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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Funding boost to services diverting women from a life of crime [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Funding boost to services diverting women from a life of crime [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

    £15 million for services that work with women in the justice system.

    • tailored support to help female offenders get their lives back on track
    • part of strategy to reduce number of women committing crimes

    Thousands more vulnerable women caught up in crime will benefit from drug, housing and employment support to get their lives back on track thanks to a £15 million government funding boost.

    This investment has been awarded to 40 women’s centres and charities, and four Police and Crime Commissioners to provide or access specialist help to those who commit lower-level offences.

    These organisations help female offenders to get clean, move away from abusive relationships, and find work and stable accommodation ultimately reducing the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending to the taxpayer.

    Successful organisations include:

    • Brighton Women’s Centre, awarded £761,280 to continue their support for vulnerable women through childcare provision, counselling and psychotherapy.
    • The Nelson Trust in the south west of England and Wales, awarded £1,164,915 to continue their work including residential abstinence-based addiction treatment programmes to help women achieve long-lasting recovery.
    • The Together Women Project in Yorkshire and the Humber, awarded £621,309 to continue their work offering one-to-one, trauma-informed support to women serving community sentences.

    This support is key to cutting crime as around one-third of female offenders have a history of drug abuse and more than three fifths of women have experienced domestic abuse.

    Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

    We know that female offenders often turn to crime because of poor mental health or drug abuse so it is absolutely vital we address those underlying issues to stop their offending.

    These community organisations play a key role in our work to cut crime and improve support for some of society’s most vulnerable women.

    The Minister visited Brighton Women’s Centre on Thursday (25 May 2023) to meet with the staff providing this specialist help and as well as the women being supported.

    Lisa Dando, Director at Brighton Women’s Centre said:

    I am delighted that we have been awarded funding from the MoJ to support women living with multiple disadvantages to lead happier and fulfilling lives.

    Brighton Women’s Centre is committed to supporting women through a trauma informed and holistic model of care to ensure women can move away from the Criminal Justice System. This funding from the MoJ will enable us to specifically target support at preventing women from entering the Criminal Justice System. Ultimately, this will save lives as well as saving the public purse.

    John Trolan, CEO at The Nelson Trust, said:

    This welcome funding enables us to support women with multiple vulnerabilities many of whom end up in the justice system because of exploitation by others. 58% of women report committing crimes to support the drug habit of others as opposed to 27% of men.

    We enable women to develop positive social networks of support leading to lives where they are financially independent, choosing healthy relationships and if they are parents, parenting responsibly.

    While women who commit the most serious crimes will always be sent to prison, custody should always be a last resort. Tackling the root causes of female offending and providing vulnerable women with early support is a key part of the Government’s Female Offender Strategy to cut crime by women and reduce the number who end up in prison.

    Since 2018, almost £55 million has been invested to tackle female offending. New specialist staff have been recruited to support pregnant women and mothers in prison, and charities and community organisations have also received funding to support their work.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor reveals life sciences growth package to fire up economy [May 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 26 May 2023.

    A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences sector and drive forward the government’s priority to grow the economy has been unveiled by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt today 25 May 2023.

    • Ambitious life sciences package to support economic growth with new commitments and funding for manufacturing, skills and infrastructure
    • Announcements help to cut NHS waiting times with changes to improve commercial clinical trials to bring new medicines to patients faster
    • Significant investment follows an already improved IMF growth outlook for the UK

    The multi-faceted ‘Life Sci for Growth’ package brings together 10 different policies including £121 million to improve commercial clinical trials to bring new medicines to patients faster, up to £48 million of new money for scientific innovation to prepare for any future health emergencies, £154 million to increase the capacity of the UK’s biological data bank further aiding scientific discoveries that help human health, and up to £250 million to incentivise pension schemes to invest in our most promising science and tech firms.

    The Chancellor’s £650 million package also includes plans to relaunch the Academic Health Science Network as Health Innovation Networks to boost innovation by bringing together the NHS, local communities, charities, academia and industry to share best practice. It also lays out changes to planning rules to free-up lab space and updates a route for East West Rail (EWR), the new railway line, to improve connections between UK science powerhouses Oxford and Cambridge, bringing more investment to the region.

