Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Birmingham scores transformative investment into new Sports Quarter [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 5 February 2025.

US company Knighthead have invested £100m to build new Sports Quarter in East Birmingham.
- Following on from the Chancellors plans to go ‘further, faster on growth’ US company Knighthead has invested £100m in regeneration project in East Birmingham.
- The Sports Quarter project will include a 60,000-seat stadium, sporting facilities and commercial and residential spaces, creating 8,400 new jobs and driving further investment.
- Announcement is the latest in a series of job-boosting investments across the country showing the Plan for Change is working.
US company Knighthead has invested £100 million into East Birmingham, showing how the Government’s Plan for Change is boosting jobs and opportunities in the West Midlands.

The new site is estimated to create 8,400 new jobs annually in Birmingham while also supporting the wider city and West Midlands. The investment will pave the way for a new 60,000-seater stadium alongside a sports campus of training facilities, a new academy, and community pitches. Beyond sport, the campus plans also include leisure, commercial, and residential development.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit the site and learn about how the new Sports Quarter and surrounding area is projected to provide £370 million in growth each year.

Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off as part of our Plan for Change.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The West Midlands is a powerhouse for investment, and this project will not only play a vital role in bringing thousands of new jobs into the area but will put more money into the pockets of the local community here in East Birmingham.

Seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the Plan for Change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain. This is another vote of confidence in our plans to deliver growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the country.

This is the latest in a series of investment projects into the West Midlands, as the region continues to be a powerhouse for investment. The West Midlands attracted over 130 Foreign Direct Investment Projects in the year to March 2024, creating 7,581 jobs.

Unleashing the full potential of the UK’s cities and regions is a core objective of the government’s Industrial Strategy. Facilitating investments like this is central to achieving this goal.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:

The Birmingham Sports Quarter is an exciting venture that highlights how sport can be an important driver for regeneration and growth.

Across the divisions, our professional football clubs are vital community assets at the heart of towns and cities around the country, so it is fantastic to see investment directly benefiting residents of Birmingham and the wider region.

Investment continues to flow into the UK sports sector on an unprecedented level. The UK is an appealing destination for investors aiming to capitalise on diverse revenue streams and long-term growth prospects.

The commercial attractiveness of the UK sports sector is underpinned by both legacy and heritage and its position at the cutting edge of innovative subsectors such as sports-tech and women’s sports.

The Business Secretary’s visit comes after Birmingham City Football Club’s Chairman Tom Wagner’s meeting with Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson OBE at One Goal, the government’s annual sports investment conference. The Department for Business and Trade continues to support transformational institutional investment into UK sport and local communities.

Co-founder of Knighthead & Chairman of Birmingham City Football Club Tom Wagner said:

Birmingham and the West Midlands have huge untapped potential for growth, and we intend to seize that opportunity. With the support of government, the Sports Quarter can be a catalyst for regeneration, transforming the prospects for people in of one of the poorest parts of the UK and crowding in interest and investment from around the globe.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

This investment is a huge vote of confidence in Birmingham and the West Midlands. It was made possible by strong partnerships with Knighthead and others committed to our region’s growth.

We’ve worked to create the perfect conditions to attract investment, and this will bring thousands of jobs, new opportunities, and a major economic boost.

Working with Tom Wagner and Knighthead, we’ll unlock our region’s full potential – delivering the Sports Quarter and lasting change for the region.

The announcement comes after the Chancellor vowed to go further and faster to kickstart economic growth last week, as the government wants to help put more money in people’s pockets.

The Budget in the Autumn fixed the foundations of the UK’s economy by putting in place measures to support economic and fiscal stability and long-term investment in national infrastructure.

Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off as part of our Plan for Change.

The government’s new modern Industrial Strategy will deliver long-term, sustainable, inclusive growth right across the UK by driving investment into the economy and hardwire stability for investors, giving them the confidence to plan not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond.

Notes to editors
- Today’s announcement comes off the back of Knighthead announcing its £3 billion regeneration project last March and also follows the company’s acquisition of Birmingham City Football Club in 2023.
February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Reading and writing boost to drive high and rising standards [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 5 February 2025.

Thousands of pupils across England are set to benefit from a £2 million investment to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing, building on the Education Secretary’s plan for a new era of school standards.

In her speech to the Centre of Social Justice (3 February 2025), the Education Secretary outlined how the success of phonics delivered for millions of children but now was the time to build on this work with a new focus on reading and writing.

