Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on his visit to Poland.

The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April] to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine, including £500 million in additional military funding and our largest-ever delivery of vital equipment.

He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of Europe.

The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.

The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes:

• 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
• More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
• More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
• Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border.

“I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence.  Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia.

“The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.

“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.

“Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win.”

In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen UK-Poland ties across a range of issues.

Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato Air Policing over Poland next year.

To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for Poland from £5 billion to £15 billion – our most generous offer to a partner country to date.

Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last decade to reach £30.6 billion, with 45 million bottles of Scotch whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for £5 billion worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin today [Wednesday] to deepen our defence and security cooperation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin today [Wednesday] to deepen our defence and security cooperation.

As an initial step, the UK and Germany will announce plans for a joint endeavour to develop Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery Systems (RCH 155), which will be fitted to Boxer vehicles.

The joint programme is expected to create hundreds of British and German jobs, while equipping our armed forces with battle-winning capabilities for future ground warfare.

It follows the Prime Minister’s visit to Poland on Tuesday, where he held talks with Prime Minister Tusk and the Nato Secretary-General and announced a historic uplift in UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger – whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance.

Today we are opening a new chapter in our relationship, one that will make us safer and more prosperous. At this dangerous moment for the world, the UK and Germany are standing side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent.

The leaders are also expected to discuss collaboration on energy and renewables, including on the export of green hydrogen from the UK and Germany, and joint efforts to tackle organised immigration crime.

The UK and Germany are the two largest economies in Europe and Germany is our largest trading partner on the continent, with bilateral trade worth £147.7 billion last year.

The Prime Minister will meet leading businesses in Berlin to drive further economic cooperation, as German firms announce £8 billion worth of new investment today into the UK.

German energy company RWE have confirmed their intention to invest more than €8 billion (£6.9 billion) in the UK by the end of this decade, and E.ON energy will be investing £1bn in the UK over the next 5 years to help drive the green energy transition.

RWE CEO Dr Markus Krebber said:

The UK has been one of RWE’s most important core markets for decades. We are committed to continuing to contribute to the UK’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonisation targets. We intend to invest a further €8 billion in the UK by the end of this decade into commercially viable projects.

Uniper, another leading German energy company, has also committed to invest a further €8 billion in green transformation projects in its main markets in Germany and the UK through 2030, including in gas-fired power plants, solar and wind parks, energy storage systems, and hydrogen production units.

More information

Constructed on a Boxer armoured vehicles chassis, the RCH 155 is able to fire up to 9 rounds of 155mm artillery per minute and possess a powerful blend of tactical and operational mobility.

Rounds can reach distances of around 40 kilometres, and the RCH 155 is the world’s first howitzer that can fire on the move, meaning it is more versatile in avoiding counter-artillery fire.

The programme has the potential to bring significant economic benefits to the UK, including component construction creating hundreds of British jobs across more than 100 separate UK-based subcomponent suppliers that support the wider Boxer programme.

The full list of investments announcement into the UK today from Germany companies is:

RWE (Energy Investment)

German energy company RWE has the intention of investing a further €8 billion in the UK by the end of this decade.

E.ON (Energy Investment)

German energy company E.ON will continue their track record of significant investment in the UK by committing £1bn over the next five years.

Siemens Healthineers (Life Sciences Investment)

Siemens Healthineers is announcing plans for a new biomarker production facility in Bedfordshire, bringing more than £20 million investment and a home for up to 40 highly-skilled jobs.

Patrizia (Real Estate Capital Investment)

German real estate investment manager Patrizia will invest an additional £140m in urban logistics in Greater London in the next 18 months. The investments will lead to further job creation and contributing to the modernisation of London’s urban infrastructure.

HyImpulse (Space Investment)

German space startup HyImpulse intends to invest up to €50m in the UK over the next 3 years. The investment will create 70 jobs at a new engineering office in Glasgow and develop the company’s launch capabilities at Scottish Space Port Saxa Vord.

Siemens Healthineers (Life Sciences Investment)

German life sciences company Siemens Healthineers is announcing plans for a new biomarker production facility in Bedfordshire, bringing more than £20 million investment and a home for up to 40 highly-skilled jobs.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech during his visit to Poland.

Well Donald, thanks very much – it’s great to be here with you.

And I’ve come directly from visiting British troops stationed in North East Poland…

…where they serve alongside your Polish Armed Forces, guarding NATO’s eastern flank.

And it is a reminder of the incredible strength of our relationship.

We are… sojusznicy na zawsze.

Allies for the long term.

We will never forget in Britain that it was Polish pilots that gave their lives to protect our country in the Battle of Britain.

