Tag: Downing Street

We have seen today’s judgment and will now consider next steps.

This was not the outcome we wanted, but we have spent the last few months planning for all eventualities and we remain completely committed to stopping the boats.

Crucially, the Supreme Court – like the Court of Appeal and the High Court before it – has confirmed that the principle of sending illegal migrants to a safe third country for processing is lawful. This confirms the Government’s clear view from the outset.

Illegal migration destroys lives and costs British taxpayers millions of pounds a year. We need to end it and we will do whatever it takes to do so.

Because when people know that if they come here illegally, they won’t get to stay then they will stop coming altogether, and we will stop the boats.

• Almost 10,000 veterans will march past Cenotaph in tribute to servicemen and women that made the ultimate sacrifice
• For the first time veterans of Britain’s nuclear testing programme will wear new medals announced by the Prime Minister to recognise their special service

In the first Remembrance Sunday service since the Coronation in May of this year, His Majesty The King will be joined by Members of The Royal Family, the Prime Minister, senior politicians, defence chiefs and faith leaders to mark the Armistice of the First World War and all other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.

Around 10,000 veterans and 800 Armed Forces personnel members from all three services will march past the Cenotaph on Sunday, with thousands more members of the public expected to line Whitehall in London to pay their respects.

Remembrance Sunday is a time of extraordinary unity as communities gather to remember all those who have died on our behalf and tens of thousands of Armed Forces personnel will take part in Remembrance services and events across the country and around the world, including on operations overseas. The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will be broadcast live by the BBC and Sky News.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The courage and commitment shown by our servicemen and women, both today and throughout the generations that came before them, is humbling and I know many across the country will be honouring their memory today in quiet reflection.

Recent events have served as a stark reminder that we cannot take the hard-earned peace we live in for granted, which is why I am honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the nation in the memory of all those that have lost their lives defending our country and the values we hold so close.

I am determined to ensure we never forget the ultimate sacrifice they have made.

Of the 9,910 individuals marching this year, 304 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations will be represented, as well as around 300 veterans not affiliated with an association, who have been invited by The Royal British Legion to march for the first time. Those marching will also include Nuclear Test Veterans who for the first time, will wear a medal acknowledging their important service. The Nuclear Test Medal was announced by the Prime Minister in November 70 years after the first British test of a nuclear weapon, and recognises military, civilian, and overseas staff and personnel who participated in Britain’s nuclear testing programme in the 1950s and 1960s.

Among those marching will be people of all ages – from 100-year-old Second World War veterans through to children of servicemen and women who have died in conflict, with the youngest marcher being just eight years old.

Many of those marching will reflect particularly on conflicts which mark a major anniversary this year, such as the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement and the 20th anniversary of the start of the UK’s military operations in Iraq.

Among the hundreds of Armed Forces personnel on parade at the Cenotaph will be Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and the service chiefs of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

As the nation comes together to remember all those who died serving their country, we remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the entire Armed Forces community and thank all those in uniform who protect our country and its way of life.”

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

For the men and women that gave their today for our tomorrow. For the generations before that fought for the freedom of the generation after. For those who stood up, fought for and died to protect our values – today we thank and remember them. I encourage everyone, no matter where you are, to join us in a national two-minute silence in memory of those who served our country.

Remembrance also reminds us of our solemn responsibility to support the entire Armed Forces community all year round. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has been leading government efforts to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. This includes launching Op FORTITUDE, a new housing pathway earlier this year, and Op COURAGE, a dedicated mental healthcare pathway.

The Defence Secretary has also made it his personal priority to ensure serving personnel are properly supported during their time on active duty. This week the Ministry of Defence will announce the roll out of more than £400 million of improvements to living accommodation for service personnel, including upgrades to more than 4,000 military homes.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, said:

Today we remember those who sacrificed so much for our country and the freedoms we enjoy.

20 years after the start of the Iraq War, I know that during the two minute’s silence at eleven o’clock, I will be remembering in particular those veterans of that conflict, and the contribution they made.

This year is also particularly poignant, as it is the first year our Nuclear Test Veterans will march past the Cenotaph with their new medal.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said:

At the Cenotaph, around the country and on operations overseas, members of the Armed Forces will pause to remember all those who have died in service of their country. The legacy of the fallen lives on in the dedication and duty of today’s Armed Forces.

Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion said:

Remembrance is about bringing communities and individuals together to honour the sacrifices of the Armed Forces community, past and present.

This year, 60 years on, we are remembering the extraordinary contribution of the millions of National Servicemen conscripted during the post-war years, as well as the sacrifices made by those who served in the Korean War 70 years ago. We also mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and the contribution of the Windrush generation, who travelled from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War.

