Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Reducing the carbon footprint of Hexham’s flood defences [May 2023]

The press release issued by Environment Agency on 9 May 2023.

New climate friendly, low-carbon concrete mix used for the first time in the UK to construct North East flood schemes.

In a UK first, the Environment Agency, BAM Nuttall, Arup and Tarmac have successfully trialled the use of two low carbon concrete mixes for works at the Hexham Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The low-carbon concrete has been used across 3 panels, totalling 27 metres of the £6.5 million Hexham flood defences as part of a plan to reduce their carbon footprint, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

Hexham is a popular tourist destination in Northumberland with visitors able to observe salmon leaping at the masonry arch bridge, dating back to 1793. The Hexham flood alleviation scheme will help to protect up to 90 properties in one of the town’s most important commercial areas, providing increased job security by protecting the places people work, keeping businesses open and supporting the wider local economy.

The flood alleviation scheme is almost complete on the south bank at Tyne Mills Industrial Estate and features a new structure installed across the Skinnersburn which would also stop the River Tyne backing up when levels are high. The improvement works to the north bank at Bridge End Industrial estate consist of flood walls and embankment as well as featuring the sections of low carbon concrete at the former Reiver Sports site.

The EA say that more than half of its carbon footprint comes from the construction of flood defences. Using low carbon concrete, such as a new Portland limestone mix, developed by Tarmac, will improve Hexham’s resilience to the changing climate while also playing an important part of the organisation’s steps towards Net Zero targets.

So far, the trial has presented positive carbon savings compared to a standard concrete mix offering up to 70% reductions of CO2 emissions per cubic metre of concrete delivered to site.

It is hoped that the trials to find new ultra-low-carbon concrete alternatives, will enable future Environment Agency flood defences across the North East to be built more sustainably, with lower embodied carbon. They will also support the delivery of new sustainable concrete products, to the wider construction industry and help to achieve targets outlined in the Net Zero North East England partnership. This collaboration between local government, business, education, the public sector and civil society aims to drive a comprehensive regional approach to tackling the climate emergency.

Leila Huntington, Environment Agency Operations Manager, said:

“The Environment Agency is committed to helping the nation be more resilient to flooding, coastal change, drought and climate change. We all have a role to play in tackling the climate emergency which is why the Environment Agency has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2030. To achieve this we have to adapt, try innovative approaches and ensure that climate and sustainability are at the heart of what we do.

“The trial of low carbon concrete in Hexham is a fantastic example of how we can work with our partners to continue to build flood defences to better protect communities from flooding, whilst also focussing on sustainability, the environment and reducing our carbon emissions.”

Ruth Young, area carbon and sustainability lead for BAM, said:

“As the Environment Agency’s construction partner in the North East, we are carefully considering how we can limit the environmental impact of the flood defence work we deliver without compromising the strength and resilience of these structures.

“We identified Tarmac’s new low-carbon concrete mixes as innovative products, which have the potential to reduce our overall carbon impact across the framework.

“We are working closely with the Environment Agency, Arup and Tarmac, to ensure the materials can be approved for use and look forward to seeing these being used on more civil engineering schemes in the future.”

Robert Gossling, head of commercial engineering solutions at Tarmac, said:

“This flood defence project in Hexham highlights the clear sustainability benefits which can be achieved when clients and contractors work in partnership, in this case engaging to help understand the benefits and reduce the concrete carbon footprint of the Environment Agency. The testing comparisons will help build confidence in these new products.

“Against the backdrop of a climate emergency, the use of these mixes marks another important step for the UK concrete and cement industry along its path to net zero. We’re committed to demonstrating innovation in low carbon solutions, and we hope that the success of this trial will help accelerate adoption of this and other types of new, sustainable concretes – delivering long-term benefits for the industry.”

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : North Sea ‘treasure map’ to grow the economy and unleash the UK’s carbon capture and storage industry [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 9 May 2023.

Companies licensed to drill in North Sea to report findings to regulator in new powers brought forward in Energy Bill amendment.
- New powers for regulator will help develop most comprehensive picture yet of UK’s carbon capture and storage potential
- this will deliver on the Prime Minister’s priorities by helping to attract investment, support as many as 50,000 new jobs by 2030 and grow the economy
- Energy Bill will also support the scale up of UK’s hydrogen and nuclear power industries
A ‘treasure map’ of what lies beneath the North Sea will be created to help the UK become a world leader in carbon capture and storage.

