Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : More women to be supported back into STEM jobs in Government-backed training [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 February 2023.

More women will be helped back into the workplace following the launch of a Government-backed training programme.
- Women facing work barriers due to caring to be helped back to careers
- Minister for Women and Equalities invests in pilot to get returners into STEM
- 43% of STEM vacancies are hard to fill; women make up 29.4% of the STEM workforce; 75,000 STEM returners want to get back to work
Today on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch, has launched a new initiative to help people back into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) based careers.

The scheme – backed by £150,000 of Government funding – will be run by Women Returners and STEM Returners and will target those who have taken lengthy career breaks to care for others, giving them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

Minister for Women and Equalities, and Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch MP, said:

“I learned how to code at the age of seven and trained as an engineer, so I know the importance of science to our economy.

“In the last decade we have seen more girls studying STEM subjects at school and university, but we know that too many women later drop out of those careers because they need to care for children or elderly relatives.

“We are investing in returners so we can plug the STEM gap, increase workplace equality, and boost our economy. That’s good business sense.”

Between 2009 and 2020 there was an almost 30% increase in girls starting STEM A-levels in England, and between 2011 and 2020, the number of women accepted to full-time STEM undergraduate courses increased by 50.1% in the UK. But in 2020 women only made up 29.4% of the STEM workforce in the UK.

According to the UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey 2013, 43% of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) vacancies are hard to fill. But there were approximately 75,000 people who were economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, had not worked for at least 12 months, had a STEM occupation immediately before their career break, and would like to return to work in the future. The majority of these potential returners are women.

Minister for Women, Maria Caulfield MP, said:

“STEM jobs make up a large proportion of our economy, but there is a shortage in STEM employees and 75,000 STEM returners who want to get back to work. We know there are women across the country who have left their jobs to care for elderly relatives or children, and want to return to work.

“This pilot will help organisations to recruit those who are too often overlooked because of a gap on their CV.”

Women Returners, experts in return to work consulting, coaching and networking, will support parents and carers back into the workplace through personalised employability support, sector-specific refresh training, and work opportunities.

The STEM ReCharge pilot will provide support and training to technology and engineering returners in the Midlands and the North of England. It will also provide support and training for STEM employers on supportive returner hiring and inclusive recruitment practices.

Julianne Miles, CEO of Women Returners, said:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Government Equality Hub and STEM Returners to launch the innovative STEM ReCharge programme in the Midlands and the North of England. There is a pressing need in these regions to provide this job-readiness support tailored to parents and carers returning to STEM, together with training for STEM employers to create more supported routes back to work for career returners. We’re confident that this comprehensive programme of support will help to accelerate the removal of the career break penalty in the UK.”

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting the Government Equality Hub in increasing the opportunity for Returners in STEM and lowering the barriers they face when they try to resume their careers. This programme will allow us to continue our mission to help create a diverse, inclusive and equitable STEM sector. We are especially delighted to be collaborating on this project with Women Returners, as working together we can achieve more.”

The Government has already funded 25 returner programmes across the private and public sectors. This includes providing a £1.5 million grant fund to support projects in the private sector, as well as targeting key professions in the public sector, such as social workers and health professionals. Guidance for employers on how to support returners, and a toolkit for those on their return to work journey, is also available via the GOV.UK website.
February 11, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : People smuggling gang jailed for 26 years [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 February 2023.

Members of an organised crime group which smuggled more than a dozen Middle Eastern nationals into the UK have been jailed for a combined 26 years.
Seven members of the British-Palestinian network were sentenced today (February 10) at Chelmsford Crown Court for conspiring to facilitate unlawful immigration through fraudulent documents.

Four women and three men, aged between 24 and 51, were caught following an investigation by the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) unit.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Today’s sentences show that we will stop at nothing to tackle the despicable smuggling gangs and ensure they are brought to justice.

Thanks to our specialist teams who work tirelessly to dismantle these international criminal networks, the smugglers are now behind bars.

No one should be putting their lives in the hands of smuggling gangs by attempting to enter the UK illegally, which is why we will shortly introduce new legislation to ensure that anyone doing so is detained and swiftly returned home or to a safe third country.

