deliver this project with a clear strategy for the entire region backed by funding for the housing and infrastructure we so badly need.

    The speech comes after the Chancellor last week announced a package of investment reforms to spur regional growth across the UK. Rachel Reeves set out a new approach for the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and the Office for Investment (OfI) to work with local leaders to build pipelines of incoming investment and projects linked to regional growth priorities. Putting local knowledge and leadership at the forefront, there will be tailored strategies for each region to ensure investment matches local needs and drives sustainable growth. Putting the government’s Plan for Change into action, the Chancellor set out that the goal is to harness growth everywhere to rebuild Britain and usher in a decade of national renewal. Measures included the NWF trialling Strategic Partnerships in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, and Glasgow City Region and the OfI piloting an approach in the Liverpool City Region and the North East Combined Authority to connect their regions to central government and industry expertise in order to unlock private investment.

    Science Minister, Lord Patrick Vallance said:

    The UK has all the ingredients to replicate the success of Silicon Valley or the Boston Cluster but for too long has been constrained by short termism and a lack of direction.

    This government’s Plan for Change will see an end to that defeatism. I look forward to working with local leaders to fulfil the Oxford-Cambridge corridor’s potential by building on its existing strengths in academia, life sciences, semiconductors, AI and green technology amongst others.

    Together we will build the infrastructure and partnerships needed to join up this region’s academia, investors and business so that we can boost growth, deliver innovations and create new jobs that improve all our lives.

    Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander said:

    Well connected communities are a cornerstone for growth. East West Rail will not only provide better links and lasting benefits to Oxford and Cambridge, but to all the surrounding areas.

    I’m also delighted to announce a brand new station at Tempsford, which will be game changing for the region – allowing a new community and businesses to grow, unlocking faster and smoother access to opportunities, and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

    More details

    • Yesterday, Moderna completed the build for their new vaccine production and R&D site in Harwell, Oxfordshire. They have committed to invest over £1 billion in R&D in the UK, strengthening our position as a global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.
    • £78 billion added to the UK economy. Source: Public First research for the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board (2025).
    • Dr Andy Williams, Chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board said:

    The announcements today are extremely positive for the region and for the country. As Chair of the OxCam Supercluster Board, which comprises 45 members across business, academia, and investors, we know that the region has the potential to deliver truly remarkable growth in the coming decade and beyond, as evidenced by the research published this week. Achieving £78 billion in cumulative economic value by 2035 requires us to work dynamically and pro-actively across government, the private sector, educational institutions, and the investment community, to fully harness OxCam’s strengths and address its weaknesses. With the experience and knowledge of Lord Patrick Vallance leading this effort, we are excited by the opportunity to co-design a policy prospectus that will allow the OxCam Growth Corridor to realise its potential as a global centre for science and innovation.

    • Dipesh J. Shah OBE, Chair of the Oxford to Cambridge Partnership said:

    I welcome the Chancellor’s drive to accelerate growth in the Oxford to Cambridge corridor and her support for strategic investments in enabling infrastructure. The region houses internationally acclaimed clusters of innovation in each of the growth sectors for the nation. Already one of the world’s great science powerhouses, the region’s full potential will rely on connecting its incredible ecosystems of businesses, places and communities. Investments announced today will spur more and will help local leaders to deliver on their ambitious plans for their communities.

    • Professor Alistair Fitt, Chair of Arc Universities Group and Vice-Chancellor Oxford Brookes University said:

    This region hosts a great diversity and scale of universities. Together we offer a wide range of key contributions: globally renowned research brilliance, the powerhouse of skills provision provided by cutting edge teaching, world class knowledge transfer and commercialisation. Our universities, working in close partnership, in alliance with others – particular the private sector – are organised into the Arc Universities Group.  We stand ready for the challenge. We welcome the oversight and experience that the leadership of Lord Patrick Vallance brings to the region, and we look forward to helping deliver the Chancellor’s aspirations for growth.

    • Darius Hughes, UK General Manager for Moderna said:

    We are proud to call Oxfordshire our home with the recent completion of construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre in Harwell. Today’s announcement demonstrates the government’s commitment to growth and innovation, and we look forward to delivering British-made vaccines to the UK public, advancing cutting-edge research, and strengthening partnerships in this globally significant region.

    • Steve Bates, CEO of the UK Bioindustry Association said:

    The UK is a global leader in biotech innovation and attracts the most venture capital in Europe. New figures we’ve published this week show that biotech is a vibrant growth sector of the UK economy with an exceptional ability to attract global investment. Delivering the infrastructure needed to support the growth at pace – especially in the Oxford Cambridge growth corridor- is key to the success of our sector.