Our Armed Forces make sacrifices every day so we can enjoy our freedoms and way of life. This weekend we encourage people to take a moment to reflect and remember their service.

• Minimum Service Levels legislation will be passed for rail, ambulance, and border security staff to mitigate disruption if strikes called.
• Delivers on manifesto commitment to introduce minimum service levels for rail strikes.
• Comes ahead of further consultations to introduce minimum service levels for education, other NHS staff, and fire services.

Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today (Monday 6 November).

The legislation brings us in line with countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the US where public services reliably continue during strikes. The International Labour Organisation also recognises Minimum Service Levels as a sensible solution to protect the public from serious consequences of strikes.

The minimum service levels are designed to be effective and proportionate by balancing the ability to take strike action with ensuring we can keep our borders secure, supporting people to make important journeys including accessing work, education, and healthcare, and allowing people to get the emergency care they need.

Earlier this year, the government consulted widely on proposals to introduce minimum service levels legislation across a range of sectors, under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act which received Royal Assent in July. The responses to these consultations have been published today with the legislation set to be laid in parliament tomorrow.

For border security, the regulations will apply to employees of Border Force and selected HM Passport Office staff where passport services are required for the purposes of national security. The laws will set out that border security services should be provided at a level that means that they are no less effective than if a strike were not taking place. It will also ensure all ports and airports remain open on a strike.

For train operators, it will mean the equivalent of 40% of their normal timetable can operate as normal and, in the case of strikes that affect rail infrastructure services, certain priority routes can remain open.

Minimum service level regulations for ambulance workers will ensure that vital ambulance services in England will continue throughout any strike action, ensuring that cases that are life-threatening, or where there is no reasonable clinical alternative to an ambulance response, are responded to.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We are doing everything in our power to stop unions de-railing Christmas for millions of people. This legislation will ensure more people will be able to travel to see their friends and family and get the emergency care they need.

We cannot go on relying on short term fixes – including calling on our Armed Forces or civil servants – to mitigate the disruption caused by strike action.

That’s why we’re taking the right long-term decision to bring in minimum service levels, in line with other countries, to keep people safe and continue delivering the vital public services that hard-working people rely on.

Where minimum service level regulations are in place and strike action is called, employers can issue work notices to identify people who are reasonably required to work to ensure minimum service levels are met.

The law requires unions to take reasonable steps and ensure their members who are identified with a work notice comply and if a union fails to do this, they will lose their legal protection from damages claims.

Last year, we raised the maximum damages that courts can award against a union for unlawful strike action. For the biggest unions, the maximum award has risen from £250,000 to £1 million.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:

For too long, hard working people have been unfairly targeted by rail union leaders – prevented from making important journeys, including getting to work, school or vital hospital appointments.

Minimum Service Levels will help address this by allowing the rail industry to plan ahead to reduce disruption for passengers while ensuring workers can still exercise their ability to strike.

An improved service on strike days will allow passengers to continue with their day-to-day lives and support businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.

Earlier this year, we accepted the independent pay review bodies recommendations in full, providing a fair pay deal for all public sector workers.

An agreement between the government and Agenda for Change unions earlier this year saw over one million NHS staff receive a 5% pay rise along with one-off awards worth over £3,000 for the typical nurse or ambulance worker.

For rail workers, there remains a fair and reasonable offer on the table which several unions have already accepted, one which would deliver competitive pay rises of 5% + 4% pay increase over two years.

Home Office staff in delegated grades including Border Force staff have been provided with a pay award averaging 4.5% with an additional 0.5% targeted at the lower grades.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

We must never allow strike action to compromise our border security or cause significant disruption to passengers and goods at our borders.

The Armed Forces have commendably stepped up to fill vital roles during recent industrial action, but it would be irresponsible to rely on such short-term solutions to protect our national security.

The minimum service levels announced today will ensure a fair balance between delivering the best possible service to the travelling public, maintaining a secure border and the ability of workers to strike.

The government continues to recognise the crucial role of NHS staff and remains committed to working constructively to end any disruption for patients, and there are currently no live strike mandates relating to ambulance trusts. However, strikes have already had a significant impact on patients, NHS staff and efforts to cut waiting lists – including over one million postponed appointments and procedures.

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently seeking evidence on expanding the scope of minimum service levels to cover other urgent and emergency hospital-based services which could include nurses and doctors. The consultation is set to close on the 14th of November.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Patients must be protected and strikes in ambulance services could put the lives and health of the public at risk, given their essential role in responding to life threatening emergencies.