Companies already at the forefront of this technology and licensed to drill in the North Sea will have to report what they find to the regulator, which will develop the most comprehensive picture yet of the geological area’s make-up.

This information can then be used to unlock the UK’s huge potential by quantifying for investors how much carbon capture and storage could be possible. This could attract more companies to the UK, supporting as many as 50,000 green jobs by 2030, helping to grow the economy and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priorities.

The government intends to bring forward these new powers for the North Sea Transition Authority in an amendment to the Energy Bill, which had its Second Reading in the House of Commons today.

The Energy Bill was introduced to Parliament on 6 July 2022. It will deliver a cleaner, more affordable, and more secure energy system over the long-term for the UK, while liberating private investment in clean technologies.

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Grant Shapps said:

The UK is in prime position to become a world leader in carbon capture and storage – a whole new industry that could boost our energy security, help cut our own emissions and those of our European neighbours and create thousands of jobs for the future.

By working with the brightest and best who are already out in the North Sea, we can grow our economy by building the treasure map needed to unlock the full potential of this geological goldmine.

Minister for the Energy Bill, Nuclear and Networks, Andrew Bowie said:

Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine has laid bare the need to transform our energy system, and our landmark Energy Security Bill will mean homes and businesses across the UK benefit from a cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy system.

With security at its heart, the Bill is the most significant piece of energy legislation in a decade and puts the UK on the path to cleaner electricity by ramping up carbon storage and our technologies of the future.

Stuart Payne, North Sea Transition Authority Chief Executive, said:

Carbon storage is essential to reaching net zero, and the industry requires a wealth of reliable information to select sites to store millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases.

The NSTA welcomes these new powers to collect this vital data and share it with the industry as it leads the orderly transition and provides thousands of skilled jobs.

Carbon Capture and Storage involves separating carbon dioxide from industry and storing it safely under the seabed in spaces left by oil and gas extraction. Thanks to the geological make-up of the UK, this country is almost uniquely placed to benefit from this and create a whole new industry.

Estimates suggest that there may be enough space underneath the UK’s oceans – including its old oil and gas fields – to store up to 78 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent to the weight of around 15 billion elephants, and as much carbon dioxide as produced by up to 6 million cars on the road.

As well as helping cut the UK’s own emissions, this potential is believed to be so considerable that this country could also help other nations using carbon capture and storage – including other European countries – by storing their carbon emissions too.

Under plans announced in Parliament today, the government plans to grant the North Sea Transition Authority, as a carbon storage regulator, powers to obtain information and samples from those who have a licence already to store carbon.

These will give the information needed about the geological features of hidden underground spaces underneath the North Sea that have already been mapped. This will help develop an encyclopaedic knowledge about what lies beneath the waves and confirm the likely scale of the industry this could create, helping to encourage private investment.

UK government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said:

Expanding carbon capture and storage forms a vital part of our Net Zero ambitions. The new measures introduced today will propel that sector forward, while supporting up to 50,000 jobs to benefit Scotland and the whole of the UK.

Not only will this accelerate our transition to using cleaner, greener energy and enhance our energy security but it will also bring a welcome economic boost to aid our priorities of reducing debt and halving inflation.

Other forthcoming amendments to the Energy Bill announced by the government today:
- backing Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs), such as those in the steel sector, by introducing a compensation scheme that will lower the costs they EIIs have to pay to use the electricity grid. This will bring key UK businesses in line with global competitors and help make the UK one of the most attractive places to do business as part of delivering on the Prime Minister’s plan to grow the economy
- setting out the statutory role of the new nuclear body Great British Nuclear to carry out the long-term mandate the government intends for it in support of the commitment to unleashing the new generation of new nuclear for it to comprise up to 25% of the UK’s energy supply by 2050
- plans to develop new business models to encourage investment in the transport and storage of hydrogen. This will be key to boosting the UK’s future energy security
Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

Energy-intensive industries like steel are hugely important to our economy. This measure will cut costs and help ensure they can bring high-quality jobs and investment into the UK.