    Life Sciences is one of the UK’s most successful sectors, worth over £94 billion to the UK economy in 2021, a 9% increase on the year before. As a key industry driving UK growth the Chancellor has identified it as a focus for government, ensuring regulation aids innovation, government funding is targeted at vital projects and investment is diverse. This also helps to deliver the Science and Technology framework through reforming regulation, boosting investment and driving up talent and skills.

    Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said:

    Our Life Sciences sector employs over 280,000 people, makes £94 billion for the UK each year and produced the world’s first covid vaccine.

    These are businesses that are growing our economy while having much wider benefits for our health – and this multi-million pound investment will help them go even further.

    The package was first revealed to the UK’s Life Science Council this morning by the Chancellor at a meeting at No10 Downing Street, where it was welcomed by the CEOs of global life sciences companies and industry representatives.

    The package follows the Treasury’s Life Sciences Connect conference which the Chancellor hosted on 29 March where he heard first-hand from senior industry representatives about the opportunities and challenges they are facing.

    Policy Announcements

    The announcements improve the regulatory environment for Life Sciences companies and our approach to UK commercial clinical trials. As part of this, the Chancellor has committed to make it easier for revolutionary healthcare products to get to NHS patients by cutting the regulatory burden of approving clinical trials, and committed £121 million, made up of new and existing funding, to speed up clinical trials and improve access to real-time data via new Clinical Trial Acceleration Networks. This comes in response to publications of the Lord O’Shaughnessy review on commercial clinical trials and Dame Angela McLean’s review on the life science regulatory system.

    ‘Life Sci For Growth’ commits to invest £154 million from UK Research and Innovation to upgrade the UK Biobank capabilities, the biomedical database containing the in-depth genetic information of half a million UK citizens, something greatly valued by the global scientific community helping drive forward new medical treatments in the sector. The money will go towards a new facility at Manchester Science Park, a new Hub to help SMEs collaborate with industry and academia and better IT to accommodate multi-disciplinary data.

    A call for proposals has been released on the government’s Long-Term Investment for Technology and Science (LIFTS) initiative, which will offer £250 million of government support to spur the creation of new vehicles for pension schemes to invest in the UK’s high-growth science and technology businesses, benefitting the retirement incomes of UK pension savers and driving the growth of critical sectors like Life Sciences.

    Science and Technology Secretary Chloe Smith said:

    Backing our life sciences sector is a double win for the UK. The package we are announcing today won’t just help this £94 billion industry drive more economic growth and create more high skill jobs. It will support advances in public health which will mean we can all have happier, healthier, more productive lives, delivering a virtuous circle of benefits to society and the economy.

    From our pioneering medics trialling new therapies, to our medicine and vaccine manufacturers, and the world-leading population health studies underway at UK Biobank, we have a life sciences industry the rest of the world is rightly envious of. Today we are delivering on the plan we set out in our Science and Technology Framework by going even further in our efforts to back this burgeoning sector, ensuring that it can stay right at the front of the global race for new investment and talent.

    The government has also signalled its ongoing commitment to the transformational new East West Rail line between Oxford and Cambridge. This region is a globally renowned hub of science, research and innovation, and the railway will support job creation and growth at towns and cities along the route. Today it announced its preferred route alignment for the third section of the railway between Bedford and Cambridge, including a direct link to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, marking a significant step towards delivering the scheme.

    Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

    The cities of Oxford and Cambridge are renowned across the globe for their academic excellence – East West Rail will be vital in allowing them to thrive for generations to come and help to grow the economy.

    With the potential to unlock £103 billion of growth through new homes, businesses and job opportunities, this crucial line will also serve as a catalyst for development in one of Europe’s most vibrant local economies while making travel quicker, cheaper and easier across the region.

