Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more arrested in nationwide crack down on county lines [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 March 2023.

New figures demonstrate the impact of coordinated and relentless police action in tackling county lines drug gangs.

County lines drug gangs continue to be shut down at pace across England and Wales, as new figures today (Thursday 9 March) demonstrate the impact of coordinated and relentless police action.

New figures reveal that since the government launched its County Lines Programme in 2019, police have shut down 3,588 drug lines. In the last year alone, over 1,000 lines have already been closed, meaning the government is on track to surpass its target to close 2,000 lines over 3 years.

And last week, police forces across the country arrested an additional 1,658 criminals and seized 31kg of Class A drugs and 404 dangerous weapons, as part of a nationwide week of intensive action:
- 1,658 people were arrested
- 276 drug lines were identified and seized, 68% more than last Intensification Week
- Over £2 million in cash seized
- 404 weapons seized, including 288 bladed weapons and firearms such as handguns and shotguns.
Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

County lines gangs run vile, exploitative criminal operations manipulating the most vulnerable to do their dirty work, and tearing families and communities apart in the process.

We cannot and will not stop wiping them out and I am thankful for the tireless police work conducted last week and every week, in ridding our streets of these criminals.

Head of The National County Lines Coordination Centre, Detective Superintendent Neil Ballard said:

This intense week of operational and partnership activity has been incredibly successful in closing 276 deal lines across England, Scotland and Wales. All Forces have worked collaboratively to target the controllers of the County Lines, making 1,658 arrests in one week, and seizing the proceeds of their criminality, including over £2M cash.

County lines exploit children and vulnerable adults and safeguarding has been at the heart of our response, with 78 vulnerable people being referred to support services via the National Referral Mechanism, and Police Forces delivering programmes of engagement within schools and working with partners such as The Children’s Society on the #Lookcloser campaign.

County lines is a criminal business model, evidenced by the full range of drug types seized during this week, but they are also strongly associated with violence as demonstrated by the seizure of over 400 weapons this week, including 288 bladed weapons and firearms such as handguns, shotguns and a silencer.

The policing response to county lines criminality has never been stronger and we will continue targeting this abhorrent threat in our communities to make our streets safer.

New Home Office figures also show that 1,108 county lines have been closed since April 2022, following the government’s commitment in its Drugs Strategy to close an additional 2,000 lines by March 2025.

Since its launch in 2019, police activity funded by the County Lines Programme has resulted in:
- 3,588 county lines closed
- 10,209 people arrested
- 5,727 people referred for safeguarding.
The Crime and Policing Minister, Chris Philp, is visiting Liverpool today to see how Merseyside Police – one of the priority forces in the County Lines Programme – is using a multi-agency approach to disrupt gangs running drugs in and out of the city.

The Minister will see Operation Overlord in action, which targets key transport hubs to smother supply routes utilised by Organised Crime Gangs, including through the rail and coach networks.

The Minister is also visiting Catch 22, one of the specialist victim support projects for under 25s funded by the Home Office.

Services provided by Catch 22 include:
- a rescue service for young people found far from their home
- a one-to-one specialist support service that safely makes contact with young people who have been referred by safeguarding partners, such as the police and children’s services, and works with them to end their involvement in county lines activity
- specialist caseworkers for mental health and women and girls.
March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : International Women’s Day 2023: UK Statement to the OSCE [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush outlines the UK’s commitments to gender equality and the launch of the International Women and Girls Strategy.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

International Women’s Day in 2023 comes at a time when threats to gender equality continue to increase. Climate change and humanitarian crises disproportionately affect women and girls. We continue to see attempts to row back on women’s rights in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan. Violence against women is growing online. And horrific levels of conflict-related sexual violence are being perpetrated through Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The theme of International Women’s Day in 2023 is “Embrace Equity”, focused on opening up a conversation on why equal opportunities are not sufficient on their own to effect change. Equitable action is required to bring about true inclusion.

The UK is committed to improving the outlook for women and girls globally. Yesterday our Foreign Secretary launched the UK’s International Women and Girls Strategy, during a visit to his mother’s hometown in Sierra Leone. The Strategy sets out how the UK is putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. We will stand up and speak out for women and girls’ rights and freedoms at every opportunity, work with our partners to do the same, and build international consensus to stop those intent on rolling back on rights and putting hard-won progress into reverse.

Advancing gender equality is not just the right thing to do – it is a policy from which everyone benefits. Greater gender equality is the fundamental building block of all healthy democracies. It brings freedom, boosts prosperity and trade, strengthens global and regional security, and builds resilience.