The gang smuggled at least 14 migrants into the UK from December 2017 to December 2018, including people from Palestine, Kuwait and Syria.

Investigators found the criminal network had access to around 240 European ID cards and passports, the majority of these were French documents, however they also included Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and British documents.

The gang organised 26 flights into the UK, of which 11 resulted in 14 undocumented migrants seeking asylum, three resulted in the facilitators being arrested and 12 flights were unsuccessful attempts.

Members of the network, which was active across Europe including in Belgium, France and Spain, also carried out two attempts through the border at Coquelles in France and Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands.

Their crimes started to unravel when Border Force officers stopped Firdos Ahmed at Harwich Port, who was carrying a French ID card in someone else’s name. A subsequent search of her phone found a collection of fraudulent documents and messages with other members of the gang, including her mother, Zarina Abdulla.

Those sentenced today were:

Firdos Imitiaz Ahmed, aged 29, of Feltham, London, was sentenced to four years

Moussa Aoun, aged 24, a Lebanese national, from Shepherd’s Bush, London, was sentenced to four years

Zarina Abdulla, aged 51, of Leicester, was sentenced to three years

Zahra Mohammad, aged 30, of Enfield, was sentenced to four years

Amna Tarmahomed, aged 28, of Leicester, was sentenced to two years and six months

Ismail Hussein, aged 48, a Palestinian national, of Tottenham, London, was sentenced to six years

Micaiah Marley, aged 29, of Watford, was sentenced to two years and six months

Micaiah Marley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate the entry into the UK of asylum seekers and the remaining six defendants were found guilty of the same offence at trial.

Stuart Stokes, Assistant Director of the Criminal and Financial Investigation unit, said:

CFI officers are working night and day to dismantle organised crime groups such as this. We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating suspected people smugglers and bringing them before the courts.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State for Northern Ireland visits exhibition marking women’s contribution to peacebuilding in Northern Ireland [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 10 February 2023.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland visited Herstory’s Peace Heroines exhibition in Derry-Londonderry, showcasing women’s pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process, as the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement approaches.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today (Friday 10 February) visited Herstory’s Peace Heroines exhibition in Derry-Londonderry, which showcases women’s pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process, as the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement approaches.

Mr Heaton-Harris viewed the touring exhibition, currently at the Tower Museum, featuring inspiring women who have contributed to the Northern Ireland peace process and continue to be involved in cross-community dialogue and reconciliation projects today.

The Secretary of State’s visit to the exhibition is in addition to the Northern Ireland Office’s programme of events marking the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement

Organised in partnership with the National Museums NI and the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund to create the Peace Heroines education programme, the exhibition includes stunning new portraits of leading female peacebuilding figures such as Monica McWilliams, Pat Hume and Baroness May Blood by the artist Marian Noone, also known as Friz.

Speaking after viewing the exhibition, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, said:

“Women played a pivotal role in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement negotiations and continue to do so today through further peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts throughout communities in Northern Ireland. The portraits of Northern Ireland’s iconic female peacebuilders are simply inspiring.

“The UK Government is unshakable in its commitment to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and the 25th anniversary marks an extraordinary achievement for Northern Ireland. It is important we showcase women’s contribution to the Agreement to inspire the next generation and build on the remarkable progress Northern Ireland has made this past quarter century.”

Herstory CEO and Creative Director Melanie Lynch reveals the inspiration behind the project:

“When I met with Ireland’s former Ambassador to the UN Geraldine Nason-Byrne, she explained to me that the role of women in the Northern Ireland peace process is a key United Nations case study. I reached out to our school contacts and they confirmed that this essential story is not taught on the official school curriculum in Northern Ireland or the Republic. Our new Peace Heroines project aims to change that and introduce students and the public to these legendary activists and inspire the next generation of peace builders. It’s time to write Herstory into history.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Sandra Duffy, said:

“Women have always had a leading role in Derry’s history, helping to keep families and communities together during dark times. They kept local industry going in the factories, supported homes, brought up children and drove social and political change in the most economically and politically turbulent times. The Council is delighted to see their contribution to peace recognised in this important exhibition. These real heroines were an inspiration to so many young women, who are proud to take up the mantle and continue their work for positive change and peace in our society.

