Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : UK joins partners in condemnation of malicious cyber activity by Russian Intelligence Services – UK government statement [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 May 2024.

The United Kingdom has joined with its international partners to condemn malicious cyber activity by the Russian Intelligence Services.

A UK government spokesperson said:

The United Kingdom stands with the European Union, Germany, Czechia and other allies in strongly condemning malicious cyber activity by Russian Intelligence Services.

Today’s statements from our allies demonstrate the scale, persistence, and seriousness of unacceptable Russian behaviours in cyberspace.

Recent activity by Russian GRU cyber group APT28, including the targeting of the German Social Democratic Party executive, is the latest in a known pattern of behaviour by the Russian Intelligence Services to undermine democratic processes across the globe.

On 7 December 2023, the UK exposed a series of attempts by the Russian Intelligence Services to target high-profile UK individuals and entities through cyber operations. At the same time, we sanctioned 2 Russian nationals responsible for political interference.

With multiple elections around the world in 2024, raising awareness of the threat to the UK and our international partners remains vitally important for our collective resilience.

Today, as part of a broad coalition of allies, we are making clear to the Russian state that we will continue to identify, expose, and respond to such unacceptable activity.

View the full UK Sanctions List.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Ukraine launch innovation partnership to power Ukraine’s recovery [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 May 2024.

The UK and Ukraine have launched the InnovateUkraine programme, which will support 13 green energy innovation projects in Ukraine with a £16m investment from the UK government.

The UK government has invested £16m in innovations which will support the recovery and future sustainability of Ukraine’s energy system. The programme aims to rebuild Ukraine’s energy system, displace fossil fuels, and support post-war recovery.

The programme is delivered by a UK-based innovation agency and will leverage an additional £5m in private sector co-investment and involves collaborations between over 50 UK and Ukrainian organizations.

Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko said:

Today we have a chance to demonstrate that the struggle for energy independence is a fight for the future. The green transition goes way beyond ecology or distributed generation. For Ukraine, this is a matter of national security. I am sure that the implementation of the project in the field of green technologies is of great importance for the future cooperation between Ukraine and the UK in the energy sector.

The British Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris said:

I am proud that the UK continues to support the recovery of the Ukrainian energy sector, particularly after recent brutal attacks from Russia. We want to see it greener and more resilient.

Our support for these 13 innovations – which bring together the best of British and Ukrainian business, universities, and civil society – will help Ukraine recover in a more sustainable way. These projects showcase the depth and breadth of partnership between our countries.

Some notable projects include developing a new space heating technology for heat pumps, an innovative battery storage solution for renewables, a more targeted approach to harnessing geothermal energy in Ukraine, and work to optimise Ukraine’s bioenergy resources.

The funded projects will execute their work plans over the next two years and receive support from an accelerator programme for further investment and market entry.

Originally announced at the UK-hosted Ukraine Recovery Conference in June 2023, this partnership has been designed by the UK and Ukrainian Governments over the course of the last 12 months.

By combining the rich science, technology and innovation heritage of both the UK and Ukraine, this competition aims to address not only Ukraine’s immediate priorities, but also wider global challenges.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK Minister for Indo-Pacific’s meetings in China and Hong Kong [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 April 2024.

UK Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan met with senior representatives from the Chinese government and Hong Kong authorities as part of her 6-day visit.

The UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, met with senior representatives from the Chinese government and Hong Kong authorities as part of her 6-day visit to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong.

In Beijing, she met with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deng Li.

The Minister reiterated to Vice Minister Deng the UK’s approach to China, in line with the Integrated Review Refresh – outlining the protect, align and engage pillars of the UK’s China strategy.

They discussed the global issues on which the P5 Security Council need to cooperate. The Minister encouraged China to use its influence positively to avert further escalation in the Middle East; and urge Russia to end its illegal invasion in Ukraine, including through engaging constructively with international efforts to achieve a just peace, and ensuring Chinese companies do not circumvent sanctions by supplying Russia including through dual use goods and components.

The 2 ministers explored mutual opportunities for greater co-operation between the UK and China on issues such as AI safety, trade, development, and climate change.

