Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Security Minister travels to Kenya to agree new partnership [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 May 2023.

The UK and Kenya have signed a new security compact to keep our two countries, peoples and region safe, in a major agreement.

The agreement covers the full spectrum of security cooperation between the UK and Kenya, and represents a significant milestone in the security relationship between our 2 countries.

The Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat MP, signed the new agreement with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, in Nairobi this week.

The security compact includes £10 million a year of funding to support counter-terrorism programmes, as well as commitments on defence, international cooperation, community security, law enforcement and criminal justice, cyber security, and bilateral, multilateral and regional coordination.

The UK has also launched a major new stabilisation programme to support local communities in Somalia’s Borderlands in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia to tackle the causes of instability. Worth £10 million over the next 3 years, the Deris Wanaag, or Good Neighbourliness, programme will drive collaboration and collective progress, to improve regional security and counter the extremism of the Islamist terror group al-Shabaab.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat MP said:

Kenya matters to Britain. Seeing Kenyan troops march alongside other Commonwealth forces at HM The King’s Coronation was a reminder of our shared history and the promise of a strong future. By working with Kenya, our key security partner in East Africa, we are helping to keep both our peoples safe and strengthen global security.

Together, we’re countering al-Shabaab and tackling the growing threat from regional Daesh affiliates, fighting serious organised crime, and tackling the flow of dirty money. Our security partnership is growing ever stronger.

I’m delighted to be able to announce this comprehensive new agreement, as well as our new Somalia Borderlands programme, which will tackle the root causes of instability to help end the scourge of al-Shabaab.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, said:

The friendship between Kenya and the United Kingdom is longstanding, entrenched and long-term. We appreciate what the UK has done to support Kenya on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity over the years.

We will make sure that we sustain this relationship so that the peoples of our 2 countries can enjoy shared prosperity as we look into the future.

The UK has remained a key partner for Kenya in the fight against corruption, and the fight against illicit financial flows.

The Borderlands area of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia shares communities challenged by drought, resource conflicts, arms proliferation and violent extremism. The UK will partner with these 3 nations to collectively focus on the root causes of instability and the shared opportunities offered by an open border, including through trade and revenue generation. By driving collaboration and collective progress and building resilience, the partnership aims to mitigate the drivers of instability and violent extremism to bring peace to the region.

During his time in Nairobi, Minister Tugendhat was also able to visit the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which hosts Kenya’s Transnational Organised Crime Unit and Anti-human trafficking and Child Protection Unit.

Both units work closely with the UK’s National Crime Agency, an operational relationship which protects our 2 nations and the world against serious organised crime and terrorism, and supports Kenya in its role as regional leader in the fight against child sexual exploitation and online abuse.

Kenya is the UK’s key partner on security and peace in East Africa, from joint diplomatic efforts on Sudan to tackling al-Shabaab in Somalia and across the region. This continued close partnership will continue through the new Annual UK-Kenya High Level Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue, the first of which will be held in London in September 2023.

May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Thousands to benefit from low-cost heat in push to drive down energy bills [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 12 May 2023.

The UK’s first system drawing heat from deep underground to provide low-cost heating for nearly 4,000 homes is one of 7 innovative projects backed by government funding.
7 state-of-the-art heat network projects across England awarded government funding

UK’s first system drawing heat from deep underground will be built to warm nearly 4,000 homes, schools and a leisure centre

projects will help homes and businesses ditch oil and gas boilers – cutting costs and reducing carbon emissions

The UK’s first system drawing heat from deep underground to provide low-cost heating for nearly 4,000 homes is one of 7 innovative projects backed by government funding today (Friday 12 May 2023).

The Langarth Deep Geothermal Heat Network will involve drilling to a depth of 5,275 meters to extract the heat from granite rocks beneath the United Downs Industrial Site in Cornwall.

It is one of 7 state-of-the-art heating systems that will receive a share of £91 million from the government’s Green Heat Network Fund.

Heat networks take heat found underground or use excess heat generated through manufacturing or waste management, and supply heating and hot water to homes and businesses through a connected network.