    The manufacturing arm of the UK’s life sciences sector is also set for a funding boost thanks to three new pots to bolster the country’s health resilience. A Biomanufacturing Fund worth up to £38 million in new funding has been announced to incentivise investment and improve the UK’s resilience to any future pandemics, via a competitive process to distribute grants. This comes on top of a further £6.5 million made up of new funding and funding from Innovate UK, to ensure that the Life Sciences sector continues to have the right people it needs to deliver its high skilled work. £10 million new cash has also been announced to fund projects to drive innovation in cutting edge medicine manufacturing that can bolster the UK’s health resilience, such as those which use nucleic acid technology and intracellular drug delivery to help improve vaccines, as part of Innovate UK’s ‘Transforming Medicines Manufacturing Programme’.

    Today the government announced that Sterling Pharma Solutions are the latest recipient of funding through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund. This announcement follows the first tranche of four grants from the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund in March 2023 and the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF).

    Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

    This investment is another significant step in harnessing UK innovation to help cut waiting lists – one of the government’s five priorities – and build a stronger NHS.

    We will take forward Lord O’Shaughnessy’s recommendations to speed up the delivery of clinical trials and boost patient involvement in research, so people getting NHS care can benefit from cutting-edge treatments faster, supported by £121 million in government funding.

    We’re also accelerating research into mental health, backed by over £42 million of investment in clinical research centres across the UK – including in Birmingham and Liverpool – to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and increase the use of technology for treatment.

    Jeremy Hunt also committed to increasing lab space today through pledging to reform planning rules to help scientists. Proposals including local authorities taking greater account of R&D needs in their planning decisions.

    In addition, £42.7 million for the Mental Health Mission will go towards delivering treatments to patients, setting up a new centre in Liverpool to understand how mental, physical and social conditions interlink, and a site in Birmingham to support research and novel treatments for early intervention in psychosis, depression and children. £10 million for the Addiction Mission will go to support UK organisations and researchers to create novel pharmaceuticals, MedTech, and digital tools to improve treatment and aid recovery for people with opioid and cocaine addictions.

    The Chancellor has hosted four similar events to the Treasury’s Life Sciences Connect conference throughout 2023, each one focused on his key growth industries; digital tech, green industries, creative industries and advanced manufacturing.

    Stakeholder quotes

    Steve Bates OBE, CEO of Bioindustry Association, said:

    Today’s package of support for the UK life sciences sector will help address fundamental challenges large and small companies in our industry face as they look to invest and grow in the UK.

    We welcome today’s initiatives, including those that will improve access to finance for start-ups and scale-ups, and to create a pro-innovation regulatory environment. These positive steps will put us on the front-foot in the global race to develop and manufacture the next generation of medicines and technologies,  underpinning our economic growth and better health for years to come.

    Richard Torbett, Chief Executive, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said:

    Today’s announcements show that the government recognises the huge opportunity waiting to be grasped if the UK can unlock the economic potential of its life science industry – already worth £94.2 billion in 2021. These measures demonstrate the government has listened to industry and will help put the UK on track to meeting its life science vision.

    Lord O’Shaughnessy is right that making the UK an attractive destination for industry clinical trials requires regulatory reform, speedier study set-up and approvals, and improved access to data. Implementing his proposals, alongside these other announcements, can be a springboard to delivering on the UK’s ambition to be a science superpower, and we now must press forward with delivery at pace.

    However, improving research is only one part of the equation. To get innovative medicines to patients and fully capture the growth opportunity, we must also fix the commercial environment, and for that, we also look forward to agreeing with Government to a new and improved Voluntary Scheme as soon as possible.

    Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) CEO, Peter Ellingworth said:

    Today’s range of announcements and their emphasis on HealthTech are very welcome. I am pleased to see that the contribution of our industry has been acknowledged in each of them.

    Critical for the continued supply of technology to NHS patients and the competitiveness of our country, will be the approach taken to the regulation of medical devices and diagnostics. This was recognised last year by the Life Sciences Council and led to the creation of an Advisory Group. Today builds on that group’s aligned proposals published in March, and the Chancellor’s ambition for the recognition of approvals from other, trusted jurisdictions.

