Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, on Inquest [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, on Inquest [December 2023]

    The press release issued by Ofsted on 7 December 2023.

    A statement on the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest from Ofsted’s Chief Inspector.

    Ruth Perry’s death was a tragedy that deeply affected many people. My thoughts remain with her family, the wider Caversham school community, and everyone else who knew and loved her. On behalf of Ofsted, I would like to say sorry to them for the distress that Mrs Perry undoubtedly experienced as a result of our inspection.

    After Mrs Perry’s death we made changes to the way we work, to help reduce the pressure felt by school leaders. We will do more. The Coroner highlighted a number of areas of concern. We will work hard to address each of these as soon as we can, and we are starting that work straight away.

    We have started to develop training for all inspectors on recognising and responding to visible signs of anxiety. As a first step, we will delay our inspections next week by a day so we can bring all our lead school inspectors together ahead of further school inspections. As well as addressing the issue of anxiety, we will be clear with inspectors what to do if a pause is needed.

    We will also make it clear through our inspection handbook that school leaders can be accompanied by colleagues in meetings with inspectors, and that they can share inspection outcomes with colleagues, family, medical advisers and their wider support group, before they are shared with parents. From next week, we will  provide all schools with a number to call if they have concerns about their inspection. This will put them directly in touch with someone senior from Ofsted.

    It’s right that we inspect first and foremost in the interests of children, their parents and carers. But in the light of Mrs Perry’s sad death, it’s also vital that we do all we can to minimise stress and anxiety when we inspect. Our inspectors are all former or current school leaders. They have a deep understanding of the work that schools do and the demands on school leaders – because they have done that work themselves. We will continue to listen to heads and teachers, and to refine and improve the way we work, with school staff in mind.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Transport Secretary announces further measures to improve transport connectivity across the UK [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Transport Secretary announces further measures to improve transport connectivity across the UK [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 December 2023.

    Government response to Union connectivity review includes multimillion-pound funding to improve transport links across UK.

    • improved connectivity will bring communities closer together, helping to spread opportunities across the UK
    • measures announced today include £8 million for Transport Scotland to prepare for upgrades to the A75, £3.3 million to investigate Belfast-border railway electrification and £700,000 for Transport for Wales to explore North Wales Main Line improvements
    • strengthening transport connections will enhance business, leisure and tourism – making it easier to trade, create jobs and ensure shared economic growth across the UK

    Work on road improvements and rail upgrades will boost business and improve connectivity across the UK, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced today (7 December 2023) in his response to Lord Hendy’s Union connectivity review.

    Projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will explore options to improve transport links that strengthen connections across communities and the UK, helping to drive tourism and grow the economy.

    The measures lay the foundations for stronger UK connectivity and economic growth by increasing access to skilled labour and opportunities. They will be supported by significant long-term work through other government investment including Network North, which has already made a £1 billion commitment to electrify the North Wales Main Line and fund upgrades to the A75 in Scotland.

    The government’s response includes actions to enable protection of vital domestic air routes, alongside a series of studies to explore options to improve rail travel in Northern Ireland and Wales and road travel in Scotland, and enhancements to overall connectivity between Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.

    Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

    We are committed to delivering growth opportunities across the United Kingdom.

    Today we are announcing support for projects that will boost connectivity and enhance transport connections across the UK. These projects will identify schemes that can bring economic benefits to people across the UK.

    I’d like to thank the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive for working collaboratively with us on these projects and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on improving UK transport connectivity.

    Initiatives across the UK announced today include:

    • providing £8 million to the Scottish Government to kickstart the development of options to improve the A75, in addition to the funding committed in Network North to deliver targeted improvements following the Scottish Government’s identification of a preferred option through the business case process
    • providing £3.3 million of funding support to Translink to deliver a study on the cost, feasibility and value for money of electrification of the railway in Northern Ireland from Belfast to border
    • improving domestic aviation route support policy by updating Public Service Obligation (PSO) policy to include routes that operate to and from different regions of the UK, rather than just into London, as is currently the case. This means qualifying routes throughout the UK that are in danger of being lost will be protected by the UK government’s PSO policy – to ensure minimum levels of air services on routes that are socially and economically vital for the region

    These complement existing recent investments from Network North to:

    • provide an unprecedented £1 billion investment to fund the electrification of the North Wales Main Line, bringing parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester and providing more punctual and reliable journeys on the 105-mile route between Crewe and Holyhead, alongside connections to Liverpool, Warrington and Wrexham
    • delivering the Midlands Rail Hub in full, by investing £1.75 billion to improve journey times, increase capacity and boost frequency of services, including between Cardiff and Birmingham

    A better-connected UK brings communities closer to opportunities that support levelling-up and unlock economic growth. Our response to the Union connectivity review marks an important step in increasing UK connectivity and delivering the strong, reliable transport connections people depend on every day.

    Lord Hendy has welcomed the government’s response and said:

    I welcome the government’s response to my review and the announcements in it. My recommendations outlined the next steps that the government should take to identify investments that will improve connectivity and support economic growth, job creation, house building, social cohesion and sustainability. The government’s response shows that they are taking the necessary actions to move this work forward and demonstrates their commitment to improving UK connectivity.

    I am also pleased to see that partnerships between the UK government, and each of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive have underpinned this work, and I look forward to seeing them continue in the future.

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, said:

    Improving connectivity across Northern Ireland and the UK is a priority of the UK government, and I am pleased that these feasibility studies will support that aim in Northern Ireland for the benefit of businesses and people living and working here.

    Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, said:

    The UK government is spreading opportunity and prosperity to all corners of our country and I’m pleased to see plans for delivering improved transport connectivity taking huge strides forward.

    Hauliers, commuters, leisure travellers and communities will be delighted to see UK government funding to kickstart work by Transport Scotland to identify improvements on the A75, the main artery linking Northern Ireland to the north of England through south-west Scotland.

    The UK government is also committing funding to explore ways to boost rail connectivity between Scotland and England. And we’re investing in upgrades to the A1 and protecting vital air routes throughout the UK.

    We look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government on this ambitious package of proposals to link up the UK much more effectively – boosting our economy, creating jobs and levelling up opportunities around the country.

    Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies, said:

    The UK government has invested millions directly in Wales’s transport infrastructure, speeding up journeys for travellers. Following the Hendy review, we are committed to making further significant improvements, leading to better-connected communities and greater opportunity for people across the country.

    The planned £1 billion electrification of the North Wales Main Line, £50 million for Cardiff Crossrail, £141 million for the Valley Lines and £11 million for the A4119 road upgrade are just some of the improvements the UK government is delivering in infrastructure in every part of Wales.

    Declan Pang, Road Haulage Association (RHA) Director of Public Affairs and Policy – England, said:

    The RHA welcomes today’s announcement of an £8 million investment from the UK government to Transport Scotland to kickstart the development of options for upgrades to the A75.

    The upgrade of this important route is vital in creating a quality link from Northern Ireland to southwestern Scotland and onwards to the rest of Great Britain. The economic benefits of this investment are substantial and the upgrade of this road will enable greater economic opportunities across all 4 nations of the UK.

    Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, said:

    Domestic air travel enables all parts of the UK to connect with each other in ways other modes cannot replicate, as well as facilitating onward international travel and connections through the country’s larger airports.

    Developing connectivity within the Union is, therefore, an essential component in rebalancing the economy and investing in the regions, increasing prosperity for people and businesses across the UK.

  • PRESS RELEASE : G7 Leaders’ Statement [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : G7 Leaders’ Statement [December 2023]

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

    G7 Leaders issued a statement following their virtual meeting on 6 December 2023.

    We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), met virtually on December 6, 2023, to address global challenges and shape a course for a better future. We reaffirm our commitment made at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, which is a city that suffered an atomic bombing and now has become a symbol of peace. We were joined by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We remain committed to upholding the rule of law, which protects all nations, especially the vulnerable, as well as global security and human dignity in all parts of the world. We are more united than ever in the pursuit of international peace, prosperity and sustainable development, and have strengthened our engagement with international partners beyond the G7. We thank the Japanese Presidency for their leadership across this year.

    Ukraine

    For 650 days, the Ukrainian people have bravely resisted Russia’s illegal aggression. We salute their courage and their resilience, and express our full sympathy and condolences for those suffering. We pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Ukraine to preserve its freedom and the values we share. Our steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine’s fight for its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity will never waver. We are taking additional steps today to support Ukrainians in their pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace that will uphold all the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), including respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.

    We are determined to support an independent, democratic Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. We continue to support Ukraine in further developing President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. As stated in the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine on July 12, 2023, we are formalising our enduring support to Ukraine through specific, bilateral, long-term security commitments and arrangements.

    Our commitment remains to restrict exports of all items critical to Russia’s military and industrial base, including those used on the battlefield and we call on third parties to take equivalent action. We repeat our call for third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s aggression, or face severe cost. We will work to further curtail Russia’s use of the international financial system to further its war in Ukraine, including Russia’s efforts to use the international financial system to facilitate its expansion of its military industrial base. We will update our measures. We will step up our efforts against evasion and circumvention of our sanctions and export controls measures. We continue to take actions against third country actors who materially support Russia’s war including by imposing additional measures on entities where appropriate in third countries. We are targeting Russian military procurement networks and those who help Russia acquire machine tools, equipment and key inputs.

    We are limiting Russia’s ability to fund its illegal war by taking steps to limit Russia’s energy revenue and its future extractive capabilities. We have dramatically reduced our reliance on Russian energy and commodities. We are determined to accelerate work on this path so that Russia is no longer able to weaponize energy against us. We commit to tightening compliance and enforcement of the price cap policy on Russian oil, including by imposing sanctions on those engaged in deceptive practices and by updating our compliance rules and regulations as necessary. We will also continue efforts to curtail Russia’s revenue from other relevant sectors. We will also continue efforts to reduce Russia’s revenue from metals. We will introduce import restrictions on non-industrial diamonds, mined, processed, or produced in Russia, by January 1, 2024, followed by further phased restrictions on the import of Russian diamonds processed in third countries targeting March 1, 2024. To further the effectiveness of these measures, those G7 members who are major importers of rough diamonds will establish a robust traceability-based verification and certification mechanism for rough diamonds within the G7 by September 1, 2024, and we will continue to consult with partners, including producing and manufacturing countries on its design and implementation.

    We will continue consultations among G7 members and with other partners including producing countries as well as manufacturing countries for comprehensive controls for diamonds produced and processed in third countries on measures for traceability.

    As Russia seeks to use winter as a weapon against the Ukrainian people, we are increasing our efforts to provide humanitarian aid and critical energy assistance. We strongly condemn Russian attacks against critical and civil infrastructure across Ukraine. We are supporting Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, including through the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine, and working to encourage further involvement of our private sector. We look forward to successful completion of the upcoming review of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program for Ukraine and support Ukraine’s continued reform agenda including the efforts for its European path. Decisive progress is needed to direct extraordinary revenues held by private entities stemming directly from Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets to support Ukraine, consistent with applicable contractual obligations and in accordance with applicable laws. We reaffirm that consistent with our respective legal systems, Russia’s sovereign assets in our jurisdictions will remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it caused to Ukraine.

    It is not right for Russia to decide if or when it will pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. Russia’s obligations under international law are clear: Russia must both end its illegal war of aggression and pay for the damage it has caused, which according to the World Bank to date, already exceeds $400 billion dollars. In light of the urgency of disrupting Russia’s attempts to destroy the Ukrainian economy and failure to abide by its international law obligations, we will explore all possible avenues to aid Ukraine in obtaining compensation from Russia, consistent with our respective legal systems and international law. We direct our relevant ministers to continue working on this issue towards our next meeting.

    We reiterate our commitment to holding those responsible to account consistent with international law, including by supporting the efforts of international mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) at Eurojust and welcome ongoing discussions in the Core Group exploring the establishment of a tribunal for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

    Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, its posture of strategic intimidation and its undermining of arms control regimes are unacceptable. Threats by Russia of nuclear weapon use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine are inadmissible. We deeply regret Russia’s decision to withdraw its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We strongly support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) continued presence and call for unfettered access to all of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.

    We deplore Russia’s systematic targeting of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, grain and grain infrastructure. We support all efforts, including those of the UN, to facilitate exports of Ukraine’s grain and other agricultural products. We welcome the success of Ukraine’s maritime corridor and the EU’s Solidarity Lanes. The increasing levels of global food and nutrition insecurity are exacerbated by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

    Middle East

    We unequivocally condemn the horrific terror attacks across Israel by Hamas and others that began on October 7, 2023. We emphasise Israel’s right to defend itself and its people against Hamas, in accordance with international law, as it seeks to prevent a recurrence of these traumatic events, which included murder, hostage-taking, sexual violence, and attacks on children. Hamas offers nothing but suffering to the Palestinian people, and it is an obstacle to a better future for them and for the region. We will continue to coordinate our efforts to isolate Hamas and ensure it cannot threaten Israel.

    While welcoming the recent pause that allowed the release of hostages and vital humanitarian aid into Gaza, achieved by the leadership of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and other countries in the region, we deeply regret that Hamas refused to release all of the female hostages and military operations have resumed. Hamas has shown that it still poses a security threat to Israel, as demonstrated by its continued rocket fire since October 7 and its public statements asserting that it will continue to attack Israel in the future. We urge the immediate release of all remaining hostages without preconditions. At the same time, more urgent action is needed to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and minimise civilian casualties. We support and encourage further humanitarian pauses to enable this.

    We are also deeply concerned with the devastating impact on the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. More effective action must also be taken to prevent the displacement of additional people and protect civilian infrastructure. Every effort must be made to ensure unhindered and continued humanitarian assistance for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel, and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers. The population is increasingly vulnerable, and with winter approaching, we must continue to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza to meet fully the needs on the ground, including by opening additional crossings. We underscore the importance of conducting deconfliction, protecting civilians and compliance with international law, in particular international humanitarian law. Since October 7, 2023, we have announced more than $600 million for assistance to the Palestinian people, including through United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and other UN agencies as well as other humanitarian actors. We call on the international community to fully fund the UN’s flash appeal and are contributing to that effort.

