Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 March 2023.

The King has approved that The Right Honourable Lord (Patrick) Hodge be re-appointed as His Majesty’s Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2023.

Notes for Editor

The Lord High Commissioner is the Sovereign’s personal representative to the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He attends the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on behalf of the Sovereign. He makes the opening and closing addresses to the Assembly, and carries out a number of official functions as the Lord High Commissioner.

The press release issued by Downing Street on 8 March 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 March 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 March 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 March 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 March 2023.

The Prime Minister and Technology Secretary today launched the government’s plan to cement the UK’s place as a science and technology superpower by 2030.

The Prime Minister and Technology Secretary have today (Monday 6 March) launched the government’s plan to cement the UK’s place as a science and technology superpower by 2030, alongside a raft of new measures backed by over £370 million to boost investment in innovation, bring the world’s best talent to the UK, and seize the potential of ground-breaking new technologies like AI.

The new Science and Technology Framework is the first major piece of work from the newly created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and will challenge every part of government to better put the UK at the forefront of global science and technology this decade through 10 key actions – creating a coordinated cross-government approach.

In doing so, the government will foster the right conditions for industry innovation and world leading scientific research to deliver high-paid jobs of the future, grow the economy in cutting-edge industries, and improve people’s lives from better healthcare to security.

The 10 points of the new Science and Technology Framework centre on:

• identifying, pursuing and achieving strategic advantage in the technologies that are most critical to achieving UK objectives
• showcasing the UK’s S&T strengths and ambitions at home and abroad to attract talent, investment and boost our global influence
• boosting private and public investment in research and development for economic growth and better productivity
• building on the UK’s already enviable talent and skills base
• financing innovative science and technology start-ups and companies
• capitalising on the UK government’s buying power to boost innovation and growth through public sector procurement
• shaping the global science and tech landscape through strategic international engagement, diplomacy and partnerships
• ensuring researchers have access to the best physical and digital infrastructure for R&D that attracts talent, investment and discoveries
• leveraging post-Brexit freedoms to create world-leading pro-innovation regulation and influence global technical standards
• creating a pro-innovation culture throughout the UK’s public sector to improve the way our public services run

The delivery of this new Framework will begin immediately with an initial raft of projects, worth around £500 million in new and existing funding, which will help ensure the UK has the skills and infrastructure to take a global lead in game-changing technologies.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Trailblazing science and innovation have been in our DNA for decades. But in an increasingly competitive world, we can only stay ahead with focus, dynamism and leadership.

That’s why we’re setting out 10 key actions under a bold new plan to cement our place as a global science and technology superpower by 2030 – from pursuing transformational technologies like AI and supercomputing to attracting top talent and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.

The more we innovate, the more we can grow our economy, create the high-paid jobs of the future, protect our security, and improve lives across the country.

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Innovation and technology are our future. They hold the keys to everything from raising productivity and wages, to transforming healthcare, reducing energy prices and ultimately creating jobs and economic growth in the UK, providing the financial firepower allowing us to spend more on public services.

That is why, today, we are putting the full might of the British government and our private sector partners behind our push to become a scientific and technological superpower, because only through being world-leaders in future industries like AI and quantum will we be able to improve the lives of every Briton.

The initial package of projects to drive forward the actions of the Science and Technology Framework includes:

• £250 million investment in 3 truly transformational technologies to build on the UK’s global leadership in AI, quantum technologies and engineering biology, so they can help a range of industries tackle the biggest global challenges like climate change and health care. This forms part of our commitment to the 5 technologies within the science and technology framework, which also includes semiconductors and future telecoms
• publication of Sir Paul Nurse’s Independent Review of the Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape with recommendations to make the most of the UK’s research organisations, ensuring they are effective, sustainable and responsive to global challenges
• testing different models of funding science, to support a range of innovative institutional models, such as Focused Research Organisations (known as FROs), working with industry and philanthropic partners to open up new funding for UK research. For example, this could include working with a range of partners to increase investment in the world leading UK Biobank, to support the continued revolution in genetic science
• up to £50 million to spur co-investment in science from the private sector and philanthropists to drive the discoveries of the future, subject to business cases. The government is already talking to Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative of Eric and Wendy Schmidt, about additional support of up to $20 million as part of this work
• £117 million of existing funding to create hundreds of new PhDs for AI researchers and £8 million to find the next generation of AI leaders around the world to do their research in the UK
• a £50 million uplift to World Class Labs funding to help research institutes and universities to improve facilities so UK researchers have access to the best labs and equipment they need to keep producing world-class science, opening up entirely new avenues for economic growth and job creation
• a £10 million uplift to the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund, totalling £50 million, to boost the UK’s next tech and science start-ups who could be the next Apple, Google or Tesla
• plans to set up an Exascale supercomputer facility – the most powerful compute capability which could solve problems as complex as nuclear fusion – as well as a programme to provide dedicated compute capacity for important AI research, as part of the response to the Future of Compute Review
• £9 million in government funding to support the establishment of a quantum computing research centre by PsiQuantum in Daresbury in the North-West