This allows them to ditch fossil-fuel burning gas and oil boilers, which helps cut costs and reduce carbon emissions. The projects will boost the UK’s energy security and independence and help delivering on the government’s commitment to grow the economy – with the schemes expected to create hundreds of new, skilled jobs.

Among the 7 ground-breaking projects to benefit from the latest round of funding are:

the development of a heat network in Goole, using excess heat generated by a local manufacturing plant to supply heating to local homes and businesses, creating 40 jobs

the expansion of a heat network in East London to supply heating to 2 new developments in and around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, serving around 500 new homes and 250 non-domestic premises

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:

The UK is a world leader when it comes to reducing carbon emissions – but we must continue to push the boundaries to reach our net zero goal.

These innovative projects will not only benefit the communities they serve, by reducing emissions and providing low-cost heating that helps to drive down energy bills, but also support the nation’s push for greater energy security and independence.

They form part of our energy revolution – creating hundreds of new jobs for our ever-expanding green economy.

The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) is a £288 million scheme that opened in March 2022 to public, private and third sector applicants in England and is anticipated to run to 2025. It replaced the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) scheme which closed for applications in January 2022.

In contrast to the HNIP scheme, the GHNF scheme will only fund heat network projects where there is a low-carbon heat source.

The funding, announced by the government today, will pave the way for low-carbon technologies – like air source heat pumps, which extract heat from the air, solar and geothermal energy – to be delivered at scale and established as a central source of energy in this country.

Ken Hunnisett, Programme Director for Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management, delivery partner for the GHNF and HNIP, said:

Continuing the legacy of the first GHNF projects to be announced in December, over £91 million more targeted support has been announced from the fund today to deliver low carbon heating across the country.

From Cornwall to London, Reading to Rotherham, funding announced today will go far to help us reach our net zero ambitions and provide clean heating across residential and commercial buildings.

We are excited to work with the teams in each of these locations to deliver these new heating infrastructure projects to help them deliver on their green goals and make a real difference to how we heat our buildings.

Kieran Sinclair, Heat Network Policy Manager at the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), said:

It is great to see more low-carbon heat network projects being funded through the Green Heat Network Fund.

They show the potential for heat networks across the UK to reduce both carbon emissions and customer heating bills, while providing clean energy to both public and private sector buildings.

By 2050 a much larger proportion of the country will get their heat from low-carbon heat networks as part of the UK’s net zero targets.

In February, the government also launched the £32 million Heat Network Efficiency Scheme to make vital upgrades to old and inefficient heat networks and provide thousands of homes in England and Wales with cheaper, greener energy.

The government is also taking action to regulate the heat networks market through the Energy Bill. The Bill will appoint Ofgem as heat networks regulator, with new powers to investigate and intervene where prices for consumers appear to be unfair. The legislation also provides the Department’s Secretary of State with powers to introduce a heat networks price cap should it be necessary to protect consumers.

The full list of projects to receive support today from the government’s Green Heat Networks Fund are:

Bradford Energy Limited – £20 million to build an air source heat pump heat network, to supply businesses and other buildings in the city centre

Cornwall Council – £22 million to develop the Langarth Deep Geothermal Heat Network – the first of its kind in the UK that will use geothermal energy from hot granite rocks beneath Cornwall to heat 3,800 local homes and public facilities in the region

East Riding of Yorkshire Council – £12 million to create the new Goole District Energy Network, that will use waste heat from a manufacturing plant to power local homes and businesses, cutting the town’s carbon emissions by 322,000 tonnes over 40 years and creating 40 new skilled jobs

Rotherham Energy Limited – £25 million to build a new Rotherham Energy Network to deliver a heating and hot water to 34 homes and businesses in the town centre

Kirklees Council – £8.2 million to create the Huddersfield District Energy Network, that will provide low-carbon heat and electricity to public and private sector buildings in and around the centre of the town, helping the council reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2038

East London Energy – £1.76 million to expand the heat network to supply more homes in and around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford

University of Reading – £2.1 million to help decarbonize its Whiteknights Campus, currently powered by a combined heat and power led district heating network
May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Funding boost to support young people into planning careers [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 12 May 2023.

