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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 24 February 2026.

    New surveillance, detection and investigative capabilities rolled out by Environment Agency to tackle waste crime.

    Waste criminals will be detected and stopped before they even get started, thanks to a new package of surveillance and investigative measures announced by the Environment Agency (EA) today (Friday 20 February 2026).  

    As part of a major crackdown on waste crime, an enhanced 33-strong drone squad will now track down illegal dumps from the air. The drones, some of which are being upgraded to carry laser mapping technology, will capture evidence to help secure successful prosecutions.  

    The Environment Agency has also developed a new screening tool that enables EA officers to scan and cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records – with suspect operators flagged before they have a chance to move waste illegally. 

    The new capabilities are backed by a reinforced Joint Unit for Waste Crime – now a 20-strong group of specialists working closely with law enforcement partners to dismantle organised criminal networks. This builds on a record year for waste enforcement, with 751 illegal waste sites shut down.  

    Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit said: 

    Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.  

    With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them. 

    Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: 

    This Government is aggressively pursuing waste criminals and bringing offenders to justice. 

    By increasing the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6 million, we’re investing in cutting-edge technology that allows us to shut down illegal operators faster and more effectively. 

    From advanced laser-mapping to drone surveillance and new vehicle-scanning tools, this technology is helping us track, expose and stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account. 

    Greater drone surveillance and Lidar mapping  

    The Environment Agency has stepped up its use of drone surveillance, with a total of 33 trained pilots putting a greater focus on waste crime. Since July last year, the EA’s drones were in the air for 272 hours. 

    Drones will soon be equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, which fires millions of laser points per second towards the ground below to create highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites. 

    Currently flown from a dedicated aircraft mainly to capture flood information, moving Lidar onto drones will allow even more precise mapping, pinpointing exactly where waste has been dumped. These maps can be used as evidence in court to and help bring waste criminals to justice.  

    New screening scans Office of the Traffic Commissioner data  

    Each week, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner publishes reports, listing all new applications for Heavy Goods Vehicle operator licences.  

    New software checks those applications against the EA’s public register, identifying which operators hold waste permits and waste carrier licences. This enables EA officers to identify and target potential offenders before they begin operating.  

    The new tool has already been trialled successfully in East Anglia, where it helped the agency uncover a waste company that had secretly relocated its HGV operations to evade enforcement. The software flagged the new operating centre within a week, allowing EA officers to intervene before a licence was approved.  

    Recruiting more officers to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime  

    The Environment Agency has also increased the size of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime from 13 to 20 specialists, including former police officers. 

    Alongside EA enforcement officers across the country, the Unit brings together multiple organisations, including police forces and the National Crime Agency, to disrupt serious and organised waste crime. 

    This builds on enforcement action taken by the EA up to March 2025, which included 221 prosecutions against waste criminals.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government ends runaway independent special school fees [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government ends runaway independent special school fees [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 February 2026.

    Children’s progress put first as government ends runaway independent special school fees.

    Thousands more children with SEND will get the support that helps them achieve and thrive under new government action to end spiralling independent special school costs and reinvest funding where it makes the biggest difference to pupils’ life chances. 

    It comes ahead of the Government’s schools white paper, which will be a golden opportunity to change the course of children’s lives for the better, moving away from a one size fits all approach to one where every child belongs and where high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin.

    Independent special schools charge an average of £63,000 per child per year – more than twice the £26,000 cost of a state special school. Yet there is no evidence children do any better. Over 30% of these schools are backed by private equity firms, with public money intended for children and young people with the most complex needs instead flowing into private profit.

    For the first time, clear national price bands and strengthened standards will ensure every specialist placement delivers real progress for children – not higher bills for councils – ending the postcode lottery that families have faced in securing high-quality SEND support.

    Demand for SEND support has risen sharply in recent years, driving an over-reliance on expensive independent special school placements. Today’s measures will reset the specialist sector so that funding is focused on what matters most – high-quality education, better progress and stronger life chances for children. 

    And for those children who we know can thrive in mainstream schools with the right support, new research shows that children with SEND perform half a grade better at GCSE than their peers in special schools.

    Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

    For too long, families have faced a postcode lottery – fighting for support that depends on where they live, not what their child needs. That ends now.

    We’re cracking down on providers who put profit before children. New standards and proper oversight will ensure every independent special school placement delivers real outcomes for children – not unreasonable bills for local authorities.

