Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : UK confirms £205 million budget to power more of Britain from Britain [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 16 March 2023.

UK government confirms budget for this year’s Contracts for Difference scheme as it enters its first annual auction, boosting energy security.
- Government announces significant financial backing for first annual flagship renewables auction, boosting Britain’s energy security
- £170 million pledged for established technologies to ensure Britain remains a front runner in renewables and £10 million ring-fenced budget for tidal
- Scheme will bolster investment into the sector every year, delivering clean, homegrown energy as well as green growth and jobs
Britain’s rollout of clean, affordable, home-grown energy is moving full speed ahead, with the UK government offering £205 million in its latest renewables auction, boosting energy security, growing our economy and powering more of Britain from Britain.

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the government’s flagship mechanism for supporting new British low-carbon electricity generation projects, so far awarding contracts to projects totalling nearly 27GW of low carbon capacity. This has helped accelerate plans to diversify, decarbonise and domesticate our energy supplies, with the last round (AR4) securing almost 11GW of low carbon capacity – enough to generate sufficient electricity to power 12 million British homes.

Today’s announcement of a budget of £205 million for the fifth CfD allocation round – which is the first CfD auction to run annually – confirms another year of significant financial backing by government for green industries and jobs. This will bolster investment into the sector every year, helping to support green energy and jobs of tomorrow, level up Britain, and replace expensive fossil fuels with cheaper, cleaner, domestic sources of energy.

This includes £170 million for established technologies such as offshore wind, ensuring Britain remains a front runner in global offshore wind, and £10 million ring-fenced budget available for tidal stream technologies, unlocking a thriving tidal power industry here in the UK.

Building a cleaner, more secure energy future with thriving green industries will also help deliver on our promise to grow our economy and create good jobs across the country, with billions of pounds in private investment and 68,000 green jobs supported since late 2020.

The competitive nature of the Contracts for Difference scheme has already proven successful at placing downward pressure on prices since the first auction was held. This process, together with solar and wind now amongst the cheapest form or electricity generation in the UK, means the scheme will play an increasingly important role in helping to meet the Energy Security Secretary’s ambition for Britain’s wholesale electricity prices to be among the cheapest in Europe.

Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart said:

Our flagship Contracts for Difference scheme is already delivering clean, homegrown energy as well as growing a green economy with green jobs.

Today’s budget announcement, the move to annual auctions and continued investment in renewable energy will limit the impact of events like Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and drive our overriding priority for the UK to have amongst the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe.

I am excited to see the opportunities that will open for Britain’s world-class renewable industries as annual auctions kick off this year, enhancing the UK’s reputation as among the most attractive places to invest in for a secure, affordable and prosperous future.

The UK government continues to support the deployment of renewable power right across Britain, with the scheme so far having awarded contracts to 52 projects in Scotland, which represents around 30% of all CfD projects and around 25% of total CfD capacity.  In Wales, the scheme has so far awarded contracts to 9 projects, totalling around 260MW of capacity.

The scheme is designed to be fair and deliver low carbon deployment at low-cost to consumers – so that when wholesale electricity prices are higher than the price agreed in the CfD, generators pay back the difference. This will be passed on to energy suppliers and over time, is expected to translate to lower bills for consumers.

Offshore wind has been at the heart of the scheme and the industry is a major UK success story thanks to Britain’s flagship CfD scheme. The UK has the largest operational fleet in Europe, the world’s 4 biggest individual windfarms and a world-leading ambition to deploy up to 50GW by 2030, including up to 5GW of floating offshore wind, which the scheme continues to help deliver. As set out in the British Energy Security Strategy, by 2030 the UK is set to generate more than enough electricity from offshore wind to power every home in Britain, attracting vital investment to UK coastal communities, supporting 90,000 direct and indirect jobs.

This follows an unprecedented £20 billion investment into carbon capture announced yesterday in the Spring Budget, alongside the first state backing of a nuclear project in almost 40 years at Sizewell C and confirming the next steps for Great British Nuclear to revolutionise how new nuclear projects are delivered in the UK.

Neil McDermott, CEO of the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), said:

We welcome the announcement from the government on CfD Allocation Round 5. We look forward to working with investors and generators for these important projects as we continue the journey to Net Zero.
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of the Dean of Christ Church [March 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 March 2023.

The King has approved that The Reverend Canon Sarah Foot, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, University of Oxford, be appointed Dean of Christ Church, Oxford from 1st July 2023 in succession to the Very Reverend Martyn Percy.