Over 50 students will receive a £5,000 planning bursary, covering up to 50% of university fees, to support a career in planning.

More students across England will benefit from a £5,000 bursary to pursue careers as planners designing greener neighbourhoods and thriving towns, the Housing Minister announced today.

Over 50 young professionals with be offered a bursary through the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to study a planning masters, attracting the next generation of students aspiring to train and work in the planning sector.

This funding from the Department for Levelling Up will back more careers in the planning sector, helping councils recruit staff and create better communities that people are proud to call home.

The new scheme, launched today, increases the size of the bursary from £2,000 to £5,000, covering up to 50% of the cost of the student’s university fees. It is aimed at disadvantaged students including those who struggled financially, with care responsibilities, or those with disabilities, helping to boost diversity in the planning sector.

Minister for Housing and Planning, Rachel Maclean said:

Planning is an incredibly rewarding career and planners across the country are helping us to level up by delivering more homes, better infrastructure and the communities of tomorrow.

This funding will attract fresh talent and ideas to the planning sector, including a more diverse range of students who will help deliver a modern and efficient planning system.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has already funded over 150 bursaries in the last three years.

Former students who have benefitted from the scheme include 36-year-old single parent Jennifer Campbell, who was able to pursue an Urban and Regional Planning Masters course with the government backed funding.

Jennifer is currently gaining work experience at TMC Planning Consultancy while completing her dissertation. The experience of a bursary has relieved her of financial stress and offered a platform to acquire valuable skills to be successful in the planning sector.

Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Victoria Hills said:

Local authorities and planning consultancies alike are struggling to attract and retain talent. This matters not just to the future of planners, but to the communities we represent.

To deliver for communities, it’s essential that we continue to attract diverse talent onto accredited planning courses and support the development of a professional planning workforce that is open and inclusive. This important bursary scheme, delivered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, will help more students access an RTPI accredited Masters programme and inspire and prepare the next generation for a rewarding career in planning.

The Government recently announced £1 million to help councils recruit and train skilled planners and increase awareness about careers in local government.

Together with this funding, a new generation of trained planners will offer key expertise to support local planning authorities as we deliver vital infrastructure and tens of thousands of homes right across the country.

The Government is supporting local planning authorities to speed up the planning process and combat recruitment and retention challenges as we create a modern and efficient planning system through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : More cash to rescue community assets through expanded government fund [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 12 May 2023.

Even more community projects will be able to apply for funding through the government’s expanded £150 million Community Ownership Fund.

More community projects are set to benefit from funding to rescue prized local assets, such as sports clubs, music venues and historic buildings, as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities launches the third round of its £150 million Community Ownership Fund today (12 May 2023).

Changes to the fund will make it easier than ever for community groups to seize back control of prized local assets that are at risk of being lost forever – helping to strengthen and level up communities and restore optimism, hope, and pride in the UK.

The amount of funding all projects can bid for will be increasing from £250,000 to £1 million, meaning that groups can bid for more funding to help save bigger projects such as Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, from being lost which are at the heart of local communities.

The requirement for match-funding is also being reduced to as low as 10%, making it easier for communities to acquire assets without raising additional private funding. For the first time, parish councils will also be able to apply to the Fund, which has previously only been available to charities and community groups.

The Fund is already supporting almost 100 projects across the UK including the UK’s most remote pub in Scotland, a boxing and development centre in Oldham, and a sports centre in Ballymacash, Northern Ireland.

Minister for Levelling Up, Dehenna Davison MP said:

From far-flung pubs to prized community centres, the Community Ownership Fund is putting vital assets back into the hands of communities, to be enjoyed for generations to come.

We want even more communities to benefit from the fund and that’s why we are making these changes so community groups can apply for even more money to save much loved local assets.

We will continue to grow this fund to empower local people, restoring their pride in the places where they live and levelling up communities across the United Kingdom.