    This is about building a system where every child with SEND can achieve and thrive, at a school that’s right for them and delivers the life chances they deserve.

    Under the plans: 

    • New national price bands will end unjustified fee variation for the same provision, giving councils the confidence to challenge poor value placements. 
    • New statutory SEND-specific standards will ensure every independent special school delivers consistent, high-quality support and clear outcomes for pupils. 
    • Full cost transparency will show exactly how public money is spent. 
    • Local authorities will have a formal say on new or expanding independent provision so places are created where children actually need them. 

    Where special schools are the right setting for children with the most complex needs, the new framework will ensure places are high-quality, locally planned and financially sustainable. 

    Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the LGA, said:

    It is good the Government has set out plans to regulate independent special schools and measures to control costs.

    While in some cases an independent school can be the best place for a child to attend, it is wrong that when councils’ own costs are soaring that some providers are setting unreasonably high prices and making significant profits from state-funded placements.

    To reduce the reliance on independent special schools, we look forward to the Government’s Schools White Paper ensuring more children with SEND get the care and support they need in schools and other mainstream settings. 

    These measures complement work already underway to create an inclusive education system, including £3.7 billion to deliver 60,000 specialist places in mainstream schools and £200 million to train all teachers and teaching assistants to support pupils with SEND. 

    This forms the foundations of the government’s reform plans, centred around the belief that children with SEND can thrive in mainstream settings with the right support.

    For example, when looking at comparable pupils with EHCPs, the data shows that not only are those in mainstream schools considerably more likely to be entered into GCSE exams, but those who are, achieve around half a GCSE grade higher in English and maths than their peers in special schools. 

    That’s a half a grade which could mean the difference between a pass or fail at one of the most important academic milestones. 

    The forthcoming Schools White Paper will build on these reforms, setting out further action to strengthen oversight, improve inclusion and ensure public funding is directed to the support that delivers the best outcomes for children and young people.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Let this be the time that the world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed in Sudan – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Let this be the time that the world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed in Sudan – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

    Statement by The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

    Two weeks ago, I stood in Adré, on the Chad-Sudan border. 

    A camp of over 140,000 people who have fled Sudan’s conflict – and 85% of them are women and children. Women I met who are teachers, nurses, students, small businesswomen, market traders, mothers back home but whose lives and whose families are ripped apart,

    I spoke to a mother who didn’t know whether her children are still alive.

    A Sudanese young woman told me that most women she knew had experienced what she termed ‘bad violence’ that no one wanted to talk about it because of the shame.

    A Sudanese community worker told me she thought more than half of the women had been subjected to sexual violence. And other community workers who have told yet more distressing stories one about three sisters arriving at the Sudanese Emergency Response Room facility who had all been raped. The oldest sister was 13. The youngest was 8.

    There is a war being waged on the bodies of women and girls, and I told the women that I spoke to in Adre that I would bring their voices and their stories to the United Nations and to the world and that is what we are doing today because the world must hear the voices of the women of Sudan, and not the military men perpetuating this conflict.

    Voices that ensure this Council confronts the bitter truth, because the world has been catastrophically failing the people of Sudan.

    This is the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.

    A war that has left 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 14 million people forced to flee their homes, famine stalking millions of malnourished children and a conflict that embedded in vested interests and regional rivalries with implications that go far beyond Sudan’s borders.

    Yet too often the world has looked away. We must shine a spotlight on the suffering in Sudan. And that is why in the Human Rights Council in November the UK led work across countries to commission the fact-finding mission into El Fasher and the siege and capture of the city the RSF, and that report is now published today. That report is now published today and I am bringing its evidence and conclusions before this Security Council. Page after page of the most distressing accounts imaginable. It is horrific.

    Quotes which say:

    “Survivors consistently spoke of widespread killings, including indiscriminate shootings and point-blank executions of civilians in homes, streets, open areas or while attempting to flee the city.”

    “A pregnant woman was asked how far she was in her pregnancy. When she responded, “seven months”, he fired seven bullets into her abdomen, killing her”.

    “Hospitals, medical personnel, the sick and wounded were not spared.”

    “And survivors reported being raped in front of their relatives, including their children.”

    “Ethnic targeting.”

    And calls for, as it says, “extermination.”

    So why are we here, in this Council, when we see a report concluding that the violence bears “the hallmarks of genocide.”