    We condemn the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians, which undermines security and stability in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace. Those who have committed crimes must be held to account. Regional actors must cease de-stabilising activities: in particular, we call on Iran to refrain from providing support for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other non-state actors, and to use its influence with those groups to de-escalate regional tensions. We, along with partners in the region, are working intensively to prevent the conflict from escalating further and spreading more widely. Emphasising the global importance of maritime security, we call on all parties not to threaten or interfere with lawful exercise of navigation rights and freedoms by all vessels, and condemn the four attacks on December 3 against three separate commercial vessels, connected to fourteen separate nations, operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. We especially call on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks on civilians and threats to international shipping lanes and commercial vessels. There are reasons to believe that attacks by the Houthis are enabled by Iran. We express our deep concern with the rise of hateful speech and acts across the world since the beginning of the conflict, and categorically reject antisemitism and Islamophobia in any form.

    Israelis and Palestinians have an equal right to live in safety, dignity, and peace. We are committed to working closely with partners to assist in building the conditions for sustainable long-term solutions for Gaza. We also need to see a return to a broader peace process. We remain committed to a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace.

    We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and reiterate that Iran must cease its unabated escalation of its nuclear program, which has no credible civilian justification and brings it dangerously close to actual weapon-related activities. We call on Iran to fulfil its legal obligations and political commitments regarding nuclear non-proliferation with prompt action, including the full and unconditional cooperation with the IAEA.

    Indo-Pacific and the Region

    Together with regional partners, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its Member States, South Asian countries as well as the Pacific Island countries, we will continue our endeavours towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, and based on the rule of law, and that protects shared principles.

    Reconfirming the G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communique, we stand together as G7 partners on the following elements, which underpin our respective relations with China:

    • We stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China, recognising the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China. We act in our national interest. It is necessary to cooperate with China, given its role in the international community and the size of its economy, on global challenges as well as areas of common interest.
    • We call on China to engage with us, including in international fora, on areas such as the climate and biodiversity crisis and the conservation of natural resources in the framework of the Paris and Kunming-Montreal Agreements, addressing vulnerable countries’ debt sustainability and financing needs, global health and macroeconomic stability.
    • Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development. A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest. We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying. We will take steps, individually and collectively, to invest in our own economic vibrancy. We will reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains.
    • With a view to enabling sustainable economic relations with China, and strengthening the international trading system, we will push for a level playing field for our workers and companies. We will seek to address the challenges posed by China’s non-market policies and practices, which distort the global economy. We will counter malign practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure. We will foster resilience to economic coercion. We also recognise the necessity of protecting certain advanced technologies that could be used to threaten our national security without unduly limiting trade and investment.
    • We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
    • We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community. There is no change in the basic positions of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated one China policies. We call for a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
    • We will keep voicing our concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us. We call on China to honour its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, which enshrine rights, freedoms and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.
    • We call on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular relations, and not to conduct interference activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities, the integrity of our democratic institutions and our economic prosperity.
    • We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine. We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine.

    There is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarisation activities in the region. We emphasise the universal and unified character of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. We reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016, is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.

    We reiterate our call for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. We strongly condemn continued ballistic missile launches, the recent launch using ballistic missile technology conducted on November 21, 2023 and arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, which directly violate relevant UNSCRs. We urge North Korea to respect human rights, facilitate access for international humanitarian organisations, and resolve the abductions issue immediately.

    We welcome Japan’s safe, transparent, and science-based process, including the continued monitoring of the situation, to responsibly manage the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea in proactively coordinating with scientists and partners, particularly across the Indo-Pacific region, as well as with the IAEA. We also welcome the IAEA’s comprehensive report of July 4, 2023 as well as its continued monitoring. We acknowledge the importance of the IAEA’s onsite presence during the process.

    We support Indonesia initiating the accession process to become a full member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as well as further progress on ongoing accession processes more broadly.

    Supporting Developing Economies and Strengthening International Financial Institutions

    We reiterate our steadfast commitment to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We remain committed to partnering with developing countries, particularly low-income countries, in dealing with multiple and complex challenges, and in mobilising finance for development from all sources. We reaffirm our commitment to mobilising up to $600 billion by 2027 through the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) by scaling up public and private financing and investments through tailored country approaches and by developing key economic corridors.

    We are working to deliver better, bigger, and more effective multilateral development banks (MDBs) by enhancing operating models, improving responsiveness and accessibility, and substantially increasing financing capacity to maximise development impact as well as by making MDBs work better as a system. We urge MDBs to continue their steadfast efforts to further implement the G20 Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF) recommendations. We urge the WBG to continue to implement operational and financial reforms. We will deliver on the G20 Leaders’ commitment to collectively mobilising more lending headroom and concessional finance to boost the World Bank’s capacity to support low and middle-income countries that need help in addressing global challenges, with a clear framework for the allocation of scarce concessional resources, and to provide strong support for the poorest countries. The G7 has already announced planned contributions that will unlock more than $35 billion and will step up efforts to deliver substantial contributions to this end. We are committed to collectively securing an ambitious International Development Association (IDA) 21 replenishment next year. We will work together over the next year to encourage and support the MDBs in strengthening their efforts to mobilise private capital and domestic resources.

    At the IMF, we support the work to ensure the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) is on a sustainable footing to meet the growing needs of low-income countries. We welcome the approval by the IMF Executive Board on a proposal to the Board of Governors to conclude the 16th General Review of Quotas of the IMF with a quota increase by December 15, 2023. We welcome the achievement of the $100 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDR) channelling target and will further explore viable options for enabling the voluntary channelling of SDRs through MDBs while respecting national legal frameworks and the need to preserve the reserve asset character and status of SDRs.

    We will work together and with partners to deliver further progress on this global agenda, including through the IMF, MDB boards and the G20, as well as the discussions following the Paris Pact for People and the Planet and the G20 Compact with Africa Conference in Berlin.

    We will continue to provide developing countries support for strengthening their tax capacity to build sustainable tax revenue sources to help deliver the SDGs. We also emphasise the role this support can play in implementation of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Two-Pillar Solution.

    We reiterate the urgency of addressing debt vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income countries. This includes finalising outstanding country cases, making future debt treatment more transparent and timely, and improving our toolkits to put countries tackling reforms on more sustainable footing before they fall into crisis. We welcome the finalisation of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the debt treatment for Zambia and call for swift agreement on debt treatment for Ghana and Ethiopia. Following the recent agreement between Sri Lanka and its official creditors, we look forward to the swift resolution of the debt treatment of Sri Lanka. We welcome joint efforts by all stakeholders, including private creditors, to continue working towards enhancing debt transparency. We recognise the role that climate resilient debt clauses (CRDC) can play in enhancing the safety net for borrowers facing the impact of climate change.

    Climate Change, Energy and Environment

    We remain steadfast in our commitment to the Paris Agreement, keeping a limit of 1.5°C global temperature rise within reach through scaled up action in this critical decade. We welcome the first global stocktake (GST), and will pursue ambitious outcomes at the ongoing 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC-COP 28) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and extend our full support to the UAE Presidency. We welcome the swift adoption of the decision on operationalisation of the new funding arrangements.