Minister of State for Northern Ireland Steve Baker said:

The Community Ownership Fund is already supporting seven great projects across Northern Ireland with £1.5 million in funding, making a real difference to local communities.

It’s wonderful to see the launch of round three, which will save more local community assets by supporting proposals that enable communities here to thrive, boosting levelling up across Northern Ireland.

The fund is already helping communities across the country seize ownership of prized local assets that are at risk, including:
- Britain’s most remote pub, the Old Forge Pub, on the Knoydart Peninsula in Scotland. £200,000 investment from the Community Ownership Fund has helped the people of Inverie take full ownership.
- In Gateshead, a local community group, Fighting All Cancers Together, will renovate their local community centre with a £300,000 investment, creating a sustainable space to continue their invaluable work of supporting people diagnosed with cancer.
- Leigh Spinners Mill, the largest building in Leigh, in Greater Manchester, which has been vacant for many years. £250,000 of funding is transforming the space into a hot spot that offers support to community groups and creating more employment opportunities.
- Ballymacash Sports Academy in Northern Ireland which has received £300,000 for creating state-of-the-art sports facilities and improving the club with a brand new 3G sports pitch – a specialised pitch for football comprised of three different turfs.
- The Queen’s Ballroom in Tredegar, Wales, has been saved thanks to £90,000 in funding, The historic building was originally one of Wales’s first purpose built electric cinemas. Today it houses a fully funded programme which provides young people, aged 7-18, with the opportunity to learn fundamental skills for working in film.
- A community in rural Suffolk successfully bought their local pub, The Racehorse Inn, through a £96,000 grant from the Community Ownership Fund in March 2022. The pub will hopefully be transformed into a local hub with a post office and shop to serve the residents of Westhall and the surrounding area.
Joanne Smith, project lead, at FACT cancer support, says:

As a small charity, to receive a Levelling up Community Ownership Fund grant has been amazing. The fund will help us on our way to creating our FACT Family Community Centre invaluable to support people diagnosed with cancer in Gateshead.

The fund has helped re-engage with a community that has lost too many safe spaces, to come together. We’re excited to see what the third round of the Community Ownership Fund will bring for other, similar projects.

The Old Forge Community Benefit Society said:

We are grateful to the Community Ownership Fund whose support helped The Old Forge Community Benefit Society to achieve its goal of a community-owned pub on the Knoydart Peninsula.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s drive to level up local communities and boost local businesses. This will also contribute to the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country.

Cllr Keith Stevens, chair, National Association of Local Councils

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is delighted that England’s local (parish and town) councils will now for the first time be able to apply to the government’s Community Ownership Fund. This vital funding will help local councils, which are the first tier of local government in most areas, continue to work with their communities to protect, enhance and preserve their treasured community assets.

Tony Armstrong, CEO, Locality (Lead for development support provider)

We are delighted by the changes announced in the round 3 prospectus of the Community Ownership Fund meaning that more local people will have control over the buildings and spaces that have significance to them and ensure that these spaces are used in ways that meet the priorities and needs of the local community.

As the lead for the development support programme, we are pleased to be bringing together the knowledge and skills of 10 leading community support organisations, to help groups with the application process, through the advice and support service.”
May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : ‘The ICC is important to deliver justice for Libya’ – UK statement at the Security Council [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

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

Thank you, President.

I would like to first thank the Prosecutor, Karim Khan, for his powerful briefing today and for his 25th report on the situation in Libya. The United Kingdom gives its full support to the Prosecutor’s ongoing investigations in line with resolution 1970 of this Council, and I welcome both the briefing and the report as a demonstration of his transparency. We also welcome the participation of the Representative of Libya in this meeting.

President, we are pleased to hear of the accelerated pace of the ICC’s investigation and progress in the delivery of the new strategy outlined in the Prosecutor’s 23rd Report to this council. We note the concrete outcomes of the investigation, including the issuance of new arrest warrants by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber during the reporting period. These are important steps for delivering justice for the Libyan people.