And today we’re proud to stand together as NATO allies…

…two of Europe’s biggest military powers…

… two of Ukraine’s firmest friends.

And Donald, I want to thank you – and President Duda – for your leadership in supporting Ukraine.

We have stood beside them for two years…

…but this is the moment for us, militarily, to go further.

And today I have announced a further half a billion pounds of additional support for Ukraine…

…to provide more help on the battlefield and defend against the relentless Russian bombardment.

And together we call on all our partners to look again at what more they can do.

That includes acting now to unlock Russia’s frozen assets, which you and I have discussed.

And I also want to thank you for being so clear sighted on the rising threats that are facing our continent.

And again, on this issue we’re of one mind.

And today I announced an historic uplift in UK defence spending to meet those threats…

…to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP.

It’s the biggest strengthening of our national defence since the end of the Cold War.

Because it’s time for us to re-arm.

And across Europe, I think Poland and the UK are part of a growing wave of countries that are taking greater responsibility for our collective security.

Poland is spending more of its GDP on defence than any NATO ally in Europe.

And with today’s announcement, the UK will be spending more in cash terms than any NATO ally in Europe.

And together we’re both firing up our defence industrial capacity.

We’re building new frigates here in Poland.

And as you said we’re  delivering a next generation air defence system to help defend your skies.

And as a result of our conversations I am pleased to say we have strengthened our cooperation in all the different formats so that we can work together on this crucial issue of air defence.

I can also announce that next year we will be deploying RAF Typhoons here as well, emphasising how important we take this issue – and we want to help police Poland’s skies.

Air defence is critical and the UK wants to support Poland and work closely with you to do that.

We’re also deploying over 16,000 troops here as part of the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender.

So I’m proud that the UK is a partner of Poland and remains at the heart of European security.

Because that’s good for our shared security, and it’s also good for our prosperity.

I was pleased to note that our trade has doubled over the last few years reaching now £30bn.

UK firms are investing a lot in Poland in defence, healthcare, infrastructure, and again today we talked about deepening our energy partnership …

… And I’m glad that we’ve tripled UK export finance – support for Polish companies to buy goods and services from the UK from £5bn to £15bn in financial support. That’s the most generous offer to made to any partner.

And again is demonstration of our close cooperation.

And as you said we’re also working together to tackle illegal migration – which Putin and Lukashenko have sought to weaponise.

And that’s why we sent our Royal Engineers to help secure your border.

And why we’re joining forces with others across Europe to smash the trafficking gangs.

And there is, as you said, so much that unites us.

And there is an incredible affinity between our peoples.

But, I know Donald, from our conversations, that we have something else in common…

…that we are united by our admiration for one of Europe’s great leaders.

I’m talking of course about Margaret Thatcher.

She was the first British Prime Minister to visit Poland back in 1988.

But Donald knows that, because you were there to meet her at the Gdańsk shipyard!

Just to conclude, in her speech during that visit she described, precisely, the challenge before us today.

She said: “experience teaches us that freedom incurs responsibility.”

And as ever, she was right.

And I’m pleased that together we are meeting that responsibility.

Thank you very much.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

The Prime Minister met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw today.

He set out the UK’s historic plan to steadily increase defence spending to 2.5% and fire up our national defence industrial production, ensuring we remain the foremost military power in Europe and a core contributor to NATO operations.

The Prime Minister and Secretary-General discussed the growing threat from autocratic countries like Russia and Iran, which were increasingly aligned and assertive. They agreed on the importance of all NATO countries stepping up and keeping pace to support our collective defence, as well as industrial cooperation across the alliance.

The Prime Minister said supporting Ukraine’s defence was also central to Europe’s security, and they discussed progress towards Ukraine’s membership of NATO. The Prime Minister looked forward to discussing this further at the NATO Washington Summit in July, and he invited the Secretary-General to attend the UK-hosted European Political Community Summit.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan this morning.

He reiterated the United Kingdom’s staunch support for Jordanian and wider regional security, in the face of recent threats. A significant escalation was not in anyone’s interests.

The Prime Minister said the UK’s focus remains on finding a resolution to the crisis in Gaza. The UK continues to work towards an immediate humanitarian pause to get far more aid in and bring the hostages safely home, leading to a longer-term sustainable ceasefire.

The leaders discussed joint efforts to significantly step up aid to Gaza, with the UK taking part in Jordanian-led aid drops and a humanitarian land corridor to Gaza, as well as the maritime aid corridor from Cyprus.

The Prime Minister said the UK’s ultimate goal remained a viable two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the leaders agreed on the importance of supporting a reformed Palestinian authority to deliver stability and prosperity across the Palestinian territories.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2024.