The Framework has been designed in consultation with industry experts and academics, to help deliver stronger growth, better jobs, and bold discoveries to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The plan will be a cross-government endeavour led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to bring together responsibility for the UK’s world class research and innovation system with the 5 technologies of tomorrow – quantum, AI, engineering biology, semiconductors, future telecoms plus life sciences and green technologies, into one single department for the first time.

Director of the Francis Crick Institute and Lead Reviewer of the Landscape Review, Paul Nurse said:

It is absolutely right, as the Prime Minister has said, that the future of the UK depends upon research, science and technology. Only by being a leading science nation can the UK drive a sustainable economy, increased productivity and generate societal benefits such as improved healthcare and protecting the environment.

The government’s endorsement of this approach is to be fully supported. My Review of the research, development and innovation landscape makes a range of recommendations across the whole RDI endeavour, which if adopted together, provides a blueprint for government to make the UK a genuine science superpower.

Today the government is also announcing a further extension until 30 June 2023 of the financial guarantee provided to the UK’s Horizon Europe applicants so that eligible, successful bids for calls closing on or before this date continue to be guaranteed funding, supporting them to continue their important work in research and innovation.

Science, innovation and technology are the drivers of economic growth and productivity. More than half of the UK’s future labour productivity growth will come from adopting the best available technologies and the rest from ‘pushing the frontier’ of technology even further. Each £1 of public R&D investment leverages £2 of private R&D investment in the long run.

Today’s announcements build on existing government efforts to support science and technology. This includes setting up the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to fund high-risk, high-reward R&D; investing £100 million in a pilot bringing together national and local partners in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to accelerate their growth into major, globally competitive centres for research and innovation; and publishing the UK Digital Strategy committed to rolling out world-class digital infrastructure, unlocking the value of data to create growth, innovation and societal benefits across the UK and harnessing digital transformation to build a more inclusive, competitive and innovative digital economy.

The government will be making further announcements shortly, including publication of the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 March 2023.

Joint statement from G7 leaders following their call on Friday 24 February 2023.

