Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Ninja swords banned by summer as manifesto commitment delivered [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 27 March 2025.

Final part of Ronan’s Law introduced in Parliament thanks to campaigning of Kanda family.

In a further move to break the cycle of young people carrying knives and to better protect the public from knife-related crime, from 1 August, ninja swords will be banned. This will make it illegal to possess, manufacture, import or sell these deadly weapons.

The majority of ninja swords have a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches with one straight cutting edge with a tanto style point. From 1 August, anyone caught in possession of a ninja sword in private could face 6 months in prison, and this will later increase to 2 years under new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. There is already a penalty of up to 4 years in prison for carrying any weapon in public.

Ahead of the ban coming into place, the government, in partnership with law enforcement and members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, will run its most ambitious surrender scheme yet. The scheme will run across the country, targeting young people most vulnerable to knife crime.

The surrender scheme will run from 1 to 31 July to allow any member of the public to hand in these weapons safely.

There will also be new safeguards to prevent exploitation of the scheme. For the first time, there will be a cut-off date and no weapons bought after today (27 March) will be eligible for compensation and we will have stronger value checks. There will also be further guidance released advising where a sword can be surrendered if the owner does not wish to visit a local police station or claim compensation. This will offer the greater use of knife surrender bins and their locations.

The government is exploring every avenue to protect young people and break the behaviour of carrying knives as part of its Plan for Change. The mission to halve knife crime is a cross-Whitehall mission to:
- restrict the availability of knives online
- hold those responsible for selling knives irresponsibly to account
- better support young people at an early stage who are vulnerable to a life of crime
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence and it is far too easy for them to get hold of dangerous weapons.

Ronan Kanda was just 16 when he was ruthlessly killed by 2 boys only a year older than him. Today we are introducing the final part of Ronan’s law in his memory – banning the ninja swords that his killers should never have been able to use.

We are acting with urgency to bring forward measures to prevent deadly weapons from getting into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent young people being killed on our streets as part of our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.

Pooja Kanda said:

Today marks a very important day for us as a family and our campaign. Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords – the lethal weapon which took his life. We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.

We are so grateful to our government for hearing us and for recognising how important and urgent it is to get these dangerous weapons off our streets. Each step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards getting justice for our boy Ronan.

Patrick Green, CEO, Ben Kinsella Trust said:

The Ben Kinsella Trust welcomes the government’s decision to ban ninja swords and implement Ronan’s Law. These weapons, with no practical purpose beyond violence, are simply instruments of war and have absolutely no place in our society or on our streets. The ease with which such dangerous items have been available has contributed to far too many tragedies.

The additional measures under Ronan’s Law, designed to hold those who sell these weapons to account, are critical in breaking the supply chain that fuels this violence. We commend the government for listening to victims’ families, and for taking decisive action.

Sandra Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Word 4 Weapons said:

Word 4 Weapons stands firmly behind the introduction of Ronan’s Law. Ronan’s tragic death at the hands of a ninja sword highlights the urgent need to tighten legislation around dangerous weapons, online and otherwise. This law is a crucial step toward reducing violence and protecting lives in our communities.

The ninja ban forms part of Ronan’s Law, which aims to tackle the online sale of knives. Last month, the government announced a series of measures to tackle online sales, including a 2-step verification process for the sale of knives online and significant fines for executives who fail to remove knife crime content for their platform. It also announced tougher penalties for being caught with a knife in public and for selling a weapon to any person under 18.

Ronan’s Law will also require online retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives to the police. This will apply to all online sales of knives, including those who operate through online marketplaces. In the spring, the government will also consult on the introduction of a licensing scheme for retailers who wish to sell knives.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement – WTO Trade Policy Review of Cambodia [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 March 2025.

UK Statement for the 3rd Trade Policy Review of Cambodia. Delivered on 26th March 2025.

Chair, let me warmly welcome the delegation, led by Minister of Commerce Mrs Cham Nimul, to their 3rd Trade Policy Review. Let me also express my gratitude to the government of Cambodia and to the WTO Secretariat for their Reports, to you Chair and to Ambassador James Baxter as discussant, for facilitating this Review with your insightful comments.

Bilateral Relationship

The UK and Cambodia enjoy long-standing and positive relations, with our diplomatic relationship dating back to 1953. In recent decades, the UK has been a considerable investor into Cambodia’s real estate and manufacturing industries, while supporting new approaches to developing Cambodia’s infrastructure to increase confidence in its investment potential is at the heart of our recent engagement. The UK’s development finance institution, British International Investment, has also focussed on renewable energy and climate financing in Cambodia.

2024 was a particularly positive year for the UK-Cambodia trade and investment partnership. In June we welcomed the first official Cambodian trade and investment mission to the UK, including Senior Minister for Trade and Investment Sok Siphana meeting the UK-ASEAN Business Council. In November, the Cambodia-UK business roundtable was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chantol, and the second annual UK-Cambodia Joint Trade and Investment Forum took place.