This support will mean that these key industries stay in line with their global competitors, helping deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority to make the UK the most attractive place to do business and grow our economy.

The Energy Bill first entered Parliament in July last year and commits to providing a cleaner, more affordable, and more secure energy system by:
- leveraging private investment in clean technologies
- reforming the UK’s energy system so it is fit for the future
- ensuring the safety, security and resilience of the UK’s energy system
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Hit and run driver, Lee Beevers, has sentence increased [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 9 May 2023.

A banned driver who killed a cyclist and left him for dead has his prison term increased after the Court of Appeal reviewed the original sentence.

Lee Beevers (27), from Normanton, West Yorkshire, has had his original sentence overturned and sent to prison for six years after the Court of Appeal reviewed the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that on the evening of 13 April 2022, Beevers was driving his friend’s car at speeds of more than 70mph through residential areas.

Despite being uninsured and subject to a driving ban, Beevers ignored his passengers’ requests to slow down and continued to drive along the Wakefield Road at speed.

As Beevers approached a junction with Church Lane, he struck Alan Tankard who was crossing the road on his bicycle wearing visible clothing.

Beevers continued to drive without checking on his victim, who had been propelled into the air. Alan Tankard was pronounced dead at the scene.

Analysis of CCTV evidence calculated that Beevers was driving at 82mph at the point of the collision and neither Lee Beevers nor his passengers called for assistance. The car was then burned to evade detection.

Beevers pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified and was sentenced on 19 January 2023 to four years and eight months and disqualified from driving for five years and four months.

His sentence was increased by the Court of Appeal to six years at a hearing on 21 April 2023.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Lee Beevers was a persistent offender with several driving convictions already to his name. He repeatedly ignored requests from his passengers to slow down before he callously fled the scene after he smashed into his victim.

I would like to express my sincere condolences to Alan Tankard’s family. While Lee Beevers’ extended sentence won’t change what happened, the court has recognised the severity of his crimes and determined that Lee Beevers should spend longer behind bars for his reckless and heartless actions.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – Statement on Israel [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Israel’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr President. Let me welcome the Deputy Attorney General and the Israeli delegation.

Israel has taken positive steps since its last review, including decreasing the number of Palestinian children in military detention and granting more access permits to Palestinians.

Israel is celebrating its 75th birthday, 75 years as a democratic state, with a thriving civil society – one of its great strengths. So, we encourage Israel to protect civil society organisations.

We recommend Israel:

1) Reverse its policy of settlement expansion in the OPTs, including in East Jerusalem, and the decision by the Knesset in March to allow re-settlement in four locations in the northern West Bank.

2) Cease the appropriation of private Palestinian lands and the demolition of Palestinian properties.

3) Provide a clear and transparent process for construction for Palestinians in ‘area C’ and in East Jerusalem.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – Statement on United Arab Emirates [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at United Arab Emirates’ UPR at the Human Rights Council.
Let me welcome the Minister and her team to Geneva and commend her country’s work to advance the rights of women, including their political and economic participation. We also recognise the UAE’s efforts to foster tolerance and build interfaith understanding, as well as their role in regional stability.

We recommend that the UAE:

Implement existing laws to ensure detainees are informed of all charges against them and of their rights to a translator and legal representation; to inform someone known to the detainees of their whereabouts; and to investigate immediately and impartially if a complaint about the detainees’ treatment is made.

Guarantee the rights to freedom of opinion, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, in line with international human rights law.

Ensure the political independence of its National Humans Rights Institute and its full compliance with the Paris Principles.

Thank you.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New UK funding to boost education opportunities for women and girls in Southeast Asia [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

At the 2023 Education World Forum the International Development Minister launched a Girls’ Education and Skills Programme following the UK-ASEAN Plan of Action.
- new support will provide around 100,000 women and girls with access to education and training in Southeast Asia
- the programme will boost female employment in sectors such as data analysis and technology
- this comes as the UK hosts the world’s largest gathering of education ministers in London at the Education World Forum
A new UK funded programme will offer some of the most marginalised women and girls in Southeast Asia a better future by boosting access to a quality education.

