Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Work begins on Cambridge’s new rail station – Cambridge South [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 5 June 2023.

New train station to boost jobs and homes in the area and bring together world-leading academics at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
- government announces commitment to deliver a new train station in south Cambridge by 2025
- passengers will benefit from quicker and easier access to the city’s biomedical campus – Europe’s largest centre of medical research and health science
- new station will support 300 new construction jobs and forms part of the proposed East-West Rail route, which aims to unlock £103 billion of economic growth
Rail passengers are set to benefit from a new station in Cambridge, offering quick, easy and accessible links to its world-leading biomedical campus, thanks to government support announced by Rail Minister Huw Merriman today (5 June 2023).

Spades are in the ground to deliver a new, 4-platform, fully accessible station at Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the south of the city by 2025, offering easier access to Europe’s largest centre of medical research and health science.

With around £200 million government funding earmarked for the build, the new station will bring together world-leading academics and back the government’s ambition for the UK to become a science superpower by 2030. It will also support rapid growth in the area, which is expected to welcome 27,000 jobs and 4,000 new homes by 2031.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said:

This brand-new station will not only benefit local passengers but deliver a major boost to the entire city, improving connectivity to a world-leading academic hub while unlocking local business and growth opportunities across the region.

This is just another step in our efforts to create a thriving, well-connected, passenger-focused rail network to support communities for generations to come.

During construction, 300 new jobs will be created in the local area, and once delivered, the station will act as a key transport link between the biomedical campus and international gateways, such as Stanstead Airport and the Eurostar, boosting the travel network right across the region.

Expecting to welcome 1.8 million passengers a year, the station also forms part of the proposed route of the future East-West Rail line, which would connect Oxford and Cambridge and unlock up to £103 billion of economic growth.

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said:

It’s an exciting time for the railway in Cambridgeshire with a green light to deliver a new station that will serve the vitally important and growing biomedical campus.

Rail continues to be an environmentally sustainable form of transport and I know the minister’s announcement will be welcomed by the customers and communities we serve across Cambridgeshire and beyond.

Kristin-Anne Rutter, Executive Director at Cambridge Biomedical Campus Limited, said:

We are delighted that the Cambridge Biomedical Campus is to get its own railway station in less than 2 years’ time. Better public transport links will be critical in fulfilling our vision of a more sustainable campus.

Currently, there are around 5 times as many visits to the site as there are car parking spaces. We have to find ways of making it easier for the thousands of staff, NHS patients and visitors arriving daily to get here without needing to use a car.

This is a campus dedicated to improving human health, so anything that has the potential to cut air pollution and take pressure off our local roads is also very welcome. Coupled with the recent approval of the East-West Rail route directly linking Oxford with the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we believe we can create a successful yet sustainable health and life sciences cluster that can both grow the economy and save lives.

Sir Mene Pangalos, EVP BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said:

We very much welcome the ‘ground breaking’ for the Cambridge South Train Station, which will provide sustainable travel directly to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

This will help support the ongoing growth and vibrancy of the site, enabling further collaboration and partnership across academia, biotech and industry, which is key to advancing scientific innovation to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Europe Minister to forge closer relations in Central Asia [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 June 2023.

Minister Leo Docherty will visit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to reinforce UK support for Central Asia as a close and valued partner.
- Leo Docherty visits Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to reinforce UK support for the region
- it is the most senior visit by a UK official to Kyrgyzstan in more than a decade
- visit follows Foreign Secretary trip to Kazakhstan in March
As Central Asia deals with the economic uncertainty caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, UK Minister Leo Docherty will reinforce UK support for the region as a close and valued partner.

On a 3-legged visit, the minister will welcome the political reforms taking place across Central Asia and promote British expertise to support the region’s sustainable economic development.

During the most senior visit by a UK official to Kyrgyzstan in more than a decade, the minister will meet senior members of the government, including the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to boosting energy security, climate cooperation and trade ties.

The region is of huge strategic importance straddling Europe, Asia and the Middle East and bordering Russia, China and Iran. The minister will hold talks with officials and business leaders to discuss emerging opportunities for British businesses, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the UK economy.

Russia has significant economic ties in Central Asia through trade, energy and economic migrants. However, the illegal invasion of Ukraine has caused significant consequences for the region due to rising food and energy prices and its dependence on Russian trade and energy.

