Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary sends Royal Navy destroyer east of Suez to safeguard security in the Gulf [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 30 November 2023.

HMS Diamond has set sail to bolster UK naval forces across the Middle East.

HMS Diamond is en route to join Operation Kipion, the UK’s maritime presence in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, the Defence Secretary has announced.

As a powerful demonstration of the UK’s commitment to regional security, the Type 45 Destroyer will bolster the UK’s naval presence in the Gulf and work to deter escalations from malign and hostile actors who seek to disrupt maritime security.

The Type 45 destroyer will conduct operations to ensure freedom of navigation in the region, reassure merchant vessels and ensure the safe flow of trade. She will join HMS Lancaster, which deployed to the region last year, as well as three mine hunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) support ship.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Recent events have proven how critical the Middle East remains to global security and stability.

From joint efforts to deter escalation, following the onset of the renewed conflict in Israel and Gaza, to now the unlawful and brazen seizure of MV Galaxy Leader by the Houthis in the Red Sea – it is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region, to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world.

Today’s deployment will strengthen the Royal Navy’s patrols, help to keep critical trade routes open and prove that our commitment to regional security not only endures but enhances.

Her deployment follows increasing concerns over maritime security at narrow sea trade routes worldwide, known as chokepoints. The ship is part of the UK’s commitment to supporting security in the region and the global maritime commons.

Operation Kipion is the UK’s long-standing maritime presence in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. In addition to HMS Lancaster, a squadron of three mine hunting vessels (HMS Bangor, HMS Chiddingfold, and HMS Middleton) and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship (RFA Cardigan Bay) are also deployed as part of the operation, helping to keep the vital trade routes of the Middle East open for business.

Royal Navy vessels have been permanently deployed to the region since 1980 and have fallen under Operation Kipion since 2011. Under the command of the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC) in Bahrain, they work with allies and partners across the region, including under the Combined Maritime Forces partnership.

HMS Diamond is deploying with a Wildcat helicopter onboard, a highly capable aircraft which has been central to HMS Lancaster’s activities since its deployment in 2022, including when it seized substantial quantities of illegal drugs and intercepted weapons being smuggled in international waters.

The additional deployment of HMS Diamond, one of the Royal Navy’s most advanced vessels, will significantly bolster international efforts to protect maritime security in the region.

The waters of the Gulf are vital routes for merchant shipping, including for tankers carrying much of the UK’s supply of liquefied natural gas. Around 50 large merchant ships each day pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, while around 115 major merchant ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New business guidance to boost skills and unlock benefits of AI [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 30 November 2023.

New draft guidance will support businesses to upskill their workers with the tools they need for jobs alongside AI.
- Businesses to be helped to upskill employees so they can use AI to carry out tasks in the workplace, boosting productivity
- Draft guidance sets out areas of focus for employers, workers, and training providers, including data protection
- Announcement comes as the UK government calls on the business community and experts to help shape final guidance
Businesses throughout the UK will be supported to unleash the enormous potential of AI across their workforce as the UK government publishes new guidance to make sure employees have the skills they need.

The guidance, published today (Thursday 30 November), is intended to help employers boost their employees’ understanding of AI so they can use it safely in their day-to-day role, by setting out the key knowledge, skills and behaviours they should have in order to reap the benefits of AI safely – including how to use artificial intelligence tools effectively such as Large Language Models and the safe and secure management of sensitive data.

Focused on five key areas, the guidance covers everything from using AI to evaluate the performance of projects through to how to build the skills and techniques needed to solve issues as people work with AI when they crop up. Employees will be helped by employers and training providers to develop a deeper understanding of how their organisation works with AI, how they can further incorporate its use, and in turn what tools they need to tackle a particular task. From admin to accounting and a range of other aspects in a worker’s day-to-day role, the guidance will support employees to propose solutions and build a strong knowledge base to go from strength to strength as they work increasingly with AI.

Given the growing use of AI in businesses across the country, this will serve as a vital tool for employers to ensure their workers can harness the huge potential of the technology to fuel both their own development and that of their organisation. By upskilling workers, businesses will also ramp up productivity and ensure their workforce can focus on the tasks which will make the biggest impact. Having a highly skilled workforce will allow businesses to go from strength to strength, fuelling their success and contributing to the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

Developed in partnership with the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme and The Alan Turing Institute the guidance marks a first step, with the UK government continuing to work closely with the business community and experts to further develop the guidance and draw concrete actions which can be implemented by businesses across the country – ahead of publishing a final version.