The Joint Forum’s theme was the ‘Road to 2030’ and pathways to mutual growth, drawing on both parties’ experience and expertise. We agreed focus areas, including tax predictability, double taxation, and developing domestic capital markets. We look forward to the third meeting of the Forum later this year.

I mentioned infrastructure investment. On this we hope a UK Export Finance Memorandum of Understanding to promote infrastructure development will help unlock up to £2bn in finance. We are also pleased the UK’s Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), which coordinates investments for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction, has several projects in Cambodia, and a strategic partnership with the Cambodian Credit Guarantee Corporation.

UK-Cambodia Development Relationship

The UK has also aimed to be a reliable partner to Cambodia through wider development programmes, including UK bilateral  ODA  funding, to support Cambodia’s economic development, enhance trade and investment, and cooperate in areas offering longer-term resilience and growth, including encouraging green and inclusive growth.

Our trade for development tools include ensuring Cambodian exporters can take advantage of comprehensive preferences under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The UK also partners the Cambodian Ministry of Economy on the development of a Green Special Economic Zone and supports for agricultural SMEs.

With all these initiatives in mind, we were also pleased to see confirmation last year of the UN recommendation for Cambodia to graduate from LDC status in 2029.

Report Analysis

The Trade Policy Review illustrates Cambodia’s significant economic policy progress during the reporting period, including the role of trade in Cambodia achieving GDP growth as high as 6% in 2024, and annual increases in the value of merchandise exports. This is impressive progress, and among other achievements is testament to Cambodia’s ability to respond to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WTO and Regional Engagement

As well as national achievements, we welcome Cambodia’s active international engagement. This includes regional trade agreements like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and wider ASEAN economic initiatives. Here at the WTO we welcome Cambodia’s constructive and thoughtful approaches in a wide range of WTO business. We pay tribute to the Cambodia Permanent Representative, Ambassador Suon Prasith, and his team for their efforts in this regard.

Recent examples of this include Cambodia’s active voice as a LDC focal point on dispute settlement reform. As co-convenor of work on accessibility the UK particularly welcomed Cambodia’s role in this regard. We have also appreciated Cambodia’s informed participation as Member of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Board, including drawing insights from its own national use of EIF funding in sectors such as rice and silk.

On WTO agreements, we welcomed Cambodia’s acceptance of the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in 2024, and are especially grateful for Cambodia’s active role in discussions to achieve incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement soon.

In other areas, we encourage Cambodia to consider joining the Agreement on E-commerce and the Services Domestic Regulation initiative, both of which aim to break down barriers to cross-border trade in services and facilitate digital trade, which we believe would have significant benefits for Cambodia’s economic development.

We are very interested to hear Cambodian views and any remaining concerns on these agreements, and look forward to continuing to work together in these and other areas. This also includes ongoing work on the additional fisheries subsidies agreement relating to overcapacity and overfishing where Cambodia’s continued insights and support would be welcome.

Taking account of feedback from UK business, we also encourage Cambodia to increase momentum to achieving greater transparency in their customs valuation processes and regulations, including clearer processes for foreign business licensing, taxation, and land ownership.

We also encourage Cambodia to accelerate efforts to establish stronger intellectual property protections, including enforcement of trademarks, copyrights and patent protections; and to pursue clear policies to strengthen regulatory frameworks in areas such as sustainable waste management, green investments, and emissions standards for automotive and construction industries.

We also hope that Cambodia will continue to upskill their domestic workforce and implement stronger labour protections to meet increased economic demands, including after LDC graduation.

Finally, Cambodia has made important efforts to advance women’s economic empowerment and strengthen gender equality, notably through its credit guarantee schemes and national strategy. On behalf of Ambassador Simon Manley, as co-chair of the Working Group on Trade and Gender, who due to other commitments could not be here in person today, we would also welcome Cambodia sharing its experiences at a forthcoming session of the Group.

In closing, Chair, let me thank Cambodia for their report, for our wide cooperation bilaterally and here at the WTO. I again thank the delegation for its hard work and look forward to a productive Trade Policy Review.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Future international development spending set out in Spring Statement [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 March 2025.

Extra detail on the UK’s international development budget up to March 2030 has been set out in yesterday’s Spring Statement.
- modernised approach to development to help provide best value for money for UK taxpayers and deliver mutual benefits at home and overseas
- aid budgets across Spending Review period to be based on Spring Statement 2025 Gross National Income forecasts with gradual reduction to 0.3% by 2027 – and will no longer automatically fluctuate in line with economic conditions, providing predictability
- Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office budgets will no longer be automatically adjusted for unforeseen changes to the ODA budget, such as if asylum forecasts change, improving stability
Extra detail on the UK’s international development budget up to March 2030 has been set out in yesterday’s Spring Statement, alongside new plans to ensure it is focussed on UK objectives and provides the best value for money.

This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement last month that the UK government will increase spending on defence to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from April 2027, funded from reductions in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.

Figures set out in the Spring Statement show how the UK will go from spending around 0.5% of the UK’s Gross National Income (GNI) on international development this financial year (2024 to 2025) to 0.3% of GNI by April 2027, with the budget gradually reduced over three years to help smooth the transition.