A third of children leave primary school without fundamental reading, writing and maths skills, this increases to over half for disadvantaged pupils.

There also continues to be a decline in children and young people reading for pleasure with the number of children aged 8 to 18 who enjoy reading in their spare time reduced by a third since 2019. Reading for pleasure has been associated not only with increases in reading attainment but also with writing ability, text comprehension, grammar and breadth of vocabulary.

Building on the success of phonics, teachers will receive additional training to help children progress from the early stages of phonics in reception and year 1 through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. This will be delivered through the English Hubs programme, a school-to-school improvement programme to drive up standards.

In secondary school, teachers will be offered new training and resources this year to help them support readers at all levels, and next year the department will commission further training that will be focused specifically on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind.

As part of the £2 million investment, £1 million will be available for secondary schools with the greatest need to apply for, to support them to purchase reading programmes and other resources to support struggling readers.

A strong foundation in reading and writing is crucial for children to achieve and thrive, enabling them to not only benefit from the rest of the curriculum, but also help them develop a love for reading from an early stage.

As part of the government’s drive to improve reading and writing, the department will also publish a writing framework in the summer, that will be a first step to support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England ensuring all pupils have a strong foundation in writing.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

This government will build on the successes of recent decades, raising the bar when it comes to standards and delivering on our Plan for Change, breaking the link between background and success.

Reading and writing are the cornerstones of learning. They hold the keys to the rest of the curriculum, with pupils who struggle to read so often struggling across the board.

So while progress has been made – in particular when it comes to phonics – now is the time to take that work to another level.

That means continuing to drive up quality of teaching, giving our brilliant teachers the tools and resources they need, and extending further support directly to the children and young people who need it most – because no child should leave school without a strong grasp of the basics.

The curriculum review, launched in July, will make sure all pupils benefit from a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths to ensure they can develop the skills needed to succeed in work and life.

The government has also committed to spearheading real-world primary maths teaching through evidence based programmes to ensure every child is given the foundations to develop lifelong numeracy skills.

These reforms follow plans set out by the Education Secretary this week reaffirming her commitment to high and rising standards in schools with an excellent teacher in every classroom, a high-quality curriculum for every school and a core offer of excellence for every parent so that every child can achieve and thrive.

February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Net Zero Council Relaunched to supercharge Clean Energy Superpower Mission [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 5 February 2025.

Government relaunches an expanded Net Zero Council, bringing together business, civil society and local authorities to drive the clean energy transition as part of the Plan for Growth.
- New Net Zero Council is tasked with ensuring the clean energy transition drives economic growth and creates jobs as part of government’s Plan for Change
- brings together a broader range of representatives from organisations including World Wildlife Fund, Design Council and Local Government Association, alongside others including Siemens, HSBC and Nestle
- Council to deepen public-private partnership to maximise economic opportunities for the UK
Leaders from major businesses, civil society and local authorities have backed the government’s pro-growth and clean energy superpower missions following a meeting of the relaunched Net Zero Council (5 February), with a plan to help sectors accelerate to net zero and support thousands of jobs.

Co-chaired by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Co-operative Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, the Council brings together leaders from some of the UK’s biggest businesses, charities and organisations, as well as trade unions and local authorities.

New members include representatives from the Trades Union Congress and Design Council, bringing expertise of green skills and jobs creation to the council to support the government’s mission for clean energy growth on the path to net zero.

This broader coalition strengthens the Council’s ability to unlock the opportunities of decarbonisation, with major industry players such as Siemens, Nestle and HSBC returning to the Council alongside new members including the Local Government Association and Aviva Investors to seize the growth opportunities of decarbonising the economy.

The first meeting focused on agreeing the Council’s priorities for 2025 to 2026, which will include:
- a new focus on providing expert input to inform government strategies relating to net zero
- supporting the development and delivery of sector roadmaps, helping businesses to develop transition plans and investors to identify opportunities
- supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to decarbonise while maximising the benefits of the transition
- informing the government’s approach to public engagement and developing products to support public participation with net zero
A new Delivery Group will oversee the Council’s workstreams and help to drive progress.

The relaunch reflects a new mission-led approach, ensuring government actively engages with a broad range of industry leaders and stakeholders to drive progress towards net zero. This will support the Plan for Change to help deliver new jobs and economic opportunities while ensuring a fair transition.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Businesses and leaders across our country recognise that clean power and accelerating towards net zero represents the economic opportunity of the 21st century.