In a major speech today [Friday 19 April], the Prime Minister unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure our benefits system is better targeted at those who need it most.

The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare.

It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.

Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.

A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

The Prime Minister said:

“We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.

“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.

“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”

Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.

Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.

This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition.

Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.

The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.

The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.

The Prime Minister also said:

“We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have.

“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.

“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…

“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”

Today’s fit note review builds on the significant steps we’ve taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity. This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.

The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.

The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.

We are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services. It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.

The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2024.

The Prime Minister has outlined a package of sweeping reforms to put work at the heart of welfare and deliver on his “moral mission” to give everyone who is able to work, the best possible chance of staying in, or returning to work.

The Prime Minister has outlined a package of sweeping reforms to put work at the heart of welfare and deliver on his “moral mission” to give everyone who is able to work, the best possible chance of staying in, or returning to work.

In a speech today (Friday 19 April), the Prime Minister announced that the disability benefits system is set to be reformed to ensure it’s more accurately targeted at those who need it most and delivers the right kind of support for people with disabilities and health conditions.

A consultation on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be published in the coming days which will explore changes to the eligibility criteria, assessment process and types of support that can be offered so the system is better targeted towards individual needs and more closely linked to a person’s condition rather than the current “one size fits all” approach.

It comes as many more working age people are being awarded PIP for mental health conditions than when it was first introduced over a decade ago, as well as concerns that the assessment process is significantly easier to game by individuals who seek to exploit the system.

In 2019, there were an average of around 2,200 new PIP awards a month in England and Wales where the main condition was anxiety and depression – this has more than doubled to 5,300 a month last year. This is driving up the cost of the disability benefits bill at an unsustainable rate and PIP spending alone is expected to grow by 52% from 2023/24 to £32.8bn by 2027/28.

Total spending on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition increased by almost two-thirds to £69 billion since the pandemic, and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing. Given the significant change in caseload and unsustainable increase in costs, it’s clear our current disability benefit system for adults of working age is not fit for purpose.

The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to redesign the disability benefits system to ensure it is fair and compassionate, but also sustainable and fit for the future. The consultation will consider whether alternative interventions to cash payments – such as treatment or access to services – could drive better long-term outcomes particularly for individuals who have less severe or well managed health conditions.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

I believe our welfare system is about far more than benefit payments; it is about changing lives for the better.

That is why we’re bringing forward the next generation of welfare reforms. We’ve already overhauled the outdated benefit system by introducing Universal Credit, and now we are building a new welfare settlement for Britain – one where no one gets left behind.

The welfare reforms announced by the Prime Minister today will modernise the support available for those who need it the most, improve the value of the welfare system for taxpayers, and ensure that people are signed up to support back to work, not signed off.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins MP, said:

These ambitious reforms will give people the help they need in their return to and stay in work.

We know that people in work often lead happier, healthier lives which is why it’s fundamental to shift attitudes away from sicknotes towards fit notes.

We are seeking the advice of those who understand the system best so we can break down these unnecessary barriers to work. Through tailored care and reasonable adjustments, we can build a healthier workforce for a healthier economy.

The review to the disability benefits system to ensure benefits are targeted to those who need it most comes as part of the Prime Minister’s five core welfare reforms to deliver a fairer and more sustainable welfare system for the future. This includes:

Removing benefits entirely from the long-term unemployed who don’t accept a job

There is no excuse for fit and able claimants on unemployment benefits who can work, not to engage with the support available to them or adhere to conditions set by their Work Coach. If someone is assessed as able to work and continues to receive taxpayer funded benefits, it is right and fair that we expect them to engage fully with this process.

There are more than 450,000 people who have been unemployed for 6 months and well over a quarter of a million who have been unemployed for 12 months. These are people who will have had to access intensive employment support and training programmes. There is no reason those people should not be in work, especially when we have over 900,000 vacancies.

We will legislate in the next parliament to change the rules so that anyone who has been on benefits for 12 months and doesn’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach – including accepting available work – will have their unemployment claim closed and their benefits removed entirely.

Being more ambitious in assessing people’s potential for work

The Prime Minister has confirmed that the Work Capability Assessment will be tightened so that people with less severe conditions will be expected to engage with the world of work and supported to do so. Under the current Work Capability Assessment, too many people are effectively being written off as unable to work without the chance to access vital support which could help them enter employment.

We know that work plays an important role in supporting good mental and physical wellbeing and helps people to lead independent and fulfilling lives. That is why, as a result of these changes, more people with less severe conditions will be expected to look for work and will be provided with tailored support to help them do so.