It comes as the Chancellor welcomed Microsoft’s £2.5 billion investment in UK AI over the next 3 years – expanding its next generation AI datacentre infrastructure, which is a vital investment to process, host and store the massive amounts of digital information needed to develop AI models. He will today (Thursday 30 November) visit one of Microsoft’s new ‘next generation datacentre facilities’ under construction in North London – which will create jobs and run fully on renewable energy – joined by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, and Microsoft UK CEO, Clare Barclay.

Minister for AI Viscount Camrose, said:

Making sure workers up and down the country have the skills they need for their jobs with and in AI is a key part of our strategy in making the UK an AI powerhouse and ensuring the skills of our workforce keep pace with this rapidly developing technology.

This guidance will be vital in helping us realise that ambition, continuing an important conversation with businesses across the UK to make sure the steps they can take are practical, functional, and successful.

Having a workforce which is equipped to work alongside AI will drive growth for businesses and allow us to realise the enormous opportunities AI presents in every sector of our economy.

Each of the five areas identified in the guidance are broken down further into corresponding knowledge and skillsets, such as knowledge of how AI can be used effectively; the ability to carry out a range of tasks; using appropriate behaviour when working with AI; and strong professional values to develop a sound judgement in situations where AI could be used.

Underpinning this new guidance is a breakdown of four distinct ‘personas’, which correspond to the level of AI expertise an individual may need. This will help users – individuals, employees, employers – to quickly identify their skills gaps, and training providers to develop relevant training schemes to address these.

AI Citizens are defined in the guidance as members of the public who could be customers or employees of an organisation making use of AI. AI Workers are employees whose day-to-day role sits outside of data and AI, but whose jobs are likely to be impacted by the technologies. AI Professionals are also identified as employees with specific responsibilities around data and AI, while AI Leaders are people in senior positions which help to oversee and introduce emerging technologies, such as individuals in board-level roles. These personas will help businesses improve their L&D offer for existing workers, and to identify key AI skills when recruiting.

Professor Will Drury, Executive Director – Digital and Technologies at Innovate UK said:

The adoption of AI is critical for our economy – it will help drive growth and competitiveness, unlocking the potential for greater productivity.

I welcome this framework and consultation focused on developing employees’ skills in AI; the recognition that AI is part of industry’s future and our workforce’s future is just the start of integrating AI into business at a grass-roots level.

Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme concentrates on four key sectors – this piece of work will build on that by engaging with industry across the board.

Matt Forshaw, Senior Advisor for Skills at The Alan Turing Institute said:

Businesses are increasingly interested to learn how AI could enhance their productivity and competitiveness, but they also want to ensure they have the skills and competencies to adopt these technologies safely and ethically.

The new framework clarifies routes to workforce upskilling and will support businesses across the country to harness the value of AI. This project is underpinned by strong partnership working and we look forward to seeing the impact of this project on the current and future AI workforce.”

To ensure the guidance is useful for organisations across the UK economy, the government is now seeking views from across the UK’s expert community. Stakeholders have the opportunity to comment on the guidance through the Alan Turing Institute until January, who will then host a webinar and Q&A on 7 December. Building on this feedback, in the new year InnovateUK BridgeAI and the Alan Turing Institute will publish updated guidance, an accompanying skills framework and sector-specific case studies. These resources will help businesses understand their AI upskilling needs and training providers to develop training solutions which will enable businesses to unlock the value of AI.

The government has already invested £290 million in a broad package of AI skills and talent initiatives since 2018, giving people the tools they need to work effectively alongside AI. Last month, a wide-ranging skills package was also unveiled which encompasses postgraduate research centres and scholarships, putting the UK on a strong footing with a high-skilled workforce fit for the digital age.

The AI Skills for Business Competency Framework builds on already established models of professional standards and approaches, such as the government’s Essential Digital Skills Framework, and the Alliance for Data Science Professionals. Its publication today marks a new chapter in identifying the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that workers across the country need to tap into in order to navigate the practical challenges which AI presents in the workplace.
December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Royal Navy task force to deploy with JEF partners to defend undersea cables [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 30 November 2023.

Six Royal Navy warships, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, and a Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft will form the UK’s contribution to the JEF deployment.

A Royal Navy task force of seven ships will deploy with allies early next month to jointly patrol areas with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure, following an unprecedented agreement by ministers of the ten JEF nations.