The UK has a strong track record on gender equality. Since 2015 we have supported the education of more than 8 million of the world’s most vulnerable girls. Since 2013, we have helped secure pledges from over 10,000 communities – representing over 27 million people – to abandon Female Genital Mutilation. In November 2022, we hosted the ‘Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative’ International Conference, and launched a new Political Declaration endorsed by 53 countries.

Empowering women and girls, and preventing violence against them, will remain a UK priority. We are committed to ensuring every girl receives at least 12 years of quality education, and to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children by 2030.

Mr Chair, we can only build a fairer, freer, safer, wealthier and greener world if we put women and girls at the heart of the OSCE’s work. Women’s leadership, perspectives and knowledge are essential for local, national and regional progress. At the PC/FSC yesterday we discussed the issue of Women, Peace and Security, which demonstrated that participating States remain overwhelmingly in favour of the OSCE doing more on this across our region.

It is vital that participating States fulfil their commitments to gender equality – set out in the 1999 Charter for European Security, and related decisions – and ensure adequate funding for OSCE executive structures working to implement the organisation’s gender equality commitments.

As we have stated previously, International Women’s Day is not just a day. It is about the actions we take every day to ensure the equal rights of all women and girls.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General Visits Ukraine to Discuss International Accountability for Russia’s Actions [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 9 March 2023.

Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC MP took part in a three-day visit to Ukraine between March 2-4.

Visiting a town destroyed by missile strikes and laying a wreath to commemorate civilians killed in the conflict were all part of the Attorney General’s visit to Ukraine as she travelled to discuss international accountability for Russian war crimes last week.

Victoria Prentis KC MP took part in a three-day visit to the war-torn country between March 2-4. She first met Ukrainian counterparts and key stakeholders in Kyiv and visited Bucha and Borodiankia, the scenes of widespread and significant allegations of international crimes, before travelling to Lviv to represent the UK at the United for Justice Conference.

The Attorney General said:

Images of the war in Ukraine regularly flash up on our TV screens, but nothing prepares you for seeing first-hand the devastation being wrought upon innocent people.

This is a live and brutal conflict, and it is extraordinary, unparalleled even, that Ukraine is bringing prosecutions for war crimes as they are happening.

The UK has a long, proud tradition of accountability – and what we’ve seen in the last twelve months in Ukraine requires a response from the international community. We must unite to create an international moment of accountability. This will be challenging, but the rule of law matters, and it is worth fighting for.

In Kyiv, the Attorney General was hosted by Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, who is responsible for investigations into war crimes being prepared for domestic Ukrainian legal proceedings. His office has recorded more than 70,000 potential war crimes cases so far.

They were able to discuss the UK and wider international support to Ukraine’s domestic prosecutions, including through the UK-US-EU Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group. The Attorney General met representatives of Ukrainian civil society and the Ukrainian judiciary to hear about further progress and areas of focus within Ukraine on Russian accountability.

With members of Prosecutor General Kostin’s office, the Attorney visited the town of Borodyanka, some 30 miles North-West of Kyiv, which was hit by a number of Russian missile strikes last year – destroying one large apartment block completely. Later, alongside the Prosecutor General, they laid a wreath in Bucha at a site where last year, 116 people were uncovered in a mass grave.

The Attorney General then went on to Lviv to attend the United for Justice conference, which opened to a keynote address by President Zelenskyy. She gave informal opening remarks alongside Ministers from the wider international community, before attending the conference’s panel discussions.

March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK to host African Investment Summit in April 2024 [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

The Prime Minister will host a UK-African Investment Summit in London on 23-24 April 2024.
- The announcement comes as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly signs new trade and investment agreement with Sierra Leone whilst in Freetown.
- Summit aims to promote two-way trade and investment, creating jobs and growth and supporting women entrepreneurs.
The Prime Minister will host a UK-African Investment Summit in London on 23-24 April 2024.

The Summit will bring together Heads of State and Government from 24 African countries with British and African business leaders. It will strengthen UK-African partnerships to create jobs and growth, supporting British and African talent in sectors such as finance and technology, and promote women entrepreneurs.

The Summit will build on the results of the UK-African Investment Summit 2020 and virtual UK-African Investment Conferences in 2021 and 2022. The UK-African Investment Summit 2020 marked an important milestone in our partnerships with African countries and announced over £6.5bn of deals, plus a further £8.9bn of investment commitments.

The virtual conferences in the following years built further connections between UK and African businesses, with more than 3,000 UK and African delegates looking at future opportunities to facilitate deals, with a focus on clean growth opportunities across the continent.