Background

Canon Professor Foot has been the Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Oxford since 2007. She was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge (BA; MA; PhD), served as a Lay Canon at Christ Church from 2007-2017, and as a Residentiary Canon since her ordination in 2017.

Previously, Professor Foot was a Research Fellow then Fellow and Tutor at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 1989-93, then successively Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Sheffield 1993-2007, where she was Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts 2005-7.

She served as Chair of the Board of Faculty of Theology and Religion at Oxford University 2011-14. She writes on women in religion, medieval monasticism, and the early history of the Church in England, and is currently working on a study of the life and work of the Venerable Bede.

March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Non-Executive Director of Gov Facility Services Limited reappointed [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 16 March 2023.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State has approved the reappointment of James Hayward as a Non-Executive Director of Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) for 3 years from 1 April 2023.

GFSL is part of the Ministry of Justice established, in February 2018, as a limited not for profit company. GFSL’s role is to provide facilities management services to the prisons in the south of England.

Biography

James was first appointed a GFSL NED, for 3 years, on 1 April 2020.

James is a Professional Building Services Chartered Engineer with over 40 years’ experience. He has worked, at Trust Board level, in medium and large sized acute NHS healthcare settings responsible for delivering estates, facilities and capital project services. Currently semi-retired, in addition to being a GFSL NED, he is also the Chairman of Beyond Housing; a highly performing large housing association in North Yorkshire and Cleveland. He has also been involved with several local and national charitable organisations.

James has declared no political activity.

March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government announces team of leading experts to boost energy efficiency [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 16 March 2023.

Government announces members of Energy Efficiency Taskforce following first meeting.
- Membership announced of Energy Efficiency Taskforce tasked with boosting efforts to improve homes and push down bills
- panel of experts comes from across UK industry – from finance and tech to education and sustainability
- the Taskforce is drawing up priorities and ways forward to turbocharge energy efficiency, including accelerating household insulation and boiler upgrades
A stellar team of leading experts has today been announced as the members of a new dedicated taskforce charged with improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes and buildings and with it, cutting the country’s energy use.

The new Energy Efficiency Taskforce is chaired by Minister Lord Callanan and NatWest CEO Alison Rose, and has a clear target to support cutting energy use in the UK down by 15 per cent by 2030, from 2021 levels.

The membership of this group includes Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission Sir John Armitt, head of leading housebuilder Barratt Developments, David Thomas and leading experts from the University of Salford, the Green Industries Council and National Energy Action to name but a few.

Drawing on their unique experiences and perspectives, they bring together a vast wealth of knowledge to deliver on the government’s ambitious commitments, which in turn will help grow the economy, create new jobs and cut bills for people across the country.

The Energy Efficiency Taskforce was first announced by the Chancellor in last year’s Autumn Statement and has been established to support a step change in the reduction of energy demand through accelerated delivery of energy efficiency measures across the economy.

The Taskforce will devise a workplan to help reduce total UK energy demand by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030 across domestic and commercial buildings and industrial process – while cutting bills and helping push down inflation. This will include accelerating household insulation and boiler upgrades. As the work of the Taskforce progresses, it will also look at ways of drawing on the expertise of a wider group of stakeholders.

The Taskforce has met for the first time to establish key priorities and explore ways of working to reach the 15% reduction ambition, sounding out avenues such as green finance, the resolution of supply chain issues and changing consumer behaviour.

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

We have scoured the UK’s industry to amass a top team of the best and brightest, and I am excited to learn from the unique expertise that each member brings to the table.

We firmly believe the will of people and industry to drive down energy use is there, but we need to put in place the right mechanisms to channel this. That means smart investment, effective engagement, and building the right skills base – and this is precisely what the Taskforce will be focussing on.

Alison Rose, Energy Efficiency Taskforce co-chair and Chief Executive Officer of NatWest Group, said:

I am delighted to welcome experts from across industry, academia and government to the Energy Efficiency Taskforce. Addressing the climate crisis is a team sport, and building vital partnerships between the public and private sector is key to tackling this challenge. The Taskforce is bringing together a breadth of experience and expertise from a range of sectors and we will work together to deliver concrete proposals that help support the ambition of reducing total UK energy demand from 2021 levels by 15% by 2030.

Our focus on reducing energy use across homes, commercial buildings and industrial processes is important not only for cutting carbon emissions but also for delivering greater energy security and lower bills for people, families and businesses up and down the UK.

