Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 May 2023.

The Prime Minister met French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima today.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 May 2023.

Prime Minister Sunak has redoubled the UK’s commitment to mobilising billions in finance to help get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had redoubled the UK’s commitment to mobilising billions in public and private finance to help get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track at the G7 in Japan.

The UK’s development finance institution, British International Investment, is announcing its first investment in the Indo-Pacific today. The $15 million [£12m] investment in the SUSI Asia Energy Transition Fund will support renewable energy, energy storage and microgrid projects across the continent.

The G7 launched the global infrastructure investment initiative under the UK’s presidency in Carbis Bay in 2021, to provide transparent and reliable sources of finance to build vital and long-neglected infrastructure in low and middle income countries, from bridges and roads to renewable energy grids.

The Prime Minister will confirm today, ahead of a side event on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment at the G7, that the UK will aim to mobilise $40 billion in financing for sustainable infrastructure investment and economic development by the end of 2027.

UK public and private financing has already helped to kickstart a huge range of projects, from wind and solar projects in India to sustainable energy supplies for hospitals in Africa.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“We know the transformative power of reliable, responsible private investment. It’s the spark that is helping us to build ports in Senegal and Somaliland, hydropower projects in Rwanda and offshore wind in India.

“The UK is committed to ensuring the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment delivers the financing the world needs to lift communities out of poverty.”

The UK is also working with G7 partners to reform the international tax architecture and make the international financial system more responsive to developing countries’ needs, for example by including Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDCs) in new lending.

These clauses allow debt repayments to be suspended when climate shocks, such as hurricanes, hit. This in turn frees up resources to quickly respond to crises.

UK Export Finance was the first Export Credit Agency to offer CRDCs and the first deals using this new approach are set to be announced over the next few months.

This is part of the UK’s broader work with partners to build a bigger, better and fairer international financial system.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 May 2023.

The Prime Minister will set out the UK’s plan to tackle global threats to security and prosperity as he opens a session at the G7 today.

The Prime Minister will set out the UK’s plan to expand the tools we can deploy to tackle global threats to security and prosperity and counter growing economic coercion, as he opens a session at the G7 today [Saturday 20th May] on economic security.

Speaking to G7 leaders, Rishi Sunak will highlight the huge potential costs to the global economy of hostile activity – noting for example the impact of Russia’s stranglehold on European gas supplies last year – and urge bold and pragmatic collective action.

He will urge the G7 and other international partners to coordinate our responses to unfair and coercive trading practices to avoid a costly zero sum game, which could hamper collective prospects for growth and technological innovation.

It comes as leaders are expected to agree to create a new G7 Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion. The Platform will address the growing and pernicious use of coercive economic measures to interfere in the sovereign affairs of other states. China, for example, has recently used its economic power to coerce countries including Australia and Lithuania over political disputes.

The new G7 Coordination Platform will provide a forum to identify vulnerabilities and coordinate on protective measures, drawing on insights from policymakers, businesses and academics. It will also act as the main forum for the G7 to coordinate on rapid responses to economic coercion when it occurs, ensuring we are giving each other early warning of possible crises and taking joint action where necessary.

The Prime Minister will set out the vital importance of precise, targeted and – as far as possible coordinated – approaches to protecting exploitation of our cutting-edge technologies for authoritarian ends, whilst preserving all the benefits of efficient, innovative free markets and open trade.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We should be clear-eyed about the growing challenge we face. China is engaged in a concerted and strategic economic contest. And when Russia weaponised Europe’s energy supplies, it was a sign of what can happen when we rely too much on states who don’t share our values.

Our collective economic security matters now more than ever. By working together and avoiding competition between friends, we can lift our prosperity, innovate faster and out-compete autocratic states.

The UK has already taken a number of steps to further bolster our domestic economic security, including launching the new National Protective Security Authority within MI5 earlier this year to provide expert advice to businesses, academics and others. These complement existing export controls and investment screening powers under the National Security and Investment Act.

As the Government set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, we are stronger when we act with allies and partners to defend global rules, build our economic resilience and protect against the exploitation of our economic and technological advantage.

G7 leaders are also expected to step up joint efforts to strengthen the resilience of supply chains for vital goods like semiconductors and critical minerals.

It comes after the UK agreed a new semiconductor partnership with Japan on Thursday [18th] and published the UK’s National Semiconductor Strategy yesterday [19th], which sets out how up to £1 billion of government investment will boost the UK’s strengths and skills in design, R&D and compound semiconductors, while helping to grow domestic chip firms across the UK.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 18 May 2023.

Leading Japanese businesses have committed to invest almost £18 billion in businesses and projects across the UK.