Funding will go towards improving the quality of education for women and girls by prioritising teaching basic reading and maths skills to unlock their full potential.

The programme will expand women and girls’ access to digital and technical education – focusing on what skills are needed to gain employment in high-skill sectors such as technology and manufacturing.

It will also promote the inclusion of remote and minority communities, urban poor and children with disabilities by setting up disability assessments to identify additional needs and medical referrals for eye tests.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell will announce the funding at the Education World Forum (EWF) conference in London today, the largest international gathering of education ministers.

Minister for Development Andrew Mitchell said:

Greater gender equality brings freedom, boosts prosperity and strengthens global security. Countries can’t develop if half the population are held back from fulfilling their full potential.

This means working in partnership with countries to provide a quality education for all with a focus on girls to address the barriers they face including violence, poverty, harmful gender norms and climate change.

We’re working with partners across Southeast Asia to tackle the learning crisis and improve education and future employment opportunities of women and girls to ensure a prosperous future.

Around 140 million children in Southeast Asia experienced loss of education due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is made worse by low quality schooling, learning poverty, limited access to schools in rural areas, education that fails to equip students with workplace skills and girls dropping out of school because of early marriage.

In the ASEAN region, girls make up a larger proportion of out of-school children at primary level. This limits opportunities in later life and increases the risks of facing early marriage, young pregnancy and poverty.

The new UK funding of £30 million will address these barriers to education for the 1.2 million girls threatened with permanent school drop-out through cost-effective measures such as merit-based scholarships, girls clubs and catch up classes to ensure children stay in school.

UK expertise will help schools improve the quality of teaching through lesson planning and in-class support so more children are able to read and understand a short story by the age of 10 years old. This means the programme will directly support progress towards the UK’s commitments for 40 million more girls in school and 20 million more girls reading.

The 5-year programme is the first in a series of new ASEAN-UK programmes designed to deliver on UK commitments as a dialogue partner and is further evidence of the UK’s renewed effort to prioritise educating girls as set out in the Women and Girls Strategy.

It is part of the UK’s effort to improve effectiveness of education and follows the recently announced Scaling Access and Learning in Education programme to help get an additional 6 million girls around the world into school.

The UK also launched a new report with the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel and World Bank on ‘Cost Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning’, which builds on the importance of early childhood education and provides recommendations covering health, nutrition and socio-emotional development.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dangerous driver, John Frazer Yates, has prison sentence extended [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 9 May 2023.

Dangerous driver who killed another motorist before fleeing the scene has prison term increased after sentence was referred under Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme.

John Frazer Yates (28), of no fixed abode, has had his original prison term quashed and will now serve 11 years and three months in jail after the Court of Appeal determined his initial sentence was unduly lenient.

The court heard that at just after midnight on 15 November 2022, Yates was travelling northbound on the M6 motorway, between junction 20 and 21.

Temporary roadworks, which had a speed limit of 50 mph, forced Yates to move into a single lane of traffic. But due to the excessive speed Yates was travelling at, which experts calculated to be 128 mph, he collided with a vehicle driven by a third party before hitting Christopher Smith’s car.

Yates got out of his car and fled the scene, leaving his victim for dead. He was arrested several hours later and refused to provide his details or a breath sample. Once Yates was taken to the hospital, he failed to provide a blood sample.

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

John Frazer Yates was travelling at dangerously excessive speeds and through his reckless actions caused the tragic death of another motorist. The offence was aggravated by him callously fleeing the scene not thinking he would be picked up by the CCTV cameras.

I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Christopher Smith’s family and I welcome the court’s decision to extend Yates’ sentence in what were truly tragic circumstances.

Yates pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a sample. He was sentenced to eight years and three months at Chester Crown Court on 20 January 2023. Yates was also banned from driving for 12-and-a-half years.

His sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient and on Thursday 20 April, the court increased Yates sentence to 11 years and three months.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Asset recovery and combatting corruption – UK statement to the OSCE [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) tells OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group that Russia’s invasion shows the threat posed to our societies by kleptocracies.

Thank you, Mr Chair, and my thanks to the Finnish Delegation for starting this cycle of Mediterranean Partners meetings with this important topic.