It is one which will protect bills, create jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. This Council is about mission-driven leadership, bringing government, business and civil society together to turn ambition into action.

By working in partnership, we can drive the investment, innovation and industrial transformation needed to make the UK a clean energy superpower.

Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy said:

The relaunch of the Net Zero Council comes at a critical moment in the UK’s journey towards a clean energy future.

Bringing together leaders from across business, finance and civil society, the Council will play a crucial role in accelerating net zero ambitions, driving economic growth and creating thousands of jobs.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of The Co-operative Group, said:

Working urgently for a faster, fairer transition to a greener, cleaner economy is an absolute imperative. For the sake of our planet and for every community here in the UK and around the globe, it’s crucial we work together to unlock the significant opportunities the transition will bring for economic growth too.

I’m therefore delighted to be continuing in my role as Co-chair of the Net Zero Council. The science couldn’t be clearer that we must act collectively and decisively, and co-operation between businesses, civic society and government is what we need now more than ever.

While the Council itself is made up of senior leaders from key sectors, it is committed to an inclusive engagement strategy, ensuring a broad range of voices contribute to net zero delivery beyond formal members. This approach will ensure that businesses, communities and experts across the UK have opportunities to inform strategy, share best practices and help shape the transition.

Statements from Net Zero Council and Delivery Group members

Bev Cornaby, Director of the UK Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK), said:

The relaunch of the Net Zero Council marks an important step in strengthening collaboration between government, business, civil society, and local government to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero. Businesses are ready to lead, invest, and innovate, but they need the right policy framework and long-term clarity to unlock the full potential of a clean, competitive economy. The UK Corporate Leaders Group welcomes the opportunity to bring business leadership and ambition to the Council, supporting accelerated delivery and ensuring that government strategies are informed by real-world insights and that industry can play a central role in delivering a net zero future.

David Thomas, Chief Executive of Barratt Redrow, said:

I’m pleased to join the Net Zero Council at a critical time for the environment and as we scale up to build the new high quality, energy efficient homes the UK desperately needs.

Government has set out its clear ambition to shift to clean energy, meanwhile the homebuilding industry is making good progress towards delivering net zero homes and places – but we must unite behind one plan and work together to build a sustainable future.

Minnie Moll, Chief Executive of the Design Council, said:

I am honoured to join the Net Zero Council to contribute to this crucial national mission and represent the voice of design as a transformative tool for innovation. Design has the power to cut across sectors, fuelling innovative thinking, embracing circular approaches, and turning the challenges of climate change into opportunities for economic growth, improved quality of life, and a cleaner, more sustainable future for all. We are excited to bring our expertise to this ambitious mission and support the UK’s leadership in becoming a clean energy superpower.

John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said:

I am delighted to bring SUEZ’s expertise in the circular economy to the Net Zero Council. Often unseen, the work of the waste and resources sector sits at the core of the delivery of the Industrial Strategy – at the same time as we are taking steps to decarbonise our own operations, the sector is helping other sectors to decarbonise by providing secondary resources for manufacturing, and energy and fuels for transport, homes and industry. A resource efficient economy is a thriving economy and I’m looking forward to working in partnership with industry peers to advance the government’s mission to become a Clean Energy Superpower.

Ian Simm, Founder and Chief Executive, Impax Asset Management said:

It’s very encouraging to see the Net Zero Council relaunched and I welcome the decision to expand its membership to include representatives from civil society and local government. The Council has a vital role to play at a moment when pivotal decisions are being made that will decide the future shape of the UK economy, not least on housing, infrastructure, and energy supply. I look forward to providing an investor’s view regarding how the Council can maximise its impact and effectiveness, both in helping to shape the shift to a net-zero economy and in supporting the government’s broader and much needed growth agenda.

Joanna Killian, Chief Executive of the Local Government Association said:

I’m delighted to be representing local government on the Net Zero Council.

Partnerships between central and local government, businesses, the financial industry and communities are essential to delivering green energy.

Local government can influence over 80% of an area’s emissions, and as a sector want to play our full role in achieving objectives to accelerate to net zero.

As local leaders, councils are uniquely able to lead local climate action while taking the incredible opportunity for local jobs and growth, and to improve the health and quality of life of our communities.

Jennifer Beckwith, Senior Manager, CBI, said:

Accelerating to net zero and achieving growth is society’s defining economic challenge – one that can only be achieved through industry and government partnership. Inaction on the transition is costlier than action and business wants to play its part in achieving sustainable growth.