Responding to industry’s call for long-term funding certainty to help strengthen UK supply chains, £6 billion of government funding will be available from 2025 to support this objective, in addition to the £6.6 billion allocated this Parliament – taking the total to £12.6 billion this decade.

The Energy Efficiency Taskforce Steering Group is comprised of the following individuals:

Co-Chairs:
- Lord Callanan, Minister for Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Alison Rose DBE, Group Chief Executive Officer, NatWest Group
Additional Steering Group members:
- David Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Barratt Developments
- David Halpern, Chief Executive Officer, Behavioural Insights Team
- Graham Bell, Chief Executive Officer, B&Q
- Mitesh Dhanak, Chief Executive Officer, Cenergist
- Laura Sandys, Chair, Government’s Energy Digitalisation Taskforce
- Professor Will Swan, Director, Energy House Laboratories at University of Salford
- Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive Officer, Energy UK
- Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Green Finance Institute
- Michael Liebreich, Chairman and CEO, Liebreich Associates
- Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK
- Adam Scorer, Chief Executive Officer, National Energy Action
- Sir John Armitt, Chair, National Infrastructure Commission
- Carl Ennis, Chief Executive, Siemens plc
- David Postings, Chief Executive Officer, UK Finance
- Simon McWhirter, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, UK Green Building Council
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Major exercise tests response to terrorist attacks [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 16 March 2023.

A large-scale exercise has been taking place over 2 days, to test the response of the emergency services and government to a major terrorist incident.
The Home Office planned and co-ordinated the National Counter-Terrorism Exercise, working closely with partners from:

British Transport Police

Metropolitan Police

North Yorkshire Police

Counter Terrorism Policing North-East

London Fire Brigade

London Ambulance Service

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Exercise Spring Resolve aimed to test the collective emergency services response to a series of no-notice violent attacks across multiple regions, effective multi-agency command and control arrangements to stop the attacks, save lives and undertake effective and timely consequence management and recovery.

The exercise formed part of the regular counter-terrorism testing and exercising programme which takes place across the UK. Agencies all set clear exercise objectives that were to be tested, and many of those objectives were linked to the recommendations made following the Manchester Arena Inquiry – Volume 2.

Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, said:

The first duty of government is to protect the British people. Exercises like Spring Resolve are critical to ensure all agencies and departments are prepared for any type of attack.

I would like to thank all our frontline services for their diligent and brave work to protect and safeguard our country and people in the face of complex threats.

The exercise scenario involved a mixture of live and notional play and included multiple attacks in rapid succession in London, designed to test fast and effective multi-agency response, communication and co-ordination. Attack locations included the transport network and other publicly accessible locations.

The scenario incorporated a further no-notice attack at a publicly accessible location close to York city centre on the second day, again designed to test and exercise effective multi-agency response and recovery arrangements.

The exercise tested communication flows from attack scenes, through strategic command centres and directly into central government, with COBR meetings being held on both days, government Ministers and senior officials also being exercised.

Counter Terrorism Policing’s Senior National Coordinator for Protect and Prepare, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said:

We know how vital it is that everyone involved in the response to a terrorist attack is fully prepared so that should the worst happen, together we are able to provide the best possible response.

Ensuring our plans are fit for purpose will ultimately help save lives and testing them regularly is crucial in ensuring police officers and our partners right across the UK understand their roles.

Strategic exercise lead for North Yorkshire Police, Superintendent Jason Dickson said:

This was a welcome opportunity for the emergency services in North Yorkshire to take place in a national CT exercise. It provided an opportunity to test our joint working in dealing with a no-notice violent attack.

We tested the strategic prioritisation and decision-making for the safe and effective deployment of specialist and non-specialist resources to scenes and the early consideration of recovery measures.

This exercise has been planned for more than a year and has taken place a few weeks after the conclusion of the Manchester Arena Inquiry. Volume 2 of this Inquiry recommended emergency responders enhance their interoperability for better effectiveness, and this aim was placed at the heart of Spring Resolve.