“The Council is delighted to host this significant collection of artworks that acknowledges the immense contribution made by women who at great personal cost dedicated their lives to lobbying for change and promoting cross community relations.”

Touring across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and further afield, Peace Heroines is on display at the Tower Museum in Derry-Londonderry until 24 March, before it features at the United Nations in New York from 27 March.

To keep up to date with the Northern Ireland Office’s activity during the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement’s 25th anniversary year, visit: gov.uk/goodfridayagreement25

February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Welshpool Town Football Club’s new pitches part-funded by a grant from the UK Government [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Welsh Office on 10 February 2023.

The club received £66,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Grassroots football fund.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has been to Welshpool Town Football Club to see the new facilities that have been partly funded by the UK Government. The club was granted nearly £66,000 towards creating three new football pitches for junior players to replace pitches lost to the building of a new school.

Welshpool Town Football Club was founded in 1878 and the first team currently play in the Lock Stock Ardal North East League. The club has a popular junior section with ten age groups and one girls’ team.

Mr Davies visited the new pitches on Thursday (9 February) where he heard from the club about their plans to expand and offer facilities for walking football and training and matches to more women and girls’ teams.

Club Secretary Eva Bredsdorff said:

Welshpool Town FC was delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Wales to their home ground at Maesydre and show him the three new pitches which have been created thanks to a generous grant from the UK Government.

We discussed our immediate and long-term plans and how we are hoping to develop the football facilities in Welshpool.

Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies said:

It was hugely enjoyable to visit the club which is at the heart of the community in Welshpool. And it was a pleasure to meet the volunteers who give so much time and energy making sure Welshpool Town FC continues to thrive.

I’m thrilled to see UK Government investment in facilities like this which bring incalculable health and social benefits to local people.

Steve Williams, President of the Football Association of Wales, said:

Improving grassroots facilities is a key focus for us at the FAW. Through the recently launched Cymru Football Foundation, we are committed to supporting football clubs across Wales to be community hubs bringing social, health and economic benefits to the areas they serve.

The investment in new facilities at Welshpool Town, which has been made possible through funding from Department of Culture, Media and Sport, is a prime example of this work.

It was a pleasure to join the Secretary of State on his visit to see the new pitches and to discuss the positive impact that this investment from the UK Government has had on the local community.

February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : One hot, dry spell away from drought returning this summer, National Drought Group warns [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 10 February 2023.

The Environment Agency and National Drought Group members continue to take action to reduce risks, improve water supplies and protect the environment.
Following the driest summer in nearly 30 years, experts are warning that another hot dry spell could see drought conditions return in 2023, despite winter rainfall replenishing most water levels.

At today’s meeting of the National Drought Group, chaired by EA Executive Director John Leyland, the group discussed how risks to water resources remain, despite significant improvements following five consecutive months of above average rainfall. Only two of the Environment Agency’s areas – East Anglia and Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – now remain in “drought” status, with most now “recovering”.

As of the beginning of February, total reservoir capacity across the country is at 88 percent. This compares with 49 percent at the end of September 2022, when reservoirs were at their lowest following the drought through summer.

There has been a dry start to the month – with low rainfall across England since the end of January – meaning 63% of rivers are currently below normal levels for this time of year. Some storage reservoirs are still lower than anticipated and groundwater levels in Norfolk are only now beginning to rise slowly.

The National Drought Group – made up of senior decision-makers from the Environment Agency, government, the Met Office, water companies and key farming and environmental groups – said that despite taking winter readiness actions, increasing output and undertaking network improvements over winter, further steady rainfall will be needed to ensure the nation’s water reservoirs are in a good position ahead of the warmer, drier, summer months. Rainfall over the next three months will be vital in reducing the drought risk for the summer.

The natural environment continues to take time to recuperate from the impacts of last summer and the Environment Agency is also focusing ongoing efforts on monitoring how well fish and invertebrates are recovering from drought.

Members are planning for the worst case scenario of another hot, dry spell this summer and are managing water resources to reduce the risk of drought measures – such as temporary use bans and taking additional water from the environment – being required again this year.