Increasing decarbonisation beyond the power sector is the big opportunity to grow clean energy markets, scale infrastructure and advance green technologies. The government leading collaboration across business and finance sectors powerfully signals to investors a focus on delivery that can help get capital moving.

Ed Lockhart, Convenor, Broadway Initiative, said:

UK businesses need certainty, including on the transition to a clean energy future, to invest, grow and ultimately improve living standards.

By launching the Net Zero Council aligned to the clean energy mission, the government is providing a much-needed platform for the business community, financial institutions, civil society and government to work in partnership on a shared and inclusive long-term plan.

The Broadway Initiative looks forward to bringing business and environmental organisations together to make the most of this opportunity.
February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark [February 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 February 2025.

The Prime Minister hosted the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, at Downing Street this evening.

The leaders reflected on the EU Council dinner last night, and the Prime Minister said he was pleased to have been able to set out his vision for a closer UK and EU relationship that would benefit all sides through greater growth and enhanced defence and security cooperation.

Both agreed on the need to strengthen European defence capabilities, including through NATO.

Turning to security in the High North and Arctic region, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the important role Denmark was playing and welcomed their recent announcement of a new military package to defend the Arctic from hostile activity.

Both leaders agreed to step up joint cooperation to address threats in the Arctic and High North, working with allies through NATO and JEF Partners.

Turning to Ukraine, the Prime Minister welcomed the Danish Prime Minister’s reflections on the current battlefield situation and the leaders underscored the importance of supporting Ukraine’s forces for the long term, putting them in the strongest possible position.

The Prime Minister welcomed Denmark’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, adding he looked forward to working closely with Prime Minister Frederiksen during this time, including on the shared challenge of migration.

February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 February 2025.

A record £2.65 billion will be committed to build or maintain up to 1,000 flood defences, protecting more than 66,000 properties.

Tens of thousands of homes and business will be better protected from flooding as the government unveils a record package to build new flood defences and maintain and repair those already in place.

As part of the Plan for Change, the Government is committing a record two-year investment of £2.65 billion with 52,000 properties set to benefit from new defences by March 2026. To shore up creaking defences in need of repairs, funding will be reprioritised for investment in much-needed maintenance, benefitting a further 14,500 properties. This means a total of 66,500 properties will benefit from this funding.

With the frequency of extreme weather events only continuing to rise, leading to devastating impacts for people, homes, businesses and communities and costing the UK economy billions each year, decisive action to invest in adapting to climate change has never been more important.

As well as protecting families from the devastation of flooding, the investment supports economic growth by protecting businesses, supporting jobs, and supporting a stable economy in the face of the increasing risk of flooding as a result of climate change. It will also protect farmland which has been badly hit by recent storms, in turn helping to safeguard farm businesses and farmers’ profits.

This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left 3,000 of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at below the required condition.

The announcement comes as the Government’s Floods Resilience Taskforce meets today, with Floods Minister Emma Hardy joined by ministers from across government alongside representatives from the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, and the National Farmers’ Union. They will look at further steps that can be taken to protect the 6.3 million properties in England at risk from flooding, and discuss lessons to learn from Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn this winter.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:

The storms this winter have devastated lives and livelihoods.

The role of any Government is to protect its citizens.

Under our Plan for Change, we are investing a record £2.65 billion to build and maintenance flood defences to protect lives, homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding.

Up to 1000 projects are set to receive a share of the funding. Projects receiving funding include:
- Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Flood Defence Scheme in Somerset, which will receive £43 million.
- The Derby Flood Risk Management Scheme “Our City Our River”, which is set to receive £35 million.
- In the West Midlands, the Beales Corner project, which protects communities in Bewdley, will benefit from £2 million.
- An additional £3.5 million for the Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Flood Defences in Dorset
- Support for property flood resilience schemes across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, receiving £2.5 million.
Essential maintenance will be made to defences across the country including:
- Phase 3 of the Stallingborough Sea Defences along the Humber estuary, receiving over £7 million
- A further £3.8 million will be spent to improve protection in Pevensey Bay, as part of work to repair local sea defences.
Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:

The impact of flooding on our communities will only become greater as climate change brings more extreme weather, like Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn.

With this new funding, we will work closely with the Government to deliver the vital projects that are needed across the country, ensuring our investment goes to those communities who need it the most.

Recognising many flood defence projects have stalled, £140 million from the investment programme will be prioritised for 31 projects that are ready for delivery, ensuring nearby communities are protected as soon as possible. The full list of schemes to benefit will be announced in the coming months.