    This Council, whose mandate and purpose is to confront such shocking crimes and to drive action.

    Because El Fasher should have been a turning point. Instead, the violence is now continuing.

    More than three months after the fall of El-Fasher, we continue to hear and see reports of continued violations of international humanitarian law or human rights abuses unfolding.

    Aid agencies still facing barriers to getting in, schools, hospitals, markets and humanitarian convoys being destroyed. 

    Four attacks on the World Food Programme since the start of this month alone. There have been reports of strikes on aid operations by both RSF and SAF and the real risk of further escalation now across Sudan and beyond as fighting spreads to the Kordofan regions.

    This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it is a regional security crisis and a migration crisis too.

    We have seen the impact for regional security on neighbouring countries and on the whole of the Horn of Africa and along the Sahel, opportunities for extremists to exploit and terror groups to take hold.  And millions displaced from their homes, the risk of increased migration destabilising nations nearby but also across and into Europe as well.

    This affects all of us.

    And that is why we need action and we need the United Nations to be a force for countries to come together from across the world to demand peace.

    First it means demanding unimpeded humanitarian access and far greater humanitarian support, protection for civilians and for aid workers. Both warring parties must lift the restrictions on aid.

    The UN 2026 appeal is just 13 per cent funded — leaving frontline agencies without the funding they need to save lives.

    The UK is the third largest Sudan donor, providing $200 million dollars this year, plus $54 million dollars for Sudanese refugees. And in Chad, I announced a further $27 million dollars to support survivors of sexual violence. But aid alone won’t stop this.

    We need an immediate humanitarian truce and a pathway to a permanent ceasefire, so I commend the work of the US and President Trump’s Special Advisor who has convened the Quad of nations with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to discuss plans for peace, and the commitment from the Quintet, from the African union, and the European Union and others  to support plans for peace.

    But we will need pressure from every UN member state, and I urge all of those with influence on both the RSF and the SAF not to fuel further conflict but instead to exert maximum pressure on them to halt the bloodshed, to pull back and to pursue a plan for peace.

    A plan which includes rebuilding Sudanese civil society, supporting civil society groups and a civilian transition because it should be the people of Sudan who determine Sudan’s future.

    And that means we also need an end to the arms flows.

    There is no military solution to this conflict, but the reason that the military men still convince themselves there is a military solution is because they can still obtain ever more lethal weapons. External support from at least a dozen states funding, manufacturing, transit, training that is perpetuating the conflict and the misery.

    The Fact-Finding Mission has said that it will report back further on investigations into breaches of the UN arms embargo into Darfur, but arms restrictions need to be enforced and extended, so again I appeal to all nations – now is the time to choke off the arms flows and exert tangible pressure for peace.

    And we need accountability, it is time for more sanctions against the perpetrators of these vile crimes. The UK has already sanctioned several senior RSF commanders linked to the atrocities committed in El Fasher. 

    And this week we joined the US and France in proposing they be designated by the UN Security Council too. We are confronting impunity by supporting the ICC’s Sudan investigation so we can bring perpetrators to justice.

    Last September at the UN General Assembly the energy and determination in this Security Council but right across the UN around the peace process for Gaza, rightly, was immense. We could see and feel countries across the world coming together – countries who normally disagree coming together– to back a peace process. That is what made it possible for the US-led plan to deliver a ceasefire within weeks

    We need that same energy and determination we have rightly brought to the peace process for Gaza now to bring peace for Sudan, so that we can secure an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian truce and so that those responsible for atrocities are held to account.

    Let this be the time that world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed and to pursue a path to peace.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 19 February 2026.

    Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction.

    • £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction
    • Wearable tech, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality projects to be considered
    • Part of the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme to save and improve lives

    Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.

    Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.

    Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.

    Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said: 

    Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery – of hundreds of thousands of people.

    Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing, including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.

    Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.

    Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs.

    Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects, which costs England an estimated £47 billion each year.

    The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards – part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences – will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and AI‑enabled tools.

    These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.

    Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

    This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.

    Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, said: 

    Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause.

    To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care.

    These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery.

    Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate UK, said:

    Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services.

    By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.

    Applications open today (16 February 2026), with awards of up to £10 million available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects that can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval.

    These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.

    A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.

    Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.

    How to apply

    Applications for funding close on 6 May 2026.