EA Executive Director and NDG chair John Leyland said:

While most water levels have returned to normal across much of the country, low rainfall in recent weeks highlights the importance of remaining vigilant. We cannot rely on the weather alone, which is why the Environment Agency, water companies and our partners are taking action to ensure water resources are in the best possible position both for the summer and for future droughts.

As ever, it is important that we all continue to use water carefully to protect not just our water resources; but our precious environment and the wildlife that depends on it.

NDG members heard that:

Water companies, retailers and regulators must learn from the response to the 2022 drought and take forward improvements for managing and responding to future droughts.

Water companies have continued to maximise opportunities to improve their water supplies over winter; identifying new sources of water; ensuring sources are operating as they should be and reducing leakage. The Environment Agency have determined additional drought permits to help refill reservoirs and improve water supplies ahead of spring.

The farming sector is working to improve drought resilience, to ensure water availability for the short and long term, helping overall food security. The Environment Agency is working closely with the Rural Payments Agency to ensure abstraction licences associated with reservoir grant applications are determined on time.

All sectors are now undertaking precautionary planning in the event that hot, dry weather returns in the summer, and continue to work closely together to support water supplies across the country.

England is experiencing more extreme weather more often. Over the last month, the Environment Agency has also been responding to flooding in parts of the country, following heavy rainfall over December and January.

The Environment Agency is clear that planning for increasingly extreme weather is essential in order for everyone to be prepared for the impacts these events cause – both drought and flooding.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK sanctions high profile Bulgarian figures involved in corruption [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 February 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announces new sanctions that target 3 influential Bulgarian individuals involved in offences including abuse of public institution funds.
- the UK and US are taking coordinated action to root out corruption in Bulgaria
- transparency International ranks Bulgaria as one of the countries most harmed by corruption in Europe
A former member of parliament, an ex-national security official and Bulgaria’s richest man have been sanctioned by the UK and US for abusing their positions of power by redirecting state funds for their own benefit. The 3 prominent Bulgarians have today (Friday 10 February) been handed travel bans and asset freezes under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Those sanctioned have deprived the people of Bulgaria of resources crucial to its economic and social development. Money that should have been used to fix roads, build hospitals and support economic growth has instead ended up in the pockets of corrupt individuals.

The UK is acting in close coordination with the US to support Bulgaria in its efforts to tackle corruption and strengthen the rule of law by sanctioning these corrupt figures.

The sanctioned individuals are:
- Delyan Peevski: a former Member of Parliament and media mogul. Peevski has been involved in attempts to exert control over key institutions and sectors in Bulgarian society through bribery and use of his media empire
- Ilko Zhelyazkov: a former national security official and board member of Bulgaria’s largest state energy company, who used his position to redirect a lucrative state contract for his own gain
- Vasil Bozhkov: reportedly Bulgaria’s richest man, who made his fortune in the gambling industry. Bozhkov used bribery extensively to protect his business interests
The UK is combatting corruption around the world and will continue to use all levers at our disposal to tackle corrupt actors wherever we see them.

The UK government has sanctioned 35 individuals and entities, including the 3 today, under the Global Anti-Corruption regime since its introduction in April 2021.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK announces second Global Investment Summit to create jobs in high tech sectors [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 10 February 2023.

The Prime Minister announces the UK’s second Global Investment Summit in October 2023 during a meeting of the Investment Council.
PM announces UK’s second Global Investment Summit to take place in October.

Summit will bring 200+ CEOs of multinational companies and investment corporations to showcase the UK as a world-leading investment destination.

Latest figures show UK Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stock reached £2 trillion in 2021, creating tens of thousands of high-value jobs across the UK.

Over 200 of the world’s highest profile investors, CEOs and financiers are expected to come to the UK in October for a second Global Investment Summit (GIS 23) – the Government announces today (Friday 10 February).

GIS 23 will aim to raise billions of pounds of high value investment to create thousands of jobs across the UK, with a special focus on high tech sectors such as innovation, research and development.

The event will build on the success of the inaugural Global Investment Summit in October 2021, that brought together over 170 CEOs to showcase the UK’s commitment to green investment ahead of COP26.

The 2021 Summit secured £9.7 billion of new foreign investment on the day, creating over 30,000 new jobs and supporting growth in vital sectors such as wind and hydrogen energy, sustainable homes, and carbon capture and storage.

Leading the Summit is the newly formed Department for Business and Trade, created by the Prime Minister to support UK businesses to invest, grow and export around the world and to create jobs and prosperity across the UK.

The Prime Minister will confirm the UK is hosting a second Summit during a meeting of the Investment Council on Friday, where he will address global investors to set out his priorities for creating jobs and growing the economy.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“This week we drove serious change from the heart of government by creating four new departments. This was done to deliver on the promises and priorities of the British people, and to go further and faster on our ambition to drive jobs and growth in every part of the UK and ensure we are at the cutting edge of technology and innovation.

“The next Global Investment Summit is an opportunity to demonstrate what we can do as a nation, delivering on our ambition to be the a world-leading destination for international finance and investment.”

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

“Investment creates high quality jobs and grows our economy.

“I started the year setting a goal of the UK becoming the undisputed number one investment destination in Europe. Events like this will help deliver this and show the world’s biggest investors just what a strong investment prospect the UK can offer.

“Overseas investment has already led to 85,000 new jobs in 2021/22 alone, and I want to us to go further, driving growth and putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits.

This year’s event will showcase emerging UK success stories in life sciences, deep tech, nuclear fusion and small modular reactions (SMRs), and manufacturing, with capital investment driven by the post-EU Exit financial liberalisation encapsulated in the Edinburgh reforms.

Minister for Investment Dominic Johnson said:

“The UK remains open for business. I greatly look forward to welcoming investors at the Global Investment Summit and showcasing how the UK has reached over £2 trillion in inward investment stock.

“Our low-tax, high-skill economy is unrivalled in offering strong returns, innovative businesses and a rule of law that is emulated around the world.”

Notes to editors:

The UK Investment Council was established and formed under the chairmanship of the Minister for Investment in April 2021 to provide a platform for 42 influential global investors so that they can highlight their perspectives, priorities and concerns relating to UK inward investment and use it as an opportunity to influence Government’s future approach to investment policy.

Their high-level expertise and advice help to guide the discussion happening around the table and to inform DIT and wider Government to ensure the UK’s remains one of the leading destinations for foreign investment. The Council also provides an opportunity for HMG to amplify its investment objectives to senior industry leaders.

The Council, though separate, operates in collaboration with the Office for Investment and has proven highly effective in gathering investor insights and improving the quality of Departmental stakeholder engagement.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Business Secretary welcomes record year for services exports [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 10 February 2023.

New figures coincide with Business and Trade Secretary’s visit to Mexico, where she is progressing a modernised UK-Mexico deal and promoting the UK’s accession to CPTPP.
- New ONS statistics show UK services exports reach record highs of almost £400 billion in 2022
- The figures coincide with Business and Trade Secretary’s visit to Mexico, where she is progressing a modern, new UK-Mexico deal to boost UK services exports further, and promoting the UK’s accession to CPTPP
- Badenoch: “This cements the UK’s position as a global services superpower”
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has welcomed new figures showing UK services exports reached record highs, adding that they ‘cement the UK’s position as a global services superpower’.

The trade data released by the Office for National Statistics today (Friday 10th February) shows that UK services exports reached record highs in 2022, totalling £397 billion.

In current prices, it means an increase of 20% compared to 2021, and up 23% on exports in 2018.

The UK is the second biggest services exporter in the world – behind only the US, and the services sector contributes around 80% of the UK’s GDP. Today’s results show the UK is contributing to a growing global sector, with service sectors across the world expected to account for 28% of global trade by 2030 – up from 25% in 2019.

The Business and Trade Secretary welcomed the news on day two of her visit to Mexico, where she is using high level talks with Mexican cabinet counterparts to secure benefits for thousands of UK firms by locking in expansive services provisions as part of a new, modern UK-Mexico trade deal.

Alongside an upgraded bilateral deal, the Business and Trade Secretary is in Mexico to promote the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which Mexico is a member.

Joining CPTPP will secure enhanced market access, predictability, and transparency for UK service suppliers who exported £30bn worth of services to CPTPP countries in 2021. Modern trade agreements like CPTPP, that set ambitious rules for trade in services between members, are vital for UK companies looking to maximise opportunities to grow their businesses across both sides of the Pacific.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

These new figures are a trade success story and cement the UK’s position as a global services superpower.

Services are the lifeblood of our economy, employing over 8 in 10 of our workforce. To see services trade reaching these heights is a firm reminder of the resilience of our strong services economy and shows significant progress in our race to export over a trillion pounds of British goods and services a year by 2030.

I’ll be using my talks with Mexican politicians and UK businesses operating in Mexico to make the case for a revamped UK-Mexico trade deal which will significantly increase export opportunities, and boost jobs around the UK.

Latest figures show the UK exports over £1bn worth of services to Mexico, a 30% increase in current prices on the previous year. A more modern, forward looking ‘Mexico 2.0’ deal could boost this even further, unlocking export opportunities for SMEs and the UK’s digital and services industries.

UK businesses who would benefit from modernised services rules between both countries range from British bank HSBC, currently the fifth largest bank in Mexico, to Pearson Education, whose products and services include world-renowned academic qualifications, digital content, assessments and data.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Addiction crackdown sees huge rise in prisoners getting clean [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 10 February 2023.

Thousands of prisoners are getting clean thanks to a doubling of drug-free wings in jails as the government’s war on addiction steps up a gear.
- thousands of prisoners join drug-free wings as war on addiction ramps up
- up to 100 special blocks in prisons by 2025 alongside abstinence-based units
- new wings and tough security to clean up prisons and cut crime
New Incentivised Substance Free Living Units are now up and running in 45 prisons across England and Wales – getting addicts off illicit drugs and reducing their reliance on synthetic opiates like methadone.

Figures show around half of prisoners are addicted to drugs, while crack and heroin addicts account for two-thirds of shoplifting offences and half of burglaries, blighting communities up and down the country.

Yet offenders who are supported to get off drugs for good are 19 percentage points less likely to slip back into a life of crime.

The new wings will make sure prisons are places where criminals get – and stay – clean while they pay their debt to society, instead of languishing on drug substitutes like methadone which can hinder their rehabilitation.

Today’s news, alongside tough new security including X-ray body scanners, forms a cornerstone of the government’s strategy to break the cycle of addiction and re-offending which costs the tax-payer £19 billion a year.

Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Dominic Raab, said:

We are clamping down on drugs behind bars with tough new security, but we know reducing supply is not enough to break the cycle of addiction and offending.

Our new drug-free units and drug recovery wings will help prisoners tackle their addictions, including to opiate substitutes like methadone, in turn cutting their risk of reoffending and creating safer streets.

The government is also investing in up to 18 drug recovery wings where prisoners can go through 6 months of intensive abstinence-based treatment to break their reliance on methadone as well as dangerous substances.

On the new incentivised units, offenders will tackle their addictions through substance misuse courses and regular drug testing

In exchange, prisoners who are making progress towards getting clean receive extra time out of cell for education and work opportunities and, once they’ve turned their back on drugs for good, including substitutes like methadone, the prospect of being transferred to a drug recovery wing for 6 months of intensive, fully abstinence-based treatment.
February 10, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Former Lioness Jill Scott opens hometown football pitch named in her honour [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 10 February 2023.

Former Lioness Jill Scott has opened the first of 23 new grassroots football facilities named after the Euro 2022 winning squad.
- The Government, the FA and the Premier League’s Football Foundation has opened the first of 23 sites to honour winning Lionesses of EURO 2022
- Naming comes as part of Government commitment to improve access to sport for women and girls, and build on the Lionesses’ inspirational legacy
- UK-wide £300 million capital investment in grassroots facilities will support talent of the future and represents biggest ever commitment to delivering equal access for women and girls playing football
The pitches, being built in or around the hometowns of the winning players are funded by the government, the FA and the Premier League’s Football Foundation. It will inspire the next generation of female stars with top class facilities.

The ‘Jill Scott Pitch’ was unveiled in a ceremony at the Perth Green Community Centre in Jarrow alongside coaches and members of the local community who will benefit from the 3G pitch. The new floodlit facility is just five miles from Jill’s hometown of Sunderland and will support the growth of female, disability and recreational football in the local area.

Following their victory – the first English football team to win a major trophy since 1966 – the Government, Premier League and the Football Association’s Football Foundation committed to naming grassroots facilities in honour of the squad. The site namings form part of national efforts to raise the profile of women’s football at the elite level and increase access and participation for women and girls at the grassroots level.

This site is one of many across the UK to have benefited from the Government’s UK-wide £300 million four-year capital investment into grassroots multi-sports facilities.

The Football Foundation is delivering outstanding grassroots facilities, more and better places to play, and transforming lives and communities where it is needed most.

Fifty per cent of the investment is going directly to the most deprived areas across the UK and the benefits will be felt beyond football: by 2025, 40 per cent of Football Foundation investment will go to projects which host at least one additional sport such as rugby, cricket, netball and basketball.

Jill Scott, MBE said:

“It’s an absolute honour to have a site that will be used by so many people in the local community named after me in the place I used to play!

“Winning the Women’s EUROS was incredibly special and I hope, thanks to this recognition and funding from The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, this pitch will benefit Lionesses of the future.“

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

“I’m delighted we are honouring Jill and the entire 23 woman squad as part of our £300 million investment in grassroots multi-sport pitches.

“The Lionesses thrilled the nation with their historic Euros victory, delivering the nation’s first major tournament win in more than 50 years.

“They have inspired a generation of women and girls to believe they too can achieve their dreams.”

The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, Sue Campbell, said:

“The England women’s team changed the landscape for the women’s and girls’ game when they lifted the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 trophy last year. The success of the team wasn’t just about lifting the trophy, it was also about changing the path for women and girls who want to or currently play football up and down the country.

“By 2024 The FA want to see 5,000 good-quality pitches added to the current number. With the Football Foundation, we are prioritising the areas and communities where these new pitches are most needed. This project allows us to provide more opportunities for people to play football across the region. Jill Scott has had an incredible career and no doubt inspired many people in her hometown to take up the game, so I’m sure the ‘Jill Scott pitch’ will be extremely popular.”

Premier League Head of Community Nick Perchard said:

“The Premier League is committed to developing the game at all levels and we are investing more than ever before into women’s and girls’ football, from the WSL to grassroots.

“This includes work in partnership with The FA to develop pathways for young players, improving facilities and developing greater workforce pathways for women and girls.

“We are delighted to see our funding going towards new pitches honouring the Lionesses, bringing together state-of-the-art facilities with inspirational role models to get more girls playing the game.”

Robert Sullivan, CEO of The Football Foundation said:

“We are committed to improving the experience of playing football for everyone and thanks to investment from The Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation is directing more funding into projects all of which will offer equal access to play for women and girls.

“At the end of the last academic year there were over 100,000 more girls playing football and since the Lionesses’ glory last summer we are seeing even more girls are lacing up their boots.

“Over 8,500 female football teams are playing at sites that have received funding from the Football Foundation, whether that be for new goalposts, improved grass pitches or brand-new changing pavilions and 3G pitches. But we know there is more to do if we’re going to meet this rising demand, which is why we are here today with Jill to make that commitment – and inspire all those who saw their win to get down to their local pitch.”

To ensure women and girls can benefit from these facilities, and help create a lasting legacy, all sites in the multisport grassroots programme must provide access based on the needs of the local women’s and girls’ teams. The move is also designed to support the Football Association’s ambition for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 to create 500,000 extra opportunities for women and girls to play football.

The Government’s grassroots multi-sport pitches programme has successfully delivered more than £43 million of funding across the UK last year, with an additional £168 million to be invested into facilities in England between 2022 and 2025 – on top of an existing and continuing £18m annual commitment.

The Government is a major supporter of women’s football and is working to improve access and build on its commercial success for the long term. It is working alongside The FA to achieve the ambition of equal access to football for girls in 90 per cent of schools by 2024. The Department for Education’s £320 million PE and School Sports Premium School Sport and Activity Action Plan will help more girls to take part in sport and physical activity.
February 10, 2023