In addition to providing this crucial funding, the Government will be focused on fixing the foundations of the nation’s flood defences and giving communities confidence that they will protect them. This year, £36 million is being spent to undertake urgent repairs to defences damaged in last winter’s extreme flooding events.

For the next year, a further £72 million will go towards maintaining and repairing assets, including those damaged in recent flood events, to ensure they are as resilient as possible and operate as expected.

Today’s Floods Resilience Taskforce will be hosted by Flood Re, a joint initiative between the Government and insurers aimed at making the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.

The expert group’s discussions will focus on the national and local response to this winter’s flooding. It will also discuss further the long-term delivery of the Government’s flood resilience strategy and investment, including the planned review of the government’s funding formula for allocating money to flood and coastal erosion defence schemes.

Wider action to improve the nation’s flood resilience

The government is committed to delivering a refreshed and updated approach to flood defences, fit for the challenges we face.
- The existing funding formula for allocating money to defences slows down the delivery of new schemes through a complex application process and neglects more innovative approaches to flood management – which is why a consultation to update the formula will be launched shortly.
- In addition, to support rural communities impacted by flooding, more than £57 million has paid out to farmers impacted by severe weather between October 2023 and March 2024. The Farming Recovery fund has supported 12,700 businesses to cover the cost of restoring their farmland.
- Elsewhere, the government has allocated £50 million to internal drainage boards (IDBs) as part of a one-off £75 million IDB Fund. This funding will empower IDBs to manage water levels effectively for agriculture and environmental needs, ensuring their crucial role in flood and water management is supported for years to come.
- In addition, the Environment Agency has also confirmed that 34 natural flood management projects will move ahead to delivery. These projects, which are located across England, will use nature to increase the nation’s flood resilience. These projects, which are located across England, will use nature to increase the nation’s flood resilience.
- Beneficiaries include Leicester City Council, which is working in partnership with Trent Rivers Trust to reduce flood risk across 13 locations in Leicestershire. Their work includes implementing blue green sustainable drainage at several schools, tree planting, and creating new wetlands to improve floodplain connectivity and increase flood water storage.
February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : European Union and UK hold second Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in London [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 February 2025.

On 4 February 2025, the second EU-UK Counter-Terrorism Dialogue, established by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), took place in London.

The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) discussed a wide range of counter-terrorism issues, including assessments of the evolving terrorist threat landscape, and an exchange of best practice on the UK and EU response, in order to protect our citizens. This included continued cooperation through multilateral fora and with other third countries.

The UK and EU also discussed strategic approaches to countering terrorism and a range of topics related to the identification of travellers of Counter-Terrorism concern, and technology, including responses to terrorist content online and emerging technologies.

The UK and EU jointly welcomed the productive discussions and agreed to continue these important exchanges. Both sides underlined the strategic importance of the unique relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom in addressing these challenges.

They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to continue to strengthen cooperation on Counter-Terrorism, in line with our shared values and the agreement between the President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The UK delegation was chaired by Chloe Squires, Director General for Homeland Security and Jonathan Emmett, Director of Counter-Terrorism & Homeland Security Strategy in the Home Office, who were accompanied by officials from the Home Office, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

On the EU side, the Dialogue was chaired by Maciej Stadejek, Deputy Managing Director for Security and Defence Policy, of the European External Action Service (EEAS). Representatives from the European Commission, including the Director Internal Security from the Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs, Floriana Sipala, and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Bartjan Wegter, also joined. The delegation included a representative from the Polish Presidency on behalf of EU Member States.

The next Counter-Terrorism Dialogue will be held in Brussels.

February 16, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New Government Chief Commercial Officer announced [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 4 February 2025.

Andrew Forzani has been appointed Government Chief Commercial Officer to steer the cross-government commercial community in delivering the Plan for Change.

Following an open and fair recruitment process, Andrew Forzani, has been appointed as the new UK Government Chief Commercial Officer.

The appointment comes as the government prepares to introduce the Procurement Act 2023 this month and publish an updated National Procurement Policy Statement.

Andrew’s experience of over 30 years in commercial, procurement and supply chain management will be invaluable in steering the cross-government commercial community to deliver the Plan for Change.

He will focus over 6,000 commercial professionals who are managing and influencing £176 billion of procurement spend on vital goods and services, into delivering for working people, ensuring every pound spent of taxpayer money delivers for the public.