    While acknowledging various pathways according to each country’s energy situation, industrial and social structures and geographical conditions, we reiterate that these should lead to our common goal of net zero by 2050 at the latest in order to keep a limit of 1.5 °C within reach. We will contribute towards and support a global tripling of renewable energy capacity and a doubling of annual energy efficiency improvements by 2030 taking into consideration national circumstances, with currently 123 countries supporting those targets at COP 28. We will do this hand in hand with accelerating the phase out of unabated fossil fuels so as to achieve our climate ambition. We commit to prioritising concrete and timely steps towards the goal of accelerating the phase out of domestic unabated coal power generation, and to ending the construction of new unabated coal fired power generation. Those G7 countries that opt to use nuclear energy recognise its potential to provide affordable low carbon energy that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, to address climate crisis, and to ensure global energy security as the source of baseload energy and grid flexibility, and support a global aspirational goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 by 2050 that was endorsed by a coalition of 23 countries in the margins of the COP28, recognising the different domestic circumstances of each country.

    We continue our implementation of our commitments to the developed country Parties’ goal of jointly mobilising $100 billion annually in climate finance by 2020 through to 2025, and welcome that the goal looks likely to have been met as of 2022 as stated in the Report by the OECD Secretary-General. We underscore the need to enhance international cooperation and coordination within the G7 and beyond. In this regard, recalling our determination to support developing countries’ just energy transitions, we welcome progress achieved on Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) with partner countries and will continue our efforts for its implementation.

    We reiterate our commitment to the swift and full implementation of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and to achievement of each of its goals and targets. We are committed to ending plastic pollution, with the ambition to reduce additional plastic pollution to zero by 2040 including through an international legally binding instrument.

    Economic Resilience and Economic Security

    Recalling the G7 Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security and recognising that the weaponisation of economic vulnerabilities is becoming a growing concern for G7 members and other countries, we are determined to continue making progress to enhance our strategic coordination on these issues, including through the G7’s Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion. We will increase our collective assessment, preparedness, deterrence, and response to economic coercion, and further promote cooperation with partners beyond the G7. We will also coordinate, as appropriate, to support targeted states, economies and entities as a demonstration of solidarity and resolve to uphold the rule of law.

    We have strengthened channels of communication to address supply disruptions and shared insights and best practices, including from respective scenario-based stress testing. We will further step up our collaboration based on the principles on resilient and reliable supply chains, including for critical minerals, semiconductors and batteries, which are now supported by a broader number of partners beyond the G7. We encourage all countries to support them. We welcome the successful launch of the “Partnership for RISE (Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement)” and continue to support its implementation with speed and quality.

    We affirm our shared responsibility and determination to coordinate on preventing the cutting-edge technologies we develop from being used to further military capabilities that threaten international peace and security. To this end, we will share, as appropriate, information and experiences to further develop common understanding of such risks and the policy tools needed to address them, and take further actions where necessary, including those related to export and investment, corresponding to the circumstances of each country. We will further strengthen multilateral efforts to cooperate in the field of export controls to ensure gaps in our dual use technology protection ecosystem cannot be exploited. We have a common interest in preventing the narrow set of technological advances that are assessed to be core to enhancing the military and intelligence capabilities of actors who may use these capabilities to undermine international peace and security, from being fuelled by our companies’ capital, expertise, and knowledge. We recognise that appropriate measures designed to address risks from outbound investment could be important to complement existing tools of targeted controls on exports and inbound investments, which work together to protect our sensitive technologies from being used in ways that threaten international peace and security.

    We will increase our efforts to implement risk-based policies and measures to promote research security and research integrity.

    We reiterate our commitment to working and coordinating on economic resilience and economic security through the G7 framework to make year-on-year progress in a holistic manner.

    Trade

    We underscore the need to pursue WTO reform to improve all its functions through an inclusive member driven process, and remain committed to conducting discussions with a view to having a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024. We will continue to work towards concrete and ambitious outcomes at the upcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.

    Food Security

    We welcome progress on coordinated actions of the G7 with a wide range of stakeholders to strengthen global food security and nutrition. We recognise the continuing urgency and renew our commitment to working together with partners beyond the G7 to build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems and to progressively realise the right to adequate food and nutrition for all, in particular by ensuring open and fair agricultural trade, promoting resilient food supply chains and improving agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner. We also stress the need to improve availability, affordability and accessibility and promote efficient and responsible use of fertilisers, including through local fertiliser production.

    Health

    We renew our commitment to developing and strengthening the global health architecture (GHA) for future health emergencies, achieving more resilient, equitable, and sustainable universal health coverage (UHC), and promoting health innovations.

    We reaffirm our commitment to enhancing governance, international norms and regulations including through the negotiations on the future international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) (WHO CA+). We also commit to financing for PPR, including through the Pandemic Fund, enhanced manufacturing capacity globally, and the exploration of a rapid response financing framework.

    We also continue to call for further domestic resource mobilisation, as well as efficient use of existing resources, and private financing, including through “Impact Investment Initiative (the Triple I) for Global Health.”

    Building on the G7 Hiroshima Vision for Equitable Access to medical countermeasures (MCMs), we welcome the collaborative progress made on the MCM Delivery Partnership for equitable access (MCDP) and also commit to explore further means to coordinate and mobilise surge financing for production, procurement, and delivery of MCMs, including development financing solutions.

    We will further promote comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

    Digital

    We renew our commitment to advancing international discussions on inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) governance and interoperability between AI governance frameworks, while we recognise that approaches and policy instruments to achieve the common vision and goal of trustworthy AI may vary across G7 members, to achieve our common vision and goal of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, in line with our shared democratic values. We endorse the outcomes of the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting on December 1, 2023, notably the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy Framework and the Work Plan to advance Hiroshima AI Process. We welcome the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy Framework. It represents the first successful international framework that includes guiding principles and the code of conduct to address the impact of advanced AI systems on our societies and economies. We call on AI actors to support the Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles and the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct. The achievement of the Hiroshima AI Process under Japan’s G7 Presidency shows that we can act quickly to lead the way in responsible innovation and in the governance of emerging technologies. We look forward to further advancing the Hiroshima AI Process in accordance with the work plan developed by relevant Ministers.

    We welcome the UK hosted AI Safety Summit and look forward to the next international AI meetings to be hosted by the Republic of Korea and France. We reaffirm the importance of our close cooperation with the OECD and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).

    We commit to working together for further advancing the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), and welcome the concrete progress made in establishing the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership in cooperation with the OECD.

    Conclusion

    As we look to the 2024 Italian G7 Presidency, and in our support to the Brazilian G20 Presidency, we will strive towards a peaceful and prosperous world, building on the outcomes achieved in Hiroshima.

    Under the Italian Presidency, we will continue our support to Ukraine and will address other crises. We will promote mutually beneficial partnerships with developing and emerging countries, particularly in Africa. We will address key issues, such as economic security and resilience, sustainable development, food and energy security, gender equality, AI, irregular migration, and human trafficking.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government to protect care home, hospital and hospice visiting [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government to protect care home, hospital and hospice visiting [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 6 December 2023.