The UK contribution to the deployment will include two Royal Navy frigates, two offshore patrol vessels and mine countermeasures vessels, as well as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship – supported by a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The contingent will depart in early December to join other ships and aircraft from JEF participant nations to launch joint patrols, with vessels spaced to cover a wide area from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea – demonstrating the interoperability between JEF nations in the maritime and air domains.

It comes after defence ministers from all ten JEF nations met on Tuesday and unanimously agreed to activate a protocol mobilising military assets from across participant nations – known as a JEF Response Option (JRO) – for the first time in JEF’s history.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

This historic and unprecedented agreement will see a Royal Navy task force of seven ships, supported by the RAF, join allies from across northern Europe as part of a joint operation to defend our shared critical infrastructure against potential threats.

The UK and our JEF partners will do whatever it takes to defend our mutual areas of interest, and today’s display of unshakeable unity sends a powerful message of deterrence that we stand ready to meet any potential threat with force.

Together, we stand firmly in support of peace, security, and a steadfast resolve to uphold the rules-based international order.

During the deployment, ships and aircraft from JEF nations will work together to carry out deterrent patrol in areas of key interest, as well as to deepen surveillance around offshore assets and share intelligence.

The patrols will ensure an extended security presence, picking up from NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity which took place in the Baltic Sea region throughout November.

The agreement comes following an extraordinary meeting of JEF defence ministers to discuss options for joint activity to defend offshore critical infrastructure, after an increase in attacks and threats.

Ministers from the ten JEF nations issued a joint statement following Tuesday’s virtual meeting, highlighting the significance of the first activation of a bespoke JRO – providing a tangible demonstration of the JEF as a credible contributor to Northern European security.

The JEF is a group of like-minded nations – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The nations share the same purpose, values and a common focus on security and stability in the JEF core regions of the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region.

At a meeting of leaders from the JEF nations last month, the Prime Minister vowed to step up the UK’s military presence in northern Europe – deploying more than 20,000 troops to the region next year, with the intent to combat emerging hybrid threats and to defend critical national infrastructure.

December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement on Secretary of State’s decision to intervene in the anticipated acquisition of Telegraph Media Group by RedBird IMI [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 November 2023.

The Secretary of State’s decision to issue a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) with regards to the the anticipated acquisition of Telegraph Media Group by RedBird IMI.

My Department has today written to the Barclay family and RedBird IMI, the current and proposed owners of Telegraph Media Group (TMG), to inform them that I will be issuing a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) in relation to the anticipated acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group Ltd (TMG) by Redbird IMI.

This relates to concerns I have that there may be public interest considerations – as set out in section 58 of Enterprise Act 2002 – that are relevant to the anticipated acquisition of TMG by RedBird IMI and that these concerns warrant further investigation.

At this stage, my decision to issue the PIIN triggers the requirement for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to report to me on jurisdictional and competition matters, and for Ofcom to report to me on the media public interest consideration in section 58(2A) of the Enterprise Act 2002 – namely, the need for accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion in newspapers. I have asked both the CMA and Ofcom to report back to me by 26 January 2024.

I reserve the right to take such further action under the Act as I consider appropriate, which may, if appropriate, include exercising my powers under section 42 of the Act in relation to any other relevant merger situation. My decision to issue a PIIN today is without prejudice to my ability to take any such additional action in accordance with the Act.

My role as the Secretary of State in this process is quasi-judicial and procedures are in place to ensure that I act independently and follow a process which is scrupulously fair, transparent and impartial.

DCMS will update Parliament only after both reports from the regulators have been received and considered.

December 6, 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Over 50,000 extra nurses in NHS – hitting government target early [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 November 2023.

It marks the largest ever sustained growth in the NHS nursing workforce, with the expanded workforce delivering hundreds of thousands of extra appointments.

More than 50,000 extra nurses are working in the NHS compared to September 2019
Government hits target delivering largest ever sustained growth in NHS nursing workforce

Data published today (30 November 2023) by NHS England shows there were 51,245 additional nurses in September 2023 compared to 2019. This means the number of nurses have increased from 300,904 in 2019 to over 352,000 – hitting the government’s manifesto commitment to recruit an additional 50,000 nurses 6 months early.

This is the largest ever sustained growth in the NHS nursing workforce, with the expanded workforce delivering hundreds of thousands of extra appointments, helping to tackle waiting lists and improve access for patients.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:

There are 50,000 extra nurses in the NHS caring for our loved ones, delivering extra appointments and improving access for patients.