From roads and trains to defence equipment and energy, government procurement is present in millions of everyday lives. By refocusing and reimagining the way we do public procurement, we can rebuild Britain in a decade of national renewal.

Andrew is currently the Director General Commercial at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), prior to joining the MOD in 2017 he was the Chief Commercial Officer at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, Cat Little said:

“The Government Commercial Function provides a crucial service to Government, delivering mission led procurement policy, harnessing the public sector’s collective purchasing power and working hard to improve the commercial capabilities of the Civil Service.

“Andrew has a wealth of senior commercial experience both within government and beyond, and will continue to drive excellence and commercial expert advice in everything we do. I look forward to working with him in this new role.”

Andrew Forzani said:

“I am extremely proud to be appointed as UK Government Chief Commercial Officer, at a critical point for our function. This is an exciting time for the UK Government, with a unique set of challenges ahead of us. But as we have seen, a highly skilled and committed public procurement community has repeatedly stepped up to meet these challenges head on and I’m confident we can continue to do so.

“I look forward to working with the entire Government Commercial Function community across the United Kingdom to ensure that every pound we spend or influence goes towards delivering great outcomes for the Country and the Plan for Change.”

The Government Commercial Function

The Government Commercial Function is a cross-government network procuring or supporting the procurement of goods and services for the government.

The GCF was formed in 2015 and incorporates around 6,000 people working in commercial roles, predominantly within central government departments and some Arm’s-Length Bodies.

The commercial teams in departments are supported by a central team based in the Cabinet Office which provides cross-cutting functional coordination support, as well as specialist services and expert advice on complex transactions, key suppliers and market stewardship. This helps to ensure that the Government can effectively leverage its significant scale, benefit from greater efficiency and drive improved value for money from its suppliers and the wider supply chain.

February 15, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Empowering women in business – Bangladeshi female entrepreneurs embark on a landmark trade mission to the UK [February 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 February 2025.

Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses are set to lead a trade mission to the UK.

A group of diverse and inspirational Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses are set to lead a trade mission to the United Kingdom in February 2025, with support from the UK Government SheTrades Programme. During the visit, they will be showcasing their businesses, meeting investors and exploring new opportunities.

Their visit will involve high-level discussions with investors, legislators and corporate executives in the UK and promote cross-border trade between the two countries including under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The DCTS is the UK’s generous preferential trading scheme which provides duty-free, quota-free trade to Bangladesh on everything but arms. The DCTS gives Bangladesh the opportunity to potentially save £317m in tariffs annually on the country’s exports to the UK, the highest among all countries eligible for DCTS.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke hosted a send-off reception at her residence on 3 February to congratulate the entrepreneurs ahead of their departure to the UK.

The International Trade Centre is implementing this initiative to bring 50 women-led businesses from four Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Mongolia) and six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) to Manchester on 11 February to hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings with UK companies. Women-led companies in the fresh and processed food, textiles and clothing, handicrafts, beauty, information technology and business process outsourcing sectors will have one-on-one meetings with British buyers who want to diversify their supply chains and increase the competitiveness of their products.

The businesses chosen from Bangladesh are TMSS ICT and Handicrafts, SuperTel, Opus Technology, Tarango Bangladesh, Parijat Bangladesh, TANIS Bangladesh and Leatherina. Five of these companies already possess the certification needed to enter the UK market and the remaining three are currently being supported by the British Standard Institute (BSI) with necessary accreditation.

This Mission is hosted in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and financed by UK International Development as part of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme. The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce are also supporting the event.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said:

The UK government is incredibly proud to support this remarkable group of Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs to develop new markets in the UK. Their inventiveness, tenacity and spirit of entrepreneurship serve as evidence of the enormous potential of Bangladeshi women-led enterprises.

As Bangladesh and the UK continue to expand our bilateral trade through the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), the UK will remain a steadfast partner. This trade mission will further solidify our trade and investment relationship.

February 15, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New £13m police centre to tackle violence against women and girls [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 February 2025.

Government announces new intelligence-led national policing centre to put the experiences of victims at the heart of police investigations.

A new intelligence-led national policing centre will put the experiences of victims of child sexual abuse, rape and sexual offences, domestic abuse and stalking at the heart of police investigations – backed by more than £13 million of government funding.

The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, will be based in Ryton and bring together around 100 officers and staff to prioritise tackling violence against women and children across England and Wales.

For too long, crimes disproportionately impacting women and girls, such as domestic abuse and grooming gangs, have not been met with the specialist response they require.