Looking ahead to the visit, Minister responsible for Central Asia Leo Docherty said:

Few countries feel the impact of global security changes more than Central Asian States, from the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan to economic uncertainty caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The UK, as a close strategic partner, is committed to supporting political reforms and sustainable economic development for the region’s long-term stability and prosperity.

The minister will also tour the Chunkurchak Mountain Gorge on horseback, showcasing a UK-supported business, Kyrgyz Twins Adventures. The tour company focuses on making the Kyrgyz tourism sector more inclusive for people with disabilities. They have received support from the UK’s Enterprise and Innovation Programme which helps to promote a stronger, diversified and more inclusive private sector in the region.

In Almaty, Kazakhstan’s business capital, the minister will build on the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Astana in March by discussing opportunities for cooperation on critical minerals, clean technology, and agriculture.

The minister will welcome Kazakhstan’s consistent support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, meet civil society groups to discuss reforms and look ahead to the annual UK-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue set to take place this autumn.

Wrapping up in Uzbekistan, the minister will meet with counterparts in the Foreign and Trade Ministries to strengthen defence and trade ties, discussing cooperation on counter terrorism and security, reaffirming UK support for Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization and its ongoing domestic reforms.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : British fighter jets and helicopters train to attack targets at sea, alongside NATO allies in Estonia [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 4 June 2023.

The UK has been conducting major multi-domain training activity in Estonia throughout May, exercising alongside more than 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.

RAF Typhoon fighter jets and Army Air Corps Apache helicopters concluded a training exercise off the coast of Estonia on Friday, in which they practiced firing their heavy machine guns and advanced missiles at targets in the sea.

The exercise, named Spring Tempest, was conducted jointly with Estonia and France and demonstrated the ability of the UK and its Allies to deliver precision strikes while operating deep in enemy battlespace.

The Apache attack helicopters, from the Army Air Corps Aviation Taskforce (1AAC ATF), were armed for their mission with Hellfire missiles, CRV7 rockets and 30mm rounds, while the Typhoon jets, from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW), were armed with Paveway IV laser guided bombs and 27mm armour piercing rounds.

Wing Commander Scott MacColl, 140 Expeditionary Air Wing’s Commanding Officer, said:

Exercise Spring Tempest has been an outstanding opportunity to integrate effects across the Land, Maritime and Air domains. Working with the Royal Navy and Army has allowed us to exercise high-end skill sets, while enhancing interoperability across a broad range of NATO allies.

The flexibility to operate effectively across differing environments demonstrates our key contribution to collective defence and regional security. As important, the scale of this exercise further develops Alliance cohesion and cross nation understanding.

The mission was supported by a Forward Air Controller, operating nearby from a Wildcat helicopter. Both types of helicopter worked in tandem with ground-based personnel to refuel and rearm before transiting back to the mission area.

This training follows on from Exercise Spring Storm, the largest annual military exercise in Estonia involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), which saw more than 1,500 UK soldiers training alongside more than 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.

At last year’s NATO Leaders Summit in Madrid, the UK committed to increase the size of its contribution and capability, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-level deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel being deployed from the UK.

Land-based training exercises saw UK soldiers, deployed to bolster the eFP under the Army’s Operation CABRIT, as well as tanks and armoured vehicles, practicing live firing in a series of different scenarios, conducting trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, vehicle manoeuvres, and combined arms warfare.

Commander of Op CABRIT, Brigadier Giles Harris, said:

Exercise Spring Tempest clearly demonstrates the successful integration of our land, aviation and air capabilities. It comes as we end Exercise Spring Storm 2023, the largest iteration of its kind with some 14,000 personnel taking part across land, sea and air domains. Through rigorous training with our allies, we prove we are a capable, flexible multinational force.

The Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, carrying approximately 550 sailors and Royal Marines, has joined up with the RAF and the Army to take part in the NATO training exercises happening in the region. During recent weeks, she has landed marines from 45 Commando for a dawn beach raid exercise.