We have delivered on our promise but we won’t stop here. The first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will help to retain our current workforce, reform clinical practice, and deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history, almost doubling the number of adult nurse training places by 2031.

These additional nurses will help support cutting waiting lists – which is one of our 5 priorities – and getting patients the care they need, when they need it.

Building on this achievement, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan will further expand the nursing workforce, with additional training numbers, improved retention and the introduction of new roles to support our hard-working nurses.

The 50,000 nurses commitment has been achieved through boosting training and education routes into nursing, ethically recruiting internationally and actions to improve the retention of the existing workforce. This includes a financial support package for nursing students – the NHS Learning Support Fund – providing eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students with non-repayable grants of at least £5,000 per academic year to ensure course sustainability.

The data also shows there are over 1.3 million staff working in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England, 68,900 (5.6%) more than a year ago.

There are almost 7,300 (5.6%) more doctors in the NHS compared to September last year.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan – backed by over £2.4 billion over 5 years – sets out three priority areas to train, retain and reform the health workforce.

The plan will significantly expand domestic education, training and recruitment and will deliver more nurses than ever before. It will almost double the number of adult nurse training places by 2031, with around 24,000 more nurse and midwife training places a year by 2031. This will include over 5,000 more mental and learning disability nurses a year.

By improving culture, leadership and wellbeing, the government is aiming to ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years. For example, the NHS and government will improve flexible opportunities for prospective retirees to keep them in the NHS workforce for longer, and make it easier for those who have already left to come back in flexible, contracted roles or as a temp.

Taken together, these recruitment and retention measures will mean the health service has at least an extra 170,000 more nurses in place by 2036 to 2037.

Additionally, the plan commits to reforming training to support education expansion. The government will expand enhanced, advanced and associate roles to offer modernised careers, including increasing training places for nursing associates and is also working with regulators and others to explore how nursing students can gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to practise safely and competently in the NHS in less time.

Background information

The 50,000 nurses target includes nurses working in the NHS in England, including in GP settings. This covers all NHS providers across acute, community, mental health and ambulance settings. It does not include non-NHS providers, including social care providers and social enterprises. For GP settings, it covers all nurses employed in general practice.

The 50,000 nurses are full time equivalent (FTE) rather than headcount. This means that if a nurse works part time, they will be recorded as less than one FTE nurse (with the number depending on the degree to which they are part time).

While nursing associates are a career progression to become a registered nurse they do not count towards the 50,000 target. Additionally, midwives, allied health professions and health visitors are not part of the registered nurse expansion work.

The baseline for the target is numbers of FTE nurses in the NHS as of 30 September 2019. More details are available in the 50,000 Nurses Programme: delivery update.

The table below shows the regional breakdowns of nurse numbers across England.

NHS England region	Sept 2019	Sept 2023	Change since Sept 2019	% change since Sept 2019
England	300,904	352,149	51,245	17.0%
London	54,036	61,689	7,653	14.2%
South West	27,789	33,056	5,267	19.0%
South East	38,887	47,664	8,777	22.6%
Midlands	55,596	64,891	9,295	16.7%
East of England	28,649	33,350	4,701	16.4%
North West	46,061	54,608	8,546	18.6%
North East and Yorkshire	49,885	56,891	7,006	14.0%

December 6, 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Boost for UK AI as Microsoft unveils £2.5 billion investment [November 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 30 November 2023.

The Chancellor has welcomed Microsoft’s £2.5 billion investment over the next 3 years to expand its next generation AI datacentre infrastructure.

The Chancellor has today hailed Microsoft’s major investment in AI infrastructure and skills as critical for future growth and innovation, boosting the country as a science and technology superpower.

Microsoft is committing to more than doubling its datacentre footprint in the UK and training more than one million people for the AI economy. It’s also supporting the UK’s growing AI safety and research efforts through partnerships with the government and leading universities.

As part of this, Microsoft will spend £2.5 billion over the next three years to expand its next generation AI datacentre infrastructure, bringing more than 20,000 of the most advanced Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) – which are crucial for machine learning and the development of AI models – to the UK by 2026.

This is the single largest investment in its 40-year history in the country which will see Microsoft grow its UK AI infrastructure across sites in London and Cardiff and potential expansion into northern England, helping to meet the exploding demand for efficient, scalable and sustainable AI specific compute power. Datacentres process, host and store the massive amounts of digital information that is critical for developing AI models.