Police efforts to tackle these crimes will now benefit from a national coordinating function – a specialist capability usually reserved for counterterrorism and serious and organised crime – making sure victims get a consistent level of support regardless of where they are in the country.

The government has been clear it will prioritise protecting women and children from these harms as part of our commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade through our Plan for Change. This new policing centre will ensure that standards in tackling them are driven up across the country.

This funding builds on measures set out before Christmas to introduce Raneem’s Law and embed domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, action to tackle spiking and stalking, as well as new measures to tackle the scourge of child sexual abuse, including mandatory reporting and increased funding for the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce.

Launching in April, the centre will build on existing areas of work to:
- roll out new quality training for police officers across the country in tackling violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse, implementing a manifesto commitment
- professionalise public protection work within policing so that future police leaders will all be expected to have built up experience and training in public protection roles
- deploy intelligence-led tactics used to target other serious offenders to pursue domestic abusers, rapists and stalkers
- work with the National Crime Agency to ensure that all forces are supported to respond to online child sexual abuse
- drive up investigative and operational standards across all 43 police forces in England and Wales in tackling these crimes
- train more police officers in the skills necessary to tackle violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse
- ensure the latest academic research informs investigative practices
This announcement aims to build confidence in victims to come forward to report crimes to the police, knowing they will receive the service they deserve.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Women and girls experience violence and abuse each year, yet for far too long it just hasn’t been taken seriously enough by policing, the criminal justice system or the government.

Warm words are not enough. We need to drive up standards and start treating the epidemic of violence against women and children with the seriousness it deserves.

We have national specialist standards and leadership on serious and organised crime, terrorism and public order, but not on public protection – even though it needs proper specialist skills and training to go after dangerous perpetrators and keep victims and survivors safe. That is why we are setting up the first policing national centre for public protection to drive up standards and tackle these terrible crimes.

To ensure there is a cohesive and effective response across all 43 forces in England and Wales, the centre will work closely with the Home Office to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to set out consistent and standard practices for responding to these crimes, including through improved training for officers. This will mean officers have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to victims of VAWG and child sexual abuse.

This will include developing and rolling out high-quality training for frontline, specialist and leadership roles and for critical functions such as rape and sexual offences teams where educated, and specialist support is vital to build victim confidence.

T/CC Maggie Blyth, National Police Chief’s Council lead for Violence Against Women and Girls said:

We welcome the official announcement and the financial support from government to implement a national centre to further protect victims and enhance our specialist capability to target perpetrators.

The centre will build on existing police work and progress made in tackling violence against women and girls, allowing us to mandate nationwide improvements to support forces and frontline officers to carry out their jobs effectively.

Our officers work tirelessly every day to bring offenders to justice and keep people safe, but we need to do more and that starts with equipping our officers with the right training and support to be able to investigate effectively, in the same way as we would provide specialist training to firearms or public order officers. We also need to better support victims through the criminal justice process and alongside partners, we will drive improvements for swifter justice and a quicker more robust response when people seek our help.

The centre will unify three existing victim-orientated policing programs – Operation Soteria, the national VAWG Taskforce and the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, which focus on protecting vulnerable people including victims of child sexual abuse. Building on programs like Operation Soteria, the centre will work with academics to ensure an evidence-based approach, transforming the way policing looks at and responds to these crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, the College of Policing’s Director of Operational Standards, said:

Policing is dedicated to protecting women and girls by targeting those who seek to harm them; and ensuring victims have the confidence to come forward, that they are listened to, treated compassionately and receive the best possible service.

We’ll place victims at the heart of the new centre and work across law enforcement, government and both the public and voluntary sectors to boost the training we give to officers. The College of Policing will support forces to achieve the highest possible standards and improve the response to violence against women and girls.

This investment is a core part of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and treat it as a national emergency as part of the wider Safer Streets Mission.
February 15, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Leading figures to help build NHS fit for the future [February 2025]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 February 2025.

Baroness Camilla Cavendish, Naomi Eisenstadt CB and Phil Jordan become non-executive directors on the board of the Department of Health and Social Care.
- Baroness Camilla Cavendish, Naomi Eisenstadt CB and Phil Jordan join the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) board
- They bring cross-party and wide-ranging experience and will provide strategic guidance to support health and care reforms
- The appointments come as part of the government’s call for the country’s best talent to join its mission to fix the NHS
Experts from across the public and private sector have been appointed to the DHSC board to drive forward health and social care reform plans.