During the meeting, Minister Trevelyan made UK concerns clear, on human rights, the implementation of National Security legislation and connected cases in Hong Kong, including Jimmy Lai’s ongoing trial. The Minister set out concerns against any interference in the UK’s democratic institutions, stressing the importance of the UK’s parliamentary democracy and that we will always put our national security first. She urged China to lift sanctions on MPs and other British nationals.

Minister Trevelyan then travelled to Hong Kong in the first visit by a UK FCDO minister to the Special Administrative Region since 2018, meeting with Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui.

During the meeting, the Minister emphasised our historic ties to Hong Kong and its people and our support for rights and freedoms set out in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Minister raised concerns over the deterioration of rights and freedom in the city precipitated by the 2020 National Security Law, as well as the prosecution of Jimmy Lai and others and the recent passage of legislation under Article 23. She also addressed matters of concern for the BN(O) community in the UK including the imposition of bounties.

The ministers also discussed important areas for pragmatic cooperation, including issues of global concern like financial stability, tackling illicit finance and leadership on green finance.

Throughout the visit, the Minister reiterated the need for a constructive and open relationship to be able to discuss issues of mutual and global interest as well as areas of disagreement or concern.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Conflict-related sexual violence is not an inevitable consequence of war: UK statement at the UN Security Council [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 April 2024.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on conflict-related sexual violence.

Thank you, President, and I would like to thank SRSG Patten, Ms Ahmadi, and Ms Gurira for briefing us today. I would particularly like to thank SRSG Patten for her commitment to speaking out on behalf of victims and survivors, and for upholding and delivering on her mandate. Thank you.

President, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is not an inevitable consequence of war. The UK remains committed to tackling CRSV. Indeed, we have prioritised this agenda through the leadership of our Prime Minister’s special representative, and we’ve contributed through key initiatives including the launch of the Murad Code. I’d like to outline three priorities:

First, on the focus of today’s debate: UNIDIR estimates that 70-90% of CRSV incidents involve weapons and firearms. In contexts where widely available small arms and weapons are contributing to high rates of CRSV, effective conventional arms control can play a vital role in prevention. Women should be at the centre of these efforts.

Our own WPS National Action Plan highlights the importance of arms control. We call for the implementation of national arms control measures, including effective export controls, to strengthen CRSV prevention. Gender-responsive security sector reform will help ensure those who bear arms do not use them to perpetrate CRSV.

The fact that CRSV is so widespread, as shown in the Secretary General’s Annual Report, is truly shocking. This Council has an essential role to play in shaping the international response to CRSV. We should use the tools the Security Council has to deter future CRSV, including through sanctions where appropriate.

Second, President, there are three contexts I would like to draw particular attention to:

First, In Sudan, as Ms Ahmadi’s moving briefing brought home to us so clearly, reports of CRSV paint a dire picture, and the UK is supporting partners to care for and protect survivors. We echo the Secretary-General’s call for the cessation of violence, an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and for humanitarian corridors so that survivors can access support.

The second context is Ukraine. There is mounting evidence of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. Two Russian perpetrators have been convicted for CRSV. These acts appear to show a pattern where CRSV is being used as a weapon of war. The UK PSVI Team of Experts is helping to build investigatory capacity to support accountability in Ukraine.

The third context, in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, we condemn all allegations and reports of CRSV. We call for thorough investigations and a survivor-centred approach, and for hostages to be released immediately, and for detainees to be treated with dignity and in line with humanitarian international law.

Finally, President, in a world where, as we heard from Ms Gurira, 80 cents is all it takes to destroy a girl’s life, the UK continues to drive action to strengthen the global response to CRSV, having established last year the International Alliance on PSVI. Twenty-six members have joined including governments, multilaterals, survivors, and civil society organisations, including the ICC, and we continue to welcome new members. Through the Alliance, we are driving forward stronger international coordination to address CRSV and provide support to survivors.

We call for Council members to implement the recommendations of this report to play their part to end these abhorrent acts and to end impunity for them, once and for all.

Thank you.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Agreed joint statement from HM Treasury and the Investment Association [April 2024]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 23 April 2024.