We are grateful to the Office of the Prosecutor for the renewed effort, and those who supported it for the renewed efforts in this period. We thank the Government of National Unity in Libya for facilitating the first official visit of an ICC Prosecutor to Libya in over ten years. For the continued successful delivery of the investigation, it is critical that further support is given to the investigation by the GNU and all other relevant Libyan authorities, including through the provision of documentation.

President, we welcome the increased engagement with witnesses and survivors, and the collection of testimonial evidence. I thank the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission for sharing their expertise and enhancing the Prosecutor’s work to record the experiences of Libyan people. Following the ending of the Fact-Finding Mission, I ask UNSMIL and OHCHR to continue this co-operation to help document and safeguard evidence of serious crimes.

This is a moment of opportunity in Libya. Transitional justice is vital to long-term security and stability and it should be embedded in the political process. The ICC is an important tool to deliver justice for Libya, through transparent and fair investigation. I urge all parties to work together to safeguard human rights and ensure that justice can be delivered when crimes occur, including through cooperation with the ICC and surrender of individuals subject to arrest warrants.

In conclusion, President, the UK remains committed to working with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Libyan authorities to build on this momentum and accelerate progress towards justice. And let me underline our full support to the work of the ICC in its pursuit of justice for victims of the most egregious crimes wherever they may occur.

Thank you.

May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Sudan Special Session 36 – Intro statement by UK [May 2023]

The statement made by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

36th Special Session: draft resolution delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, at the Human Rights Council.

Dear colleagues, on behalf of the Core Group comprising Germany, Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution S-36 L1 as orally revised, which has been tabled with the Secretariat and is available to all on e-delegate.

During today’s session we have heard the High Commissioner for Human Rights speak of the parties “trampling international humanitarian law” and of the need for human rights and accountability to lie at the core of any future political agreement between the parties to the conflict in Sudan.

We have listened to states from all regions call for an immediate end to violence and for the respect of the rights of people in Sudan.

And we have been informed, in the clearest possible terms, by civil society colleagues about the scale of violations and abuses which have already occurred in Sudan and heard their calls that this Council must act now – today – to prevent a catastrophe from spiralling further out of control.

Mr President, I think our first thoughts are with the people of Sudan, the victims of this unnecessary conflict. We must show them that the Council stands with them.

The purpose of the draft resolution before us is to offer a proportionate, timely response by this Council to the crisis in Sudan. It seeks to reflect the alarming deterioration in Sudan since 15 April, to express this Council’s concern, and to build on the existing tools that we have already established to ensure that the situation in Sudan receives the attention it requires.

In 2021 this Council created a new type of mandate – an expert designated by the UN High Commissioner to help improve human rights in the country. We are grateful for the work done first by Mr Dieng and more recently by Mr Nouicer.

But we must recognise that the tragic situation which has unfolded since 15 April is a very different one to the one that prevailed prior to that.

It is therefore only appropriate that we look to increase the capacity for the Expert to do his crucial work. To do otherwise would be to ignore the reality of what has been, and is still, taking place in the Sudan.

Mr President, dear colleagues, we have sought to engage all colleagues in an open and transparent manner on this draft text. We wish to thank all those delegations who have provided comments. We have made revisions to the text, reflected in the draft resolution now before us, in order to try and accommodate the views of as many delegations as possible.

We therefore call on the members of this Council to adopt this draft resolution, as orally revised, without a vote. Should a vote be called, we invite our fellow members of this Council to vote in favour of the draft resolution.

Thank you.

May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement on the Safety of Journalists [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

Informal Group on Safety of Journalists welcomes the Representative on Freedom of the Media to the OSCE Permanent Council.

Mr. Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the informal Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists, which consists of the following participating States: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

We welcome the Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Ms Teresa Ribeiro to the Permanent Council and thank her for her analytical report calling for action to defend freedom of expression, media freedom and our shared OSCE commitments in the face of many challenges.

As is clear from the Representative’s statement – and as we stressed in our statement marking World Press Freedom Day last week – the issue of safety of journalists is more pressing than ever. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has imperilled journalists throughout the region. It has led directly to the deaths of journalists, who are working to expose the brutal realities, including atrocities, of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Just this week, French AFP journalist Arman Soldin was tragically killed while covering the battle near Bakhmut.