The government is to accelerate plans to modernise the UK’s approach to development, putting partnerships first, and mobilising private capital for international development and climate projects by strengthening links with the financial sector and international partners.

The statement also confirmed the UK will now set annual aid budgets from 2027 onwards in cash terms and based on GNI forecasts at the Spending Review, and these budgets will not be adjusted for GNI fluctuations in future years.

Minister for Development Baroness Chapman confirmed as a result of this change, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will no longer hold the ODA ‘spender and saver of last resort’ role. This will bring more stability and certainty.

It will also increase the predictability of international development budgets, which will no longer be automatically exposed to the volatility of GNI fluctuations or spending by other government departments, including demand-driven refugee and asylum costs in the UK.

Minister for International Development, Baroness Chapman, said:

Our work on development is critical for the UK’s interests, making the world safer, more secure and better off. We have to work harder than ever to make sure it delivers for the British public and our Plan for Change.

We are committed to modernising our approach with less money: working with our partners in new ways to maximise our impact. These latest changes to the ODA budget will give greater certainty and stability, helping us provide the best value for money for taxpayers.

She has set out the changes in a letter to the International Development Committee (IDC). For 2025 to 2026, the letter confirms FCDO’s plans to allow for critical development work to continue, to honour live contractual agreements with partners, and to deliver on the Prime Minister’s commitment for the UK to continue to play a key humanitarian role.

Our development investment is part of our hard power, building a stable international environment that strengthens UK safety, security and prosperity, necessary for the delivery of all the UK government’s Missions.

In her letter to the IDC, Baroness Chapman also confirmed a new review of cross-government development programming to ensure it delivers on UK objectives and provides best value for money.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Public land unlocked for the next generation of home owners [March 2025]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 27 March 2025.

New taskforce to unlock thousands of homes across England as government takes on the blockers to release surplus public land for housing.
New taskforce to unlock thousands of homes across England as government takes on the blockers to release surplus public land for housing, with defence land becoming a ‘trailblazer’ for a new approach for development.

Network Rail property company set to unlock up to 40,000 new homes over the next decade with first homes set for development in Newcastle, Cambridge, Manchester, and Nottingham.

Initiatives support the Plan for Change missions to deliver 1.5 million homes by the next parliament, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

Thousands of new homes will be unlocked on surplus public defence land to speed up the delivery of housing for hard-working people and families, thanks to a new taskforce to remove the blockers, build homes and turbocharge economic growth. Alongside a pioneering new Network Rail property company, which will see a further 40,000 homes built, supporting delivery of building 1.5 million homes, as set out in the Plan for Change.

This goes hand in hand with the government’s planning reforms, which are forecasted to add around £6.2 billion the UK’s economy, according to yesterday’s OBR forecast. This will bring jobs, opportunity and growth to regions across the country – enabling people to see the Plan for Change in action.

Unused land will be identified, developed and released by a cross-government collaboration, which will focus on getting it back into productive use as quickly as possible by removing barriers that have prevented houses coming forward at pace on vacant public land for too long.

This ambitious new partnership approach will explore new delivery models, establish collaborative agreements between the Ministry of Defence, Homes England, Network Rail and other government bodies, bring in the private sector – ultimately getting spades in the ground sooner to deliver homes faster, making the dream of homeownership a reality for many.

It will also see a new property company created between Network Rail property and London & Continental Railways, which will attract public and private investment to develop brownfield sites. It will become operational later this year and will have the potential to deliver 40,000 new homes over the next ten years. Today the Chancellor Rachel Reeves is confirming the first four sites that will be developed in Newcastle, Cambridge, Manchester, and Nottingham.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said:

For too long, surplus government-owned sites have gone underused, but they are a huge untapped resource that could create opportunities for the next generation of homeowners.

In contrast to the failed approach of the past, we are making the best use of public land to build the homes that families and our Armed Forces need, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country.

The OBR has confirmed our planning reforms will result in housebuilding being at its highest in over 40 years – that won’t just bring jobs and economic growth – but also will give families the homes that they deserve, delivering on our Plan for Change.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

So many working people and families are locked out of the dream of a secure home and this is a direct consequence of the housing crisis we’ve inherited.

That’s why we’re unlocking public land today for much-needed new housing to help end the housing crisis, deliver 1.5 million homes, and unleash growth as part of our Plan for Change.

Defence land

Today (27 March) the Chancellor is confirming the first of these sites to be unblocked through this ambitious new approach and begin delivering homes in this Parliament. This includes a site in Ripon, which will be transferred from MoD to Homes England to allow construction at Deverell Barracks to start within 12 months to expedite the delivery of 1,300 homes.

A new partnership between the MoD and Homes England will also aim to unlock a further 1,300 homes by partially releasing land at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell and deliver thousands of new homes at Wyton airfield in Cambridgeshire in the coming years.

This move is just the start, the Defence Secretary has identified the long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country.

Part of this effort includes a commitment to building and modernising family homes for the Armed Forces and Veterans. The disastrous 1996 privatisation of Armed Forces family housing was reversed in January this year, an established expert and independent Review Team will drive a once in a generation plan to modernise homes for 50,000 Armed Forces families, with a new Defence Housing Strategy to be launched later this Summer.