The ship and crew also supported a further training exercise last weekend off the coast of Paldiski, which saw the three services testing their capability in a fully-integrated manner. Typhoon jets, Apache, and Wildcat helicopters flew in a tight, programmed formation overhead, as the Royal Marines transported soldiers from the Queen’s Royal Hussars and their 62-tonne main battle tanks from the shore into HMS Albion’s dock.

Captain Marcus Hember, HMS Albion’s Commanding Officer, said:

It is not often the Royal Navy, RAF and Army are in the same place at the same time with major assets.

This gave us the opportunity to test how we can work together at sea, proving again the Royal Navy can move Army heavy equipment on and off a shoreline whilst being safely covered air by the RAF and Army Air Corps.

The eFP provides a continuous NATO presence along its eastern border, with deployed troops acting as a deterrence against any aggression towards the Alliance’s borders.

The RAF has also been bolstering NATO’s presence, currently leading the Alliance’s air policing mission in Estonia with more than 200 personnel based at Amari Air Base, which has led to several air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.

The operational activity underlines the UK’s commitment to European security, which is vital to delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK commitment to Indo-Pacific reaffirmed as global summit takes place in Singapore [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 June 2023.

UK ministers have attended the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this week.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO) Minister of State, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, met with global leaders in Singapore for the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue this week.

Their participation reconfirms the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, a region critical to the UK’s economy, security, and our commitment to an open and stable international order.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s foremost defence summit for global leaders and ministers to debate the region’s most pressing security challenges with a series of plenary sessions and bilateral discussions.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Defence Secretary addressed the audience, alongside ministers from Canada and the Philippines, focused on ‘Building a stable and balanced Asia-Pacific’ and regional cooperation.

In March, the Prime Minister announced a deal to join CPTPP – a trade bloc in the Indo-Pacific, which will now have a total GDP of £11 trillion. During his visit to Japan for G7 last month, almost £18 billion of new investment into the UK from Japanese businesses was announced by the Prime Minister, creating more well-paid jobs in the UK and helping grow the economy.

This is in addition to a new semiconductor partnership with Japan and critical minerals partnerships with Canada and Australia; and the Global Combat Air Programme with Japan and Italy, announced last year.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

It has been a great pleasure to meet with my counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen here in Singapore and to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue to meet defence ministers from across the Indo-Pacific. Singapore is a trading powerhouse that we have much in common with.

We understand that Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security is indivisible and that upholding the rules-based order is a collective effort – that is why organisations like ASEAN are so important. This is why we have applied to join ADMM+, a demonstration of our commitment to strengthening defence and security in the Indo-Pacific. We are committed to promoting prosperity and stability in the region.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said:

Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific prosperity and security are tied more closely together than ever before, and we must work jointly to protect the rules-based international order to safeguard our futures.

The UK is committed to playing a full and active role in ensuring a free, safe and open Indo-Pacific, working with partners in ASEAN and beyond to tackle global challenges.

Arriving in the region earlier this week, the Defence Secretary met with his Singapore counterpart, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, on Friday. They discussed continued bilateral cooperation and our partnership through important groups including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

The Defence Secretary also held a series of bilateral meetings while in Singapore, with ministers from China, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

On Friday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visited the FPDA wharf at Sembawang Naval Installation where he met Commanders from Australia and New Zealand.

The UK and Singapore are both members of the FPDA, now in their 52nd year. Founded in 1971, the FPDA are a series of agreements between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK, with the group seeking to strengthen defence and security in the Indo-Pacific and work together to promote stability in the region. Defence Ministers from FPDA nations met earlier today to discuss continued collaboration and strengthening the group.

In 2021, the UK was delighted to become an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, including Singapore. The UK’s Dialogue Partner status was formalised in August 2021, the first dialogue partner ASEAN has included in 25 years.

That same year, the UK deployed Royal Navy ships HMS Spey and HMS Tamar to the Indo-Pacific, following a successful Carrier Strike Group deployment, as part of the UK’s commitment to regional peace and stability. The Prime Minister recently confirmed that the UK’s Carrier Strike Group will return to the region in 2025.

The summit follows a busy few months, during which the UK has taken concrete actions to take advantage of post-Brexit freedoms with an ambitious trade policy in the Indo-Pacific.