    More information about the funding available and where to apply is on Innovate UK’s website: supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.

    An online briefing event will be held on 19 February to guide organisations through eligibility, scope and the application process. Register for the online event

    Background information

    The AHG programme is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences, alongside the dementia, mental health, cancer and obesity Healthcare Goals.

    The AHG is working to make the UK a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions, save lives and benefit society.

    Other opportunities from AHG include the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme, with over £10 million of funding available, to support career development and training for a pipeline of future leaders in addiction research across the UK.

    The AHG programme forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s ambition to deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system for people experiencing drug and alcohol addictions.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2026.

    Government announces a record £73.4 million in funding in 2026 to 2027 for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other faith sites.

    Faith communities across the UK can feel safer, thanks to record levels of funding for protective security announced today.

    Up to £73.4 million in funding will be available in 2026 to 2027 through the government’s different protective security schemes for Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites. This funding will pay for on-site security staff and equipment such as CCTV, fencing, intruder alarms and floodlights. 

    Up to £28.4 million will be available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is managed by the Community Security Trust (CST), for measures at synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres. 

    Up to £40 million will be available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, which supports mosques, Muslim schools and community centres.

    Eligible organisations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office. 

    Last October, the Prime Minister announced the Jewish and Muslim protective security schemes would receive an additional £10 million uplift in 2025 to 2026 to respond to increased threats. Today’s announcement confirms those record funding levels will be maintained through next year.

    Meanwhile, the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, which is for all non-Jewish or Muslim faiths, will receive an uplift of £1.5 million, bringing the total available to protect Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other faith sites to a record £5 million.

    The next application window for this scheme will open later this year.

    Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

    Nobody should be forced to live a smaller life in this country because of their faith. 

    The funding we have announced today will protect places of worship, faith-based schools and community centres across the country. 

    This government will never tolerate religious hatred or intimidation.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    We are ensuring record funding to protect faith communities all across the UK.

    This goes further than cameras and alarms, it’s about restoring peace of mind and sending the message: religious persecution and intolerance has no place in Britain.

    Hate crime sits at unacceptable levels across the UK. The 2025 hate crime statistics for England and Wales show overall religious hate crime was at all-time record levels. Jewish people were proportionately more affected by these shameful crimes, while 45% of all religious hate crimes last year targeted Muslims. Meanwhile, statistics published by the CST last week show that antisemitic incidents in 2025 were at their second-highest levels since the CST began keeping records.

    Local police forces have also stepped up patrols in at-risk areas, and we have given police more powers and resources to manage repeat, intimidating protests, investigate religious hate crimes, and support communities who feel targeted.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

    Joint Ministerial Statement from the UK and partners on the Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan.

    We express grave concern over the continued deadly unlawful attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations as heavy fighting across the Kordofan and Darfur States continues. The recent severe escalation in drone and aerial attacks including those affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, food convoys and areas near humanitarian compounds have resulted in a significant number of civilian deaths and injuries and is further disrupting humanitarian access and supply lines.

    In recent weeks alone, drone and rocket strikes on trucks and warehouses of the World Food Programme, as well as on health facilities, have resulted in the deaths and severe injuries of civilians and humanitarian personnel and the destruction of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and infrastructure. Intentional attacks against humanitarian personnel, vehicles, or supplies, as well as wilfully impeding relief supplies, are contrary to international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.

    The Darfur and Kordofan States remain at the epicenter of the world’s largest humanitarian and protection crisis. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, famine is confirmed and severe hunger continues to spread. Up to 100.000 people have been displaced in recent months in the Kordofan states alone. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, violations and abuses committed by the RSF and its allied militias in and around El Fasher last October risk being repeated in the Kordofan region. We urgently repeat our call to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militias to immediately cease hostilities.

    We condemn the abhorrent violence against civilians, particularly women and children and all serious violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest terms. These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be promptly and impartially investigated, with those responsible for international crimes brought to justice.

    All parties must respect international humanitarian law which includes an obligation to allow and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded access of food, medicine, and other essential supplies to civilians in need. Civilians including humanitarian personnel must be protected at all times, particularly women and girls, who remain at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Those fleeing must be granted safe passage.

    We stand with the people of Sudan and humanitarian organisations – local and international – who are working tirelessly and under extremely challenging conditions to assist them.