    Collectively, this package represents significant progress to create a system that values innovation and affords our citizens safe, timely access to life saving and enhancing technology.

    We look forward to continuing to support the work of the LSC Advisory Group, and helping to deliver the recommendations of the Pro-Innovation Regulation of Technologies Review, through initiatives such as secondments to a Regulator with an enhanced and welcome focus on HealthTech.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Urgent action to overhaul HMYOI Cookham Wood [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Urgent action to overhaul HMYOI Cookham Wood [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

    Prisons Minister Damian Hinds has today (26 May 2023) outlined a package of urgent measures to improve safety and rehabilitation at HMYOI Cookham Wood, including additional staff being deployed and a major crackdown on weapons.

    • crackdown on weapons through new intelligence taskforce to tackle violence
    • increased access to education, skills and conflict resolution workshops
    • expert teams brought in to train staff and drive improvement

    Today’s news forms part of the government’s response to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) report last month, after it identified serious failings at the Young Offender Institution resulting in an Urgent Notification.

    As part of the Urgent Notification process Ministers have 28 days to respond to the notice and set out how they will make the rapid change needed.

    In just 4 weeks significant improvements are already underway, including:

    • Expert teams have been deployed to train staff and improve the care provided to children, ensuring they are rehabilitated, educated, and leave custody with better prospects than when they entered it.
    • A crackdown on weapons will see a dedicated searching team with dogs brought in to seize items fuelling violence in custody.
    • A new intelligence taskforce will also root out and deter children from carrying weapons.
    • The number of young people being kept apart has already reduced, helping avoid any harmful impact on their education and rehabilitation.
    • An improvement notice has been issued to Cookham Wood’s outsourced education provider, requiring them to develop an action plan to resolve issues preventing children in custody from receiving a quality education

    In response to staffing pressures, HMYOI Cookham Wood is now receiving dedicated support from HMPPS to unlock additional resources and improve the retention and recruitment of staff.

    The action plan published today also details how ministers will continue to build upon these improvements and hold the YOI to account over the coming weeks and months.

    Prisons Minister Damian Hinds said:

    Last month’s inspection found unacceptable failings at HMYOI Cookham Wood, and today I am setting out how we will put this right without delay.

    Children should feel safe in custody and leave in a better state than when they entered it. These measures to tackle gang violence and improve education will make sure we can rehabilitate these children and reduce their risk of reoffending.

    The government introduced the Urgent Notification process in 2017 to ensure immediate, urgent action was taken when necessary to address serious concerns identified by inspectors.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Bolivia – Richard Porter [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Bolivia – Richard Porter [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 May 2023.

    Mr Richard Porter has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in succession to Mr Jeff Glekin.

    Mr Richard Porter has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in succession to Mr Jeff Glekin who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Porter will take up his appointment during September 2023.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Richard Porter

    Place of birth: Coulsdon

    Spouse: Mr Sidnei Dos Santos

    Children: One

    Dates Role
    2022 Full Time Language Training (Spanish)
    2017 to 2021 Bangkok, Commercial Counsellor
    2012 to 2016 São Paulo, First Secretary, Healthcare and Life Sciences
    2008 to 2012 Management Consultant, PA Consulting Group
    1998 to 2008 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Paramedic, Duty Manager and Operations Manager
  • PRESS RELEASE : Coffey – We’re listening and making ELMs work for upland farmers [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Coffey – We’re listening and making ELMs work for upland farmers [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 May 2023.

    Upland farmers will benefit from improved access to the government’s farming schemes.

    Upland farmers from Exmoor to the Lake District will benefit from improved access to the government’s farming schemes, with increased payment rates and improved options under Countryside Stewardship.

    Upland farmers play a vital role in keeping the nation fed while protecting the environment, and government is committed to making sure that their interests are protected and represented in the new faming schemes being delivered now that Britain has left the EU and is free from the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy.

    The changes announced today by the Secretary of State for Food and Farming follow direct feedback from the sector, and will help to support them as sustainable food producers and custodians of England’s most-loved landscapes for years to come.