    Consultation response published setting out plans to make visiting a fundamental standard of care.

    • Paper published today confirms intention to bolster visiting access
    • Plans recognise the importance of visiting for patients, care home residents and their loved ones
    • Care Quality Commission inspections will monitor if care providers are meeting visit obligations

    Visits to see loved ones in care homes, hospitals and hospices will be better protected under plans announced by the government.

    Changes will be made to the law so that visits are a fundamental standard of care, putting them on par with having access to food and drink and properly qualified staff.

    The Care Quality Commission will have a clear mandate to check that providers are meeting these obligations, so that those in care maintain vital connections with family and friends.

    Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:

    Spending time with loved ones makes all the difference to the wellbeing of people in care homes and hospices. Of course, keeping people safe from infections is important, but this is about striking the right balance.

    I know how painful it can be when you’re stopped from seeing someone who means everything to you, especially when you don’t know how much time they have left. It’s something I don’t want anyone to have to go through again. That’s why we’re changing the law to recognise just how much visiting matters.

    Visiting was restricted at the height of the pandemic to prevent the spread of Covid and keep people safe, but as restrictions eased the guidance for visiting in hospital and care settings changed accordingly.

    The majority of settings adhered to the guidance but there have been reports of people being denied access to family members and loved ones, so the government has acted to make sure expectations around visits are clear to providers.

    Minister for Health and Secondary Care, Andrew Stephenson, said:

    Being able to visit a loved one or go with them to an outpatient appointment can make a huge difference and there should be no reason to deny either the visitor or patient the joy or reassurance of that face-to-face connection.

    Most settings quickly accommodated visiting again once we came out of the worst of the pandemic, but we need everyone to do so, which is why we’re putting a clear system in place to make sure care homes, hospitals and hospices are giving visiting the importance it deserves.

    The plans announced today have been set out in the Department of Health and Social Care’s response to ‘Visiting in care homes, hospitals, and hospices’ consultation.

    This consultation proposed introducing visiting as a new fundamental standard in the CQC regulations, and today’s response confirms that secondary legislation will take that forward.

    This will provide the Care Quality Commission with a clear direction to identify a visiting breach by a healthcare setting and apply more pressure to providers who may not be following government visiting guidance.

    Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK and Chief Admiral Nurse:

    During the pandemic, limits to visiting rights impacted people living with dementia who weren’t able to see their loved ones. We hope that the introduction of legislation designed to protect visiting rights and maintain meaningful contact will limit the harm that isolation can cause.

    As these proposals are put in place, we hope that the new rights are accompanied by safe processes and protocols around visits in all health and social care settings, as well as clear communication with families and carers.

    These changes will not only cover inpatients, they will also take into account the need to enable patients attending hospice and hospital outpatient appointments, emergency department and diagnostic services to be accompanied by someone if they need or wish to be.

    The government will take steps to lay regulations as soon as possible.

    Background information

    The consultation response can be found here.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia is diminished in the eyes of the international community through its own actions – UK statement to the OSCE [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia is diminished in the eyes of the international community through its own actions – UK statement to the OSCE [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

    UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia’s casualty figures are now over 300,000 in its illegal war, which is an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

    As Russian Forces continue to attack around Avdiivka, they do so at an enormous cost, sustaining upwards of one thousand casualties a day. In this ill-judged act of strategic folly, Russia has invited this huge loss of life upon itself and with it, a diminishment in the eyes of a large part of the international community. Conservative estimates now assess Russia’s casualty figures at over 300,000 killed and wounded. The terrible tragedy of this illegal invasion is a damning indictment of Russia’s poorly-trained, poorly-equipped and poorly-led military. But the real tragedy is that the Ukrainian people have had to endure untold misery and heartache in a conflict imposed upon them.

    In Russia, the devastation of the Russian military is being increasingly felt by the civil population. Recently, the Russian Field polling agency reported that the proportion of those who want the government to enter peace talks with Ukraine exceeds the proportion of those who want the war to continue. This is consistent with a number of polls in Russia which have shown the same sentiment over the last year. In spite of the repressive conditions in Russia against public protest, Russian soldiers’ wives recently gathered in Moscow’s Teatralnya Square demanding a rotation of their partners away from the frontline. The protest was broken up within minutes by police. On 27 November, one prominent online group for soldiers’ wives published a manifesto against ‘indefinite mobilisation’; the group was subsequently pinned with a ‘fake’ warning label. Kremlin efforts are now underway to either pay them off or discredit them.

    Ukraine has achieved significant military successes in the Black Sea by denying Russia control of the western Black sea, pushed back elements of the Russian Navy over 300 km from Sevastopol and destroyed 13-14% of Russia’s Black Sea combatant fleet. This has enabled Ukraine to establish a maritime corridor for its exports, used by increasing flows of shipping, which will boost its economy and global food security. Russia has failed in its attempts to prevent Ukraine exporting its goods.

    But, faced with all this, Russia has only escalated its attacks on the Ukrainian people – with terrible effects for civilian areas and critical national infrastructure across the country. Russia has launched waves of Iranian-designed one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicles as part of a concerted winter campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia has comprehensively ruined the town of Marinka with a pre-war population of 9,000 inhabitants, and all the while this conflict has triggered serious safety concerns at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant which, last week, was disconnected from the national electricity grid for the eighth time.

    Madam Chair, Russia’s assault on Ukraine was an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic State. Week after week, the Russian delegation expounds narratives that sow disinformation about the culpability of ‘the West’ for Russia’s illegal invasion. But the truth is that no one forced Russia to attack another sovereign State; Russia did this of its own volition. This Forum went to every effort to prevent Russia’s invasion, but on the eve of war Russia categorically denied to this Forum that Russia would invade Ukraine. On 23 February 2022, the Russian delegation are on record as stating, “The idea of there being plans for a “Russian invasion” of Ukraine was hatched inside the US Department of State, and that is where it also died on 16 February. We can see that US intelligence got its facts mixed up”. In this context, it is fitting that the side event on ‘Information Integrity in the Military Space’ was held two weeks ago in spite of Russia’s obstruction.

    During the Russian delegation’s ‘Right-of-Reply’ when this Forum last convened, it accused ‘the West’ of “tearing Ukraine away from Russia”. Russia has also used similar language recently concerning other members of this Forum. This is indicative of Russia’s continued contempt for international law. Ukraine is a sovereign independent State, recognised in international law by Russia as such on 2 December 1991, so there is nothing to ‘tear away’. The Ukrainian people have the right to self-determination and the Russian government’s reprehensible actions are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

    Madam Chair, in the face of Russia’s illegal actions, the United Kingdom will continue to stand in support of Ukraine. The UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic package for Ukraine now amounts to £9.3 billion. As stated by the Foreign Secretary during his recent visit to Kyiv, we will continue our support, “not just this year and next year but for as long as it takes”. Already, we see what the brave men and women of Ukraine’s Armed Forces are capable of, pushing Russian troops away from the Dnipro River area. The Russian Ministry of Defence has referred to this as “relocating to more favourable positions”. Russia should recognise its grave strategic error and move to the most favourable position of all: out of Ukraine’s internationally-recognised sovereign territory. Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia has not broken the spirit of the Ukrainian people nor our determination to support them – UK statement at the UN Security Council [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia has not broken the spirit of the Ukrainian people nor our determination to support them – UK statement at the UN Security Council [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

    Thank you President and I thank ASG Jenča and Director Rajasingham for their briefings today and for the work of your teams. President, it’s now nearly two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, illegally and brutally.  Russia has killed Ukrainian men, women and children, and denied their future. Russia has injured men, women and children, and destroyed the hospitals where they might seek care.