• At the one-year mark of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. Russia’s heinous attacks over the last 365 days have laid bare the cruelty of the ongoing aggression. We condemn Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war, disregard for the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and indifference to the impacts that its war is having on people worldwide. We salute the heroism of the Ukrainian people in their brave resistance. We commit to intensifying our diplomatic, financial and military support for Ukraine, to increasing the costs to Russia and those supporting its war effort, and to continuing to counter the negative impacts of the war on the rest of the world, particularly on the most vulnerable people.
• Russia started this war and Russia can end this war. We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. In the past year Russian forces have killed thousands of Ukrainians, caused millions to flee, and forcibly deported many thousands of Ukrainians, including children, to Russia. Russia has destroyed hospitals, schools, and energy and critical infrastructure, and left historic cities in ruins. In areas liberated from Russian forces, there is evidence of mass graves, sexual violence, torture and other atrocities. We strongly condemn all of Russia’s outrageous acts. Amidst Russia’s assault, Ukrainians are more united, proud and determined than ever.
• Russia’s war against Ukraine is also an attack on the fundamental principles of sovereignty of nations, territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights. We remain united and resolute in our support of the UN Charter. We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation and firm rejection of the attempted illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. As in the case of Crimea and Sevastopol, we will never recognize these illegal annexation attempts.
• We reiterate that Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable, and any use of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences. We recall the consensus achieved in Bali of all G20 members, including Russia, that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. We also recall the importance of the 77-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons. We deeply regret Russia’s decision to suspend the implementation of the new START treaty. We express our gravest concern over Russia’s continued occupation and control over the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The situation can only be resolved by complete withdrawal of Russian troops and equipment from the premises. We support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) efforts to strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including through the continuous presence of IAEA experts and the cessation of all combat operations in and around the plant and surrounding infrastructure.
• We welcome the resolution A/ES-11/L.7 titled “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” resolution which was adopted with the broad support of the international community at the Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly yesterday. We remain committed to diplomacy and welcome and support President Zelenskyy’s earnest efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter by outlining basic principles in his Peace Formula. With a view to a viable post-war peace settlement, we remain ready to reach arrangements together with Ukraine as well as interested countries and institutions on sustained security and other commitments to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression.
• We remain committed to coordinating efforts to meet Ukraine’s pressing military and defence equipment needs, with an immediate focus on air defence systems and capabilities, as well as necessary munitions and tanks.
• Building on the results achieved during the international conference held in Paris on 13 December, we also reaffirm our commitment to provide additional humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people, assistance to support Ukraine’s energy sector, and other assistance in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, including to ensure access to healthcare including mental health. We welcome the establishment of the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform to help advance Ukraine’s reform agenda, promote private sector led sustainable growth, and ensure close coordination among international donors to deliver assistance in a coherent, transparent and accountable manner.
• We will continue to help maintain Ukraine’s economic and financial stability, including addressing urgent short-term economic needs. In this context, we welcome the progress made by our Finance Ministers to increase our budget and economic support to 39 billion US dollars for 2023 and look forward to additional commitments. We ask Finance Ministers to continue engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine to deliver an ambitious program by the end of March 2023 and to continue working together, with the IMF and others for necessary budget support to Ukraine throughout and beyond 2023.
• We support Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, including the recovery of infrastructure destroyed by Russia’s aggression. It is essential that this process continues to involve a wide range of actors, including Ukrainian subnational entities and civil society, international financial institutions and organizations, and the private sector. The Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in London in June this year will offer a venue for Ukraine, international partners, private sector and civil society to further promote momentum behind Ukraine’s recovery. At the same time, we will continue to support the determination of Ukraine to build a society free from corruption. We support the Ukrainian government’s efforts to advance necessary institution-building in line with Ukraine’s European path, including in the judicial sector and promotion of the rule of law by empowering the independent Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions. In this regard, we reiterate our full confidence in the role of the G7 Ambassadors Group in supporting the implementation of the reform agenda.
• We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the unprecedented and coordinated sanctions and other economic measures the G7 and partner countries have taken to date to further counter Russia’s capacity to wage its illegal aggression. We remain committed to presenting a united front through the imposition of new coordinated economic actions against Russia in the days and weeks ahead. Specifically, we are taking the following new measures, consistent with our respective legal authorities and processes and international law:

  (i) We will maintain, fully implement and expand the economic measures we have already imposed, including by preventing and responding to evasion and circumvention through the establishment of an Enforcement Coordination Mechanism to bolster compliance and enforcement of our measures and deny Russia the benefits of G7 economies. We call on third-countries or other international actors who seek to evade or undermine our measures to cease providing material support to Russia’s war, or face severe costs. To deter this activity around the world, we are taking actions against third-country actors materially supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. We also commit to further aligning measures, such as transit or services bans, including to prevent Russian circumvention.

  (ii) We are committed to preventing Russia from finding new ways to acquire advanced materials, technology, and military and industrial equipment from our jurisdictions that it can use to develop its industrial sectors and further its violations of international law. To this end, we will adopt further measures to prevent Russia from accessing inputs that support its military and manufacturing sectors, including, among others, industrial machinery, tools, construction equipment, and other technology Russia is exploiting to rebuild its war machine.

  (iii) We will continue to reduce Russia’s revenue to finance its illegal aggression by taking appropriate steps to limit Russia’s energy revenue and future extractive capabilities, building on the measures we have taken so far, including export bans and the price cap for seaborne Russian-origin crude oil and refined oil products. We commit to taking action in a way that mitigates spillover effects for energy security, in particular for the most vulnerable and affected countries.

  (iv) Given the significant revenues that Russia extracts from the export of diamonds, we will work collectively on further measures on Russian diamonds, including rough and polished ones, working closely to engage key partners.