• Japanese businesses commit almost £18 billion investment in the UK as PM hosts business reception in Tokyo
• New finance from firms like Marubeni Corporation and Sumitomo Electric Industries set to create high quality jobs in strategic clean-energy industries
• British businesses like Octopus Energy and Mott MacDonald seize opportunities in Japan as UK prepares to join CPTPP

Leading Japanese businesses have committed to invest almost £18 billion in businesses and projects across the UK, generating growth in key sectors, creating high-skilled jobs and driving technology innovation.

The announcement comes as the Prime Minister prepares to host a business reception in Tokyo today [Thursday 18th], where he will welcome the strength of the UK and Japan’s economic relationship and set out the opportunities to go further.

Japan is already our 5th largest investor with £92 billion invested in the UK, and our trade in goods and services was worth £27.7 billion last year – which is likely to be boosted further when the UK joins the regional CPTPP trade bloc. The Prime Minister will thank Japanese CPTPP Minister Goto in person today for Japan’s strong support for the UK’s membership.

The new investments include funding for offshore wind, low carbon hydrogen and other clean energy projects from Marubeni. The leading Japanese trading house has announced its intention to sign an MoU with the government which envisages approximately £10 billion of investment in the UK with its partners over the next 10 years – including in offshore wind in Scotland and green hydrogen projects in Wales and Scotland.

The company is already supporting 500 UK jobs through its subsidiary SmartestEnergy Limited and will collaborate with government to create a substantial number of new green jobs in the UK.

Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan, two of the largest real estate companies in Japan, are also confirming plans to invest £3.5 billion in the UK today. The planned projects will build affordable housing, high quality office space and life-science laboratory in London, which is expected to support thousands of jobs and help to revitalise areas of the capital.

Sumitomo Corporation intends to expand its UK offshore wind projects, leading to a total investment of £4 billion in projects off the coasts of Suffolk and Norfolk alongside its partners. The major investment further solidifies the UK’s status as a clean energy pioneer and supports Government’s ambition to install 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Sumitomo Electric Industries has also announced its decision to build a strategically important high voltage cable manufacturing plant in the Scottish Highlands, bringing more than £200m in investment and creating 150 highly skilled green jobs. This investment will help the UK build resilient supply chains for critical infrastructure such as offshore wind projects and support UK developers to enhance their contribution to UK growth.

The new investment will support growth in some of the UK’s most cutting-edge industries. Toshiba will be expanding operations at their Cambridge Laboratory, for example, which is designing and delivering advanced quantum-safe cryptographic communication solutions – creating more than 30 new jobs initially and investing in excess of £20 million in new technology development.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

These new investments are a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s dynamic economy, from some of Japan’s top firms.

Working with the Government and British industry they will create the kind of high-quality, reliable jobs and transformative local investment we are delivering around the country.

It’s great to also see leading UK businesses seizing the huge opportunities for growth and collaboration in Japan. As we grow our trade ties further and join the huge regional CPTPP trade bloc, the sky’s the limit for British and Japanese businesses and entrepreneurs.

UK company Octopus Energy is also announcing today its commitment to invest £1.5 billion in the Asia-Pacific energy market by 2027, helping speed up the region’s transition to a cleaner, smarter energy system. Doubling down on its existing Asian headquarters, Octopus will commit £300 million to expand its tech innovation and energy retail hub in Tokyo. This will enable the business to increase its headcount tenfold by 2027, creating 1,000 green jobs for UK and local talent.

As we grow our defence cooperation with Japan, Leonardo UK in partnership with Kawasaki Heavy Industries has been contracted to provide further world-class naval helicopters and Mid Life Upgrade kits for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, in a deal worth over £150 million in exports.

Building on the UK’s expertise in offshore wind, UK consultancy Mott MacDonald has also secured a major contract to help develop a state-of-the-art offshore wind farm in western Japan that could power more than 175,000 homes with clean energy.

Masumi Kakinoki, CEO of Marubeni Corporation said:

We are thrilled to have forged a robust partnership with the United Kingdom, and we eagerly anticipate collaborating with the UK government to unleash a surge of investment into the nation’s clean energy transition.

This endeavour not only signifies our commitment to the UK’s energy transition, but also reinforces Marubeni’s role as an active participant in the global march towards a sustainable future. We are on the brink of an energy revolution, and it is partnerships like these that will help ensure our shared success.

Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy Group, said:

International cooperation is the key to creating an energy transition which benefits consumers and economies as well as the climate. Our partnership with Tokyo Gas has grown ever stronger and I’m delighted to be bringing even more investment to Japan and into the UK.

Linking our businesses in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to the UK and Europe, our operations in Japan have helped create a unique global technology ecosystem benefiting everyone. I’m excited to take it even further with today’s announcement.