    Following feedback from uplands farmers and industry representatives, the government is:

    • Making payment rates in environmental land management schemes equal for both upland and lowland farms where they are carrying out the same actions. This means increased rates for upland farmers in four Countryside Stewardship options.
    • Reviewing and amending a further seven Countryside Stewardship options make them more accessible to upland farmers.
    • Improving engagement with upland farmers with focused advice and support to help them access schemes.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

    I want to pay tribute to our upland farmers who not only deliver some of our finest produce, but also act as the guardians of some of our country’s most iconic landscapes.

    As we work to deliver a fairer, more sustainable farming system outside the EU, we are determined to make sure their interests are at the heart of these efforts. That’s why we’ve set out a range of new support to ensure that they feel the benefits of our new schemes for years to come.

    Secretary of State for Food and Farming Thérèse Coffey said:

    The uplands are a hugely important part of our English landscape and heritage and upland farmers are crucial for our rural economy.

    We’ve worked closely with upland farmers from day one, and they’ve told me personally what further support they need, so today we’re further responding to their feedback with increased payments, an improved offer and more engagement to ensure they are at the centre of our schemes.

    These changes will support the delivery of the government’s pledge to ensure there is something for every type of farmer in their new schemes, as direct land-based payments are phased out.

    Rewarding farmers for low inputs on grasslands in upland areas, which previously earned farmers £98 per hectare, will increase to £151 – the same payment farmers elsewhere receive. At the upper end of the scale, creation of upland wood pasture will increase from £333 per hectare to £544 to align payments for upland and lowland farmers.

    Following feedback from farmers, there will also be improvements made to existing offers within Countryside Stewardship, with details to follow as part of the full 2024 offer in the summer.

    Today’s announcement follows significant work to make sure that upland farmers are at the centre of England’s farming policies.

    Upland farmers can:

    • Get paid for over 130 relevant actions under the Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive from 2024. This will include new moorland and upland peat action, with considerably higher payments for moorlands in good environmental condition
    • Extend their Higher Level Stewardship agreements for five years running alongside Countryside Stewardship or SFI agreements, allowing them to get paid for more actions and take advantage of price increases
    • Apply for the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme, which is open to individual or groups of land managers
    • Apply for upland Wildlife Offers for a range of management options that focus on providing habitats for farm wildlife
    • Apply for the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme if they are in an AONB, National Park or the Broads.
    • Express an interesting in a free vet visit to reduce costs and improve productivity.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Independent review launched into civil unrest in Leicester [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Independent review launched into civil unrest in Leicester [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 May 2023.

    Michael Gove orders independent review into the unrest that occurred In Leicester last year.

    • Review will establish the facts and identify the underlying causes of the unrest
    • Recommendations to be made for improving community relations and preventing similar events in the future
    • Independent panel to be appointed, led by Lord (Ian) Austin

    An independent review into the unrest that occurred in Leicester last year has been commissioned by Secretary of State for Communities Michael Gove.

    In September 2022 community tensions led to a spate of vandalism, assaults, and attacks on places of worship and other properties in Leicester, in some cases highlighting divisions between different groups across the city and beyond.

    During the height of the unrest, the government worked closely with the local police force, Leicester City Council and other local partners to bring calm to the situation and protect communities from across the city.

    Communities Secretary Michael Gove has now commissioned an Independent Review into the disorder and has appointed Lord (Ian) Austin as chair. Lord Austin is a former Minister for Housing and Planning and former Minister for the West Midlands.

    He will lead an independent panel of experts – which will be appointed in due course – to work on understanding the origins of the unrest and explore how similar events can be prevented in the future, both in Leicester and elsewhere.

    The panel will:

    • establish the facts of what took place over the period of unrest, and a sequence of events;
    • present an analysis of the causes of the unrest
    • make practical recommendations for how similar events that may arise in future could be prevented; and
    • set out proposals and ideas for strengthening social cohesion locally

    Secretary of State for Communities Michael Gove said:

    Leicester has a proud history of community cohesion, which makes last year’s disorder all the more shocking and upsetting.