    This statement has been signed by:

    Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany

    Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

    Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy

    Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

    Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria

    Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus

    David van Weel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands

    Dr. Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta

    Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland

    Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

    Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

    Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

    Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain

    Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

    Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

    Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

    Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

    Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium

    Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

    Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand

    Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

    Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia

    Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia

    Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

    Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minster for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg

    Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal

    Dominik Stillhart, Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Deputy Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation

    Jiri Brodsky, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

    Nikolay Berievski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

    Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

    Croatia

    Poland

  • PRESS RELEASE : Serial waste crook, Varun Datta, forced to pay over £1.4 million for widespread illegal dumping [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Serial waste crook, Varun Datta, forced to pay over £1.4 million for widespread illegal dumping [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 February 2026.

    Company boss handed suspended prison sentence and massive bill for illegally dumping thousands of tonnes of waste across England.

    A prolific waste criminal has been ordered to hand over more than £1.4 million for illegally dumping in excess of 4,275 tonnes of waste across England.

    A nationwide investigation by the Environment Agency uncovered a network of 16 illegal dumping sites, stretching from the northeast to the south coast. Farms, a historic manor house and a nature reserve were among the locations trashed.

    Varun Datta, 36, of Little Chester Street, London, must now pay £1.1 million, reflecting the financial benefit from his crimes, plus £100,000 in compensation and £200,000 in prosecution costs. He was also slapped with a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months, as well as 30 days’ rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

    The shocking case, which concluded in Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (13 February), involved the prosecution of two other men, with one being fined and the other facing a suspended sentence, rehabilitation and unpaid work. Warrants for the arrest of two other men are still active.

    Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager in the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit, said:

    We are glad to see the perpetrators brought to justice in this appalling case.

    Despite their attempts to conceal their criminality, our in-depth investigation spanning the length and breadth of the country ultimately uncovered those responsible.

    We will never stop fighting to end the scourge of waste crime which scars our environment and communities.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

    This is a shocking case of illegal waste dumping, orchestrated by a group of shameless crooks who thought they could operate above the law.

    I welcome the punishments secured by the Environment Agency – which send a clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide.

    This government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country by boosting funds to tackle waste crime and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law.

    In 2018, the Environment Agency seized £131,520 in cash from Datta’s home address. In 2022, a restraint order was applied to two bank accounts ensuring that any future confiscation order could be paid. After pleading not guilty in 2023, Datta subsequently pleaded guilty in June 2025 to knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at sixteen sites. The total weight of the waste was around 4,275 tonnes – roughly the weight of 600 African elephants.

    The offences were branded “reckless” by Judge Paul Farrar KC. “Smell and flies were a feature at some of the illegal sites and caused a localised adverse effect to air quality,” he said, with landowners “forced to incur substantial costs in removing the illegal waste.” No environmental permit or valid exemption was in place at any of the sites, which were spread across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Kent, Surrey, Rutland and Middlesborough.

    The court heard that Datta became a registered waste broker through his company, Atkins Recycling Ltd, in 2015. He acted recklessly by claiming the waste the company handled was being sent to a legal site at Kiveton Park, near Sheffield. However, the loads were actually diverted to unlicensed dumps around the country. It is alleged that an associate, Sandeep Golechha, 55, of Wheatley Close, London, helped to falsify weighbridge documents to cover up the illegal acts.

    The £100,000 in compensation to be paid by Datta relates to the dumping at the former Sulzer Dowding Mills Factory site in Middlesbrough, as well as the Middleton Nature Reserve in Lancashire. Middlesborough Council will receive £70,000 towards the cost of the clean-up, while £30,000 will be awarded to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust for the future management of the Middleton Nature Reserve.

    Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is asked to report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline – 0800 80 70 60 – or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    NOTES FOR EDITORS

    • Datta has been ordered to pay £1,116,432.78 by way of a Confiscation Order. This figure was agreed by the parties. It represents the financial gain to the defendant from knowingly causing the deposit of waste.
    • Mohammed Saraji Bashir, 45, of Windmill Street, Peterborough, had pleaded guilty on 3 June 2025 for knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at three sites. He was given a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.
    • Robert William McAllister, 55, of Iveagh Close, Northwood, London, had pleaded guilty on 7 November 2024 for failing to comply with the duty of care imposed on brokers of waste, in relation to controlled waste that was deposited at two sites. He was fined £750.
    • The Court was told that Bashir and McAllister acted as brokers. They both failed to ensure that the waste transferred was going to permitted sites.
    • Warrants for Sandeep Golechha, 53, of Wheatley Close, London, and Jason Newman, of no fixed abode, are still active.
    • The majority of the waste dumped was mixed municipal waste, wrapped in plastic to form bales.