The internal repression and clampdown on media freedom in Russia and Belarus is an attempt to silence all independent voices and impartial reporting. As the RFoM rightly points out, this has in both States led “to media and information spaces that are almost completely controlled by the governments”. Journalists and other media actors are harassed, detained, prosecuted, sentenced, and forced into exile. We echo the RFoM’s call for the release of all journalists who are serving prison sentences or are being held in pre-trial detention for their journalistic work by Russia and Belarus and by other OSCE participating States.

We commend the RFoM’s continued work on the Safety of Journalists, including through providing participating States with advice on how to improve the implementation of their commitments from the 2018 Milan Ministerial Council decision. We look forward to the launch of the toolbox in November. It will provide practical advice to all participating States on how to improve the safety of journalists, online and offline. In this context, we very much appreciated the first meeting of National Focal Points in March which provided concrete input to the coming toolbox.

We also look forward to the Safety of Female Journalists Online Monitoring Guidelines that will be presented shortly with advice to participating States on how to monitor online violence to prevent offline attacks.

We once again thank you, Representative Ribeiro, for your work – and the work of your entire dedicated team – as well as for your commitment to your mandate which is more relevant than ever.

May 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Food inflation – Chief Secretary meets sector representatives [May 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 11 May 2023.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, spoke to supermarket representatives this afternoon (11 May) regarding food prices in the UK. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury listened to the views of the sector about the drivers of food inflation and agreed that industry will continue to engage with senior government ministers on the matter and its impact on consumers.

The Government understands the concern among the British public about the current level of food prices and their impact on household budgets, which is why halving inflation this year is a top priority. To support households with the impact of rising prices, we are delivering one of the most generous cost-of-living packages in Europe – worth £3,300 per household on average over this year and last. This includes targeted support for the most vulnerable worth £900 for people on means-tested benefits, support with energy bills and uprating benefits by over 10%.

May 17, 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Government extends £2 bus fare cap and protects vital services [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 17 May 2023.

Additional funding will help passengers save money on fares and support vulnerable bus routes.

£2 bus fare extended until 31 October to help passengers with cost of living and then £2.50 until November 2024
new £300 million government investment will protect bus services into 2025 and keep travel affordable
funding boost will support the bus sector’s long-term recovery, taking total investment for buses to more than £3.5 billion since March 2020

Millions of passengers across England will continue to ‘Get Around for £2’ and access vital bus services thanks to £500 million in government funding, supporting people with the cost of living and ensuring long-term stability in the sector.

The Transport Secretary Mark Harper today (17 May 2023) confirmed £300 million to protect vital routes and improve services until 2025 that people rely on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping.

To help people with cost of living pressures and save on everyday travel costs, the government will also provide up to £200 million to continue capping single bus fares at £2 outside London until the end of October 2023 and then at £2.50 until 30 November 2024 – when the government will review their effectiveness and future bus fares.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that inflation will be halved by the end of this year, and capping fares at £2.50 until November 2024 will create longer-term certainty for bus users over the next year. The fare cap will be reviewed ahead of November 2024.

The move is an essential part of the government’s Help for Households initiative to support everyone through the increased cost of living, and will particularly benefit those on lower incomes who take nearly 3 times as many bus trips than those on higher incomes.

During the pandemic, bus usage dropped as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels and, while passenger levels have recovered to around 85 to 90%, the fare cap aims to encourage people back on the bus, which can help reduce congestion and emissions.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone while helping to ease cost of living pressures.

Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments.

That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people onto the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport and millions of people rely on these vital services every day.

That’s why we’re investing half a billion pounds to help people save money amid cost of living pressures and continue to level up transport in all parts of the country, doing our bit to help halve inflation and grow the economy.

Graham Vidler, CEO of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said:

We welcome this 2-year funding settlement. It shows a recognition of the value of buses to the economy and to local communities. It will enable bus operators and local authorities to plan, promote and grow services with greater confidence.