More than 1.7 million British citizens live in the Indo-Pacific and our trading relationships with the region were worth over £250bn in 2022. By 2030, the Indo-Pacific is expected to account for more than 40% of global GDP and the region is critical to the UK, to our economy, our security and our values, upholding the international rules and norms that underpin free trade, security and stability. With 60% of global trade passing though shipping routes in the Indo-Pacific, security there has a direct impact in households in the UK.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UNITAMS mandate renewal underlines that the UN will continue to support peace and democracy in Sudan – UK statement at the Security Council [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 June 2023.

Explanation of vote by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

President, I welcome that with this resolution the Council has sent a unified endorsement of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of UN personnel in Sudan, who continue to do vital work under extremely challenging circumstances. Let me also underline the UK’s support for the work of SRSG Volker Perthes and all of the UNITAMS team.

The situation in Sudan remains of significant concern. In particular regarding the humanitarian needs of Sudan’s population. This renewal underlines that the UN will continue to support their demands for peace and democracy.

This six-month rollover will also provide the necessary time for the Council to assess the impact of the developing context on UNITAMS’ ability to fulfil its vital mandate.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK urges DPRK to cease missile launches, return to dialogue and to take credible steps towards denuclearisation – UK statement at the Security Council [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 June 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

Thank you, President.

The UK condemns the DPRK’s reckless, failed satellite launch on 30 May 2023.

Let me be clear. This launch had nothing to do with peaceful uses of outer space. It was a military reconnaissance satellite, and used ballistic missile technology to launch. As such, it was a further violation of this Council’s resolutions.

It follows 9 sets of ballistic missile tests since the start of 2023, including a solid fuel inter-continental ballistic missile test in April. All part of DPRK’s reckless pursuit of advanced nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities with which it seeks to threaten its neighbours.

While the launch failed, it caused alarm for the people of Japan and the Republic of Korea. But it is the North Korean people who bear the highest costs of these launches, as their government diverts resources away from peoples’ basic economic needs.

Colleagues, this behaviour is unacceptable. DPRK continues to flout the international non-proliferation architecture and poses a threat to global peace and security. We understand it intends to repeat the failed launch as soon as it can.

We are ready to work urgently with all Council members to send a unified message to the DPRK. We continue to urge all Member States to fully implement existing resolutions and to counter the continued development of DPRK’s illegal weapons programmes.

Once again, President, we urge the DPRK to cease these launches, return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Thank you.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK pledges £10m to support Palestinian refugees – UNRWA Pledging Conference [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 June 2023.

Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UNRWA Pledging Conference.

First of all we would like to thank Leen Sharqawi and Ahmed Abu Daqqa for their very powerful statements. A reminder, if we needed it, that UNRWA continues to provide a vital beacon of hope for Palestinians.

President, the UK also believes UNRWA plays a critical role in preserving stability in the Middle East in its education services to around 543,000 students, access to health services to 1.9 million refugees, and protection assistance to 5.9 million refugees.

It has also provided 32,000 loans to support sustainable income-generating opportunities. It helps the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees not only to survive but to thrive.

UNRWA cannot do this alone, but relies on us, the international community, to show our support to and solidarity with Palestinian refugees. I am pleased to announce that the UK will pledge £10m [$12.5m USD] to support it in delivering high-quality services.

However, UNRWA faces several financial challenges. It is working to meet this challenge head-on by developing a robust Resource Mobilisation and Outreach Strategy. The international community must collectively support this strategy, and help to address the chronic funding shortfalls by providing predictable, multi-year funding.

We welcome the pledges from others and we support creative thinking about other means to ensure UNRWA’s financial viability to implement its mandate.

The UK continues to believe that a negotiated, two-state solution is the only viable means of bringing the peace and stability that both Palestinians and Israelis desire. Until then, the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to UNRWA and to Palestinian refugees.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Global cyber leaders meet in Estonia [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 June 2023.

Events in Tallinn looked at how the cyber and electromagnetic domain plays a vital role in peacetime and crisis, including its impact on the war in Ukraine.

Cyber and electromagnetic domain experts and leaders came together in Tallinn at the Cyber Commanders’ Forum and CyCon 2023.

Collaboration with our allies and partners from across the world is vital – cyberspace has no borders – and the events provided the valuable opportunity for partners to tackle shared challenges.