This £2.5 billion commitment was confirmed on Monday as the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled £29.5 billion of investment in our most innovative sectors, including tech, life sciences, renewables, housing and infrastructure at the Global Investment Summit.

The UK is already the leading European tech ecosystem, which last year was worth more than double Germany’s and three times as much as France’s. The UK’s AI sector also contributes £3.7 billion to the UK economy and employs 50,000 people across the country.

The Chancellor welcomed Microsoft’s investment on a visit to one of its new, next generation datacentre facilities under construction in North London – which will run fully on renewable energy – where he was joined by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, and Microsoft UK CEO, Clare Barclay.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“Microsoft are one of the founding fathers of modern technology and today’s announcement is a turning point for the future of AI infrastructure and development in the UK.

“The UK started the global conversation on AI earlier this month, and Microsoft’s historic investment is further evidence of the leading role we continue to play in expanding the frontiers of AI to harness it’s economic and scientific benefits.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

“The UK is the tech hub of Europe with an ecosystem worth more than that of Germany and France combined – and this investment is another vote of confidence in us as a science superpower.

“And it follows the £500m investment in Compute that I committed to in my Autumn Statement last week, taking our investment in advanced computing for AI to £1.5bn – a down payment on the jobs and economic growth it will bring to the UK.”

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

“This is a huge vote of confidence in the strength of the UK’s technology sector, showing Microsoft’s support for the UK to reach superpower heights and cementing our global AI safety leadership.

“This investment not only bolsters critical infrastructure but also ensures that the UK remains at the forefront of driving economic growth and innovation.”

Microsoft vice chair and President Brad Smith said:

“Microsoft is committed as a company to ensuring that the UK as a country has world-leading AI infrastructure, easy access to the skills people need, and broad protections for safety and security.”

Microsoft UK CEO, Clare Barclay, said:

“The pace of change in AI demands action today to build a prosperous future for the UK tomorrow. Today marks the single largest investment in our more than 40-year history in the UK.

“As business and the public sector embrace the AI opportunity, we are building the infrastructure that will support the growth they need, training the people who can deliver it responsibly and securing our society against emergent threats”.

To support research on AI, Microsoft will extend its Accelerating Foundation Models Research (AFMR) programme to include prioritised access to GPUs for the UK’s science and research community. AFMR drives interdisciplinary research on AI alignment and safety, beneficial applications of AI, and AI-driven scientific discovery in the natural and life sciences. This new UK effort will aim at harnessing the power of AI to accelerate scientific discovery via multiscale multimodal data generation through prioritised access to Microsoft’s AI tools. This programme includes researchers from the UK’s world leading participating universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, UCL, Bath and Nottingham.

To support UK workers across the AI economy, Microsoft will make a multi-million pound investment to train one million people with the skills they need to build and work with AI, including expanded training for people looking to start, or move into, a career in AI.

Working in partnership with multiple learning and non-profit partners, the programme will focus on building AI fluency, developing AI technical skills, supporting AI business transformation, and promoting safe and responsible AI development and use including the first Professional Certificate on Generative AI.

Today’s news comes as the government has agreed a new Online Fraud Charter with tech companies, including Microsoft – the first agreement of its kind in the world – to clamp down on fraud taking place on their platforms.

Under the agreement, platforms will verify new advertisers and promptly remove fraudulent content. Individuals selling items on peer-to-peer platforms such as Facebook Marketplace will also be verified, and there will also be a function for people using online dating services to confirm who they are.

Today’s announcement also comes as the Chancellor announced a further £500 million investment in advanced computing for AI at the Autumn Statement, bringing the government’s total planned public investment in compute to more than £1.5 billion.

These investments will help provide the UK with the infrastructure we need to create a world-leading AI ecosystem where our scientists and researchers continue to make extraordinary new discoveries, benefitting all of society, and making the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow an AI start-up.

December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 50 million more GP appointments delivered by the NHS [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 November 2023.

More than 50 million additional general practice appointments made available after government fulfils its pledge months early.
- Latest data shows over 50 million more appointments compared to October 2019
- Confirms government has met manifesto commitment
- News comes as NHS England data shows over 50,000 extra nurses in NHS
Data published today by NHS England shows that for the year to October 2023, there were 50.9 million additional general practice appointments delivered when compared to October 2019, meeting a key government commitment set out in 2019.

The announcement comes as separate data also published today shows that compared to September 2019, there are over 50,000 additional nurses working in the NHS. This meets another of the government’s targets.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said:

We owe a debt of gratitude to all the staff working in general practices for their support and commitment to their patients and for achieving the target of 50 million additional appointments months ahead of schedule.