While voluntary agreements between employers and trade unions can still be agreed ahead of industrial action, these regulations provide a safety net for trusts and an assurance to the public that vital emergency services will be there when they need them.

We will continue to take steps to protect patient safety and ensure health services have the staff they need to operate safely and effectively, no matter the circumstances.

The Education Secretary has committed to introduce minimum service levels on a voluntary basis should an agreement be reached with the education unions. If a voluntary arrangement cannot be agreed, a consultation will be launched on introducing minimum service levels in schools and colleges. Separately, the Department has also committed to launching a consultation on introducing minimum service levels in universities.

The Department for Business and Trade recently consulted on a new draft statutory Code of Practice on the ‘reasonable steps’ a trade union should take to meet the requirements set out in the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

They will also launch a consultation on removing regulation 7 across all sectors which prevents employment businesses supplying agency workers to cover the duties normally performed by a worker who is taking part in an official strike or other industrial action. These will be published in due course.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, this afternoon.

The leaders discussed the deeply distressing situation in the Middle East and condemned Hamas’s attacks on Israel. They reiterated that Hamas did not represent the Palestinian people and reflected on the need to deescalate tensions in the wider region.

The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country.

Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides.

Finally, the leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January.

A new global hub based in the UK and tasked with testing the safety of emerging types of AI has been backed by leading AI companies and nations, as the world’s first AI Safety Institute launches today (2 November).

After four months of building the first team inside a G7 Government that can evaluate the risks of frontier AI models, it has been confirmed today that the Frontier AI Taskforce will now evolve to become the AI Safety Institute, with Ian Hogarth continuing as its Chair. The External Advisory Board for the Taskforce, made up of industry heavyweights from national security to computer science, will now advise the new global hub.

The Institute will carefully test new types of frontier AI before and after they are released to address the potentially harmful capabilities of AI models, including exploring all the risks, from social harms like bias and misinformation, to the most unlikely but extreme risk, such as humanity losing control of AI completely. In undertaking this research, the AI Safety Institute will look to work closely with the Alan Turing Institute, as the national institute for data science and AI.

In launching the AI Safety Institute, the UK is continuing to cement its position as a world leader in AI safety, working to develop the most advanced AI protections of any country in the world and giving the British people peace of mind that the countless benefits of AI can be safely captured for future generations to come.

World leaders and major AI companies have today expressed their support for the Institute as the world’s first AI Safety Summit concludes. From Japan and Canada to OpenAI and DeepMind, the collective backing of key players will strengthen international collaboration on the safe development of frontier AI – putting the UK in prime position to become the home of AI safety and lead the world in seizing its enormous benefits.

Leading researchers at the Alan Turing Institute and Imperial College London have also welcomed the Institute’s launch, alongside representatives of the tech sector in TechUK and the Startup Coalition.

Already, the UK has agreed two partnerships: with the US AI Safety Institute, and with the Government of Singapore to collaborate on AI safety testing – two of the world’s biggest AI powers.

Deepening the UK’s stake and influence in this transformative technology, it will also advance the world’s knowledge of AI safety – with the Prime Minister committing to invest in its safe development for the rest of the decade, as part of the Government’s record investment into R&D.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Our AI Safety Institute will act as a global hub on AI safety, leading on vital research into the capabilities and risks of this fast-moving technology.

It is fantastic to see such support from global partners and the AI companies themselves to work together so we can ensure AI develops safely for the benefit of all our people. This is the right approach for the long-term interests of the UK.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan said:

The AI Safety Institute will be an international standard bearer. With the backing of leading AI nations, it will help policymakers across the globe in gripping the risks posed by the most advanced AI capabilities, so that we can maximise the enormous benefits.

We have spoken at length about the Summit at Bletchley Park being a starting point, and as we reach the final day of discussions, I am enormously encouraged by the progress we have made and the lasting processes we have set in motion.

The launch of the AI Safety Institute marks the UK’s contribution to the collaboration on AI safety testing agreed by world leaders and the companies developing frontier AI at a session in Bletchley Park this afternoon.

New details revealed today, as governments from across the globe gathered for a second day of talks, set out the body’s mission to prevent surprise to the UK and humanity from rapid and unexpected advances in AI. Ahead of new powerful models expected to be released next year whose capabilities may not be fully understood, its first task will be to quickly put in place the processes and systems to test them before they launch – including open-source models.

From its research informing UK and international policymaking, to providing technical tools for governance and regulation – such as the ability to analyse data being used to train these systems for bias – it will see the government take action to make sure AI developers are not marking their own homework when it comes to safety.