The innovative partnership between the MoD and Homes England will be the blueprint for a new “trailblazer” approach to accelerate the release of public land.

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

This work will unlock thousands of new homes on surplus defence land, including in North Yorkshire, Nottingham and Cambridgeshire – developments promised for years by the last government, but never delivered.

This heralds a new, trailblazer approach to the use of public land which will not be a fire sale of public assets, but a truly cross-government effort to remove blockers, deliver homes and boost growth in support of our Plan for Change.

This taskforce is a bold first step, as we make the most of an historic opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land in the coming years, delivering on our commitments to British families and our Armed Forces.

Rail estate land

As part of the new property company, significant sites that are in the pipeline for development, include:

Newcastle Forth Yards: a 100-acre regeneration opportunity which could deliver 5,000 new homes

Manchester Mayfield: opportunity for 1,500 new homes

Cambridge: a mixed-use development with 425 homes

Nottingham: 200 new homes following 348 successfully delivered homes at The Barnum, Nottingham

Today’s announcements follow the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to Parliament which will see significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding and builds on work the government has already carried out to get Britain building including overhauling the National Planning Policy Framework.

More information

The government is committed to honouring the sacrifices made by veterans and ensuring homes will be there for heroes. In November, the government announced plans to give veterans greater access to social housing by removing a local connection requirement. More information within the Easier access to social housing for veterans confirmed press release.

The government will publish a Long-Term Housing Strategy and has committed to set out details of further new government investment in social and affordable housing to at the Spending Review this year, following on from the £2 billion down payment announced yesterday, as well as confirming the government’s plans to provide certainty for the transformative programme of building the new generation of new towns.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor delivers security and national renewal for Northern Ireland in new era of global change [March 2025]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 26 March 2025.

The UK Chancellor delivered the Spring Statement today.
- Chancellor vows to bring about “new era of security and national renewal” as she delivered a Spring Statement to kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe.
- People across the UK to be on average £500 a year better off by the end of this parliament compared to under the previous government, putting more money in people’s pockets.
- Growth at the heart of Plan for Change as £13 billion of additional capital spend allocated alongside £2.2 billion defence funding boost next year will get Britain building.
People across the UK will be on average £500 better off from 2029, relative to OBR’s autumn forecast, helping to deliver the Plan for Change as the Chancellor today (Wednesday 26 March) announced a Spring Statement to grasp the opportunities in a changing world.

The OBR also confirmed that the UK economy is expected to grow faster than expected from 2026 and will be larger by 2029 compared to its autumn forecast – up to 9.5% compared to 9.2%.

The Chancellor also set out how the government is protecting national security and maximising the growth potential of the UK defence sector by confirming a £2.2 billion increase in the UK-wide defence budget in 2025-26.

The Spring Statement delivers UK Government spending plans focused on its core objectives, bringing security and stability for working people across the UK.

It follows the Budget in the autumn where the Chancellor announced that the Northern Ireland Executive will be provided with an £18.2 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms in the history of devolution. This includes an additional £1.5 billion through the Barnett formula, with £1.2 billion for day-to-day spending and £270 million for capital investment.

The measures taken today top these Barnett consequentials up by a further £14 million in 2025/26. The Northern Ireland Executive are receiving over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.

The Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant funding from 2026-27 onwards will be confirmed at Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which concludes on 11 June 2025. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will meet with his counterparts from the devolved governments to discuss their priorities ahead of its conclusion.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said:

I welcome the fact that Northern Ireland will receive a £14 million boost in Barnett consequentials as a result of today’s announcements, building on the record £18.2 billion settlement which was confirmed by the UK Government last Autumn.

This also follows a  £235 million package to transform public services in Northern Ireland, which will support the transformation of key public services which make a real impact on people’s lives, including health, education, planning and justice.

Importantly, today’s announcement reinforces the economic growth potential of the UK defence sector, and follows  the Prime Minister’s announcement of a £1.6bn deal to provide air defence missiles for Ukraine, which will create 200 jobs in Northern Ireland and demonstrates the strength of the local defence industry.

From next week, working people across Northern Ireland and the UK will also benefit from an increase to the National Living Wage, putting more money into the pockets of hard-working people.

And the UK Government continues to provide support  across Northern Ireland through City and Growth deal packages, having confirmed the Mid-South West and Causeway Coast and Glens City deal last year.

Taken together, these measures will foster growth in Northern Ireland, creating jobs, supporting public services, and boosting the quality of life for local people.”

Growth

Kickstarting economic growth is the number one mission of this government, putting more money in people’s pockets.

The UK Government has already made considerable progress on growth in Northern Ireland, including confirming the Mid-South West and Causeway Coast and Glens City deal. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister also announced a £1.6bn deal to provide air defence missiles for Ukraine, which will create 200 jobs in Northern Ireland. In February we launched Intertrade UK which will advise on how businesses can take advantage of the full opportunities of the UK internal market.