Alongside chief executives and CEOs from firms like Nissan, Sumitomo Corporation and Hitachi, the Prime Minister will meet three start-up UK companies at today’s business reception. Winnow, Transreport and Oxentia have just announced new partnerships and offices in Japan, demonstrating the opportunities for growing UK companies to export internationally.

These announcements come as the UK and Japanese governments unveil a new Renewable Energy Partnership which includes building business partnerships to accelerate the deployment of clean energy.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 May 2023.

HM The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring the following Peerage of the United Kingdom for Life.

The Rt Hon. Sir Edward Young GCVO – Joint Principal Private Secretary to HM The King and Private Secretary to HM The late Queen Elizabeth II.

Additionally, The King has been graciously pleased to bestow the honour of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) upon Sir Edward, conferred on 15 May 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 May 2023.

The Prime Minister met European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland today.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 May 2023.

The Prime Minister met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland.

The leaders reflected on the closeness of our two countries and on the importance of working together to tackle shared challenges such as illegal migration and the threat posed by Russia.

The Prime Minister updated Prime Minister Rutte on President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK yesterday and discussions on how the international community can support Ukraine at this pivotal moment in the resistance to Putin’s invasion.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte agreed they would work to build international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat air capabilities, supporting with everything from training to procuring F16 jets.

The Prime Minister reiterated his belief that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO and the leaders agreed on the importance of allies providing long-term security assistance to Ukraine to guarantee they can deter against future attacks.

The leaders agreed to continue working together both bilaterally and through forums such as the European Political Community to tackle the scourge of people trafficking on our continent.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 May 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s opening remarks at the UK Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street.

As an MP proudly from a farming constituency – that I didn’t grow up in but came to love and know much more about – I know that farming is more than just a job, it’s a vocation, it’s a way of life.

And as Prime Minister, I’m never prouder than when I’m out and about promoting the best of British like the stunning showcase in the Downing Street Garden that we all enjoyed earlier this morning.

But there’s something even more important. As a nation, our way of life depends on our food security. So we’ve got to meet the target that we’ve set to produce 60 per cent of the food we consume.

And if we want to keep one of those five promises that I’ve made – namely to grow our economy – that means we need to grow our food and farming industry too.

So my message today is very simple: this government is on your side. We unequivocally back British Farming.

It’s why we’ve already provided millions of pounds in support for energy bills.

It’s why we’re maintaining farming support in every part of the United Kingdom, worth a cumulative £3.7 billion a year, but now we’re doing that in a way that also recognises your stewardship of our countryside.

And I know this has been a challenging time with spiralling costs and the transition to new schemes and I get that and Therese and I were talking about that in Cabinet this morning.

And we know that if we want true resilience from farm to fork, we need to go further.

We need to change the way that our country works to support all of you. That’s the spirit in which Therese and I have invited you all here today.

And I just want to illustrate that commitment to you with a few initial steps.

So firstly, to avoid a repeat of the shortages we’ve seen on our shelves, we need to help all of you grow and sell more fruit and veg all year round.

So in addition to the £168 million we’re already investing in driving innovation, we’re going to make it easier to build glasshouses, and we’re going to look at how our industrial energy policies can provide further support for glasshouses and that type of farming.

We’re going to include glasshouses in our new and expanded Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

And we’ll also intervene in the market for horticulture and eggs – just as we did with pork and dairy – to ensure that you get a fair price for your produce.

And because we recognise the unique nature of our world-leading horticulture, we’ll keep its regulator, the Grocery Code Adjudicator, separate from the wider CMA.

Second, we want to give British farmers greater freedoms to make the best use of their existing buildings, whether that’s for a Diddly Squat style farm shop or a processing facility.

So we’re going to consult on targeted changes to the planning system that enable exactly that and support our rural economy.

And thirdly, we’ve already expanded the Seasonal Worker visas for horticulture and poultry through to next year.

But for you to plan, we know that you need to know the numbers, so today I can confirm another 45,000 visas for next year, with the capacity for a further top up of 10,000 and I know that’s something many of you have asked for and I’m pleased that we can deliver that today.

And fourthly, we’re going to put British farming where it belongs at the very heart of British trade by setting out principles for our trade negotiators which build on the positive, engaged approach we had when it came to CPTPP.

And that includes protecting sensitive sectors, prioritising new export opportunities including with funding for seafood and dairy sectors today.

Removing market access barriers, and without exception, protecting UK food standards under all existing and future Free Trade Agreements.

So no Chlorine Washed Chicken. No hormone treated beef. Not now. Not ever.

And as I say, these are just the first steps we are taking today. And I look forward to continuing this conversation in the months ahead, including working with all of you to ensure affordable prices for our British consumers.

Because by backing British farming, by backing all of you – unequivocally and unapologetically – we can deliver the food security we need, we can grow our economy, and most importantly, we can enable the whole world to feast on the very best of British.