    Russia has destroyed civilian infrastructure: hospitals, schools, homes, playgrounds, theaters, roads and railways. And, as winter approaches, Russia is now targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. But Russia has not broken the spirit and resolve of the Ukrainian people. Nor our determination to support them.

    So first, we commend the work of the Ukrainian organisations and volunteer networks who are providing life-saving humanitarian support. My Foreign Secretary met with some of these organisations during his recent visit to Ukraine and was struck by their courage and bravery. We will continue to support their work and we urge the UN and other colleagues to do the same.

    Second, over 17 million Ukrainians need humanitarian assistance as we’ve heard. But Russia continues to deny and block humanitarian access to millions of Ukrainians living in the territories temporarily under Russia’s control leaving those people severely short of food, fuel and water as winter sets in. So we call on Russia to comply fully with its obligations under international humanitarian law and allow humanitarians to operate safely in these territories, and to deliver aid to millions of people who desperately need it.

    Third, like others, we welcome the establishment of a maritime corridor in the Black Sea, which has now enabled Ukraine to supply five million tonnes of grain to global markets. Russia’s attempts to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain by attacking its ports, holding the world’s food to ransom, have failed.

    We will continue to work with Ukraine and other partners to ensure the security of the corridor and to protect global food security.

    President, Russia has caused humanitarian suffering through its invasion of Ukraine. So we again urge Russia to end its war now by withdrawing from Ukraine’s internationally recognised territory.

    I thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Baroness Neville-Rolfe’s speech to the London Chamber of Commerce [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Baroness Neville-Rolfe’s speech to the London Chamber of Commerce [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 5 December 2023.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State, delivered a speech to the London Chamber of Commerce on new border policies and innovations.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to be here with you all today.

    I feel very fortunate to be at the London Chamber of Commerce, discussing our plans for borders, in the very heart of historic London.

    The City of London is, arguably, the very first border that existed on this island…

    …a border which acted as the perimeter of a thriving Roman market.

    Antiquity bequeathed these borders to the Middle Ages…

    …and the gates throughout the City – Cripplegate, Bishopsgate, Moorgate and so on – checked which goods could enter and leave this market.

    Today, this square mile is home to one of the world’s finest financial and professional service sectors…

    …and SMEs make up ninety-eight per cent of the businesses here in the City…

    …a number that increases to over ninety-nine percent when you look London-wide.

    Many of these cross-London SMEs export and import goods – whether that’s the City of London gin or fashion, metal goods or gifts of all kinds.

    Today I want to outline how the changes we’re making to our borders will benefit those – and, indeed, all – businesses.

    These plans are the result of two changes coming together…

    …namely Brexit and – importantly – a digital revolution that gives us the chance to improve how we trade.

    I have been clear that we want the UK to have the most effective border in the world…

    …and leaving the European Union presented us with an opportunity to scrutinise our entire trading system…

    …not just the trade deals we have been able to negotiate, but the practicalities of that trading.

    That potential was obvious when I visited the Thames Freeport at Tilbury – the very gateway to London these days…

    …connecting over one-hundred-and-thirty ports and sixty-five countries.

    We have great aspirations for our border, one that is as minimally burdensome as possible…

    …without compromising our security…

    …and embracing the very latest technology to make trade smoother.

    This vision is a crucial part of the Government’s 2025 Border Strategy…

    …and our new Border Target Operating Model.

    It will use technology to reduce paperwork for UK importers, saving businesses over five-hundred-million pounds a year…

    …and it will bring practical changes to the way trade is managed through our borders.

    The new Model will introduce a new global risk-based system of controls.

    Some of you may remember the earlier versions of the operating model…

    …which subjected most products to costly, rigorous controls…

    …out of proportion to their actual risk.

    Well, we’ve thrown that out – and replaced it with a new global system which is proportionate.

    It focuses on which food and plant goods currently constitute a risk, whether that’s a function of the type of product or where it is from…

    …and then assigns them a risk category that will determine what border controls are appropriate.

    For instance, low risk goods – like tinned salmon – will not need to have health certificates or routine border checks.

    For high and medium risk goods – like fresh meat and plants for planting – we will need the assurance that certificates provide along with proportionate checks on arrival.

    We are also using the opportunity to harness technology and new ways of working to streamline trade.

    We have partnered with industry to test the border process…

    …to see how we can use technology to cut costs and save time.

    The main breakthrough is the new UK Single Trade Window now being developed by HMRC…

    …in collaboration with Deloitte and IBM and with support from many of you.

    It underpins everything that we are working on.

    When fully operational, it will provide one digital gateway for users…

    …one where they can provide all the data needed to trade, as well as apply for licences and authorisations for trusted trader schemes.

    The benefits from Single Trade Window are considerable…

    …because it will make an enormous number of transactions that bit easier.

    Our estimations show it could reduce total burdens of business by around a billion pounds in the first three years of operation.

    And we are by no means ruling out introducing further innovations…

    …in fact, we’re continuing to partner with industry to make this happen.

    As part of the delivery of the Border Strategy, we have carried out six Ecosystem of Trust pilot projects…

    …which found new ways that tech and data can be used to minimise trade friction.

    They were a collaboration between central government departments including the Cabinet Office, Defra and the Home Office…

    …and different industries including ports, logistics companies, and software providers and businesses like those you represent.

    The first phase ran last year.

    In a spirit of transparency, we have now published a full evaluation of these pilots.

    The projects tested data and technologies that could provide thorough assurance to government.

    We trialled Smart Seals, which can detect any unauthorised access to freight…

    …and we trialled Smart Containers, which transmit real-time data on freight.

    These show if the temperature of the cargo changed, as this would indicate that the goods might be spoiled…

    …which means a low risk cargo might become high-risk

    We also tested new ways of sharing data between government and industry…

    …giving our frontline border staff better and earlier information about the goods that they saw coming in.

    We found that this could cut the time that they spent determining which goods to check by up to a fifth.

    It’s a promising start, but there’s still work to be done.

    Today, I’m also happy to detail the next phase of the Ecosystem of Trust project.

    We are delivering a series of what are called ‘Border Trade Demonstrators’…

    …which are specific projects focused on overcoming the problems we have identified together, such as the complexity and time taken when integrating industry and government systems.

    They will be data-focused, allowing for simple exchanges of information between border agents and industry…

    …leading to an easier, quicker and safer experience at the border.

    Let me give you one example.