Baroness Camilla Cavendish, Naomi Eisenstadt CB and Phil Jordan’s wealth of experience and expertise across the political divide and both the public and private sector will be vital in supporting the government’s key missions to drive down waiting lists and reform the NHS as part of the 10 Year Health Plan, shifting the focus from hospital to community, from sickness to prevention, and from analogue to digital.

Baroness Cavendish is best known for her time as head of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Prime Minister David Cameron. Ms Eisenstadt was the first Director of Sure Start, widely regarded as one of the most important policy initiatives in recent history, while Mr Jordan has held a long and distinguished career in the private sector, including top roles at Sainsbury’s, Telefónica and Vodafone.

They will join Lead Non-Executive Director Alan Milburn, former Health Secretary under Tony Blair’s government, on the board of DHSC.

It comes as part of the government’s call for the best and brightest to join its mission to fix the broken NHS and reflects DHSC’s commitment to drawing on diverse skills and perspectives to ensure it is fit for the future.

Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:

I am drawing on people of different political persuasions, with public and private sector experience, to help us turn around the NHS, make it fit for the future, and reform social care.

The NHS is one of the biggest organisations in the world, and building a national care service is a generational ambition. We should be competing with global businesses to recruit the best and the brightest to our cause.

I am delighted to welcome Camilla, Naomi and Phil to their new roles. Their combined expertise in social policy and technology, deep understanding of healthcare and commitment to pragmatism over ideology will be invaluable as we fix our broken NHS.

If there are other people out there with the skills, experience and drive to transform the treatment and care of millions of people, then we want your help building our 10 Year Health Plan.

As non-executive directors, Camilla, Naomi and Phil will provide independent oversight, constructive challenge and strategic advice to the department. Their expertise will help shape DHSC’s mission to ensure the best possible health and care outcomes for everyone across England.

The NHS is broken and through the Plan for Change, it is the mission of this government to fix it and make the health service fit for the future. As part of this national mission, experts are being brought in to help develop policy, and NHS staff and patients have been invited to share their experience and ideas to change the NHS on the Change NHS website.

Baroness Camilla Cavendish

Former head of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Prime Minister David Cameron, Baroness Cavendish brings a wealth of experience across public policy, healthcare and journalism, and will draw on her expertise in social care while working at DHSC.

The vocal advocate for health and social care reform has led significant reviews that have shaped social care policy and practice. Notably, the Cavendish Review (2013) examined the training and development of health and social care support workers.

The review highlighted the need for improved standards of training, greater recognition for care workers and more robust safeguards for those in vulnerable situations. Her recommendations continue to influence workforce development across the sector.

Naomi Eisenstadt CB

Naomi Eisenstadt CB has a distinguished career in public policy and social welfare, including serving as the first director of the Sure Start Unit, where she spearheaded transformative early years programmes aimed at reducing inequality, and will bring her expertise on health inequalities to DHSC.

The scheme is one of the most successful social policy interventions in the past 30 years, demonstrating the importance of early intervention and prevention – one of the 3 big shifts this government is committed to in our 10 Year Plan for Health.

Currently serving as chair of the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, Naomi’s extensive experience and commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable communities make her an invaluable addition to the department.

Phil Jordan

Phil Jordan will focus on data and digital capability at DHSC, drawing on his impressive background having led major initiatives across both the public and private sector.

With a proven track record in strategic leadership, including as Chief Information Officer at Sainsbury’s, Telefónica, and Vodafone UK and Ireland, Phil has been instrumental in driving innovation and efficiency in complex organisations.

His expertise will support the department’s ongoing efforts to modernise healthcare delivery and enhance digital infrastructure, as part of the vital shift from analogue to digital, equipping the health service with the cutting-edge technology it needs to tackle waiting lists, improve patient experience and speed up diagnosis.

Background information

These appointments are made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Governance for Public Appointments. The regulation of public appointments against the requirements of this code is carried out by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

In line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, political activity is not a bar to appointment but political activity during the last 5 years should be declared. Camilla Cavendish and Phil Jordan have not declared any political activity. Naomi Eisenstadt is a member of the Labour Party.

Government non-executives provide advice and bring an external perspective to the business of government departments by sitting on departmental boards. They do not have decision-making powers.

See DHSC public appointments: 2024 to 2025 for further information.

NHS England is currently advertising non-executive vacancies. See: non-executive opportunities in the NHS: public appointments for further information.
February 15, 2025