    The Sites

    1. Unit P, Continental Approach, Westwood Business Park, Margate, Kent
    2. Trelawny House, Straight Drove, Farcet, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
    3. Somersbury Manor, Horsham Lane, Ewhurst, Cranleigh, Surrey
    4. The Drift, Sewstern, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    5. Stockenhall Farm, Stretton, Rutland
    6. Yaxley Lodge Farm, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire
    7. Conquest Drove, Farcet, Cambridgeshire
    8. Humby Mills Farm, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    9. Sycamore Farm, Lower Bassingthorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire
    10. Peacock Farm, Muston, Leicestershire
    11. Lime Tree Farm, English Drove, Thorney, Lincolnshire
    12. Gill Bridge Farm, Boston, Lincolnshire
    13. The Limes, Spalding, Lincolnshire
    14. The Former Sulzer, Dowding and Mills Factory, Lower East Street, Middlesbrough
    15. Middleton Nature Reserve, Lancashire
    16. Rhyddings Mill, Stonebridge Lane, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire
  • PRESS RELEASE : Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 19 February 2026.

    The appointment marks the first time a woman has held the role in its over 100 year history.

    The Prime Minister has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, following a process approved by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner.

    Dame Antonia is currently Permanent Secretary of the Home Office. Building on 25 years of public service leadership, as Cabinet Secretary she will lead the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda. 

    Dame Antonia Romeo is currently the longest-serving permanent secretary in government and will become the first female Cabinet Secretary in the more than 100-year history of the role. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    I am delighted to appoint Dame Antonia Romeo as the new Cabinet Secretary. She is an outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people.

    Since becoming Prime Minister, I’ve been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done. Families across the country are still feeling the squeeze, and this government is focused on easing the cost of living, strengthening public services and restoring pride in our communities. It is essential we have a Cabinet Secretary who can support the government to make this happen.

    Antonia has shown she is the right person to drive the government to reform and I look forward to working with her to deliver this period of national renewal.

    Dame Antonia Romeo said: 

    It is a huge privilege to be asked to serve as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

    The Civil Service is a great and remarkable institution, which I love. We should be known for delivery, efficiency and innovation, working to implement the Government’s agenda and meet the challenges the country faces.

    I look forward to working with all colleagues across the Civil Service to do this, in support of the Prime Minister and the Government.

    Dame Antonia has spent nearly a decade leading economic, public services and security departments. As Permanent Secretary of the Department of International Trade, Dame Antonia set up the new department from scratch as the UK left the EU, bringing together trade policy with promotion and finance for the first time. 

    As Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice she led the official response to the civil unrest of summer 2024, working across the criminal justice system to keep the country safe, and launched the Sentencing Review. 

    At the Home Office she has launched a plan to restore order and control to the asylum system and the biggest reform of policing in decades, and led the publication of the strategy to build a safer society for women and girls in support of the Home Secretary. 

    Appointment process:

    Following the departure of Sir Chris Wormald as Cabinet Secretary, the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary.   

    Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role. 

    First Civil Service Commissioner Baroness Gisela Stuart said: 

    I approved the comprehensive due diligence process and agreed the conclusions drawn, to form the basis for the Prime Minister to make an appointment decision.

    Dame Antonia Romeo has an excellent track record in leadership positions across the civil service, including three Permanent Secretary roles in some of the most complex operational departments in Government.

    Dame Antonia was found to be a suitable candidate for the role during the previous recruitment process in 2024. Under the direction of the First Civil Service Commissioner, consideration has been given to her performance at the Ministry of Justice and Home Office since the previous recruitment process took place. 

    An enhanced due diligence process has also been undertaken by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office and the interim Government Chief People Officer, which will form the basis for the appointments to the Cabinet Secretary role in future.

    Dame Antonia takes up the role with immediate effect. 

  • PRESS RELEASE : Bold bet on AI to keep UK at forefront of science and research breakthroughs from healthcare, to better public services [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Bold bet on AI to keep UK at forefront of science and research breakthroughs from healthcare, to better public services [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 February 2026.