However, the combination of the funding settlement and the £2 fare cap extension will not save every service in every part of the country. Operators and local authorities will now work together to study the detail of the government’s proposals and ensure that the funding is used to safeguard the best possible network for local passengers.

Some of the biggest savings on the longest routes up and down the country thanks to the fare cap include:

Journey	Normal fare	Amount saved	% saving
Lancaster to Kendal	£14.50	£12.50	86%
Plymouth to Exeter	£11.20	£9.20	82%
Newcastle to Middlesbrough	£8.00	£6.00	75%
Hull to York	£8.50	£6.50	76%
Leeds to Scarborough	£15.00	£13.00	87%

While initially introduced only as a temporary measure, we are extending the £2 fare cap for the second time to continue helping people save money on travel. Since it started on 1 January this year, the £2 fare has encouraged more people to use the bus.

Operators such as Go-Ahead have carried more than 16 million passengers at £2 since 1 January 2023, helping them save on average a third off fares. Bus operators that are continuing the £2 fare cap scheme will be confirmed in due course.

The additional funding announced today will be shared between local transport authorities and bus operators to protect and improve routes across England and demonstrates our commitment to returning bus sector to a long-term sustainable financial footing. The new funding models will protect vulnerable routes while allowing local authorities and operators to determine the routes that work for local areas.

This builds on over 3 years’ worth of government support totalling over £2 billion to help the sector recover from the pandemic, and more than £1 billion to support local authorities deliver their long-term local plans to improve services.

As part of the £300 million to support services until 2025, £160 million will be provided to local transport authorities to improve fares, services and infrastructure while £140 million will go directly to operators to help protect essential services across England.

While it is the responsibility of bus operators and local transport authorities to ensure an adequate provision of bus routes, the government continues to work closely with the sector to support local areas in dealing with changing travel patterns while managing pressures on the taxpayer.

This latest funding is part of a multi-billion holistic programme of government support for the bus sector. In 2021, the government published the National Bus Strategy and asked all English local transport authorities outside London to set out their bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) explaining their local visions for the step-change in bus services that are needed to put passengers back at the heart of the network.

Since then, over £1 billion has been awarded to 34 counties, city regions and unitary authorities to deliver service improvements, bus priority measures and ambitious fares initiatives, including local fare caps in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Liverpool City Region.

In addition, £5.7 billion investment has been provided to 8 mayoral combined authorities in England to support integrated, cross-modal transport networks over the next 5 years through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), including supporting bus infrastructure.

As part of the National Bus Strategy, the government committed to achieving a zero-emission bus (ZEB) fleet. Since February 2020, we have supported an estimated 3,400 ZEBs across the UK, including a near £300 million investment for up to 1,400 ZEBs in England outside London, taking the vision of a net zero transport network closer to reality.

May 16, 2023

PRESS RELEASE : New UK embassy building to reinforce relationship with the Holy See [May 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

UK’s Minister for Europe opens new British Embassy premises, close to the Vatican.
- UK’s Minister for Europe opens new British Embassy premises, close to the Vatican.
- His visit underlines the strength of UK-Holy See relationship, including cooperation on climate change, freedom of religion or belief and modern slavery.
UK Minister for Europe, Leo Doherty, opened the new offices of the British Embassy to the Holy See today, (Thursday 11 May), reinforcing the importance the UK Government places on its relationship with the Holy See.

Joined at the official opening by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States in the Holy See, the new premises are close to the Vatican.

The move underlines the importance of the UK – Holy See relationship, working together on climate change, the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief and tackling modern slavery.

Minister for Europe Leo Docherty said:

“These new UK offices, close to the heart of the Vatican, are a powerful and physical reminder of the strength of our relationship with the Holy See, and of our desire to work together even more closely on the global challenges of our time.”

The British Ambassador to the Holy See has also moved into a new residence that is, uniquely amongst his colleagues, on Vatican soil.

The UK and the Holy See celebrated 40 years of full ambassadorial relations in 2022.
May 16, 2023