The actions of this government across the Autumn Budget and Spring Statement, if sustained, lead to a 0.6% rise in the level of real GDP by 2034-25.

The OBR concluded that the stability rule is met by £9.9 billion and the investment rule is met by £15.1 billion. Both rules are met two years early, meaning from 2027-28 the government is only borrowing for investment and net financial debt is falling.

The government is not satisfied with short-term growth figures, and is going further and faster today to improve this.

The Chancellor has announced a further £13 billion of capital investment over the Parliament to go further on growth, on top of the £100 billion uplift announced at Autumn Budget. This will deliver the projects needed to catalyse private investment, boost growth and drive forward the UK’s modern industrial strategy.

Taken together, this greater capital investment more than offsets the modest savings on day-to-day spending and means the total departmental spending will increase over the next five years, when compared with plans in the Autumn.

Defence

The world is changing before our eyes, reshaped by global instability, including Russian aggression in Ukraine. Europe is facing a once-in-a-generation moment for its collective security, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home.

A month ago, the Prime Minister announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War as a result of the changing global picture, now reaching 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, and with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament subject to economic and fiscal conditions.

We are going further and faster to protect our national security and maximise the economic growth potential of the UK defence sector.
- Increasing the defence budget by £2.2 billion in 2025-26, taking additional spending on defence to over £5 billion since the Autumn Budget.
- This raises spending on defence to 2.36% next year and will be invested in fitting Royal Navy ships with Directed Energy Weapons five years earlier than planned, providing better homes for military families and modernising His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth.
- Setting a minimum 10 percent ringfence for equipment spending on emerging technologies like drones and autonomous systems, dual-use technology, and AI-powered capabilities, so that British troops have the tools they need to fight and win in modern warfare.
- Getting this new tech into the hands of our armed forces quicker by cutting away bureaucracy, with a new UK Defence Innovation unit within the Ministry of Defence spearheading efforts to identify promising technology and ensure these get to the frontline at speed, while also bolstering the UK tech sector and crowding in private investment.
- Creating bespoke procurement processes for different types of military equipment, learning lessons from our rapid support for Ukraine to drive faster timescale targets for operationalising new tanks, aircraft and other essential tools for modern warfare.
- This government is determined to transform the defence sector into an engine for growth by focusing this investment on where it boosts the productive capacity of the economy such as investment in innovation and novel technologies. As a result of the increase in defence spending to 2.5%, the government estimates this could lead to around 0.3% higher GDP in the long run, equivalent to around £11 billion of GDP in today’s money.
- The government’s investment in defence will also support its number one mission to deliver economic growth. UK citizens will be protected from threats at home whilst creating a stable environment in which businesses can thrive, and supporting highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the whole of the UK.
Reform

The UK Government is determined to make the public sector more productive and to improve services for working people. But the changing world means we need to go further and faster to ensure we can deliver the public services that working people care most about.

The government has shown its commitment to taking the difficult decisions required to drive efficiencies and reform the state – reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies and duplication; and driving out wasteful government spend through cancelling thousands of government credit cards.

Getting more people into jobs is also central to the government’s growth mission. The broken welfare system is letting people down by asking them to prove what they can’t do, rather than focusing on what they could do with the right support – trapping people due to fear of trying work, lack of support and poor financial incentives.

The Chancellor has confirmed the creation of a £3.25 billion Transformation Fund to support the fundamental reform of public services, seize the opportunities of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and transform frontline delivery to release savings for taxpayers over the long-term.

The UK Government provided £235 million to transform public services in Northern Ireland as part of the £3.3 billion restoration package for the Executive. This month we agreed to allocate £129 million of that funding to projects across several priority public services including health, education, planning and justice. The funding will see £61 million go towards expanding the multi-disciplinary teams in GP clinics across Northern Ireland, and support five other projects across justice, special education and infrastructure which represent key priorities in the Executive’s Programme for Government.

Looking Forward

This Spring Statement builds on the Autumn Budget and the decisions taken since required to deliver stability to the British economy and kickstart economic growth.

The government will set out its plans for spending and key public sector reforms at the Spending Review which will conclude on 11 June 2025.

Notes to editors
- Government calculations for the long-run impacts of higher defence spending are based on estimates from Antolin-Diaz and Surico (2025), forthcoming in the American Economic Review (AER), of the GDP impact of higher defence spending on GDP. Their estimates of the GDP multiplier stabilise after ten years at around 1.6, which is assumed to reflect an appropriate long-run multiplier for potential output, as any demand-side effects are likely to have dissipated at the ten-year horizon.
- Defence spending as a share of GDP is set to rise from 2.3% to 2.5%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points. Applying an elasticity of 1.6 to this change implies a long-run increase in the level of potential output of approximately 0.3%. A long-run increase to the level of potential output of 0.3% is equivalent to around £11 billion of GDP in the long run, in today’s prices.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : We must have enduring peace in Ukraine, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the UN Charter – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 March 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

I would like to start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for the briefing today.

Colleagues, last month marked three years since President Putin launched his illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The invasion displaced over 10 million people. Today, 12.7 million remain in need of urgent humanitarian support.