Our primary care recovery plan is going even further with more appointments, more staff and greater support from pharmacies – backed by funding – meaning we can offer the primary care patients need.

In the 12 months to October 2023, 358 million general practice appointments, including COVID-19 vaccinations, were delivered – this is an increase of 50.9 million compared to 2019, meaning we have delivered on our manifesto commitment for 50 million more appointments a year. This is equivalent to 44 more appointments per practice per working day, with over 70% of these taking place within 2 weeks of booking.

Health Minister, Andrea Leadsom, said:

Today’s figures, published by NHS England, clearly demonstrate that more people are getting the care they need, when they need it.

Thank you so much to GPs and primary care teams up and down the country for their tireless work to care for patients, which saw around 32,500 more appointments delivered every day.

While this is positive news, we know that there is more to do to make it easier and quicker for patients to contact their general practice and continue to focus on delivering the primary care recovery plan.

Today’s announcement builds on data from earlier this month which showed that there were over 34,000 additional direct patient care staff working in general practice – exceeding the government’s commitment to recruit an additional 26,000 primary care staff which was met one year early and is helping to cut waiting lists.

Earlier this year, the government published its primary care recovery plan focused on improving access to primary care. Providing practices in England with £240 million, it supported them to embrace the latest technology to tackle the 8am rush, reduce the number of people struggling to contact their general practice and ensure patients know how their query will be handled.

As of August 2023, more than 1,000 general practices had signed up to digital upgrades – giving them the latest digital technology designed to make booking general practice appointments easier.

Following the pandemic the government is investing up to £645 million and is working with NHS England and the pharmaceutical sector on the best way to support primary care.

This includes ensuring patients who need prescription medication for 7 common conditions can receive it without the need for a GP appointment and is estimated to free up around 15 million appointments over the next 2 years for patients who need them most.

Workforce data is published by NHS England: NHS Workforce Statistics – August 2023.
December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : National system launched to rapidly identify trends in suicides [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 November 2023.

New suicide surveillance system launched to tackle emerging methods of suicide and clamp down on those seeking to sell dangerous products to vulnerable people.
- Government delivers on key commitment in national suicide prevention strategy to help thousands more people approaching crisis to get the support they need
- Near to real-time suicide surveillance system for England launched, with government working with police to gather quickly vital data on tragic suicides including gender, age group and method
- Milestone will support rollout of new national alert system to notify schools, universities and charities of emerging methods of suicide and risks
Efforts to tackle emerging methods of suicide and clamp down on those seeking to sell dangerous products to vulnerable people were bolstered today, as the government delivered on a key commitment in its national suicide prevention strategy and launched a new suicide surveillance system.

Working alongside the National Police Chiefs’ Council to bring together important local intelligence, the government will obtain near to real-time data from across the country on deaths by suspected suicide by gender, age group and method.

Previously, the only suicide data available at a national level was provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), but it could take up to 2 years for the official ONS data to come through. From today (30 November 2023), however, the data will be received from individual police forces in England and the government will get it within 3 months of a suspected suicide.

Female deaths by suicide, for example, are increasing at a higher rate than male deaths; therefore it’s imperative such trends are captured as early as possible and preventative measures put in place to save lives.

A monthly report on the new datasets will be published by the government, and it will act as an early warning system for indications of any change in tragic suicides.

The new datasets will also support the future rollout of a national alert system on emerging methods or risks, so anyone who comes into contact with potentially dangerous new methods of suicide will have a direct link into central government to report it. Through this, alerts will soon be circulated to all authorities, such as schools and charities, that should be aware and may be required to take mitigating action.

Mental Health Minister Maria Caulfield said:

Every suicide is a tragedy and has a devastating, enduring impact on families and communities, but we are working at pace to reduce the number of suicides, support those reaching the lowest point and tackle emerging methods and harmful online material.

The national suspected suicide surveillance system is vital to achieving this, and will provide important near real-time data so we can spot anomalies in age, gender and method more quickly and take the necessary action to save lives.

The national suicide prevention strategy launched earlier this year saw the government pledge to reduce England’s suicide rate within 2 and a half years, with the commitment backed by more than 100 measures.

It is already an offence under the Suicide Act to encourage or assist suicide. The Online Safety Act 2023 goes even further to tackle these crimes, while also ensuring the largest social media companies proactively prevent people from seeing content that encourages or assists suicide.