In the long term, we are also committed to removing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) entirely and introducing a new personalised, tailored approach to employment support, with the aim of helping disabled people and people with health conditions reach their full potential.

These reforms to the Work Capability Assessment will reduce the number of people assessed as not needing to prepare for work by 424,000 by 2028/29 – that’s hundreds of thousands more people getting the support they need to start to prepare for or get into employment.

The Prime Minister has also announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from primary care to free up valuable time for GPs, while creating a system better tailored to an individual’s health and work needs.

A call for evidence will be published today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

Putting work at the heart of welfare

The Prime Minister has announced that the rollout of Universal Credit will be accelerated to move all those left on outdated legacy systems onto a simpler, more dynamic benefit system which eliminates a binary choice between work and welfare.

We will bring forward the transition of those on the legacy ill-health unemployment benefit known as Employment and Support Allowance onto Universal Credit, thereby completing the full rollout of Universal Credit. More than six million people are already benefiting from the modern digital Universal Credit system which allows claimants to access their benefits more easily and amend their claim should their circumstances change.

Many of these individuals will also be better off on Universal Credit and we are committed to providing transitional protection for eligible claimants that are migrated to Universal Credit. This ensures that those claimants will not have a lower entitlement to UC than they did on legacy benefits at the point they transition.

The Prime Minister has also announced that we will change the rules so that someone working less than half of a full-time week will have to look for more work. Today, the government will lay regulations to increase the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) which determines how much support an individual will receive to find work, based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.

If someone earns below the AET, they are placed in the Intensive Work Search Group and are required to regularly meet with their work coach. We have already taken action to raise this threshold and this legislation will go further to raise it from £743 to £892 for individual claimants and £1,189 to £1,437 for couples – or the equivalent of 18 hours at National Living Wage a week for an individual from next month.

Through these changes alone, over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will be moved into the Intensive Work Search group, from the Light Touch group, giving them more frequent access to the expertise and guidance of work coaches in Jobcentres across Great Britain. Combined with previous increases, 400,000 more claimants will have more intensive support from our Work Coaches to help them to progress in work and off welfare.

As with previous increases, claimant commitments will be tailored to personal circumstances and will take into account caring responsibilities as well as any health conditions.

Cracking down on fraud

The Prime Minister has committed to introducing a new Fraud Bill in the next Parliament. The measures in the Bill will give us new powers to carry out warrants for searches, seizures and arrests, to enforce civil penalties more consistently and flexibly, and to a wider group of offenders, and provide new powers to gather information from more information holders as part of DWP led investigations into fraud.

This is in addition to legislation we’re introducing through the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill which will enable DWP to receive information from third parties that may signal where fraud is being committed. This is one of the most significant reforms to benefit fraud laws in more than 20 years and will deliver savings to the taxpayer of £600 million by 2028/29.

Taken together this plan will deliver a welfare system that’s fit for the future by providing vital support only to those who need it most and ensuring they are supported to live with dignity and independence, whilst making sure that everyone who can work is expected and supported to do so.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 April 2024.

G7 Leaders joined a call on Sunday following Iran’s attack the previous evening.

We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.

With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.

We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 12 April 2024.

The Prime Minister will meet veterans, businesses and charities today to announce dedicated employment support service.

The Prime Minister will meet veterans and businesses today [Friday] at a Veterans Connect event at a military museum, where he will launch OP PROSPER- a wraparound employment service to support veterans into work after they leave the Armed Forces.

OP PROSPER will be backed by £2.1 million in new funding. The scheme will support veterans in securing high paid jobs, where they can hone the skills that they developed in the military in key sectors that are helping to boost the economy. This includes areas like cyber and digital, manufacturing, energy and financial and professional services.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The courageous men and women who have served in our Armed Forces represent the very best of our country and we must serve them as well as they have served us.

They deserve our full support to thrive in civilian life and to continue contributing their incredible skills to the prosperity of our country. That is why I am proud to announce OP PROSPER, which will support veterans in securing high-skilled roles in key sectors that are helping to grow the economy.

The Prime Minister will be joined by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer today, to meet veterans and some of the leading employers of veterans in the UK, including Deloitte, Amazon and Centrica.

Veterans’ employment in the UK is at an all-time high, at 89%, but there is more we can do. OP PROSPER will build on the support already available and will improve awareness of the skills and talents of veterans among industry and employers, to encourage businesses to hire veterans.

The initiative will also provide wrap-around support to veterans and their families, delivered by experienced employability professionals. This will make sure that they are supported to go straight into new roles or take the next step in their existing career.