The exercise demonstrated how to bring together available information, reconcile potentially differing priorities and make effective decisions together.
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New support for Moldova and Georgia against “threat on their doorstep” as Foreign Secretary visits region [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 March 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit Moldova and Georgia and announce new funding to boost regional resilience against Russian malign interference.
- Foreign Secretary will announce new funding to boost regional resilience against Russian malign interference
- UK to underline support for territorial integrity and sovereignty as part of work with Russia’s neighbours to deal with the threat on their doorstep
- funding will support governance reforms and fair elections and builds on anti-corruption programmes
The UK is ramping up its financial support to Moldova and Georgia, as they continue to suffer from the destabilising impact of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

On a visit to the 2 countries (16 to 17 March), Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will announce an extra £10 million to support economic and governance reforms in Moldova, and new funding to strengthen the security of next year’s elections in Georgia.

Cleverly will reiterate that the UK stands with the people of Moldova and Georgia in defending their democratic choice to pursue a path of freedom, independence and sovereignty.

Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Few societies understand the underhand tactics of Russian malign activity more than Moldova and Georgia.

The UK will not stand idly by while Moscow blatantly undermines their democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We must reinforce their resilience to Russia’s hybrid threats, safeguard the democratic choices of their people and protect them from the threat on their doorstep.

Both countries are vulnerable as they suffer from the effects of the Kremlin’s hybrid tactics, aggression and attempts to extend Russian control over the region. The Foreign Secretary will demonstrate the UK’s unwavering commitment to protecting their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

While in Chișinău, the Foreign Secretary will announce UK government plans to bolster Moldova’s resilience to this malign interference through an additional £10 million of funding for economic and governance reforms, including in the energy sector.

In Georgia, Cleverly will see how UK cooperation is helping to counter subversive Russian meddling, including collaboration on defence and cyber security.

To help strengthen democracy in Georgia, the UK will also be providing £500,000 aimed at creating an environment for free and fair elections in 2024, protecting them from external interference.

The new provisions to be announced during the Foreign Secretary’s visit build on the UK government’s existing support to both countries.

The new pledge for Moldova comes on top of the £12 million already contributing to critical anti-corruption and transparency work in the country.

Work is also underway to help Moldova strengthen its defences against cyber-attacks, combat pro-Russian disinformation, reform the armed forces, build a stronger economy and tackle corruption. This is accompanied by a further £10 million of support for UN agencies providing to provide essential services and financial help to Ukrainian refugees and the Moldovan citizens that are hosting them.
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting 2023 and the Foreign Secretary’s bilateral meetings – an overview [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 March 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attended the 22nd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters in London.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly today (15 March) reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the Commonwealth, a diverse network of 56 nations, at the 22nd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) in London.

He stressed a focus on developing intra-Commonwealth trade and investment, tackling climate change, protecting the environment, and promoting the Commonwealth’s shared democratic values.

Foreign ministers discussed progress made on shared Commonwealth objectives since they last met in Kigali in June 2022. They also discussed tackling climate change, boosting trade and investment between Commonwealth countries, and supporting free and democratic societies.

They reviewed plans for the next meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in Samoa in 2024, and considered a number of country-specific situations.

The Foreign Secretary encouraged a focus on efforts that can deliver clear benefits for all Commonwealth members and where the Commonwealth has a comparative advantage.

The Foreign Secretary set out 3 UK priorities during the meeting:
- increase trade and investment between Commonwealth countries. Members should ensure the benefits of the Commonwealth Advantage, the 21% lower average cost of trade between Commonwealth countries, are built on and extended to new members. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need to support Commonwealth members facing challenges in attracting inward investment
- use the Commonwealth’s powerful collective voice to continue to counter the impact of climate change, and work with small and vulnerable members, including Small Island Developing States, to build their resilience to shocks
- support and further embed democracy, good governance, the rule of law and gender equality across the Commonwealth
In addition to CFAMM, James Cleverly also held a number of individual bilateral meetings, including with the Prime Minister of Samoa, and with foreign ministers from Rwanda, Jamaica, Malaysia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Levelling up at heart of Budget [March 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 15 March 2023.

Budget measures announced by the Chancellor are set to put powers and money in the hands of communities most in need.

Budget measures announced by the Chancellor are set to put powers and money in the hands of communities most in need, to help achieve the Prime Minister’s objective to grow the economy and level up across the UK. These measures will deliver more jobs, better services and more opportunities for local people.

A ground breaking devolution package and funding for community projects in the Budget will help further our ambitions to spread opportunity more equally.

The measures build on our place-based approach, as set out in the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, to ensure targeted measures which best suit the unique economy, geography and expertise of each area.