Investing in defence companies contributes to our national security, defends the civil liberties we all enjoy, while delivering long-term returns for pensions funds and retail investors.

That is why the UK’s world leading investment management industry supports our defence sector, with the Investment Association’s members having invested £35 billion in UK defence companies.

Investing in good, high-quality, well-run defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations as long-term sustainable investment is about helping all sectors and all companies in the economy succeed.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK agrees research deal with Denmark and partnership with New Zealand to improve tsunami and earthquake detection [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 23 April 2024.

A ground-breaking project that could transform ocean monitoring, giving coastal communities vital extra time to prepare for tsunamis is being unveiled today.A ground-breaking project that could transform ocean monitoring, giving coastal communities vital extra time to prepare for tsunamis is being unveiled today.
- Plans to use quantum for early warnings of earthquakes and tsunamis unveiled as the UK agrees workplan with New Zealand to work together on this critical technology
- UK and New Zealand researchers to jointly trial technology pioneered by the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
- UK Science Minister announces agreement with New Zealand and will sign an MoU with Denmark at landmark meeting of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) science and tech ministers in Paris
A ground-breaking project that could transform ocean monitoring, giving coastal communities vital extra time to prepare for tsunamis is being unveiled today (Tuesday 23 April), alongside agreements that will boost the UK’s science and research links with both New Zealand and Denmark.

UK Science Minister Andrew Griffith will announce the agreements as he meets New Zealand Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins, and Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund, in Paris as part of a milestone meeting on science between Ministers from many of the world’s most advanced nations, the first of its kind since 2015.

Science and technology ministers from across the world’s leading economies are gathered in the French capital for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy Ministerial. The Ministerial is a key moment for like-minded nations to discuss opportunities for future partnerships and shape the future of co-operation on science and technology. It is a vital route for conversations on the development of new technologies and their risks.

The £750,000 joint project agreed today will see researchers from the UK and New Zealand build on technology that has been pioneered at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) from previous work on quantum systems. The technique uses telecommunication fibre optic cables that are already in place on the seabed, to detect earthquakes and ocean currents. The tech will be trialled in the Pacific Ocean – a region where earthquakes and tsunamis are common – with a view to investigate the use of seafloor cables to give coastal communities earlier warnings when tremors occur, which could potentially save thousands of lives.

The UK is investing £750,000 through the International Science Partnerships Fund, to allow UK researchers to work with New Zealand’s brightest minds and carry out the tests on the floor of the ocean between New Zealand and Australia. This project showcases the enormous potential of quantum that is being further built on with the workplan between the UK and New Zealand. The agreement sets out how the UK will elevate its ties with New Zealand to jointly tackle the most pressing challenges facing humanity, like natural disasters.

Experts from the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL), responsible for developing and maintaining measurement standards in the UK, will work with researchers from the Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand to prove the feasibility of using seafloor cables for earthquake detection – applying a technique called ‘optical interferometry’ that has already been successfully trialled in the Atlantic Ocean, using a fibre optic cable running almost 6,000 kilometres from the UK to Canada.

UK Science Minister Andrew Griffith said:

Global issues require global collaboration, which is why we need to build more and stronger partnerships on science and research with like-minded nations, just like the ones I am delighted to announce with New Zealand and Denmark today. That shared endeavour is precisely what we will focus on with colleagues from across the OECD, to ensure we can all benefit from the improvements to health and wealth that science and innovation promise to deliver.

“Bringing the UK and New Zealand’s brightest minds together, to overhaul how we give crucial advance warning of tsunamis, could save thousands of lives. This work proves the value of breakthrough technologies like quantum, and the international teamwork is crucial to harnessing them. The UK’s plans for closer work together on quantum with Denmark reinforces this, even further.”

Denmark Minister of Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund said:

The UK is a very attractive partner in the quantum field, with world class research environments and great investments. With the new MoU, we are bringing Denmark’s quantum strategy to a higher international level. Quantum technology holds enormous potential to provide us with solutions in virtually every imaginable area, but it requires large investments and strong collaboration. For a small open economy such as Denmark, it is crucial to cooperate with the world’s leading countries. Both when it comes to talent exchange, research, innovation, commercialization, security and defense. Therefore, I am very pleased that Denmark and the UK will now initiate an even closer collaboration on quantum technology.