    This review will build a thorough understanding of the specific events that took place and what can be learned from them.

    I have spoken to both the Home Secretary and the Mayor of Leicester to underline the importance of protecting all parts of the community in Leicester and we will not tolerate attempts to foster division or violence among people or between religious groups.

    Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said:

    I welcome the government’s announcement.  I hope the review can move forward as swiftly as possible, whilst of course being thorough and given the attention it deserves.

    I would want Leicester and other cities to be able to learn from its findings and to understand what needs to be done to ensure that our community cohesion is never again threatened in this way.

    Lord Austin said:

    Acceptance of each other’s background and beliefs is at the heart of our national identity.

    Communities living and working together have formed some of the most vibrant societies across the country and cities such as Leicester have proud histories of tolerance and diversity.

    This makes the scenes we witnessed in Leicester last year all the more worrying and it is therefore so important that we listen to people in Leicester to get to the bottom of what happened and why.

  • PRESS RELEASE : ‘Untapped potential’ of commercial buildings could revolutionise UK solar power [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : ‘Untapped potential’ of commercial buildings could revolutionise UK solar power [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 26 May 2023.

    New Solar Taskforce meets to explore how to drive more rooftop solar installation.

    • First meeting of new Solar Taskforce highlights untapped potential of commercial sites for solar
    • Taskforce to drive forward actions needed to meet government ambition for 70GW solar power by 2035
    • focus on cutting costs of installation, boosting British skills and jobs and improving grid access to support in solar power revolution

    Schools, warehouses and car parks could be at the forefront of a revolution in affordable solar power, under plans discussed at the first meeting of the government’s new Solar Taskforce.

    The government has a clear target to increase solar capacity by nearly fivefold to 70GW by 2035 as part of wider plans to power up Britain with cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources.

    Even when this is met, the UK would be using only a very small proportion of its land mass for solar panels.

    Already over a million UK homes have solar panels fitted to their roofs, providing reliable energy for homes across the UK while significantly reducing consumer bills and creating thousands of high skilled jobs across the country as part of growing our economy.  However, the Taskforce, led by Energy Minister Graham Stuart and Solar Energy UK chief executive Chris Hewett highlighted the untapped potential of commercial buildings, schools, warehouses and car parks, as well as the possibility of floating solar.

    The government pledged to establish a Taskforce to drive the further growth of solar power as part of Powering Up Britain, accepting the recommendation made by Chris Skidmore in his Independent Review of Net Zero identifying how the UK could meet its net zero commitments in an affordable and efficient manner.

    Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart said:

    Households across the UK are already doing their bit to provide cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources with the solar panels on their roofs – but with acres of rooftop space on car parks and supermarkets in every community, we can be doing even more.

    This new dedicated Solar Taskforce will have a laser-like focus on cutting the costs and breaking down the barriers to harnessing the power of the sun in every way we can, all while using a small fraction of this country’s land.

    Doing so will make a significant contribution to boosting our energy security, cutting people’s bills and providing long-term jobs.

    Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK and co-chair of the Taskforce, said:

    Installing rooftop solar power, whether at residential or commercial scale, is one of the best investments available, offering dramatic savings on energy bills and the opportunity to be paid for sending excess power to the grid. The benefits can also be greatly enhanced by adding a battery storage system.

    Solar is the most popular form of power generation amongst the British public and consumer demand has never been higher, though the rate of rooftop installation must double to help hit 70GW by 2035. The number of solar farms will also have to increase significantly. I am delighted we now have industry leaders working directly with the government to resolve the stumbling blocks and maximise the benefits that solar energy offers to the nation.

    Part of the discussion at its first meeting was how to drive more rooftop installation, such as enabling cost reductions for households and businesses looking to install solar panels, so that even more can reap the benefits of solar power such as reducing their bills.

    This would come on top of solar panels on the ground – with the Taskforce united that the solar and farming sectors can support each other in meeting energy security goals and maintaining our country’s food security.