    In June this year we saw a three-hundred-million-pound increase in exports of machinery…

    …partially thanks to a large increase in these goods heading to Turkey…

    …but what was in those shipping containers that travelled over the Mediterranean?

    When these goods are shipped, the company sending them has to fill out paperwork explaining what’s in the crate…

    …there’s a lot of information required, relating to the goods themselves, their value, and the route by which they will be transported…

    …Some traders are scrupulous in their description. And some are vague.

    But in all likelihood, a trader could have described a shipment of steel nuts as, simply, ‘nuts’.

    Now, put yourself in the shoes of someone working at the UK border…

    …does that description mean nuts and bolts, or cashew nuts?

    Whatever your record, that opaque description means that the crate is going to get searched…

    …and that one vague text box means an unnecessary delay.

    Multiplied thousands of times a year…

    …this will hit business efficiency and growth…

    …and put undue pressure on our Border personnel.

    One of the examples we’re trialling is a new piece of software…

    …which will allow border agents to receive accurate information from the supply chain earlier in the process…

    …including commodity codes which tell you what is actually inside a container.

    It’s a simple change…

    …one so simple that it’s amazing it hasn’t been thought of before…

    …but one which could have huge benefits.

    These Demonstrators will start being trialled early next year at specific parts of the border.

    We will look to test this new approach at different locations, with different modes and moving different commodities…

    …and, assuming they are successful, they will be spread throughout the country.

    In the meantime, we in Cabinet Office are fixing existing issues where we think we can make the border work better.

    When businesses told us that a new ferry link was necessary between the Spanish Vigo and Cheshire’s Ellesmere Port, we made sure that the Government did its job so that this route could open on time.

    This ferry link directly underpins this government’s support for the UK-first Green Automotive Hub…

    …and will take an estimated 14,700 HGV movements off the roads, with a thirty percent reduction in CO2 emissions as a result.

    And, possibly of interest to traders here today – we will also streamline processes for goods travelling through Heathrow.

    We’re running a pilot with DHL, testing a simplified airfreight export customs process at Heathrow…

    …because we were told by businesses that the current rules, for historic reasons, require freight to be driven unnecessarily all around Heathrow.

    We have found a good potential way to put a stop to this…

    …instead of items being driven to multiple different cargo sites before they leave the airport…

    …we are now trialling one single point that cargo is stored and delivered from.

    I wanted to finish by saying something about timing.

    There have been stops and starts, but we are now pressing on and you do need to be ready.

    Starting at the end of January…

    …with the introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products from the EU…

    …so we will check whether a vet from the exporting country has certified that the products meet the necessary food standards…

    …with similar certification for medium risk plants, plant products…

    …and high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the European Union.

    At the end of April, we will be setting up new Border Control Posts…

    …so that we can actually check high and medium risk food and plant products when they arrive…

    …as controls on low and medium risk products from the rest of the world are removed or reduced in line with the new  model.

    So, we will have a consistent approach to goods from the EU and to goods from other trusted trading partners elsewhere in the world.

    Finally, by the end of October, we will require safety and security declarations for imports from the EU.

    This will give us more information to identify security threats to the UK

    We have designed a safety and security declaration which keeps the burden on business to a minimum…

    …and businesses will be able to submit them through the Single Trade Window.

    We are working with trading partners and issuing guidance to ensure businesses are ready for these changes…

    …today is a good example.

    Ladies and gentlemen, our borders may be historic…

    …but they are also modern demonstrations of how the Government is promoting trade.

    Once we have put our plans in place…

    …we will be bringing innovations to our borders which will be unmatched by the rest of the world.

    We will continue to work with industry leaders like yourselves…

    …and – by harnessing our Brexit freedoms and utilising technical advances – we will ensure our trading infrastructure supports you all…

    …and enables you to trade in a safer and more strategic way.

    Thank you very much.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government announces preferred candidate for BBC Chair [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government announces preferred candidate for BBC Chair [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 6 December 2023.

    Dr Samir Shah CBE is the Government’s preferred candidate for the BBC Chair, the Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced today.

    Dr Samir Shah, CBE, has worked in broadcasting for over forty years. He is the CEO and owner of Juniper, an independent television and radio production company. Before Juniper, Samir was head of current affairs and political programmes at the BBC. In 2022, the RTS (Royal Television Society) awarded him its top honour: Outstanding Contribution (AKA Lifetime Achievement award) to journalism. Samir was a Non-Executive Director of the BBC (2007-2010), Chair of the Museum of the Home (2014-2022), and was a trustee then Deputy Chair of the V&A (2004-2014). He was Chair of the Runnymede Trust (1999-2009). He is currently Chair of One World Media. Samir sits on the Arts and Media Honours Committee.

    Samir was appointed a CBE for services to Television and Heritage in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours. He was previously made an OBE in the 2000 New Year’s Honours List. Samir was elected a Fellow of the Royal Television Society in 2002. Samir was appointed Visiting Professor of Creative Media at Oxford University in 2019 and the University of Nottingham appointed him to a Special Professorship in the Department of Post Conflict Studies.

    Samir was born in India and came to England in 1960. He is married to Belkis with one son, Cimran.

    Dr Shah will now appear before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny.

    Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

    With a career spanning more than 40 years in TV production and journalism, Dr Shah has a wealth of experience to bring to the position of BBC Chair. He has a clear ambition to see the BBC succeed in a rapidly changing media landscape, and I have no doubt he will provide the support and scrutiny that the BBC needs to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.

    His knowledge of the BBC and his belief in its role as a national broadcaster alongside his extensive work to promote diversity in broadcasting will be invaluable in helping to ensure that the BBC reflects, represents and serves communities across the whole of the UK.

    I would also like to express my thanks to Dame Elan Closs Stephens for her diligence and dedication in leading the Board as Acting Chair in the interim period.

    Dr Samir Shah CBE said:

    I am delighted to be named the preferred candidate for Chair of the BBC and I look forward to the upcoming pre-appointment hearing with the Select Committee. The BBC is, without doubt, one of the greatest contributions we have made to global culture and one of our strongest calling cards on soft power.

    If I am able  to put what skills, experience, and understanding of public service broadcasting I have built up during my career to help this brilliant organisation meet the complex and diverse challenges it faces over the coming years, it would be an honour.

    The BBC has a great place in British life and a unique duty to reach a wide audience right across the country and I will do all I can to ensure it fulfils this in an increasingly competitive market.

    The current process for appointing the Chair is set in the BBC’s 2017 Royal Charter, requiring an appointment to be made by ‘Order in Council’ following a fair and open competition. Convention has been that the Secretary of State recommends the appointment to the Lord President of the Council and the Prime Minister recommends the appointment to His Majesty The King. No recommendation can be made to His Majesty in Council, until a pre-appointment hearing has been held and a report published by the CMS Select Committee.

    Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

  • PRESS RELEASE : World Trade Organization – Hong Kong, China’s Trade Policy Review [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : World Trade Organization – Hong Kong, China’s Trade Policy Review [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 December 2023.

    The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN in Geneva, Simon Manley, gave a statement during Hong Kong, China’s WTO Trade Policy Review (TPR).