The announcement of the research and innovation workplan with New Zealand will be made by the ministers as they attend the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy Ministerial in Paris. The UK will further expand its international links on quantum research in Paris as it signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Denmark. Denmark is an ideal partner to the UK as a key player in the quantum research sector and boosting our partnership will provide researchers in both countries with the best opportunities to work on transformative projects in areas such as transportation and life sciences.

The OECD brings together the world’s leading democratic economies, and the Ministerial is an important opportunity for like-minded countries, including the UK, Denmark, and New Zealand to promote the values-driven and open development of science and technology, cementing relationships and create exciting opportunities for future partnerships with overseas neighbours who share our values.

Today’s event is the first time since 2015 that the OECD’s Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy has met at the ministerial level, which shows the growing importance that all the world’s leading nations are placing on science and technology to boost their economies and deliver a better quality of life for all their citizens. Minister Griffith and other world leaders at the committee meeting will sign a declaration amplifying their shared aim to work together on science and technology for outcomes that will benefit us all.
May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Government plan to save 38 million hours of police time [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 April 2024.

38 million hours of police time could be saved under a plan supported by the government, as the drive continues to free up officers’ time so they can focus on keeping our streets safe.

In its response to the Policing Productivity Review, commissioned by the Home Office and published last autumn, the government has set out how £230 million will be spent over the next 4 years on new technology, such as live facial recognition and drones that will be used as first responders to meet the recommendations made by the independent Policing Productivity Team.

Previously announced in the spring budget, this investment will go towards innovation such as knife detection and artificial intelligence, including automatic redaction and translation, and will enable police to spend less time in the office, and more time in our communities.

The government will also be creating a new Centre for Police Productivity to provide the foundation for future improvements across policing. The centre will be integral to devising and implementing the further work raised in the review that could save the equivalent of an additional 20,000 police officers’ worth of time.

The productivity review also recommended many initiatives that the government has already started implementing, including the expansion of facial recognition, with £55.5 million committed to its rollout across the country over the next 4 years. This will include at least £4 million for bespoke mobile units that can be deployed in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police.

The expansion of Right Care, Right Person, which sees those experiencing a mental health crisis receiving the most appropriate treatment in the right environment by health and social care professionals, could save up to a million police hours a year.

If just 500,000 officer hours were saved, the review estimates that officers in England could attend an additional 250,000 incidents of domestic abuse or over 300,000 burglaries.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

It is critical that our police officers are out on our streets, stopping criminals and supporting the public, and we will continue in our plan to remove any barriers that keep them from this.

I want to see cutting edge innovation ingrained in our policing, and the new Centre for Police Productivity and our reforms to cut red tape will remove the bureaucracy that holds officers back.

By investing millions in facial recognition, AI, and new knife detection technology, we will continue to give police the tools they need to rise to the challenge of modern policing.

The productivity review highlighted a range of work that can save police time, and the government has already started on much of this in the past few years.

Last year, the government also signed the National Partnership Agreement with health authorities and the police that will see Right Care, Right Person implemented in all police forces in England. The approach will free up considerable amounts of police time to focus on keeping our communities safe. Created by Humberside Police and the NHS in 2019, it is now much easier for staff in police control rooms to identify the right agency to respond at the outset when dealing with calls about individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Changes have also been made to the Home Office Counting Rules, so all reported crimes for a single incident will now consistently be recorded under the ‘principal offence’, rather than as multiple entries on a database that effectively duplicates information. A core recommendation in the review, the National Police Chiefs’ Council report estimated that 443,000 officer hours can be saved by simplifying crime recording – freeing up time that could be better spent cutting crime and keeping our streets safe.

The government is also going beyond the productivity review’s recommendations with technologies, including investing in the piloting of drones as first responders. This will look at stationing ‘drones in a box’ in strategic locations for deployment to incidents prior to the arrival of emergency services, to provide support to front line policing and police operations by enabling enhanced response times, informed decisions prior to arriving on scene, and increased safety of the public and officers.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Alan Turing Institute – AI will be key to future national security decision making – but brings its own risks [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 23 April 2024.