The suffering caused by Russian forces is well known to this Council: war crimes, torture of civilians and prisoners of war, mass killings, the forced deportation of thousands of children, the forced cleansing and Russification of areas under their illegal control.

It is a shocking record for any state, let alone a Permanent Member of the Security Council.

In recent weeks, Russian drone and missile attacks have intensified nationwide, with daily reports of damage to residential areas and civilian infrastructure across multiple Oblasts.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism of Ukraine, in one attack which took place on 7 March, two ballistic missiles hit a residential area in Donetsk Oblast killing 11 people and destroying homes.

Emergency responders who arrived to treat the wounded were then targeted by further strikes.

This has to stop.

The UK is clear that we want to see an end to the fighting and to the killing. We must have enduring peace in Ukraine.

Putin could bring about peace tomorrow by withdrawing his forces and ending his illegal invasion.

President, we welcome US efforts towards just and lasting peace. And we welcome President Zelenskyy’s clear commitment to peace and readiness to move quickly towards a comprehensive and lasting settlement.

In agreeing to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, Ukraine has shown that it is the party of peace.

Russia must now agree to this without further delay.

Ukraine’s humanitarian needs are immense, and the UK will continue to do what we can in support.

To date, we have committed £477 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine, providing its people with food, water, shelter, and medical care, alongside support to safeguard the rights, dignity, and well-being of civilians.

We repeat our call on Russia to end its brutal war, withdraw from Ukrainian territory within its internationally recognised borders.

Until that day comes, the UK will continue to work with Ukraine and our international partners to achieve a just and lasting peace, which ensures Ukraine’s future security and upholds the core principles of the United Nations Charter.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK is absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine – UK Statement to the OSCE [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 March 2025.

Politico-Military Counsellor, Ankur Narayan, commends Ukraine as the party of peace for proposing a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire – and urges Russia to agree to this without further delay.

Thank you, Mr Chair. Our Helsinki Final Act commitments include sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-violability of borders. As per the first line of the Helsinki Final Act, these principles are designed to protect “true and lasting peace” in our region. This is why we remain unwavering in our support for Ukraine defending its territorial integrity, its right to exist, its sovereignty, and its independence.

We welcome the progress President Trump has made towards a ceasefire in Ukraine and in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. We are in close contact with US and Ukraine following the conclusion of talks in Riyadh yesterday. President Zelenskyy has already shown Ukraine is the party of peace by proposing a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. We hope that President Putin will agree to this without further delay.

Any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security – in line with the Helsinki Final Act and the UN Charter. With robust security arrangements to ensure Russia is never able to invade again. The UK will play its full part – and is already taking a leading role, alongside France, to build a coalition of the willing to support Ukraine’s future security.

Over the last week, Russia has continued to launch brutal attacks that cause daily suffering for innocent Ukrainians. The drone strike on Kyiv on March 23rd exemplifies another horrific assault, tragically killing a 5-year-old girl and severely injuring ten others. A Russian missile strike on Sumy in northeastern Ukraine injured 88 people, including 17 children. In Donetsk, Russian shelling over the past three days across the eastern Oblast province has resulted in the deaths of seven civilians. We must emphasise the need for accountability for these actions and renew our commitment to collaborating towards achieving enduring peace.

Mr Chair, we are absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort. A just and lasting peace is vital for Ukraine and for wider Euro-Atlantic and international security and prosperity.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Economic growth propelled by law tech funding boost [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 12 March 2025.

Greater use of AI and technology in legal services will spur economic growth thanks to a new Government investment as part of the Plan for Change today (12 March 2025).
- £1.5 million investment for LawtechUK to reinforce UK’s global advantage
- Hundreds of businesses boosted thanks to Government’s Plan for Change
- New funding to drive economic growth and create new jobs
Greater use of AI and technology in legal services will spur economic growth thanks to a new Government investment as part of the Plan for Change today (12 March 2025).

The £1.5m funding boost announced by Justice Minister Sarah Sackman will help further the UK’s leading position in the international legal services market.

In a speech to legal professionals she announced the LawtechUK programme will receive a £1.5m investment which will help startups to attract further private investment.

Since 2023, LawtechUK has directly supported over 176 startups to grow and the legal services sector is now estimated to provide over 300,000 jobs in the UK. Their activity connects businesses with investors, builds relationships between technology companies and law firms, and offers showcasing opportunities at key international and domestic events.

One recent example is Lexverify which created an advanced AI tool that helps saves lawyers time and money by providing real-time risk prevention for legal, compliance, and cybersecurity issues.

Courts and Legal Services Minister, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said:

Britain is leading the world in Lawtech. We are innovating and making legal services faster, cheaper and more accessible. Our Lawtech sector is changing how we work, and opening up access to justice for working people, at lower costs.

Lawtech is powering the future of the UK economy by helping people resolve disputes faster.

Lawtech UK is a government-backed initiative to drive digital transformation in the legal services industry, which is already worth £37 billion to the UK economy every year.