Today’s data for England for the 15 months to August 2023 does not indicate an obvious change in trend in overall suspected suicide rates over the period. Suspected suicide rates do show a reduction in the most recent months, but it should be noted there are contributing factors and the situation continues to be monitored.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Suicide Prevention, Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle, said:

Suicide has a devastating impact, we must do all we can to protect people and reduce preventable death.

We welcome today’s announcement by the government and will continue to work with partners to reduce suicide.

The government is investing £2.3 billion extra a year into mental health services to help an additional 2 million people access NHS-funded mental health support by 2024, and we’ve recently launched a £10 million fund for the voluntary sector in England to carry out crucial work to save lives until 2025.

£150 million is being invested up to April 2025 to better support people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, mental health crises. This will support the roll out of mental health ambulances and delivery of over 160 projects – including alternatives to A&E – to ensure people can receive specialist care in appropriate spaces and help ease pressure on the NHS.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan also sets out an ambition to grow the mental health workforce by 73% by 2036 to 2037, and the workforce already continues to grow to help cut waiting lists.

Support is available for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts on the NHS website.
December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK companies selected for NATO innovation challenge [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 30 November 2023.

Seven UK companies have been selected to take part in NATO’s pilot challenges providing the opportunity to refine their products and keep NATO populations safe.

The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) works with leading researchers and entrepreneurs across the Alliance, helping them develop technologies to keep NATO populations safe and secure.

DIANA is celebrating a key milestone by selecting 44 of the most promising applicants from across the Alliance to join its pilot challenge cohorts. The cohorts will embark upon a six-month intensive programme to develop their business into promising ventures. DIANA brings together universities, industry and governments to work with start-ups and other innovators to solve strategic dual-use security and defence challenges, growing a new generation of NATO innovators.

The 44 successful companies from across the Alliance have been assigned to one of the five accelerator sites chosen for the pilot programme: Tallinn, Estonia; Turin, Italy; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Boston and Seattle in the United States. Starting in January 2024, the companies will embark upon the programme which has been custom-designed for early-stage dual-use start-ups.

For the 2023 pilot challenge call, DIANA focused on three areas:
- Energy resilience – providing resilient power in disaster or conflict
- Sensing and surveillance – gathering information from underwater
- Secure information sharing – providing trusted data anywhere
Through a combination of seminars, workshops, and mentorship, the companies will gain a comprehensive understanding of the dual-use landscape and learn how to successfully navigate both commercial and defence markets. Simultaneously, they will have the opportunity to refine their technologies and products through access to DIANA’s network of Test Centres, comprising over 200 world-leading technical testing facilities.

The most promising companies will then graduate to an additional six-month scaling programme of tailored support and additional grant funding. All of the innovators selected for the DIANA programme will help to maintain NATO’s technological edge by enhancing the Allied innovation ecosystem.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:

The DIANA programme encapsulates the collaborative spirit of the NATO alliance, with creative minds joining forces to develop cutting edge technologies to bolster our defence and security capabilities.

Through supporting these pioneering ideas, we strengthen our alliance, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of innovation in safeguarding the collective peace and security of our member nations.

The seven British companies chosen for the DIANA programme are:

Anzen Technology Systems

Based in London, Anzen Technology Systems is an SME that develops privacy technology that anonymizes information and splits it into discrete datasets (data shards), which then are distributed and stored in different locations.

Aquark Technologies

Aquark Technologies, located in Hampshire, is a spin-out of the University of Southampton that provides portability and miniaturisation solutions for quantum technology applications.

AVoptics

AVoptics is an SME based in Yeovil, which specialises in providing engineered photonic solutions for use in harsh environments.

Goldilock Secure

Located in Wolverhampton, Goldilock Secure is developing solutions that allow for the physical segmentation of digital assets and networks remotely, without internet dependence.

Grayscale AI

An SME based in London, Grayscale AI produces optimisation-driven AI, meant to mimic a human’s neural network.

IONATE

Based in London, IONATE is a technology company developing next generation hybrid intelligent transformers that target flexibility and resilience at strategic points of the electricity system.

SECQAI

SECQAI is an SME based in London, which focuses on next generation cryptography through quantum random number generation.
December 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Zagreb plenary 2023 – Foreign Secretary’s message [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 November 2023.

The Foreign Secretary sent a video message to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Zagreb plenary, outlining priorities for the UK presidency next year.