AI Safety Institute Chair Ian Hogarth, said:

The support of international governments and companies is an important validation of the work we’ll be carrying out to advance AI safety and ensure its responsible development.

Through the AI Safety Institute, we will play an important role in rallying the global community to address the challenges of this fast-moving technology.

Researchers are already in place to head up the work of the Institute who will be provided with access to the compute needed to support their work. This includes making use of the new AI Research Resource, an expanding £300 million network that will include some of Europe’s largest super computers, increasing the UK’s AI super compute capacity by a factor of thirty.

It follows the UK Government’s announcement yesterday of additional investment in Bristol’s “Isambard-AI” and a new computer called “Dawn” in Cambridge, that researchers will be able to access at the same time to boost their research and make AI safe. The AI Safety Institute will have priority access to this cutting-edge supercomputer to help develop its programme of research into the safety of frontier AI models and supporting government with this analysis.

It comes as government representatives were joined by CEOs of leading AI companies and a number of civil society leaders earlier today to discuss the year ahead and consider what immediate steps are needed – by countries, companies, and other stakeholders – to ensure the safety of frontier AI.

As the final day of talks come to a close at Bletchley Park, the AI Safety Summit has already laid the foundations for talks on frontier AI safety to be an enduring discussion with South Korea set to host next year.

Further information:

• Read an overview of the AI Safety Institute.
• A CEO for the Institute will be recruited in due course.

Notes for editors:

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said:

I welcome the United Kingdom’s announcement to establish an AI Safety Institute, which will work together in lockstep with the U.S. AI Safety Institute to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of advanced AI. AI is the defining technology of our generation, carrying both enormous potential and profound risk. Our coordinated efforts through these institutes is only the beginning of actions to facilitate the development of safety standards, build testing capabilities for advanced AI models, and to expand information-sharing, research collaboration, interoperability, and policy alignment across the globe on AI safety.

Singapore Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said:

The rapid acceleration of AI investment, deployment and capabilities will bring enormous opportunities for productivity and public good. We believe that governments have an obligation to ensure that AI is deployed safely. We agree with the principle that governments should develop capabilities to test the safety of frontier AI systems. Following the MoUs on Emerging Technologies and Data Cooperation signed by Singapore and the UK earlier this year, we have agreed to collaborate directly with the UK to build capabilities and tools for evaluating frontier AI models. This will involve a partnership between Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority and the UK’s new AI Safety Institute. The objective is to build a shared understanding of the risks posed by frontier AI. We look forward to working together with the UK to build shared technical and research expertise to meet this goal.

Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne said:

Canada welcomes the launch of the UK’s AI Safety Institute. Our government looks forward to working with the UK and leveraging the exceptional Canadian AI knowledge and expertise, including the knowledge developed by our AI institutes to support the safe and responsible development of AI.

The Government of Japan said:

The Japanese Government appreciate the UK’s leadership in holding the AI Safety Summit and welcomes the UK initiative to establish the UK AI Safety Institute. We look forward to working with the UK and other partners on AI safety issues toward achieving safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.

The German Government said:

Germany is interestedly taking notice of the foundation of the AI Safety Institute and is looking forward to exploring possibilities of cooperation.

CEO of Amazon Web Services Adam Selipsky said:

We commend the launch of the UK AI Safety Institute. As one of the world’s leading developers and deployers of AI tools and services, Amazon is committed to collaborating with government and industry in the UK and around the world to support the safe, secure, and responsible development of AI technology. We are dedicated to driving innovation on behalf of our customers and consumers, while also establishing and implementing the necessary safeguards to protect them.

CEO & co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei said:

While AI promises significant societal benefits, it also poses a range of potential harms. Critical to managing these risks is government capacity to measure and monitor the capability and safety characteristics of AI models. The AI Safety Institute is poised to play an important role in promoting independent evaluations across the spectrum of risks and advancing fundamental safety research. We welcome its establishment and look forward to partnering closely to advance safe and responsible AI.

CEO & co-founder of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis said:

AI can help solve some of the most critical challenges of our time, from curing disease to addressing the climate crisis. But it will also present new challenges for the world and we must ensure the technology is built and deployed safely. Getting this right will take a collective effort from governments, industry and civil society to inform and develop robust safety tests and evaluations. I’m excited to see the UK launch the AI Safety Institute to accelerate progress on this vital work.

CEO & co-founder of Inflection Mustafa Suleyman said:

We welcome the Prime Minister’s leadership in establishing the UK AI Safety Institute and look forward to collaborating to ensure the world reaps the benefit of safe AI.