The Government will be working closely with local leaders in key areas to help attract investment and unleash economic potential. These initiatives include:

Trailblazer devolution deals
- Two new trailblazer devolution deals will see money and powers handed directly to the Mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, including a direct funding settlement, devolution of post-19 skills funding and functions and greater control of the affordable homes programme.
- A new framework will ensure that decision-makers in areas with devolution deals are accountable to their residents and deliver value for money.
- These agreements are designed to pave the way for future deals in other Mayoral regions.
Investment Zones
- 12 Investment Zones across the UK to drive business investment and levelling up, each backed with £80 million over five years including generous tax incentives. Investment Zones will be based around research institutions such as universities and will be focused on driving growth in one of the UK’s key sectors.
- Eight places in England have been shortlisted to develop proposals in collaboration with the UK Government including the East Midlands; Greater Manchester; Liverpool; the North East; South Yorkshire; the Tees Valley; the West Midlands; and West Yorkshire.
- We are also working closely with the devolved administrations to establish how Investment Zones in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be delivered.
Levelling Up Partnerships
- The rolling out of Levelling Up Partnerships to provide bespoke place-based regeneration in an initial twenty of England’s areas most in need of levelling up over 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- Areas will be invited to form partnerships include the City of Kingston upon Hull, Sandwell, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Blackburn with Darwen, Hastings, Torbay, Tendring, Stoke-on-Trent, Boston, Redcar and Cleveland, Wakefield, Oldham, Rother, Torridge, Walsall, Doncaster, South Tyneside, Rochdale, and Bassetlaw.
- This will build on the success of deep dives in Grimsby, which saw cross-government working to help avoid the effective closure of the town’s fish processing sector, and in Blackpool, which unlocked a £100 million regeneration plan.
- Partnership locations have been selected based on the analysis in the Levelling Up White Paper which considered places in England against four key metrics: the percentage of adults with Level 3+ qualifications; Gross Value Added (GVA) per hour worked; median gross weekly pay; and healthy life expectancy.
- The Government will consult with the Devolved Administrations and local government to explore potential options in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Through the Budget the government is also providing money for levelling up projects which will deliver benefits to communities, including through:
- Grants for 16 regeneration projects across England, worth a combined £211 million, in Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, East Suffolk, Kirklees, London Borough of Waltham Forest, North East Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin, Tendring, Wigan and Wolverhampton. These are regeneration projects that can start to spend and deliver quickly, including funding to revitalise town centres and transform derelict buildings for use by communities. These projects, including regeneration of Tipton town centre and a new skills and education campus in Blackburn, will help encourage investment, deliver high quality jobs and level up opportunities. Since the conclusion of the Levelling Up Fund round two, the department has identified further funding to support shortlisted regeneration and town centre bids that were originally made into the Fund.
- £161 million directly to Mayoral Combined Authorities for 32 regeneration projects in city regions across England, including business premises and food science facilities in Tees Valley, and major transport upgrades in the West Midlands. This funding is designed to give Mayors the resources they need to level up their areas and strengthen devolution
- Levelling up projects in the North West worth around £58 million in total, including transport connectivity improvements in Rossendale. Following the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, in which the full £2.1 billion allocation was awarded, the department is using unallocated departmental budgets to fund three further bids which narrowly missed out.
- 30 projects across the UK which will receive a total of £7.73 million from the Community Ownership Fund, bringing valued neighbourhood assets back to the community, including Tollesby playing fields in Middlesbrough and Inveraray pier in Argyll & Bute.
The Spring Budget 2023 takes DLUHC’s overall Levelling Up funding – including our flagship funds and grants – to more than £11 billion. This does not include the billions of pounds of investment from across Government into schools, transport and other services.
March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK commends political progress in Yemen and urges for sustained efforts to address economic instability – UK Statement at the Security Council [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 March 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council briefing on Yemen.

Thank you, President.

I’d like to start by joining others in offering condolences to Mozambique and to Malawi for the damages that Cyclone Freddy has caused in your countries.

Hans, Joyce, thank you for your briefings.

As Ramadan approaches, so too does the one-year anniversary of the UN-brokered truce. The UK welcomes continued efforts toward a negotiated political settlement, and reiterates the need for dialogue to bring together all Yemeni parties.

We urge the Houthis to engage directly with the internationally recognised Government of Yemen, and the UN. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring stability to Yemen.

While we work towards long-term stability, we must also act, as others have said, to mitigate the suffering of Yemenis right now. Nearly 22 million Yemenis are in urgent need of assistance. The UK welcomes the vital role of UNVIM in facilitating commercial cargo flows into Yemen to alleviate this suffering.