    First-ever AI Strategy for UK Research and Innovation marks bold plan to make AI deliver for UK’s cutting-edge science and research efforts.

    • First-ever AI Strategy for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) marks bold plan to make AI deliver for UK’s cutting-edge science and research efforts, supporting breakthroughs from health to clean energy and beyond
    • AI ambitions for UK’s largest public research funder backed by record £1.6 billion, directly targeted at the AI sector between now and the end of the decade
    • From screening for cancer to harnessing clean energy, research and innovation is critical to making AI work for good: a key theme of this year’s AI Impact Summit

    AI will be put to work to transform cutting-edge research into innovations that benefit us all – from better healthcare and new public services to cutting edge products. 

    The UK’s largest public research funder UKRI has set out its first-ever plan to put AI to work for the nation’s world-leading innovators today (Thursday 19 February) – building on the UK’s historic strengths in fields like computing and agentic AI. 

    UKRI-backed work on AI is already making a difference across society and the economy – from the world-leading RADAR AI system that detects faults on the railway network in real time, to the IXI Brain Atlas which is supporting more than 40 clinical trials into degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s by helping to analyse brain scans. 

    In the recent Spending Review settlement, UKRI committed a record £1.6 billion of funding directly targeted at the AI sector over the next 4 years, its biggest single investment area for 2026 to 2030. This includes funding for specific activity that UKRI will deliver on behalf of  the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – which is subject to change as delivery plans are finalised. It also sits alongside significant additional AI investment woven through the broader UKRI budget.  

    The new strategy signals UKRI’s intention to make major investments in mathematics, computer science and engineering research which underpin AI expertise. World-class researchers and businesses across the UK will also benefit from better access to the right tools, training and infrastructure to unlock new growth across the UK. This will help bring to life innovations that make people’s lives better – a key theme of the India AI Impact Summit which continues this week. 

    Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who is leading the UK delegation at the India AI Impact Summit, said: 

    The UK is backing its pioneering AI leadership with more than £1.6 billion in investment to make sure the best of British expertise develops the next wave of AI innovations. Together we are turning potential into progress and that’s the ambition I am bringing to the AI Summit in India this week.

    From spotting cancers earlier to cutting backlogs in public services, new research into AI will be a game-changer, bringing the promise of tomorrow’s technologies to the UK today.

    UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said: 

    The potential of combining our AI expertise with our peerless R&D community is a game-changer. This plan will harness AI to accelerate both the pace and possibility of scientific endeavour.

    We are already seeing AI change the game for what’s possible in fields from health, to energy, and beyond. Boldly backing this technology is how we push our Great British innovators to further success, and build a path to breakthroughs that boost our health, wealth, and wellbeing.

    The strategy also commits to expanding doctoral and fellowship routes co-designed with businesses. It will also support recognised career frameworks for research software engineers, data scientists and ethics specialists – supporting the high-paying jobs of the future.  

    AI is one of the central growth sectors in the UK’s industrial strategy. UKRI’s plan will turn the UK’s scientific excellence into economic advantage by supporting regional clusters, creating new jobs and backing technologies with high-growth potential.  

    Professor Charlotte Deane, Senior Responsible Owner for the UKRI AI Programme and Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said:  

    The UK has deep strengths in AI. From the country of Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace, we have a world-class tradition in mathematics and computer science. This strategy will turn that research excellence into national advantage.

    To do that, we must make bold choices in areas where the UK can genuinely lead the world. UKRI will play a central role in backing the full innovation pathway from fundamental research to prototypes to scale-up.

    By uniting universities, businesses, industry and government we can unlock the potential we have long had but have not yet fully mobilised.

    Areas of focus 

    Under the new strategic framework, investment will focus on 6 priority areas:  

    • advancing technology development  
    • transforming research through AI  
    • developing AI skills and talent  
    • accelerating innovation for economic growth and societal benefit 
    • championing responsible and trustworthy AI 
    • building world-class AI data and infrastructure 

    Central to UKRI’s plan is building a strong research and innovation community which will support them with the skills they need to become the AI leaders of the future.  

    UKRI-backed AI research is already making a difference to everyday life, from the world’s first system spotting railway faults before they cause delays to a tool detecting online harm to keep us safe. In healthcare, AI-powered brain imaging is helping to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.  