    The Taskforce also discussed plans to:

    • publish a solar roadmap in 2024 to drive forward the actions needed to deliver the UK’s ambition to increase solar capacity by nearly fivefold by 2035
    • upskill and expand the solar workforce to meet increasing levels of demand, while creating well-paid long-term employment opportunities for Britain
    • identify opportunities to secure resilient supply chains and innovation within the global market, helping to generate opportunities for UK businesses to export their expertise around the world

    The Taskforce will be supporting the UK’s solar industry at a time when it is going from strength to strength:

    • over 99% of the UK’s solar capacity – both on the ground and on rooftops – has been installed since May 2010 – equivalent to powering nearly 4 million homes
    • in 2020, the solar industry supported 11,500 jobs across the country – with that figure now expected to be even higher
    • in March this year, over 19,000 smaller-scale rooftop installations were made, at a rate of more than 500 a day.  If this continues, there will be 230,000 installations in 2023 – beating the current record set in 2011

    Ben Fawcett, Head of Solar at EDF Renewables UK and member of the Solar Taskforce, said:

    If we are to achieve our net zero ambitions, we need to drive forward the deployment of all types of solar, from rooftops to small and large utility-scale solar farms. By bringing the government and industry together, the Solar Taskforce is a great step in the right direction as we work hard to unlock the potential of solar in the UK.

    Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive, Energy Networks Association, which represents the UK’s energy network operators, said:

    I’m looking forward to working with Minister Stuart and his department, as well as partners across the industry on tackling the challenges we face on the road to net zero. We know accelerating and improving grid connections is one such challenge and linking the work of the taskforce up with our industry action plan is going to be crucial.

    Chief Executive of renewable energy standards body MCS Ian Rippin said:

    The growth we’ve seen highlights the appetite for solar PV and does give some insight into the growing reliance on home-grown energy in the UK.  More people are turning to renewable solutions to generate their own power at home and it’s great to see increasing levels of confidence in solar.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine thanks UK for continued military aid during defence secretary’s visit to Kyiv [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine thanks UK for continued military aid during defence secretary’s visit to Kyiv [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 25 May 2023.

    Ben Wallace held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, in which they discussed priorities for arming Ukraine to achieve victory against Russia.

    Ukraine’s defence minister personally thanked Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for the UK’s continued military support for Ukraine, during a series of meetings held this week in Kyiv.

    The UK Defence Secretary met his counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, during a visit to Kyiv, after the UK became the first country to provide Ukraine with long-range precision strike capability this month.

    The Defence Secretary’s visit came after the Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy at Chequers last week and again met him at the G7 in Hiroshima on Sunday.

    During a bilateral meeting, the defence ministers discussed how long-range strike capabilities would further help the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to achieve victory against Russia.

    Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:

    I was pleased to visit Kyiv again to meet with my good friend Oleksii Reznikov to discuss the next stages of Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s illegal invasion.

    The UK continues to offer both equipment, training and advice to Ukraine’s armed forces.

    I also visited some of the military commanders who have been so bravely pushing back Russian forces.

    The ministers also discussed Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO, ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

    Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary announced to the House of Commons that the UK would donate Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine in direct response to Russia’s continued brutality, and its continued long-range missile strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine. Storm Shadow is an advanced weapon system with the capability to strike targets at a range of over 250km with precision, and will add to the list of capabilities that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are able to deploy to defend themselves against Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

    The donation was the latest milestone in the UK’s continued military support for Ukraine, having previously paved the way for the supply of modern Western main battle tanks with the Prime Minister’s commitment to supply a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks.

    The UK Government provided £2.3 billion of military aid to Ukraine in 2022 and the Prime Minister has committed to match this in 2023, having already supplied more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition (with 100,000 more planned for supply in 2023), more than a hundred anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery, and trained more than 15,000 AFU recruits, with support from our Allies.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK minister commits to supporting green finance across Africa [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK minister commits to supporting green finance across Africa [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

    At an international conference in Egypt, the Minister of State for International Development committed to supporting the delivery of green finance across Africa.

    Minister of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell has committed to supporting the delivery of green finance across Africa at the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Egypt.