Secretary-General, Ambassador Gras and Ms Lustig, distinguished IHRA members, it is an honour to address you all ahead of Britain’s Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

The Nazis’ murder of 6 million Jews was the darkest hour in human history. An abject moral catastrophe. A moment forever seared in our collective memory. A moment which must never happen again.

Tragically, recent events have underlined its continued relevance today. Israel was founded in the shadow of the Holocaust as a place of sanctuary for the Jewish people. Hamas poses an immediate, existential threat to the very idea of such a state.

And we have seen the ugly face of anti-Semitism resurface, with an unprecedented surge in hate crime globally since the barbaric attacks of October 7th. Shamefully, this was also the case in the United Kingdom.

And so, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, we all share a responsibility to keep the promise recently projected onto the Brandenburg Gate: ‘Never again is now’.

This Alliance exists to keep that promise. To uphold the 2000 Stockholm Declaration. To protect the memory of all Holocaust victims and survivors. To ensure we truly grasp its lessons for today. To contribute to the struggle against repugnant antisemitic beliefs, whatever form they take.

Remembrance requires a collective effort, bringing together governments and academics, educators and faith leaders, survivors and young people, countries from around the world.

It is something I have always tried to contribute to. As a father, sitting with my young children in the shadow of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, trying to explain to them the horror of the Holocaust. As a citizen, learning from the bravery of survivors like Susie Lind or Jack Kagan, or my own visit to Auschwitz, a harrowing reminder of why we must stand up for inclusiveness and tolerance. And in my time as Prime Minister, setting up the Holocaust Commission, who recommended establishing the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre that will soon be built right here in the heart of London.

I am therefore proud as Foreign Secretary that Britain will soon take over the presidency of the IHRA once again. I pay tribute to the Croatian presidency, in particular its co-chairs. We look forward to sustaining the momentum you have generated behind the Alliance’s work plan.

We will soon mark the 85th anniversary of the first Kindertransport, that great rescue of almost ten thousand Jewish children. I once met one, whose grandfather had written in their diary before they fled Prague, “be a great daughter to the country that gives you a home”.

And all of them were great children to their new homelands, living ten, twenty lives over, for all those they left behind. They became Nobel prize winners, a member of the House of Lords, the midwife who first held the future King Charles the Third.

Our Presidency coincides with other significant anniversaries. The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. And the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration.

Each anniversary leaves us torn, with joy at what was achieved, almost overwhelmed by grief at lives lost and potential unfulfilled. Each, however, must spur us on to guarantee the future of Holocaust remembrance.

With memory of it soon to pass out of our living history, I have always believed we have a sacred duty. To keep knowledge of it strong and vibrant, educating children of whatever faith or none, reaching out to all parts of society in each country represented today.

Our Presidency therefore aims to help children understand that the Holocaust did not happen in secret, hidden away in a dark corner, beyond most citizens’ gaze. It took place in plain sight.

We want to shine a spotlight on the circumstances that led up to the Holocaust, the nature of society that allowed it to happen, in plain sight. We will bring into focus all those who played a part, be it as perpetrators, rescuers or bystanders.

We will remember all those murdered for who they were and what they believed – the 6 million Jewish people, Roma, disabled, gay men, political opponents and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

We aim to reach thousands of young people across the Alliance, supporting them to undertake local projects on the impact of the Holocaust in their home towns.

Alongside this, we will prioritise tackling the continued rise of Holocaust distortion. We have a duty to protect the facts, fighting back against attempts to minimise or erase the devastation endured by the Jewish people.

Artificial Intelligence offers transformative possibilities for education. But there are risks that it fuels distorted narratives. Our Presidency, together with the OSCE, will therefore convene AI, social media and other experts to address our response to Holocaust distortion, including from deep fake technology and disinformation online.

We also welcome IHRA support to Ukraine over the past 21 months, working with its remit to translate IHRA guidance into Russian and Ukrainian. Like many IHRA member states, Ukraine has a complex Holocaust history.

And I heard during my recent visit how Russia is spreading false narratives to justify its illegal invasion. Given this, it is vital that IHRA continues to support them in protecting their sites and records.

For 25 years, the Alliance has embodied the spirit of its first honorary chair, Elie Wiesel. Like him, we all “want to protect and enrich the kingdom of memory, glorify that kingdom and serve it”.

The UK is looking forward to welcoming you all next year, to Glasgow in June and London in December. And to working with you all in service of that kingdom.

Thank you.

December 6, 2023

Tag: Press Release

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Background information

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said: