Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Department for Business and Trade unveils new ‘Help to Grow’ site to support businesses and grow the economy [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 1 March 2023.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has unveiled a new centralised website, targeted at helping the UK’s 5.5 million businesses.

The new ‘Help to Grow’ site from DBT is aimed at upskilling both big and small businesses across the country by helping them to:

Learn new skills

Reach more customers

Boost business profits

Businesses have told us that they need easy to find information from the Government, which is why this centralised page will make it simpler for firms to find, access and use the information and support they need in one central space. This site also brings together the wealth of expertise that the newly formed department has to offer.

DBT and the UK Government is committed to growing the economy, as the Prime Minister outlined in his priorities for 2023, which is why this new website will be a pivotal tool to help firms reach their business ambitions, whether that’s learning new digital skills, learning to export globally and courses in effective management.

‘Help to Grow,’ which is now live for use, is targeted at helping firms especially the UK’s 5.4 million small businesses that drive the economy and is a unique proposition stemming from the newly-created department, taking businesses from start-ups, to scaling-up and then exporting their goods and services across the globe. The website will offer support and guidance every step of the way, helping to unlock global markets for British businesses.

Business and Trade Minister Kevin Hollinrake MP said:

“When businesses are given the right tools to grow, it boosts profits, increases well-paid jobs and lifts the whole UK economy. This Government is committed to supporting small businesses and the self-employed who are at the heart of our communities.

“So, I am pleased to launch the ‘Help to Grow’ website today, which will hopefully become a vital tool in helping businesses to thrive and succeed both in the UK and trading across the world.”

The centralised site will enable more businesses to reach their trading ambitions, by boosting exports in our race to £1 trillion a year, increasing inward investment and removing business trade barriers.

The ‘Help to Grow’ website will offer advice, guidance, services and support from the UK Government – bringing together a range of support and help that already exists across Government websites.

DBT will be continuously updating and improving ‘Help to Grow’ by working across Government as well as listening to the business community and their feedback.

You can find the new site at ‘Help to Grow’.
March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary in India to forge stronger economic and tech ties in Indo-Pacific [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 March 2023.

James Cleverly will launch an exchange scheme for young professionals and, at a foreign ministers’ meeting, will urge G20 partners to tackle global challenges.
- Foreign Secretary to launch new exchange scheme for young British and Indian professionals to live and work in the 2 countries
- James Cleverly will also announce the UK is to appoint a Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region
- he will continue to call out Russian aggression in Ukraine at a foreign ministers meeting for India’s G20 Presidency and urge partners old and new to work together to tackle the most urgent global challenges
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is visiting India to mark a new scheme allowing young Brits and Indians to live and work in each other’s countries for up to 2 years, which was announced by the Home Secretary earlier this week.

The Foreign Secretary will today (1 March) meet his counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, ahead of foreign ministers gathering in New Delhi tomorrow (2 March). They are expected to discuss progress on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, which aims to bolster the 2 countries’ ties in defence and security, trade and investment.

During a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi today (Wednesday), the Foreign Secretary will mark the opening of the Young Professionals Scheme, an ambitious new partnership between the UK and India which allows up 3,000 Brits and 3,000 Indians a year the right to live and work in the other country for up to 2 years.

The Foreign Secretary will also announce the creation of the UK’s first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, who will boost ties with India as a priority. This envoy is the second of its kind to be announced by the UK (after the appointment of a Tech Envoy to the US in late 2020) and demonstrates our commitment to the region and tech-diplomacy.

The new Tech Envoy role will boost the UK’s status as a science and tech superpower. The envoy will work with our partners in the region on areas of shared interest, including setting global technology standards and helping to solve challenges through innovative technology.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

India is a hugely important partner to the UK and the deeper ties we are forging now will help to grow the UK economy and boost our industries for the future. This landmark migration scheme will enable the brightest and best in both our countries to benefit from new opportunities.

India is also an emerging global leader on technology and there are immense opportunities for better collaboration between us in this sector. That is why we will be sending our first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, to maximise the tech expertise of both countries.

India has the world’s third highest number of tech unicorns and start-ups, with 108 start-ups gaining the unicorn status of a private company valued at over $1 billion. This announcement illustrates the UK’s clear commitment to boosting partnerships in India and across South Asia.

On Thursday the Foreign Secretary will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting to work with partners to advance global efforts on food and energy security, climate change and development. He will also continue to call Russia out at the G20 and work with partners to mitigate the global impacts of Russian aggression in Ukraine. If the war were to end today, the effects of the exacerbated food insecurity would still run into 2027.

The Foreign Secretary will also address an India-Europe business event in the capital where he will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to conclude a Free Trade Agreement with India. With more links than almost any country in the Indo-Pacific region, the UK-India trading relationship is already worth £34 billion, growing by £10 billion in 1 year.
March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The people of Syria deserve a sustainable, inclusive and just peace [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2023.

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

Thank you President, and let me join others in thanking SRSG Pedersen and USG Griffiths for their briefings. Ms Muhrez, can I start by offering condolences on the tragic loss of your cousins, but also thank you for your valuable insights and your powerful testimony in describing in particular the impact of the earthquake on children and their families.

I again want to express the UK’s deepest condolences to all those impacted by the deadly earthquakes that hit Turkiye and Syria this month. The UK acted immediately, providing additional funding to first responders in North-West Syria. Announcing a further $30 million in emergency relief to the UN and humanitarian partners across Syria and Turkiye, and in issuing a general license exempting further aid from sanctions. This has provided much needed assistance, including shelter to thousands in freezing conditions.

We welcome the UN’s urgent efforts to scale up the humanitarian response, and the opening of crossings at Bab Al Salam and Al Rai. This latest tragedy has brought into sharp focus the importance of unhindered and predictable access, without conditions, into North-West Syria. This Council must continue to monitor this closely in the light of ongoing concerns that the regime continues to divert and interfere with aid deliveries.

President, colleagues, even before the earthquake hit, needs were already at their highest levels ever after more than a decade of conflict, during which the Assad regime has acted with complete disregard for the wellbeing of Syria and its people. We cannot allow the regime to use this latest tragedy to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

Just this month, this Council heard further evidence of the regime’s criminal use of chemical weapons against the civilian population in Douma in 2018. Thousands of families are left without answers about loved ones who have been disappeared into Assad’s prison system.

At the same time, the regime continues to project instability to the region, including through the production and smuggling of captagon. This illegal narcotic industry, worth tens of billions of dollars, funds a luxury lifestyle for a regime whose people, as Martin Griffiths said, are packed into tents in freezing conditions.

President, the people of Syria’s immediate need is for humanitarian support. But they deserve a need more than that. They deserve a sustainable, inclusive and just peace. As Ms Muhrez said we owe that to them.

The UN’s political process set out in UNSCR 2254 remains the only viable route to deliver this. We welcome meaningful efforts to progress this, including important efforts in the region. We urge the regime to engage immediately and in good faith.

Thank you.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne visits Kazakhstan to progress bilateral trade [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 February 2023.

The UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kazakhstan, Baroness Nicholson, arrived in Kazakhstan on 28 February for a 4 day visit. She will visit Astana, Almaty and North Kazakhstan. The visit aims to strengthen relationships between the UK and Kazakhstan and further consolidate progress on bilateral trade issues.

In Astana, Baroness Nicholson’s programme will start with a series of ministerial meetings to discuss the UK-Kazakhstan trade priorities. She will also meet CEOs of national welfare fund Samryk Kazyna and the national Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken.

Baroness gave an opening address at the Alumni Awards, an annual event in partnership with UK universities, to recognise the huge importance the alumni from Kazakhstan hold, as future leaders across society.

In North Kazakhstan, a region famous for its agricultural industry, Baroness Nicholson will visit Eurasia Group, exclusive dealers of British manufacturer JCB’s agricultural machinery to see the launch of JCBs latest project. She will also travel to KazBeef Farm and meet with the Kazakhstan Republican Angus Chamber to discuss cooperation between UK and Kazakh farmers.

In Almaty, Baroness Nicholson will meet major domestic investors in the education sector and visit De Montfort University, one of the UK’s greatest recent success stories, for a roundtable on education standards. She will also meet British businesses operating in Kazakhstan to see the range of opportunities that await international investors in the Kazakh market.

Speaking about the visit, Baroness Nicholson said:

I am delighted to visit Kazakhstan, which is an important bilateral trading partner for the United Kingdom. Since my last visit in 2019, we have seen British business activity in Kazakhstan grow to new heights, supporting investment, training, and jobs for the local economy. In particular I’m excited to see the UK contribution to the agriculture and education sectors here – 2 areas where British expertise and technology is truly world-leading.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Businesses urged to get ready for reforms to cut packaging waste [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 February 2023.

Reporting requirements for the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging come into force today.

Plans to make it easier for consumers to recycle packaging waste move a step closer today, as reporting requirements for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) come into force.

Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) will make firms that supply household packaging responsible for the costs of dealing with packaging waste, moving costs away councils and council taxpayers.

Producers will be required to pay for the collection and disposal costs of household packaging they supply when it becomes waste. This will encourage producers to reduce the amount of packaging they place on the market, and to improve the recyclability of their packaging – in turn ensuring less waste ends up in the natural environment.

From today, all obligated packaging producers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland must collect information on the amount and type of packaging they have supplied during 2023. Wales will follow shortly.

Producers with a turnover of greater than £2 million and who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year must also report this information to the Environment Agency twice a year.

The first reports must be submitted from 1 October 2023.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

We need to stem the flow of packaging which goes unrecycled and instead is lost forever to landfill and incineration.

As set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan, these reforms will encourage businesses to increase their use of recyclable materials, shifting costs away from the taxpayer and supporting our work to protect the environment from the scourge of waste.

Deep Sagar, chair of the Advisory Committee on Packaging, said:

Packaging materials that are not recycled back into new packaging harm our natural environment. Councils have to spend more managing that waste and the public cannot enjoy spaces such as parks and high streets as they should.

Extended Producer Responsibility will reduce that waste. It will make goods producers pay for collection of all packaging waste encouraging them to reduce or recycle more packaging. I look forward to supporting government and industry in making this smart policy work for the public and improving the environment.

Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation at the Waste and Resources Action Programme, said:

The introduction of an EPR for packaging could be a game-changer. If done effectively, it could reduce the impact packaging has on the environment by regulating material use and increasing recycling.

For EPR to work it must serve all – producers, local and central government, recyclers, and the public. We’ve been working with these key groups since 2018 to help collaboration on pEPR.

In 2020, 12 million tonnes of packaging was placed on the UK market, some of which contains plastics that are hard to recycle. Incentivising producers to use better, more recyclable materials will help to stem this tide of waste.

Producers will be required to pay an EPR fee towards the costs of collecting and managing household packaging waste, currently borne by local authorities. This shift of cost is estimated to be around £1.2 billion per year across all local authorities, once EPR is fully operational.

Before decisions are made about the final shape of the scheme, we need to gather information from businesses that will be affected. This data will provide the basis for establishing the packaging waste management fees individual producers will pay in 2024, when pEPR comes into force.

We are engaging with businesses and local authorities to shape the future vision of waste reforms through industry-wide sprint events, deep dive sessions and fortnightly forums. This will help ensure business readiness for our planned reforms from 2024, ensuring industry are involved in shaping the long-term future of EPR.

These plans build on our wider efforts to eliminate avoidable plastic waste. Earlier this year we announced that a ban on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups, will be introduced in England from October 2023.

We have also announced further details on the implementation of our Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.

We have already introduced a ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products, restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds, and our world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax introduced last year.

Meanwhile, our single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by over 97% in the main supermarkets.

For further information, please see our specific guidance on collecting data for packaging EPR, along with our wider guidance for industry on GOV.UK.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New cultural exchange scheme opens to young talent in the UK and India [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 February 2023.

The Young Professionals Scheme is now open to eligible young Indian and UK professionals.

From today (28 February), young professionals from India and the UK can apply to live, study, travel and work for up to two years in each other’s country, the UK government has announced.

The first of its kind, the reciprocal Young Professionals Scheme is a new opportunity granting Indian and UK nationals a chance to benefit from new cultural experiences and inject expertise into both economies.

Indian nationals eligible for the scheme can now enter a 48 hour ballot free of charge from which 2,400 randomly selected applicants will then be invited to submit their visa applications. Those eligible to apply must be between 18 and 30, be an Indian national and hold a degree. A further ballot will be held later in the year.

Interested eligible British nationals do not need to apply through a ballot process and are welcome to apply to the Young Professionals Scheme at any time.

The UK encourages young professionals from both countries to experience each other’s nations and participate in this cultural exchange.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

The Young Professionals Scheme is a unique opportunity for British and Indian graduates to experience the richness of a new culture and way of life while building their professional experience and expertise. This new scheme illustrates the importance of our relationship with India and will bring great benefits to both countries.

I encourage young professionals from India and the UK who want to share their skills and talents to apply.

The Young Professionals Scheme highlights the strength of the UK-India economic and cultural relationship and is a key part of the UK-India Mobility and Migration Partnership, which was signed in May 2021.

As well as the Young Professionals Scheme, the Partnership includes a range of commitments to enhance arrangements on migration issues such as measures to strengthen our ability to remove immigration offenders and ensure greater co-operation around organised immigration crime.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Thames Water fined £2m for “foreseeable and avoidable” pollution [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 February 2023.

Oxfordshire water contamination “reckless failure” – judge.

Thames Water has been fined £2million after raw sewage polluted two Oxfordshire streams, killing almost 150 fish. The sewage also flooded a nearby garden.

Judge Peter Ross, at Oxford Crown Court on 21 December, ruled the incident in 2015 as a high-end, category three harm offence.

Numerous failures in the management of a sewage pumping station operated by the company led to sewage created by two villages emptying into two brooks leading to the River Evenlode, a tributary of the River Thames, for up to 24 hours.

Judge Ross found Thames Water were “reckless” in polluting Idbury and Littlestock brooks at Milton-under-Wychwood, near Chipping Norton, on 8 and 9 August 2015.

Environment Agency officers were quickly on site, discovering the entire local population of almost 150 bullhead fish had been killed by the toxic waste along a 50-metre stretch of water.

A member of the public reported dead fish in Idbury brook to the Environment Agency. A backlog of raw sewage was forced into the water from a sewer pipe that couldn’t hold it. Sewage also escaped from a manhole and onto a residential front garden.

The court heard Thames Water disregarded more than 800 high-priority alarms needing attention within four hours in the six weeks before the incident. Another 300 alarms were not properly investigated, all of which would have pointed out failures with the pumping station. One alarm was deliberately deactivated during a night shift.

Investigations by the Environment Agency revealed Thames Water was aware the pumping station failed several times in the 12 months up to and including the incident in August 2015.

Robert Davis, who led the investigation for the Environment Agency, said:

This incident was foreseeable and avoidable. Thames Water didn’t recognise the increased risk to the environment, ignoring or failing to respond adequately to more than 1,000 alarms.

These streams are normally a haven for kingfishers, grey herons, brown trout and other fish and invertebrates. Sewage poured into the water for 24 hours, having a terrible impact, killing fish and other water life.

We hope this prosecution sends a loud and clear message that the Environment Agency will not accept poor operation, management and maintenance of sewage pumping stations. Where we have evidence of offending and serious pollution incidents like here, we will take appropriate action to bring polluters to justice.

Judge Ross said Thames Water was ‘reckless’ by taking an unacceptable level of risk with the environment. It allowed the sewage pumping station to operate with no automatically available standby pump for around 10 months in the year prior to the pollution.

Environment Agency officers discovered other information and data highlighting repeated problems with the pumping station in the year before the pollution, which Thames Water failed to report to the Environment Agency.

Judge Ross ordered Thames Water to pay full costs of £79,991.57. The company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of breaching environmental law.

N.B. In the days following the hearing in 2018, judge Ross reduced the £2m fine to £1.8m after directing Thames Water to pay the remaining £200,000 to three local charities, the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and the Wychwood Project.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Highly Protected Marine Areas to be designated in English waters [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 February 2023.

Government today announces three Highly Protected Marine Areas will be designated by July 2023.

Marine habitats and wildlife are set to receive the highest levels of protection as the Environment Secretary today (28 February) announces the Government will designate the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas in English waters.

Delivering on the commitments set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, Highly Protected Marine Areas will enable nature to fully recover by removing all harmful activities including fishing, construction and dredging, increasing marine biodiversity and supporting climate-resilient ecosystems to thrive.

From safeguarding ‘blue carbon’ habitats to help tackle climate change; protecting the feeding and nursery grounds of commercially important fish species such as cod and herring; through to reversing the impacts of human activity on degraded marine ecosystems, the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas were chosen due to the ecological importance of nature recovery in the sites.

The three sites being taken forward will be designated before 6 July 2023 and are Allonby Bay (Irish Sea), Dolphin Head (Eastern Channel) and North East of Farnes Deep (Northern North Sea).

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

Our comprehensive Environment Improvement Plan sets us on a path to deliver an improved marine environment and halt the decline in biodiversity which benefits us all.

Highly Protected Marine Areas are a vital step forward in enabling our ecosystems to thrive, increasing climate resilience and ensuring we have a healthy and productive marine environment for generations to come.

The first three Highly Protected Marine Areas include inshore and offshore sites and will complement the existing network of Marine Protected Areas covering 40% of English waters. Their introduction follows recommendations in the Benyon Review to help achieve clean, healthy, safe, productive, and biologically diverse ocean and seas, and drives forward the Government’s commitment to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Marine Minister Lord Benyon said:

This is a crucial next step to aid marine ecosystem recovery in our waters and I’m delighted to see my recommendations become a reality today.

Not only will the first of these Highly Protected Marine Areas protect important species and habitats, but they will propel the UK forward in our mission to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Allonby Bay contains ‘blue carbon’ habitats that capture and store carbon. The site also contains honeycomb reefs and blue mussel beds which can provide water purification and important protection from coastal erosion. Nursery and spawning habitats for a range of commercial species including cod, plaice, sole and herring will also be protected.

Dolphin Head has been degraded following impacts of human activity so the Highly Protected Marine Area presents an opportunity to fully recover habitats and species. It will help protect the feeding and nursery grounds of many important commercial fish species such as cod, herring, plaice as well as ecologically important habitats such as ross worm reefs.

North East of Farnes Deep has high levels of biodiversity. The large areas of muddy habitats are important for the storage of carbon as well as for a range of species including birds, marine mammals and fish. This includes spawning and nursery habitats for up to ten commercially important species such as angler fish, surmullet, whiting and haddock.

Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

The long term sustainability of our ocean and its ability to provide the essential ecosystem services that will help us meet the challenge of climate change, protect food security and sustain the coastal and marine economy is in part dependent on having the right protections in place.

The designation of the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas moves us towards this goal. I welcome this as a first step towards greater protection of our marine wildlife. I also look forward to working with government to identify additional areas where important marine habitats and species can benefit from the highest levels of protection.

The Government consulted on five pilot sites last year to gather a wide range of views and additional evidence to help inform which Highly Protected Marine Areas would be designated, receiving over 900 responses. After listening to the responses, and with further consideration of socio-economic impacts, two sites – Lindisfarne and Inner Silver Pit South – will not be taken forward to designation. Additional sites will now be explored and any future options will also be subject to consultation.

March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : FTSE 350 hits boardroom gender balance target three years early [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 28 February 2023.

FTSE 350 companies have met target of 40% Women on Boards three years ahead of 2025 deadline.
- UK on the podium in the world again for women’s representation on top company boards
- British business on-track to meet target of 40% Women in Leadership teams by end of 2025, with UK’s 50 largest private companies keeping pace
The UK has cemented itself as a world-leader for women’s representation on top company boards, with new data released today (28 February) revealing that 40.2% of FTSE 350 Board positions are now held by women.

The findings come as part of the latest report by the government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review, sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and KPMG, which was launched today in Canary Wharf. The report tracks the progress being made in breaking down barriers to progression of talented women into directorships and senior executive roles across business.

Today’s findings demonstrate steady progress in getting women leaders to the top table of business in the UK, with women’s board representation increasing by nearly 3% in 2022 across the FTSE 350 (40.2%). FTSE 350 Leadership positions below the board for women are now at 33.5% and at 34.3% for the 50 of the UK’s largest private companies, published for the first time this year.

Women now hold a third of all Leadership roles in FTSE 350 Companies too, a huge milestone that shows the continuing progress that is ongoing throughout businesses. The next critical goal for business is to achieve a target of 40% women in FTSE 350 Leadership teams before 2025 – which UK business is on-track to meet.

Business and Trade Secretary and Women & Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said:

I’m pleased to see that FTSE 350 companies have surpassed this target, showing that change doesn’t always require top-down interventions but can occur when everyone is pushing in the same direction.

This progress is very welcome, and I’d urge business to keep up this momentum to achieve better balance in leadership positions as well as in boardrooms.

Just over a decade ago, 152 of the FTSE 350 Boards had no women on them at all – this is truly a thing of the past now, with the presence of women on every board of the FTSE 350 and the vast majority of the 350 companies now having 3 or more women on their board.

With businesses hitting the 40% target for Women on Boards well ahead of schedule, it is clear that momentum is on their side and a sea change is still coming.

Today’s results secure the UK in second place when compared internationally to other countries driving for more women on top public listed boards.

This is especially notable, as the scope of the UK achievement is across 350 public listed companies, and progress has been achieved on an entirely voluntary basis, rather than by a mandatory quota system that is enforced on businesses in many countries.

The UK’s unique business-led approach has paid dividends, with companies stepping forward to report their numbers, with high levels of success.

Minister for Women Maria Caulfield said:

Making sure the right people are in the top roles is not just morally right, it makes good business sense. I’m delighted to see this huge progress, years ahead of when we expected it.

By working together, industry and government can make sure inequality is a thing of the past – which is good for individuals, for businesses, and for our country.

Nimesh Patel and Penny James, Co-Chairs, FTSE Women Leaders Review, said:

Achieving 40 per cent representation for Women on Boards is a defining moment and is testament to the power of the voluntary approach and the collective efforts of many businesses and individuals over the last decade.

By extending the Review to include for the first time 50 of the largest UK private companies, our work now tracks progress of women in 30,000 leadership roles across all of big British business.

Businesses across the country have changed direction over the past decade, with companies such as Greggs Plc, Severn Trent Plc and Vodafone Plc leading the way with more women than men on their boards. When it comes to Women in Leadership roles, companies such J Sainsburys Plc continue to perform well, following several years of strong increases.

Haleon Plc are further proof that change is already being instilled into British business, having only newly demerged from GlaxoSmithKline this year and already leading the way in the FTSE rankings.

Denise Wilson, Chief Executive, FTSE Women Leaders Review said:

The celebration this year is for achieving the 40% target three years ahead of the deadline, but it goes way beyond that as celebration of the entirely voluntary nature of this achievement and the combined and unstinting efforts of all the men and women in British business who over the decade have joined together to deliver real and unprecedented change.
March 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New national hub for fintech to be launched at Leeds event [February 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 28 February 2023.

A national hub for fintech excellence will formally launch at an event in Leeds today, seeking to boost the sector’s growth and helping it to achieve truly global scale.
- a new government-backed national hub for fintech will formally launch at an event in Leeds on Tuesday (28th), boosting growth and innovation in the UK
- the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) will champion the UK’s world-leading sector, helping firms to achieve truly global scale
- the UK Infrastructure Bank has today (28 February) also announced that it is expanding its presence at its Leeds office – as it gears up to create around 280 job
The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) is the first of its kind in the world and is backed by £5.5 million of Treasury and City of London Corporation funding.

This new body seeks to build on the dominance of the UK’s fintech sector – that supports around 2,500 firms, tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, and is second globally only to the US for fintech investment – powering ahead of economic behemoths such as China and India.