    Now UKRI is now putting its weight behind AI. Under the new strategy, it will help to deliver:  

    • up to £137 million as part of DSIT’s AI for Science Strategy to back AI-enabled scientific discovery starting with drug discovery and new treatments 
    • £36 million to upgrade the University of Cambridge’s “DAWN” supercomputer supporting breakthroughs in areas like healthcare and environmental modelling. 

    Today’s AI is built on decades of curiosity-driven research across mathematics, computer science, neuroscience and linguistics.  

    The strategy will create an environment where discovery-led research continues to thrive. It will simplify programmes and remove barriers, supporting researchers through the journey from fundamental research to prototypes to scale-up.  

  • PRESS RELEASE : Tech firms will have to take down abusive images within 48 hours under new law to protect women and girls [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Tech firms will have to take down abusive images within 48 hours under new law to protect women and girls [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 February 2026.

    New law requires tech platforms to take down non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours or face fines.

    • Government orders tech platforms to detect and remove intimate images shared without consent
    • Firms put on notice that any non-consensual intimate image that is flagged to them must be taken down in under 48 hours
    • Government clear that tackling intimate image abuse should be treated with the same severity the same as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content

    Tech companies will be ordered to take down intimate images shared without a victim’s consent within 48 hours, under new laws to protect women and girls from this distressing abuse.

    Through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, companies will be legally required to remove this content no more than 48 hours after it is flagged to them, and platforms that fail to act could face fines of up to 10% of their qualifying worldwide revenue or having their services blocked in the UK.

    The government is determined to make sure that victims will only need to report an image once. This would mean where an image is reported, they are removed across multiple platforms in one go, and from then on, they are automatically deleted at every new upload.

    As part of that work, plans are currently being considered by Ofcom for these kinds of images to be treated with the same severity as child sexual abuse and terrorism content, digitally marking them so that any time someone tries to repost them, they will be automatically taken down.

    In a further step to protect victims, we will publish guidance for internet providers setting out how they should block access to sites hosting this content, targeting rogue websites that may fall outside the reach of the Online Safety Act.

    In recent years, there has been a worrying trend of intimate images being used to threaten, intimidate and distress, and the Prime Minister is determined to hand back control to victims and end their fear that even when an image is taken down, it will only be put up somewhere else.

    Prime Minister Keir Stamer said:

    As Director of Public Prosecutions, I saw firsthand the unimaginable, often lifelong pain and trauma violence against women and girls causes. As Prime Minister, I will leave no stone unturned in the fight to protect women from violence and abuse. 

    The online world is the frontline of the 21st century battle against violence against women and girls. That’s why my government is taking urgent action: against chatbots and ‘nudification’ tools.

    Today we are going further, putting companies on notice so that any non-consensual image is taken down in under 48 hours.

    Violence against women and girls has no place in our society, and I will not rest until it is rooted out.

    Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

    The days of tech firms having a free pass are over. Because of the action we are taking platforms must now find and remove intimate images shared without consent within a maximum of 48 hours.

    No woman should have to chase platform after platform, waiting days for an image to come down. Under this government, you report once and you’re protected everywhere.

    The internet must be a space where women and girls feel safe, respected, and able to thrive.

    Minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones said:

    Intimate image abuse devastates lives. These new measures send a clear message: tech platforms can no longer drag their feet. When harmful content is flagged, it must come down, and fast.

    By requiring companies to remove non‑consensual intimate images within 48 hours, we are finally putting the onus where it belongs – on the tech firms with the power and resources to act.

    It’s a vital step towards making the online world safer, fairer, and more respectful for women and girls.

    The government was elected on a pledge to recognise violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a national emergency, and halve this crime in the next decade. Central to this pledge is keeping women and girls safe online.

    Just weeks ago, the government called out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which led to the function being removed. Ministers are also legislating to make ‘nudification’ tools illegal and bringing chatbots – like Grok – within scope of the Online Safety Act.

    Creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images will also become a ‘priority offence’ under the Online Safety Act, meaning this crime is treated with the same seriousness as child abuse or terrorism.

    This builds on the government’s VAWG strategy, the first step in the government’s plan to transform how society response to these awful crimes, this included more than 200 pledges spanning prevention, supporting victims and pursuing offenders, and this laid out a whole of government, and a whole of society approach.

    The Prime Minister has been clear this is the first step in the mission to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade, and his government is now focused on delivery.