    The Cabinet minister gave a speech at the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh outlining the UK’s commitment to reforming the international financial system so that it can deliver the green finance needed to fight extreme poverty and tackle climate change.

    He announced that the $2 billion Room to Run guarantee, which the UK announced at COP26, has unlocked funding for 2 new climate resilient water infrastructure projects in Egypt and Senegal.

    Speaking after the visit, Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

    Countries across Africa are facing some of the most devastating impacts of climate change but historically have received only a small proportion of the green finance available.

    The UK is committed to changing that through our agenda to reform the International Financial System and support for the African Development Bank’s vital work.

    Egypt is a close partner for the UK and I was delighted to be able to meet with Ambassador Loza to thank him for Egypt’s support in evacuating British nationals from Sudan.

    The project in Egypt, worth almost £70 million, will expand the capacity of a water treatment plant so it can provide clean recycled water to serve 70,000 acres of new arable land, benefiting 5 million more people than at present.

    In Senegal, funding worth more than £16 million will support a project to improve access to clean water and sanitation services to 1.45 million people through the creation of more than 13,000 new latrines, 5 surface water treatment plants and a 70-kilometre sewage network which will serve more than 250,000 households.

    The minister also met with AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and counterparts from Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to discuss how to ensure that finance from the Bank can reach countries at risk of climate-related disasters more quickly and effectively.

    The minister last month set out his new vision for the UK’s international development work, saying the climate and development crises “are not a choice, but 2 sides of the same coin which need to be resolved together”.

    Following the conference, the minister also met with a range of counterparts to discuss key regional issues. Meeting with Egypt’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Africa, Ambassador Hamdi Loza, Minister Andrew Mitchell discussed the need for all international parties to work together to seek a swift and effective resolution to the violence in Sudan and thanked the Ambassador for Egypt’s support in the evacuation of British nationals.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The changing nature of conflict in Africa requires adaptation to respond to evolving peace and security challenges – UK statement at the Security Council [May 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The changing nature of conflict in Africa requires adaptation to respond to evolving peace and security challenges – UK statement at the Security Council [May 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

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

    Thank you, President, for convening this morning’s debate.

    As we mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, let me begin by paying tribute to all those who have contributed to UN peacekeeping over the past 75 years, in particular those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of peace and stability.

    I would also like to congratulate all of our colleagues of African descent on this Africa Day.

    We welcome the Secretary-General’s 28 April report. I would also like to thank USG DiCarlo, African Union Commissioner Bankole and Ms Tadesse for their statements.

    President, the changing nature of conflict in Africa requires both the UN and the AU to adapt their different capabilities to prevent, mitigate and respond to evolving peace and security challenges.

    A key one of those challenges at hand is how to address funding gaps and capability shortfalls that have affected performance. Council members have returned to the issue of using UN-assessed contributions to fund AU-led operations a number of times in recent years. The United Kingdom supported the framework set out in resolution 2320, but we recognise that this has not translated into practical support. So how can we make progress? I have three suggestions.

    First, since financing for each operation will need to be determined on a case-by-case basis, we must ensure the UN Secretariat supports work to determine options for future operations and that the Security Council has an early role in determining the scope of joint UN-AU assessment and planning.

    Second, the AU has made significant progress to determine its compliance framework for international humanitarian law, human rights, conduct and discipline. It must now be applied to new operations effectively. We encourage continued development of these essential compliance frameworks.

    Third, we should establish openly and clearly how we intend to share the financial burden between the United Nations and the African Union. Any scope for misinterpretation will cause new initiatives to stall.

    President, while the international community has predominantly relied on UN peacekeeping to date, we acknowledge the comparative advantage that AU and other Africa-led peace support operations can offer, with an ability to deploy more rapidly and respond more robustly to certain emerging threats. Threats for which UN peacekeeping operations are not always the appropriate response.

    In conclusion, the United Kingdom is committed to working with all countries, particularly our African partners, to develop a working financial mechanism that enables predictable and sustainable support.

    Thank you.