Since 2019, £6 million has been invested in the programme, supporting the lawtech sector’s rapid growth as it attracts record private investment of over £139 million and transforms how legal services are delivered. Another LawTechUK beneficiary, Office and Dragons, developed software that eliminates wasted time on repetitive legal tasks, achieving over 85%-time savings on administrative work.

Over half of the participants in LawtechUK’s education programmes come from outside London and the South-East, ensuring the benefits of legal technology reach across the country.

The Ministry of Justice also delivers the GREAT Legal Services campaign which promotes the strength of UK legal services and the UK as a legal centre to the global market.

The campaign showcases UK lawtech companies internationally and helps build relationships with potential business partners. It has taken delegations of UK firms to take part in events in the US, Australia and Singapore, and will be returning to the US later this month for a programme of activity around the Legalweek conference in New York and Chicago.

Since April 1, 2023, LawTechUK has been delivered by CodeBase and Legal Geek.

Jon Hope, SVP at CodeBase, said:

Building on the success of the past two years, we are excited to extend LawtechUK into its third year.

Together with our delivery partners, Legal Geek, we remain committed to driving innovation and transformation in the legal industry.

We are proud of the impact LawtechUK has already made and look forward to continuing to shape the future of the legal sector.

Beth Fellner, Director at Legal Geek, said:

Legal Geek and our delivery partner, CodeBase, have delivered a high impact programme of activity over the last two years.

We are ready to build on this work during a third year and continue to drive digital transformation in the legal sector across the UK.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Australia’s WTO Trade Policy Review – UK Statement [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 March 2025.

UK Statement at Australia’s World Trade Organization Trade Policy Review. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you very much Chair. Let me join others in offering a very warm welcome to the Acting First Assistant Secretary and his team here in Geneva and Ambassador Baxter. We are very grateful to Australia and to the WTO Secretariat for their reports, and to you Chair and to the Discussant for your insights.

Chair, it would have not escaped your notice that Australia is one of the closest allies and our relationship continues to go from strength to strength, underpinned by the strong security, trade and investment links, close personal ties – and of course our mutual passion for cricket, Kylie Minogue and indeed Neighbours. We are both members of the Commonwealth, the G20, the OECD, and, with thanks to Australia’s recent ratification of the UK’s accession, the CPTPP. We share a similar outlook, as reflected in the First Assistant Secretary’s comments this morning, driven by the pursuit of open, values-based democracy and a rules-based international system.

Bilateral Trade

We have a consistently strong economic relationship: bilateral trade worth £22 billion each year and mutual investment in excess of £800 billion. And our trade relations have been clearly furthered by the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which was referred to this morning. That deal eliminates tariffs on the vast majority of bilateral trade, makes it easier to travel between our two countries and guarantees an equal footing for many of our investors and services providers. Our work together on that FTA resulted in, as we look upon, as a modern and comprehensive trade agreement between our countries, which provides, we hope, a strong basis for our trade and bilateral relationship with Australia, and also to the growth of our relations in the future.

Chair, I would like to highlight the progress we have made through the Strategic Innovation Dialogue to highlight one of our successes, found in the world’s first Innovation Chapter in a Free Trade Agreement. Discussions focusing on key areas such as Future Health, Offshore Wind, Battery Manufacturing and the Interoperability of AI enabled goods, have been channelled through a joint-work programme, that brings together representatives from government, the private sector and academia to explore the impact of innovation on trade and trade policy.

And our shared values include our joint recognition of animals as sentient beings and the connection between improved welfare of farmed animals and sustainable food production systems. Together, we established a world-leading precedent for a standalone animal welfare chapter in a Free Trade Agreement, which sets out our commitment to sharing expertise, to improve practices, through an Animal Welfare Working Group.

And as part of that FTA, we have agreed to deepen cooperation to advance gender equality and the human rights of all women and girls, including through a strategic dialogue on gender equality. That marks, I believe, Australia’s first FTA to feature a dedicated chapter on gender equality, and that chapter complements provisions which advance gender equality throughout the Agreement in the chapters on Labour, SMEs, Digital and Financial Services.

As a Co-Chair of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, I would like to welcome and pay tribute to Australia’s role as a founding member of the IWG and their active engagement in that Group. And indeed Australia was amongst the five winners of our first International Prize on Gender Equality in Trade, with a programme which is having a transformative impact for advancing women’s economic empowerment across Southeast Asia. Thank you and congratulations for that.

Economic Security

Chair, our strong, allied collaboration extends to our shared priorities of upholding international rules and deterring hostile actions. We recently held a second UK-Australia Economic Security Dialogue, which champions our joint work on this matter, aiming to deepen our shared understanding of the current global economic security challenges and to share lessons on approaches and partnerships to strengthen our economic security and our bilateral partnership.

For us, for both of us, a rules-based international order and open global economy are fundamental; fundamental to our economic and national security and to our customers, our workers and our businesses so they can continue to enjoy the benefits of the multilateral trading system. International trade plays a central role in both our economies, with trade activity supporting one in four trade jobs I believe in Australia, and we applaud Australia’s focus on building economic resilience and challenging unfair trading practices to support global growth.