    • The government is continuing to work with local partners to deliver sustainable growth in Cambridge, with the additional homes and infrastructure the city needs. Peter Freeman and the Cambridge Growth Company are building the evidence base for an infrastructure-first growth strategy to realise the full potential of Cambridge and improve lives for residents.
    • The Chancellor today announced that delivery of a new East Coast Mainline station in Tempsford will be accelerated by 3-5 years. The station will link services directly to London, with services in under an hour. It will eventually also be an interchange with the East West Rail station.
    • The A428 (Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet) scheme will improve journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. The scheme will see a new 10-mile dual carriageway delivered, as well as three grade separated junctions, three tier at Black Cat roundabout (A1/A421) and two tier at Cambridge Road (B1428) and Caxton Gibbet (A428/A1198) junctions, respectively. Main construction began in December 2023 and the road is expected to open in 2027.
    • The Environment Agency have lifted their opposition to new development around Cambridge (Waterbeach and the Beehive centre). This unlocks the delivery of 4,500 new homes and associated community spaces such as schools and leisure facilities as well as office and laboratory space in Cambridge City Centre. This demonstrates how the government, councils, and regulators are working together to find solutions that unlock growth and address environmental pressures.
    • The government has agreed water companies’ water resources management plans, including Cambridge Water’s, unlocking a now-confirmed £7.9bn investment in water resources in the next 5 years to provide a foundation for growth and improving our water infrastructure. These plans include nine new reservoirs, including the new Fens Reservoir serving Cambridge to South East Strategic Reservoir Option (Abingdon Reservoir) near Oxford.
    • The Chancellor will announce a new Growth Commission for Oxford, similar to the Cambridge Growth Company to bring together key stakeholders across the city and review how best to tackle the barriers that are constraining development of new housing and infrastructure to accelerate growth in the city.
    • AI Growth Zones, as recommended in the AI Action Plan launched by the PM earlier this month, are designated areas designed to fast-track the development of AI-focused data centres and supporting infrastructure. By concentrating government support on planning and energy, AIGZs aim to attract significant private investment, accelerate the build-out of critical AI infrastructure, and drive local economic regeneration. The first AI Growth Zone will be in Culham, Oxfordshire.
    • On Monday 20th January the Health Secretary announced the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is being prioritised for investment as part of wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme. This scheme will improve cancer survival rates by centralising Cambridge University Hospital cancer services under one roof and will further improve the proposition for the life sciences sector in the region, with AstraZeneca and CRUK researchers co-located at the facility, integrating the clinical and research models of cancer services. In doing so it will help create three new research institutes to be integrated with NHS clinical care helping to provide 10 new clinical trials per year and foster increased collaboration between top scientists and clinicians.
    • The Chancellor will welcome Cambridge University’s plans for a new largescale innovation hub in the heart of the city. The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024 has ranked Cambridge as the world’s leading science and technological cluster by intensity for the third consecutive year.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Decade-long ban for director of London bakery, Azizullrahman Akbari, who abused Covid support scheme [January 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Decade-long ban for director of London bakery, Azizullrahman Akbari, who abused Covid support scheme [January 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 29 January 2025.

    Director disqualified for Bounce Back Loan abuse.

    • Azizullrahman Akbari overstated his company’s turnover when he applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan – the maximum amount businesses could receive under the scheme
    • His New Watan Bakery Limited company did not have a turnover of more than £200,000 as he falsely claimed
    • Akbari has been banned as a company director until January 2035 following investigations by the Insolvency Service

    The former boss of a west London bakery who overstated his company’s turnover to secure a maximum-value Covid loan has been banned from acting as a director for 10 years.

    Azizullrahman Akbari, 60, obtained a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan just weeks into the pandemic, claiming the turnover for his New Watan Bakery Limited company was more than £200,000.

    In reality, the company, which ran the Watan Bakery on South Road in Southall, never had such a high turnover.

    Elizabeth Pigney, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Azizullrahman Akbari exaggerated his company’s turnover to secure a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, the most businesses were entitled to under the rules of the scheme.

    From our analysis of the accounts, the company did not deserve anywhere near this amount.

    Tackling Bounce Back Loan misconduct remains a key priority for the Insolvency Service and we will continue to take action against directors like Akbari who made false declarations when applying for financial support from the government.

    New Watan Bakery began trading in June 2016, with Akbari as its sole director.

    Akbari, of The Broadway, Southall, applied for a Bounce Back Loan in May 2020, declaring his company had a turnover of £214,010.

    Businesses established before the start of January 2019 could apply for a Bounce Back Loan of up to a quarter of their annual turnover, with a maximum amount of £50,000.

    Insolvency Service analysis of the company’s accounts revealed a turnover of £62,584 for the period up until the end of June 2019.

    For the period ending June 2020, the turnover was smaller at £52,370.

    New Watan Bakery entered liquidation in July 2023 owing more than £53,000.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Akbari, and his ban started on Wednesday 29 January.

    The undertaking prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    A separate company now runs the bakery. Akbari is not listed as a director of this company.