  (v) We are taking additional measures in relation to Russia’s financial sector to further undermine Russia’s capacity to wage its illegal aggression. While coordinating to preserve financial channels for essential transactions, we will target additional Russian financial institutions to prevent circumvention of our measures.

  (vi) We continue to impose targeted sanctions, including on those responsible for war crimes or human rights violations and abuses, exercising illegitimate authority in Ukraine, or who otherwise are profiting from the war.

• We will continue our efforts to ensure Russia pays for Ukraine’s long-term reconstruction. Russia bears full responsibility for the war and the damage it has caused, including to Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. We collectively reaffirm the need for an international mechanism to register the damages Russia has inflicted. We are determined, consistent with our respective legal systems, that Russia’s sovereign assets in our jurisdictions will remain immobilized until there is a resolution to the conflict that addresses Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity. Any resolution to the conflict must ensure Russia pays for the damage it has caused. We will work with partners beyond the G7 which hold those Russian sovereign assets to build the broadest coalition possible to advance these objectives.
• We are united in our determination to hold President Putin and those responsible to account, consistent with international law. We support investigations by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine, and other national prosecutors who are able to establish jurisdiction under national law. In this regard, we support exploring efforts to develop an international centre for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) which is linked to the existing Joint Investigation Team supported by Eurojust.
• We deplore that many countries in the world have been severely affected by the repercussions of Russia’s war of aggression. Russia’s weaponisation of food has caused global economic hardship and a rise in global food prices, increasing the cost of living of people, compounding the economic vulnerabilities of developing countries, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity around the world. We reiterate the G7’s united will to continue to provide rapid assistance, including food-related aid, to countries in need and affected populations and we will continue to design our restrictive measures to shield such populations from unintended consequences by ensuring food and fertilisers are carved out. We will continue to support food security and the availability and sustainable use of fertilisers to vulnerable countries in need of assistance and welcome the related work undertaken by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and other relevant agencies. We recognize the importance of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, President Zelenskyy’s Grain from Ukraine Initiative and the UN and Türkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI). In this context, we stress the importance of the automatic extension of the BSGI by 18 March and its expansion.
• We also express our profound sympathy for all those affected by the horrifying earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. We stand in solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria and pledge our continued support to tackling the consequences of this catastrophe. It is vital that humanitarian aid reaches all those who require it as efficiently as possible. We welcome the expansion of cross-border aid for an initial period of three months, and underscore that the humanitarian needs of those in northwest Syria should continue to be met. We also welcome the EU initiative to host a donor conference in support of the people in Türkiye and Syria in March.
• Above all, our solidarity will never waver in standing with Ukraine, in supporting countries and people in need, and in upholding the international order based on the rule of law.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 27 February 2023.

The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework.

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

The Prime Minister met Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Munich today.

He underscored the UK’s unwavering support for Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO. The Prime Minister was clear that a NATO with Sweden and Finland in it will be stronger, and he expressed his hope that they would be able to join ahead of this summer’s NATO Summit.

The Prime Minister said that Sweden and Finland’s huge contribution to European security was already evident from the work they do with the UK through the Joint Expeditionary Force, particularly in the northern most reaches of the continent.

The leaders agreed that Europe’s long-term security would be defined by our response to Putin’s war in Ukraine.

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

The Prime Minister met US Vice President Kamala Harris, at the Munich Security Conference today.

They paid tribute to the enduring strength of the UK-US relationship, which protects our people and makes the world a more secure place. They agreed there is no clearer evidence of that than in Ukraine, where we are the country’s two closest international partners.

The Prime Minister and Vice President Harris discussed how to accelerate international action on Ukraine, to allow them to win the war and secure a just and lasting peace. They agreed on the importance of thinking beyond Ukraine’s immediate needs to how the international community can ensure Ukraine never faces the same threats again.

They agreed that Putin’s war in Ukraine is a global war, both in terms of its impact on food and energy security and in terms of its implications for internationally accepted norms like sovereignty. The Prime Minister and Vice President Harris condemned those countries who have supported Putin’s efforts politically and militarily.

The leaders also spoke about the AUKUS alliance, where we are working alongside Australia to make the Indo-Pacific region more stable and secure.