General Jim Hockenhull, Commander of Strategic Command, attended on behalf of UK Defence and to represent the thousands of personnel whose diligent efforts help ensure the safety and security of the UK.

With over 30 nations represented, the Cyber Commanders’ Forum (CCF), hosted by the Estonian Defence Forces Cyber Command, covered topics including cyber education, training, and emerging and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Cyber Conference (CyCon) 2023 saw over 600 cyber experts from nearly 50 countries come together to address current cyber security challenges through presentations, focus sessions, and breakout groups.

This year’s CyCon had a theme of Meeting Reality which included discussions on new technologies, both the benefits and opportunities they provide also the new threats they pose.

Speaking about the events, General Jim said:

Strategic Command leads cyber for UK Defence. It is a vital domain where global events are shaped – including the conflict resulting from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

There could be no more appropriate hosts for this year’s Cyber Commanders’ Forum and Cyber Conference than Estonia and Poland. UK Defence is proud of our close relationships with these vital allies, forged through our deployed contribution to NATO’s enhanced forward presence both here in Estonia and in Poland under Operation CABRIT.

It is essential that Allies, our partners in industry, and academia make a collective effort to operate together effectively in this domain to protect our nations, defeat and deter our adversaries. These events play a significant role in this integration and I am delighted to represent UK Defence at both.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Ministerial Appointments [June 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 June 2023.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments:
- Dr Kay Swinburne and Mr Darren Mott OBE as Lords Whips (Baroness in Waiting and Lord in Waiting respectively).
His Majesty has been pleased to confer peerages of the United Kingdom for Life on Dr Swinburne and Mr Mott.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist, previously a Lords Whip (Baroness in Waiting), has resigned from Government.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The US, UK and Qatar launch initiative to continue lifesaving assistance to Somalia [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 June 2023.

The United States of America, United Kingdom and Qatar launch a $10.5 million initiative to continue lifesaving drought and resilience response in Somalia.

Today (25 May 2023) the United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Mogadishu, and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) announced the launch of a $10.5 million drought assistance and resilience program through the Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS) consortium.

The trilateral partnership builds upon famine prevention and resilience investments made by USAID, UKAID, and QFFD in 2021 to 2022. It will enable BRCiS to sustain lifesaving service delivery while accelerating recovery efforts over the next 6 months.

Severe drought, compounded by conflict, in Somalia has left 6.6 million people severely food insecure. Since January 2022, more than 3 million people have been displaced and mortality rates have surpassed those in 2017. An estimated 43,000 deaths have already occurred – half of which were among children under the age of 5. Without continued support, more than half a million children under the age of 5 are at risk of severe malnourishment and death this year.

Mike Nithavrianakis, British Ambassador to Somalia said:

The situation in Somalia remains critical. We applaud our partners’ sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance which helped to avert nationwide famine this year. This is significant, but humanitarian aid alone cannot address the crisis. That is why the UK is reinforcing BRCiS’ response through continued collaboration with the US and Qatar.

The tripartite collaboration will for the first time combine investments from the UK, US, and Qatar under one program, BRCiS. This will ensure the continued delivery of emergency cash assistance to purchase food and multi-sector humanitarian assistance, alongside resilience activities to ensure communities are protected and empowered.

Perrine Piton, BRCiS Chief of Party said:

These contributions will save lives. The funds will enable us to reinforce market-based systems that drive supply and demand initiatives while ensuring 41,000 people receive emergency food assistance (multi-purpose cash); 330,000 individuals have access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene materials; and 175,000 people are provided with lifesaving health and nutrition services.

US Ambassador Larry André said:

BRCiS will continue to support the Somali people in their communities. Partnership – iskashi – is at the heart of the work of the United States with Somalia. This extension expands that partnership with the UK and Qatar to build on past success.

His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin Salim Al-Naimi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Somalia, said:

The drought crisis has cast a shadow on the already worsening humanitarian situation in Somalia due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This affected millions and has increased the threat of famine, displacement, food insecurity, and severe malnutrition among children, which imposes on everyone without exception.

Providing humanitarian and relief support would alleviate millions affected by humanitarian conditions, helping them to withstand these complex situations further, and working to save lives, which is primarily a human duty.

June 12, 2023