Mahram requirements in the north are excluding women from delivering and accessing assistance. As well as being an egregious injustice, this drives up the cost of living. We strongly urge the Houthi authorities to reconsider this policy.

Efforts to address economic instability are also fundamental to reducing humanitarian need and the UK welcomes the generous financial contributions of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to address the serious economic situation of the Yemeni people.

Houthi terrorist attacks and threats have blocked Government of Yemen oil exports, again increasing the cost of living for Yemenis. We call on the Houthis to refrain from all escalatory action.

Arms smuggling is destabilising Yemen and the region. The British Navy, and our US and French partners, continue to interdict Iranian arms shipments. We call upon all involved to stop driving regional instability.

Finally, we welcome the major progress made on the FSO Safer salvage operation. The UN’s procurement of a replacement vessel is a vital step toward mitigating the threat of a spill.

But, the mission does not stop here.

We ask the UN to share its detailed budget and for the international community to step up and fill the $34m funding gap. Without these, the operation cannot start.

Thank you.

March 17, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Chesterfield event marks completion of natural flood management project ‘slowing the flow to the Calow’ [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 March 2023.

A £275,000 project to reduce flood risk in Chesterfield using innovative natural flood defences has completed.

An innovative new flood management project designed to reduce flood risk in Chesterfield through natural defences, while boosting local wildlife and habitats, has been completed at Grassmoor Country Park.

The £275,000 scheme, designed to slow the flow of rainwater heading from land to the Calow Brook – and onwards into the Rover Rother includes the creation of temporary and semi-permanent ponds, marshy grasslands and wet woodland – all acting as a natural flood defence while improving and diversifying the habitats for wildlife within the park.

Funded by the Environment Agency and the Heritage Fund, the project was developed in partnership with Derbyshire County Council which owns and maintains the park, the Environment Agency, the Friends of Grassmoor and Don Catchment Rivers Trust.

Natural Flood Management schemes such as this are a sustainable way of using nature to manage flood risk. The work done at Grassmoor will also work to increase the availability of water within the landscape during times of drought, providing vital lifelines for wildlife and plant life, the need for which has been made abundantly clear last summer.

Its successful completion was marked with an event at Grassmoor Park on Wednesday 15 March, attended by Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment at Derbyshire County Council, along with representatives at partner organisations.

Members of the public were also welcomed with a site tour showcasing the new green spaces, habitat improvements, and natural flood management techniques.

Anthony Downing, Catchment Coordinator in the Environment Programme team at the Environment Agency, said:

This scheme is a shining example of the huge benefits of using nature to manage flood risk – and at the same time creating new habitats for wildlife to thrive and spaces that people can enjoy.

We are facing a climate emergency and are determined to ensure we work with nature to be resilient and adapt. This project has been a great collaboration effort and certainly something we want to see more of in this area.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:

This is a great project which has improved the park for the benefit of visitors and wildlife. As well as reducing the risk of flooding to local communities, it will improve biodiversity by establishing new habitats which will help absorb carbon from the atmosphere in line with our work to help tackle climate change.

Peter Myers, Project Coordinator at Friends of Grassmoor Country Park, said:

We are very proud to have played our part in supporting and working closely with Don Catchment Rivers Trust and Derbyshire County Council to deliver this scheme from the very early stages through to its successful outcome.

The natural flood management measures are of course the key elements, but we are also very grateful for the inclusion of the significant wildlife habitat features, improvements and the environmental benefits that the scheme brings to our park. We look forward to the continued co-operation to see these elements develop and flourish in the coming years.

On behalf of present and future generations who will benefit from this investment, thank you to all who have made this possible.

Rachel Walker, Operations Director at Don Catchment Rivers Trust, said:

The main works were finished last October and the features have been working well over winter, holding water and slowly releasing it back into the Calow Brook. We’re really looking forward to seeing the meadows grow and the features blend into the park over spring and summer. Our thanks to all the volunteers who have joined in to help sow seeds, plant trees, and monitor the site – we will be continuing with the citizen science programme to chart the changes in the park over the coming years.

Volunteers have been an invaluable asset to the scheme which has included lots of local community involvement such as sowing meadow seeds and helping to plant trees. Opportunities to volunteer for the project are still available with dates in April for sowing and planting. A full calendar of events can be found on the Don Catchment Rivers Trust website.

For more information about the project, visit the Slow the flow to the Calow page.

March 17, 2023