Government prepares for age of AI with the publication of a new report from The Alan Turing Institute outlining the importance of AI to support strategic decision-making on national security.
- New report from one of the UK’s leading institutes for AI highlights the importance of harnessing AI to support national security decision making.
- AI tools can identify patterns, trends, and anomalies beyond human capability, and assist intelligence analysts to make sense of complex problems.
- The report was jointly commissioned by the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) and Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) and authored by the independent Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), a research centre based at The Alan Turing Institute.
AI must be viewed as a valuable tool to support senior national security decision makers in Government and intelligence organisations, according to the findings of a new independent report commissioned by government.

Published today, the new report reiterates the potential for AI to make transformational improvements in intelligence analysis by supporting analysts to process data more quickly and accurately, helping keep the UK safer.

The report also finds that the use of AI has the potential to exacerbate dimensions of uncertainty inherent in intelligence analysis and assessment, suggesting additional guidance for those using AI within national security decision-making is necessary.

With the huge growth of data available for analysis, AI can be used to handle the administrative tasks of data processing as well as to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies beyond human capability. The report authors state that not utilising the technology would be a missed opportunity and could undermine the value of intelligence assessments.

Jointly commissioned by the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) and Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ), and authored by The Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security (CETaS), the report also considers how both the risks and benefits of AI-enriched intelligence should be communicated to senior decision-makers in national security.

Whilst shining a light on its significant potential, the report highlights the importance of using AI for intelligence assessments safely and responsibly, with continuous monitoring and evaluation involving both human judgement and AI recommendations to help counteract biases.

The report suggests additional training and guidance for strategic decision-makers to help them understand the new uncertainties introduced by AI-enriched intelligence.

Additional recommendations include upskilling intelligence analysts, and strategic national security decision makers, including Director Generals, Permanent Secretaries and Ministers, and their staff to build trust in the new technology.

This report follows action already taken by government to ensure the UK is leading the world in the adoption of AI tools across the public sector, as set out in the Deputy Prime Minister’s recent speech at Imperial College on AI for Public Good.

For example, Government has already begun this work through its Generative AI Framework for HMG, which provides guidance for those working in government on using generative AI safely and securely.

The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said:

We are already taking decisive action to ensure we harness AI safely and effectively, including hosting the inaugural AI Safety Summit and the recent signing of our AI Compact at the Summit for Democracy in South Korea.

We will carefully consider the findings of this report to inform national security decision makers to make the best use of AI in their work protecting the country.

Dr Alexander Babuta, Director of The Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security said:

Our research has found that AI is a critical tool for the intelligence analysis and assessment community. But it also introduces new dimensions of uncertainty, which must be effectively communicated to those making high-stakes decisions based on AI-enriched insights. As the national institute for AI, we will continue to support the UK intelligence community with independent, evidence-based research, to maximise the many opportunities that AI offers to help keep the country safe.

Anne Keast-Butler, Director GCHQ said:

AI is not new to GCHQ or the intelligence assessment community, but the accelerating pace of change is. In an increasingly contested and volatile world, we need to continue to exploit AI to identify threats and emerging risks, alongside our important contribution to ensuring AI safety and security.
May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Minister Philp attends the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs [April 2024]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 April 2024.

Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire promotes the UK’s balanced approach towards tackling drug use, with a focus on the challenge of synthetic opioids.

The UK is a long-standing member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which is the UN’s primary policy making forum for international cooperation on drugs. It is mandated to supervise the application of the international drug control treaties and meets annually. This year’s CND took place across 14-22 March and marked the mid-way point in a 10 year strategy, established by the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, to tackle the world drug situation, during which a critical review of collective progress and new, emerging challenges was undertaken.

The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, attended to represent the UK and lead a cross-government delegation from Home Office, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The minister delivered a national statement highlighting the government’s approach towards tackling drugs and made several pledges to work closely with global partners to tackle drugs supply, to deliver the UK Addiction Mission through collaborative working and innovation, and to ensure that treatment and recovery services are evidence-led and widely available. High-level attendees also included US Secretary of State Blinken, Colombian Foreign Minister Murillo, EU DG HOME Commissioner Ylva Johansson, and Bolivia’s Vice President Choquehuanca.