    1. Chair, let me join others in welcoming the delegation from Hong Kong, China, led by Director-General of Trade and Industry, Ms. Wong. Let me also express my gratitude to the wider delegation, ably led in Geneva by Permanent Representative Miss So, and to colleagues from the WTO Secretariat for their respective reports; to the Chair, as ever; and to our Discussant for his comments.
    2. Chair, the UK and Hong Kong, China enjoy people-to-people, cultural, and trade ties. UK companies continue to operate in Hong Kong, China, valuing its historic reputation for strong institutions and respect for the rule of law, its open and predictable business environment, and its status as a global financial centre.
    3. Hong Kong, China is the UK’s 13th largest trading partner. Our total trade in goods and services has reached almost £30 billion in 2023. It is our second largest market for goods in Asia-Pacific, after mainland China. And it was the destination for almost £80 billion of UK Foreign Direct Investment in 2021.
    4. However, despite Hong Kong, China’s commitment to free trade, there remain untapped opportunities, such as the 100% ad valorem excise tax that it places on beverage alcohol products, which are over 30% alcohol by volume. Not only has this tax led to significant price disparities between wine and spirits, but its ad valorem nature effectively penalises higher-value and higher-quality spirits.
    5. Besides making British businesses very happy, a reduction in spirit taxation would help to support the recovery of Hong Kong, China’s hospitality and tourism industry. It would also enhance the restaurant scene that makes Hong Kong, China one of the world’s gastronomic gems, allowing diners to responsibly enjoy the best of UK gin, Scotch whisky, or any other of the countless high-quality UK spirits.
    6. And yet, Chair, despite the myriad of global trade challenges we face, the current trading relationship between Hong Kong, China and the UK remains strong. One of the most significant reasons for this is our shared commitment to free and open trade, which is underpinned by our historical ties. As promised in 1997, Hong Kong, China remains a separate customs territory, retains its free port status, and does not levy tariffs on the import of goods.
    7. Chair, Hong Kong, China is a valued member of the WTO. Its strength rests on the reputation and integrity of its institutions, its independent regulators, and the independence of its Common Law Legal system, which offers effective dispute resolution systems in commercial cases to high standards. They are a fundamental part of why UK businesses continue to choose to operate in Hong Kong, China.
    8. The UK’s strong interest in seeing Hong Kong, China prosper is evidenced in the promises we made, together with China, in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984.  The Joint Declaration guarantees the continuation of Hong Kong, China’s high degree of autonomy, social and economic systems, lifestyle, and rights and freedoms for 50 years from 1997. The UK remains committed to ensuring that these promises, made by both countries, are upheld.
    9. However, China is now in an ongoing state of non-compliance with the Joint Declaration. Hong Kong, China’s capitalist economic, monetary and financial systems remain distinct and robust, but actions taken by China, such as the imposition of the National Security Law, as well as the actions taken by the authorities of Hong Kong, China, continue to erode many of the civil and political rights guaranteed in the Joint Declaration and Hong Kong, China’s Basic Law.
    10. This, in turn, puts at risk confidence in the effective governance, fair judiciary, and independent regulation, which makes Hong Kong, China such a great place to do business. Given Hong Kong, China’s significant role as a regional trade and economic hub, these actions also risk harming China’s own economic development in the long term.
    11. The UK therefore maintains that unwavering commitment to upholding the promises made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration is not only the best way to support our own trading relationship, but also the best way to safeguard its long-term prosperity and ensure that Hong Kong, China continues to be a crucial part of the world economy.
    12. Chair, I would like to conclude by welcoming the role that Hong Kong, China plays in supporting the world economy through its full and active engagement within the WTO. The UK welcomes Hong Kong, China’s participation in a range of Joint Initiatives, and most notably its recent efforts to help conclude substantive negotiations on Investment Facilitation for Development, as well as its ratification of the fisheries subsidies agreement. But like others, we were disappointed in the role that Hong Kong, China played in blocking consensus on selecting the Chair of the Government Procurement Committee. I hope that Hong Kong, China will continue to use its influence in the WTO to advance free trade; promote important reforms; and work together with other Members to conclude an ambitious fisheries agreement heading into Ministerial Conference 13.
    13. Finally, as one of the three co-chairs of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, let me also welcome Hong Kong, China’s initiatives to promote women’s empowerment, such as the Women Empowerment Fund, and thank them for providing further information on the role of the Women’s Commission in their answers to our Advanced Written Questions.
    14. Thank you, Chair, and Discussant for facilitating this Trade Policy Review, and to the delegation of Hong Kong, China for its full cooperation with this important exercise in transparency.
  • PRESS RELEASE : High streets levelled up with £7 million funding boost [December 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : High streets levelled up with £7 million funding boost [December 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 6 December 2023.

    Government launches new High Street Accelerators pilot to help communities and councils join up on long-term regeneration

    Ten struggling high streets will take part in a new government pilot – the High Street Accelerators programme – to create partnerships that empower residents and community organisations to work together on long-term regeneration plans.

    The funding will help communities partner with local authorities and businesses to address some of the biggest challenges facing their high streets – building on wider action to tackle empty shops, anti-social behaviour and a lack of visitors.

    These 10 areas to be called High Street Accelerators will receive an initial £2.37 million to kickstart their partnerships – a total of £237,000 each. They can also apply for a share of up to £5 million to improve their high streets’ green spaces and create more pleasant environments for residents to meet and socialise.

    This £7 million will be spent over the next two years and the impact will be evaluated to inform future government policy and support for left-behind high streets, building on larger interventions like the £1.1 billion Long-Term Plan for Towns.

    Minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

    It has been a tough few years for our high streets following the pandemic and the changes we’ve seen in consumer behaviour.

    We know that local people know what’s best for their area, and we’re keen to understand the benefits that High Street Accelerators could bring working with local businesses and their communities.

    These Accelerators will complement other interventions like High Street Rental Auctions, empowering local people to tackle vacancy and other issues on their high streets.

    The High Street Accelerators Pilot Programme was announced in March 2023 as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. It will complement other interventions designed to revive England’s high streets such as the High Streets Task Force which is helping local leaders to regenerate their areas, and changing planning rules so councils have greater certainty.

    New regulations to be introduced next year will also give local authorities more powers to work with landlords to rent out vacant properties on high streets. The High Street Rental Auctions regulations will allow councils to sell off the rental rights for empty properties to willing tenants, such as businesses and community groups.

    Along with High Street Accelerators, this will incentivise and empower local people to tackle vacant buildings, enabling local communities to reinvent their high streets for the future.

    Areas receiving funding as part of the High Street Accelerators programme:

    • Abingdon Street and Queen Street in Blackpool
    • Stoke Town Centre in Stoke-on-Trent
    • Queen Street with Blackburn Road and Church Street in Great Harwood Town Centre in Hyndburn
    • Scunthorpe High Street in North Lincolnshire
    • Union Street and Yorkshire Street in Oldham Town Centre
    • The Stepney area of Beverley Road in Hull
    • King William Street in Blackburn Town Centre in Blackburn with Darwen
    • Grimsby Town Centre in North East Lincolnshire
    • Dovercourt Town Centre in Tendring
    • Hyde Town Centre in Tameside