It will provide a much-needed boost to people and businesses up and down the country, enabling them to benefit from new waves of technological change and innovation – widening consumer choice, cutting costs, and increasing efficiency for firms.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said:

The UK is a world-leading location for fintech growth and investment – it’s a real British success story and one that’s spread across the whole UK. Today’s launch of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology doubles down on this, boosting prosperity and investment in exciting cities for growth and innovation such as Leeds.

It’s also great to see the UK Infrastructure Bank delivering on its mission to invest in the clean energy revolution and on much needed infrastructure – using its £22 billion of taxpayers’ money to help communities across the UK.

Charlotte Crosswell OBE, Chair of CFIT, said:

The launch of CFIT today represents a significant moment for the UK’s fintech sector and our economy more widely. This organisation will enable us to come together as a sector to start breaking down barriers that the fintech sector is facing while creating a clear path for our homegrown fintech companies to achieve global scale, impact and success.

Today’s announcement marks an important first step in our work supporting the growth and development of the UK fintech sector by empowering its talented innovators and trailblazers in every corner of the country.

Ron Kalifa, Chairman of Network International and author of the Kalifa Review of UK Fintech, said:

I am thrilled to see the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) – one of the key recommendations of the 2021 Kalifa Review – launch in Leeds today.

The Centre will be instrumental in fostering collaboration between industry, academia and policymakers, promoting innovation, and turbo-charging the adoption of new technologies for businesses and consumers. I have no doubt that it will enable the UK’s fintech sector to become more competitive, and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have across the UK in the weeks, months and years to come.

The Centre has been established in response to Ron Kalifa’s Review into UK fintech. Since this report was published in 2021, government has been working across industry and regulators to deliver on the recommendations, including introducing a fast-track visa system for fintech scale ups, implementing an FCA scale box allowing innovators to trial new products, and reforming our listings regime to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s dominant capital markets hotspot.

At launch event CFIT will announce new coalitions of experts from across finance, technology, academia and policy-making. They will focus on helping fintechs achieve truly global scale, building on the UK’s recent success which saw the UK grow from two ‘unicorn’ firms (over $1 billion valuation) in 2020, to today where we have more than 20 – almost half of all the fintech unicorns in Europe.

CFIT will announce the establishment of financial innovation hubs with comprehensive reach across the UK’s nations and regions – including in key growth centres such as Leeds. The city has seen enormous fintech growth since 2020, with its number of fintech firms more than doubling to 107, and valuation of firms doubling to reach £710 million – supporting over 7,500 jobs.

CFIT’s Chair Charlotte Crosswell will also announce a range of new partnerships she and her team have agreed to support CFIT’s growth ambitions. Further details on these new partnerships, and which areas will be established as innovation hubs will be set out at the event.

Ahead of the launch, the Economic Secretary, Andrew Griffith MP, will be visiting the UK Infrastructure Bank’s (UKIB) site in Leeds, where he will officially open expanded office space for UKIB staff, as they gear up to take on around 280 staff. The Bank currently has around 180 staff, with an increasing number of permanent employees.

Since its introduction 20 months ago, the bank has announced ten significant investments in sectors ranging from solar energy to fibre broadband, and has crowded in £4.6 billion of private finance in the process.

The City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said:

The UK’s fintech sector is a true British success story. The launch of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) today will help to maintain our dominant position globally. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with CFIT to further unleash the potential of this sector.

UK Infrastructure Bank CEO, John Flint said:

The fact we are anchored in Leeds is a key part of our identity. It aligns with our mission to drive up regional and local economic growth. It also makes us part of a growing movement, with many other significant organisations – for example, Channel 4, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the National Infrastructure Commission – establishing or expanding bases here. I am grateful to the Minister for helping us to mark this milestone, as we expand our presence in the city.

Today’s announcements deliver on the Chancellor’s ambition for the UK to become a technology superpower, as set out recently in his Bloomberg speech. And they deliver on the Prime Minister’s five priorities, helping to grow the economy.
March 3, 2023