Climate Leadership

Chair, Australia’s increased ambition on climate policy over the last three years extends well beyond this organisation. We are delighted to endorse Australia’s bid to host COP31 in partnership with other Pacific Nations. And we welcome the Australian government’s Net Zero Plan, including increased investment in renewables and the phasing out of coal-powered electricity generation, and we look forward to sharing our knowledge on emerging sectors like offshore wind or carbon capture and storage.

Market Access Barriers

Chair, our bilateral trade discussions also continue in FTA subcommittees including our Professional Services Working Group and Legal Services Regulatory Dialogue. So let me take the opportunity to celebrate recent bilateral agreements for architects and auditors. We also welcome Australia’s willingness to engage on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, to ensure successes such as these continue. Going forward, we would like to hear more from Australia on its ongoing priorities and approaches, including the efforts at State level.

We also support Australia’s ongoing tax reforms which focus on prosperity, productivity and fairness, goals shared by my government. Regarding taxes, in the continued absence of a specific and satisfactory policy rationale, we would like to reiterate our concerns about domestic taxes which disproportionately affect imports, such as the Luxury Car Tax and Alcohol Excise Duty. We would like to hope Australians are able to treat themselves to Scotch Whisky and drive our luxury cars… but perhaps not at the same time.

WTO

Chair, the close ties between our two countries extend of course to this organisation where we work so closely alongside each other and share so many policy objectives. We work together, along with many developing and developed Members, to ensure the sustainability of fishing stocks and to enable the potential of trade in green goods and services.

Australia has, as similarly many others have said this morning, demonstrated its commitment to this organisation and the system by consistently pushing forward concrete outcomes for businesses, for workers and consumers, as is evident in their enthusiastic leadership and participation in the WTO Joint Initiatives. Their efforts as co-convenors of the negotiations on the E-commerce Agreement highlight that and I think led to a large part of the successful stabilisation of that Agreement back in July last year.

Australia’s strong ambitions on climate policy are showcased by the commitment to discussing Trade and Environment in this organisation. Their ambitions are underpinned by the efforts to foster dialogue on such issues in their co-coordinator role in the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution.

As the Chair of the Cairns Group, Australia has been a loud, constructive voice in agriculture negotiations in this house, helping discussions progress, including through the Cairns and Africa Group informal discussions. While the UK and Australia don’t always agree on preferred outcomes in that area, our strong bond and shared focus on finding solutions brings us together when needed.

Conclusion

Chair, let me conclude by discussing how the relationship between Australia and the UK goes from strength to strength, and let me conclude on that same note. Our relationship has strengthened enormously in the past few years, and we admire Australia’s leadership in this organisation, its commitment to Net Zero, and its views on free and open trade. We continue to host a large, extraordinary number of each other’s citizens, enriching both our countries with vibrant exchanges, cherished memories, and of course Tim Tams and Penguins. And, as we look forward to the oldest and greatest rivalry in the sporting world, the Ashes, we can say, with utter confidence, let the best team win. Which of course will be England.

Thank you, Chair.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New rules to prioritise recruiting care workers in England [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 March 2025.

Employers will be required to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in England before recruiting from overseas.

The new rules were laid in Parliament today (12 March).

From 9 April, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment as we restore order to our immigration system through our Plan for Change.

Significant work has been ongoing across government, in collaboration with the care sector, to ensure high standards across the immigration system, and to support care workers into alternative jobs when their sponsor has had their licence removed. Under our Plan for Change, we will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow our domestic skills, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth.

As well as continuing to tackle exploitation, the government is also continuing its clampdown on abuse in the immigration system with changes to the Short-Term Student route.

The visa is designed for those studying an English language course in the UK for between 6 and 11 months, however, there are rising concerns that the route is being abused by those without a genuine intention to study or to leave the UK at the end of their course. In light of this troubling trend, tough new rules will give expanded powers for caseworkers to refuse visa applications which are suspected of being non-genuine.

Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said:

Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation.

We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay.

We are now going further, requiring employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas.

The new requirements continue government action announced in November to crack down on employers who abuse the visa system; barring those who repeatedly break immigration or employment laws from hiring overseas workers and will help support those workers into new jobs.

The changes announced last year also ban companies from charging workers for the cost of their sponsorship, which has never been intended and led to exploitation, unfair treatment of staff and unsustainable levels of debt in the care sector.

Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clamp down on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers have been associated with these sponsors since October 2020.

Changes announced today will also see the minimum salary thresholds updated to reflect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This will ensure those working on the Skilled Worker visa, including care workers, are paid a minimum of £12.82 per hour.

Health and education occupations, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and teachers, will also see their minimum rates increased to reflect the latest national pay scales.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said:

International care workers play a vital role in our social care workforce. We value their contribution and work supporting vulnerable people across the country every day.

As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care.

Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.

The rules come as the government continues implementation of a series of measures to reduce the potential for abuse on the Student and Graduate visa routes.

Further details of the government’s plan to reduce the staggeringly high levels of legal migration seen in recent years will be set out in the government’s forthcoming Immigration White Paper.

March 31, 2025