The UK recognises that corruption and illicit finance threaten national security and prosperity and undermine democracy and open societies.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought into sharp relief the threat posed to our societies by kleptocracies, and highlighted the need to reinforce our response to illicit finance both at home and overseas. Last year saw the UK Government introduce the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act to tackle foreign criminals using UK property to launder money and enhance sanctions enforcement; and we established the Combating Kleptocracy Cell.

In this regard, the UK is also fully committed to recovering and returning corruptly-obtained assets. This must be done in accordance with legal due process, which can take time, but ensures a fully fair and transparent process.

In 2021 the UK launched the new Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime, allowing the Government to impose asset freezes and travel bans on those involved in serious corruption around the world. In recent years we have brought in additional civil powers, such as Unexplained Wealth Orders, to require a person to explain the sources of their wealth, and Interim Freezing Orders, which allow the freezing of assets while investigation is ongoing.

Mr Chair, we need international action so that the major financial centres are making reforms in tandem. Otherwise illicit finance will just ‘displace’, from jurisdictions with high transparency and effective law enforcement, to areas with poor transparency and law enforcement.

We encourage all participating States to give due consideration to civil measures, and to recognise UK civil orders where possible. This gives law enforcement a further tool to tackle criminal assets.

Finally, we are determined to ensure that Russia is made to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. The UK Government is considering all possible options for seizing Russian-linked assets in the UK that could be used to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. Any policy must be safe, robust and compliant with the rule of law.

Thank you.

May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 43rd Universal Periodic Review – UK statement on Montenegro [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 May 2023.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Montenegro’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Mr President. Let me welcome the Minister and your team to Geneva.

Let me start by paying tribute to Montenegro’s role in this Council and welcome its progress in tackling organised crime as well as improvements to the legislative framework on more stringent penalties for attacks and threats against journalists.

We encourage Montenegro to address outstanding recommendations on accountability of the judiciary and to establish a track record for the implementation of anti-corruption law.

We recommend Montenegro:

Strengthen mechanisms to improve access to justice, including for victims of gender-based violence, and ensure prompt independent investigation of all complaints of police ill-treatment, and amend the Criminal Code to align with the Convention against Torture.

Ensure effective implementation of laws in the fight against corruption.

Improve application of the legal framework on the protection of journalists.

Thank you.
May 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : What the Prime Minister’s Primary Care Recovery Plan means for you [May 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 May 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to improve access to primary care.

“Being able to get a GP appointment when you need one is vitally important to families and communities across the country, so we must modernise the way primary care works to keep up with patient demand and help to cut NHS waiting lists.

Today, we’re launching a radical plan to improve access to primary care.

This is how the measures will affect you.

We’re getting rid of the 8am rush for GP appointments

I know how frustrating it is to be stuck on hold to your GP practice when you need an appointment for a common illness.

We will end the 8am rush by making sure patients are either given an appointment immediately when they call, or signposted to a more appropriate service such as NHS 111 or their local pharmacy.

You will no longer be told to call back later.

You can get prescription medication directly from a pharmacy, without a GP appointment

For the first time ever, patients who need prescription medication will be able to get it directly from a pharmacy, without a GP appointment, for things like earache, sore throat, or urinary tract infections.

This also extends to contraception. Now women will no longer have to speak to a nurse or GP to get the oral contraceptive pill – it will be available direct from their local pharmacy.

There will be more GP appointments available to you

By expanding the role of pharmacies, fewer people will need to see their GP in the first place.

Today’s plans are expected to free up around 15 million GP appointments over the next two years for patients who need them most.

Which means the next time you want to see your GP, you should be able to do so quicker.

You’ll be able to access your medical records on the NHS app

The new plan will give you better access to your own medical records.

Within the next year 90% of people will be able to access their GP records, including test results, on the NHS app within the next year.

This plan is personal to me, I grew up in an NHS family and I’m passionate about making sure you get access to the best medical attention, when you need it.

This bold and innovative package of measures will significantly change how the NHS works for the better not least for GPs and pharmacies, but above all you – whose day-to-day experience of healthcare will be significantly enhanced by this new service.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

May 9, 2023