Minister Philp used the CND as a platform to bring the increasing risk of synthetic opioids to the top of the international agenda, through bilateral discussions and by chairing a high-level panel discussion with US White House drug “czar” Dr Rahul Gupta, who noted that “The US appreciates the UK’s leadership in drawing global attention to dangerous synthetic opioids and looks forward to deepening our partnership to help protect public health and safety.”

The high-level side event also included speakers from the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau and the UNODC’s Executive Director, Ghada Waly, to share perspectives and responses to synthetic opioids, helping to raise awareness of the threat posed by nitazenes. Minister Philp described a range of activity led by UK government:

We are doing work upstream, with countries around the world where drugs are cultivated, countries through which drugs transit, often using the National Crime Agency, which is the UK equivalent of the FBI. We have had some very notable successes in making large scale seizures of heroin and cocaine out of the UK when they have been in transit. We are also doing a lot of work at the border, with the UK Border Force, to try to intercept drugs as they enter the United Kingdom… We have a lot of work going on combatting organised criminal gangs, domestically targeting them. We also enforce against drug consumption, particularly drug consumption in public. So, law enforcement is a critical and indispensable component in the fight against crime. But law enforcement on its own is not enough. We’re also investing very heavily in a world class treatment and recovery system. We’re investing an additional £780m, that’s almost £1 billion, over three years, to increase capacity in our treatment system. If we can get people treated successfully then the demand for drugs will reduce. And the associated criminality will reduce – both the criminality associated with drug supply, but also the addict committing crime to fund the offence.

The minister stressed the importance of tackling the emerging challenge of synthetic opioids, through zero-tolerance law enforcement, early warning systems, treatment, and international cooperation:

We established the taskforce, and it reaches across government, with various agencies involved – the Ministry of Justice, the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, the Department for Health, the domestic police, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as this is ultimately an international problem with international supply chains that cross the globe.

We think that information and monitoring system is important so that, as this threat potentially develops, we can act very quickly to try to combat it… We are a very enthusiastic member of the US-led Global Coalition Against Synthetic Drugs. We will do everything we can to work with and support our American friends and allies, and countries around the world, to tackle this treat. And that is really what brought me here to Vienna today, as it’s only through international cooperation: by working together on supply, working together on law enforcement, sharing best practice, and by sharing what works in terms of treatment. By working together, we can beat the threat of synthetic opioids.

This emerging threat has also seen media attention, with minister Philp publishing an op-ed in The Times, to coincide with his visit and the government banning 15 synthetic opioids on 20 March.

The regular CND segment which followed the high-level event was led by officials from across Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Department of Health and Social Care and the Joint Combating Drugs Unit. The regular segment focused on the negotiation of 4 resolutions and voting on 23 substances to be place under international control. The UK played an active role in the 4 resolutions and continued to work closely with likeminded countries, to defend commitments on gender equality, human rights and civil society engagement.

CND ultimately provides an important platform, from which the UK promotes its balanced approach towards tackling drug use and related harms, maintains our international reputation, builds links with a range of international partners, and progresses the government’s ambitions on drugs and wider strategic policy aims.

May 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland [April 2024]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on his visit to Poland.
- PM to travel to Poland and Germany to cement security, trade and diplomatic ties with key European allies
- He is expected to announce a £500 million boost for Ukraine and largest-ever provision of vital munitions, including some 400 vehicles, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition
- PM to discuss the threat from Russia and UK efforts to support European security with Prime Minister Tusk and the Nato Secretary-General in Warsaw
The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April] to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine, including £500 million in additional military funding and our largest-ever delivery of vital equipment.

He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of Europe.

The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.

The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes:
- 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
- More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
- More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
- Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border.

“I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence. Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia.

“The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.

“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.

“Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win.”

In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen UK-Poland ties across a range of issues.

Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato Air Policing over Poland next year.

To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for Poland from £5 billion to £15 billion – our most generous offer to a partner country to date.

Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last decade to reach £30.6 billion, with 45 million bottles of Scotch whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for £5 billion worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure.
May 8, 2024