In 2022, the Government introduced a 12-month National Insurance relief for employers hiring veterans into their first role after service, which has been extended for another year. This tax incentive gives businesses potential savings of up to £6,200 per employee, while also allowing them to benefit from the fantastic skills and experience that veterans bring.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

Our veterans leave the military with an abundance of skills, and the tenacity and drive to continue achieving greatness. But for too long, too many have ended up in jobs that don’t fully harness their talents and abilities. That is why we’re introducing Op Prosper.

By connecting veterans with employers, engaging industry bodies on the importance of hiring veterans, and strengthening their qualifications and skills, this Government will ensure more ex-servicemen and women are securing high quality and fulfilling employment.

Hiring a veteran is one of the best business decisions a company can make, and OP PROSPER will help ensure this is realised by all employers across the country.

The Government has committed to make the UK the best place in the world for veterans, providing an additional £33 million in funding to support veterans over the next three years, with a further £10 million announced in the 2023 Autumn statement for veterans’ healthcare. In 2021, Op Courage was launched as a bespoke mental health support for veterans supported by professionals who are from or have experience of working with the military community, and over 30,000 veterans have used this service to date.

Earlier this year the government launched a new digital service enabling veterans to verify their veteran status and apply for a Veteran Card, streamlining the process to access veteran-specific support.  Since the project launched, almost 100,000 Veteran Cards have been issued.

The Veteran Card provides veterans with a clear recognition of service, a tangible link to the Armed Forces, and allows them to easily verify their veteran status to access support and services from government, charities, and local authorities.

This government established the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to better coordinate veterans’ policy, bring together and improve our knowledge of veterans, and provide dedicated policy work on veterans. In October last year, the Government launched a consultation to gather views from veterans and intends to publish the first ever draft Veterans Bill outlining how we could legislate to ensure that the progress made in recent years to transform veterans’ care in this country is secured. With the Veterans’ Strategy at its core, this will maintain the momentum on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran.

Chris Recchia, partner at Deloitte, lead for the firm’s Military Transition and Talent Programme and founder of the VeteransWork Employment Campaign, said:

At Deloitte, we’ve helped influence over 7,000 veterans’ transition journeys in the last 12 years, whilst helping to evolve the veteran narrative and make the UK the best place to be a veteran.

There are tangible benefits of having veterans in an organisation and making it a business imperative to do so, as they possess relevant transferrable skills, a positive attitude, resilience and an ability to make culture enhancing contributions not only here at Deloitte, but in the finance and professional services sector and the wider UK workforce.

James Cameron, CEO of Mission Community, said:

We are delighted to have been announced by the Prime Minister as one of the grant-awarded organisations for Op PROSPER leading on the delivery of sector initiatives.  Building on the success of the Armed Forces engagement initiatives in Automotive and in Renewables, we welcome government reinforcement of our strategic work with trade bodies and leading companies making the commercial and social value case for Armed Forces community engagement.

Since 2019, this top-down approach empowers industry as champions for this cause, helping us create a community of communities, supporting our veterans and their families by positively influencing the kinds of cultures and behaviours they will find within sectors.

Alistair Halliday, Chief Exec, Forces Employment Charity, said:

We are excited that Op PROSPER supports us in developing and extending our specialist knowledge and understanding to bridge the gap between military life and civilian employment and work in partnership with hundreds of employers who, like us, respect and value the unique qualities and abilities of all those who have served and their families.

Veterans and their families will be able to come to the Forces Employment Charity and receive free 121 support from our specialist career advisors to explore new job opportunities that will enhance success and prosperity for themselves and their families, regardless of their background or where they are based in the UK.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 April 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to Ireland’s Taoiseach Simon Harris this afternoon, on the 26th anniversary since the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday Agreement), to congratulate him on his appointment.

The Prime Minister and Taoiseach began by reflecting on the strong UK-Ireland bilateral relationship and the shared importance of stability in Northern Ireland. They agreed that the restoration of the devolved institutions underpinned and deepened the British-Irish bilateral relationship.

They discussed the strengthening of the economic ties and growth in bilateral trade between the UK and Ireland as the closest of neighbours.

Turning to the Middle East, they agreed that Hamas should unconditionally release the remaining hostages from the deplorable 7th of October attack on Israel and expressed their grave concern over the worsening humanitarian situation and the need for Israel to accelerate the scale of aid delivered to Gaza. The Prime Minister reiterated his position that a two-state solution provided the best basis for a political settlement.

On Ukraine, the leaders agreed on the vital importance of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and protect European security. The Prime Minister looked forward to working more closely with Taoiseach on this important shared priority.

The leaders agreed to stay in contact in the coming months and the Prime Minister said he looked forward to welcoming the Taoiseach to the UK-hosted European Political Summit in July.