Thank you all for being here today.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 May 2023.

The Prime Minister met the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Judge Síofra O’Leary, at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland today.

The Prime Minister congratulated President O’Leary on her election and paid tribute to her leadership on ensuring accountability in interstate and individual cases in relation to alleged human rights violations by Russia.

The Prime Minister and Court President discussed the importance of protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law throughout Europe.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to ensure all of Europe is working together to uphold these values and tackle the challenges we face, including illegal migration.

The Prime Minister and Court President also discussed procedures before the ECtHR, which the latter regularly reviews, including Rule 39 interim measures.

The press release issued by the 10 Downing Street on 15 May 2023.

The Prime Minister will use a meeting of leaders from across Europe to drive coordinated action to protect the security of our whole continent on Tuesday (16 May 2023).

At the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland, he will meet counterparts from across the continent as well as the heads of institutions including the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights.

He will use these meetings, as well as addresses to the whole Summit, to encourage leaders to ensure our governments and institutions are working in tandem to stop the humanitarian disaster caused by illegal migration.

The Council of Europe was established following the Second World War to uphold democracy and freedom throughout Europe – 46 countries are now members. This is only the fourth time in the institution’s history that leaders of the Council of Europe have gathered in this way, recognising the challenges we are facing cannot be solved without decisive and coordinated action with our neighbours.

The Prime Minister has made it one of his priorities to stop the boats and end the huge strain illegal migration places on the UK. We spend £5.5 million a day housing asylum seekers, with our overburdened system unable to prioritise the most vulnerable because of the overwhelming demands put on it by those who come here illegally and jump the queue.

Far from being a challenge unique to the UK, the scourge of illegal migration is placing unbearable pressures on countries throughout Europe, where we’ve seen a 50% rise in cases in the last year alone. While countries have opened their arms to people from Ukraine and elsewhere fleeing persecution, their systems have been put at risk by the rise in people traffickers and criminal gangs seeking to exploit the system. In parallel to the UK, France and Italy are pursuing legislation to address illegal migration.

At the Council of Europe, the Prime Minister will make the point that the measures individual countries are taking to address this crisis, such as the UK’s Stop the Boats Bill, must go hand in hand with international cooperation to establish a global asylum framework fit for purpose. We need a system that works both for the people of our countries and for the vulnerable people in desperate need of a functioning global asylum framework.

Since the Prime Minister took office, we have delivered successive, unprecedented small boats deals with France and have re-established the Calais Group of Northern European nations to disrupt traffickers all along the migration route. The Prime Minister has spent the past few months meeting leaders from across Europe, including the leaders of France, Italy and Albania, to drive forward progress.

This is alongside major domestic reforms such as our Stop the Boats Bill. This legislation is ambitious and novel, delivering the necessary reform of our immigration system while remaining party to the ECHR.

But at the same time, we need to ensure we have an international legal system which allows sovereign countries to take the domestic steps necessary to help those most in need. That includes reform to the ECHR’s Rule 39 process to ensure proper transparency, greater accountability and ensuring decisions can be reconsidered.

In his meeting with Court President Síofra O’Leary the Prime Minister will discuss the European Court of Human Right’s overall reform process, including its work on Rule 39.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Every single point on each route used by people traffickers to smuggle people across our continent represents another community struggling to deal with the human cost of this barbaric enterprise.

It is very clear that our current international system is not working, and our communities and the world’s most vulnerable people are paying the price.

We need to do more to cooperate across borders and across jurisdictions to end illegal migration and stop the boats.

I am clear that as an active European nation with a proud history helping those in need, the UK will be at the heart of this.

This Tuesday’s meeting follows President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK on Monday, where he and the Prime Minister discussed the importance of sustaining the huge international effort in support of Ukraine’s defence. As Ukraine prepares to intensify its defensive military operations to hold and reclaim swathes of its territory taken by Russia during Putin’s full-scale invasion last year, the Prime Minister will use engagements with fellow leaders to bolster our collective response to Putin’s war in Ukraine.

The Council of Europe took quick and decisive action in response to Putin’s actions, suspending Russia’s membership of the body within a day of the full-scale invasion commencing – the first time a country has ever been expelled from the organisation.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Council of Europe, leaders – joined virtually by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy– will hold discussions focused on how we can continue to help Ukraine and hold Russia to account for their breaches of international law.

As part of this, the Prime Minister will sign the UK up to the Register of Damages to ensure the people of Ukraine are compensated for the losses incurred as a result of Putin’s war. This is a mechanism to record and document evidence and claims of damage, loss or injury as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The register is just one of a number of international initiatives set up to ensure accountability for the crimes inflicted in Ukraine, including the UK-led international referral to the International Criminal Court.