President of Global Affairs at Meta Sir Nick Clegg said:

Everyone has a responsibility to ensure AI is built and deployed responsibly to create social and economic opportunities for all. We look forward to working with the new Institute to deepen understanding of the technology, and help develop effective and workable benchmarks to evaluate models. It’s vital that we establish ways to assess and address the current challenges AI presents, as well as the potential risks from technology that does not yet exist.

Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Brad Smith said:

We applaud the UK Government’s creation of an AI Safety Institute with its own testing capacity for safety and security. Microsoft is committed to supporting the new Institute and to advancing the close collaboration that will be needed among governments, with industry, and with academic researchers and across civil society. These new steps will be vital to ensuring that innovation and safety move forward together.

CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman said:

The UK AI Safety Institute is poised to make important contributions in progressing the science of the measurement and evaluation of frontier system risks. Such work is integral to our mission – ensuring that artificial general intelligence is safe and benefits all of humanity – and we look forward to working with the Institute in this effort.

Dr Jean Innes, CEO of The Alan Turing Institute, said:

AI has immense potential to do good, but in order to realise the benefits our societies must be confident that risks are being addressed. We welcome the AI Safety Institute which will generate further momentum in this global endeavour, and we look forward to collaborating in the weeks and months ahead, helping to leverage the Turing’s expertise alongside the science and innovation capabilities of the UK’s universities, research community and wider AI ecosystem, building on the country’s strong track record of delivering work on AI safety, ethics and standards.

Executive Director of Startup Coalition Dom Hallas said:

We’re proud to see the UK take this critical step in its work on AI safety because a well-rounded approach to the issues at hand is vital to the AI ecosystem. When partnered with the UK’s other initiatives – and hopefully future ones that tackle talent, compute, and investment – that all focus on safe scaling and AI adoption, the UK is well on its way to creating a state capacity unlike any of our international competitors. Nailing the fundamentals of AI safety and building the regulatory capacity to keep up with the rate of innovation are large steps. When coupled with a well-rounded approach that tackles the needs of our AI startups and scaleups, the AI Safety Institute will help ensure the UK and its businesses’ places as global AI leaders.

Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:

techUK welcomes the establishment of the AI Safety Institute which will carry forward the UK’s pioneering work on Frontier AI. We are pleased that the Institute will have three clear objectives: to develop and conduct evaluations on advanced AI systems; to drive foundational AI safety research; and to facilitate information exchange. These are important but complex tasks and it is vital that the Institute has access to the compute capacity and skills that it will need.The diplomatic effort invested in the AI Safety Summit should help to ensure that the Institute is well placed to build further international collaboration on frontier AI. We look forward to working with the AI Safety Institute to facilitate industry collaboration in this important area.

Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), Imperial College London said:

The new UK AI Safety Institute is an important step in our understanding of AI risks. Universities will play a critical role with the new Institute in the UK AI ecosystem – accelerating innovation from foundational to applied AI. Only by combining deep technical and academic expertise together with that of industry and policymakers, can we effectively develop frameworks that will ensure the safe, productive and accelerated deployment of AI.

Shahid Omer, Director of Policy at Universities UK said:

We welcome today’s announcement that will help to cement the UK’s status as a world-leader in AI research and AI safety. Backed by the world-leading research and innovation of UK universities, this important new Institute can help the UK to further understand and take advantage of AI, in a safe and secure manner.

UK universities are well placed to explore both the technological and societal impacts of AI. New funding announced earlier this week will also enable our universities to continue to carry out cutting-edge research into AI, boost the UK’s own AI skills base, as well as help attract talented AI researchers from overseas.

They discussed the rapid development of AI and the need to manage the risks in order to seize its opportunities. With Italy taking over the G7 presidency next year, the Prime Minister set out the UK’s support for Italy’s agenda on AI.

They turned to the ongoing war in Ukraine, where the PM reiterated that support for Ukraine will remain unwavering.

The leaders also spoke about the need to ensure long-term stability in the Middle East, in light of the growing humanitarian crisis following the terror inflicted by Hamas in Israel. They agreed to support both Israeli and Palestinian civilians now and in the future through continued international collaboration in the region.

They concluded by committing to work together on the shared priorities, including tackling illegal migration and trafficking in Europe.

The leaders discussed the importance of a better global understanding of the capabilities and risks surrounding frontier AI and how we can work together on this. The Prime Minister also welcomed the European Union’s support of the landmark Bletchley Declaration which will deepen international coordination on AI safety.

Both leaders agreed to work closely together on issues of international peace and security, in particular dealing with the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and continuing to back Ukraine against Russian aggression in Europe. Both agreed that stepping up our efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a key priority.