By 2050, two billion people will live in Africa, more than half will be under 25.

During the next two years, faster economic growth is expected across Sub-Saharan Africa than the global average. And as the world faces the stark and shared challenge of climate change, the UK is working with African countries to support them to mitigate and adapt to its effects, recognising Africa’s abundant potential for renewable energies of the future.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

To grow the UK’s economy, create opportunities for growth and bolster our economic security, we must deepen our ties with partners across the world.

This summit will ensure we are able to harness the potential of our relationships across Africa and grow our economies together, making them stronger, resilient, and innovative.

By facilitating business-to-business links, trade opportunities and investment, UK-AIS will help harness this potential for the creation of mutual prosperity, economic growth, jobs and a global transition to green energy.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary, James Cleverly, working closely with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade, Kemi Badenoch, will lead work across Whitehall to prepare for the Summit.

The Foreign Secretary said:

The UK’s trade and investment relations with countries right across the African continent are delivering significant mutual economic benefits to all of us.

Affirming the UK’s position as a leading investor in Africa, this second African Investment Summit in London will build on our successes since 2020 which have combined the strengths, innovations and expertise of the UK and our partners across Africa to support reliable, sustainable and long-term investment.

The UK and Africa go far when we go together.

The Foreign Secretary committed last December to focusing on partnerships of the future with countries whose economies, populations and ultimately influence globally are growing.

He sees countries in Africa as central to this and is seeking to build on our partnerships across the continent on the basis of respect, mutual benefit, common interests, and, most importantly, by listening to African countries’ perspectives.

That has been a major part of his visit this week to Sierra Leone, where he has signed an agreement between the UK and Sierra Leone on trade and investment. He also met members of the government and opposition leaders to take stock ahead of upcoming elections, and discuss UK support towards growing the Sierra Leonean economy.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets up annual UK – Sierra Leone trade and investment forums; and deepens the trade partnership between Sierra Leone and the UK.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

I’m pleased that we are building on the success of the 2020 Summit as we continue to strengthen our excellent relationships with our African partners.

These partnerships have already helped grow our economies, and I look forward to coming together again to discuss our joint ambitions to increase trade and investment, enhance market access and create jobs.
March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Disproportionate impact of Russia’s invasion on the women and girls of Ukraine – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush says that we remain deeply humbled by their courage and determination – and stand united with them today and forever.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As you and Ukraine have already mentioned, this morning we woke up to news of Russian strikes across Ukraine including Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv. There are reports of at least five people killed in residential areas of Lviv. We also note with concern reports of electrical power supply loss at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Only last week the IAEA again raised concerns about the risk of a nuclear accident at the plant. We condemn Russia’s continued attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. This has to stop.

Mr Chair, as we will later remark on, yesterday the world celebrated International Women’s Day. With that in mind, I will focus my statement today on the continued impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on women and girls.

On the last International Women’s Day, in March 2022, there was little to celebrate for the women of Ukraine. In the early months of Russia’s invasion, 90% of those forced from their country, and 60% of those internally displaced, were women – often making perilous journeys whilst Russian missiles rained down. Of those who made the difficult decision to remain, many women and girls suffered unspeakable cruelties at the hands of Russian forces. We will not forget the thousands of women and girls who have been killed or injured as a result of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war, including our colleague Special Monitoring Mission member Maryna Fenina. Maryna was killed just over a year ago on 1 March 2022 when Kharkiv was shelled by Russian forces. She was simply trying to find food and supplies for her family, her once peaceful city being turned into a war zone by Russia.

War affects everybody, regardless of gender or age – however, it has long been recognised that women and girls are disproportionately impacted and are at far greater risk of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence and human trafficking. We have been compelled to speak multiple times in this Council of the documented, widespread and systemic use of sexual violence as a weapon by Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. The evidence uncovered by this organisation, by the United Nations, by the Government of Ukraine, by civil society groups and by many more is staggering and utterly horrifying. This evidence exists because of the bravery of survivors and witnesses, who, in their refusal to be silenced, break down stigma and enable justice. We must not fail them in delivery of that justice.

Ukrainian women have found themselves as the primary caregivers and providers, taking on additional responsibility for their families and communities following the loss or absence of male family members. Access to vital services has been greatly reduced. As stated by the Director of the United Nations Population Fund, “access to sexual and reproductive health services are not peacetime luxuries; they are essential, and they save lives”. Ukrainian women should not be expected to give birth in makeshift underground maternity wards whilst dust falls from the ceiling, caused by relentless Russian shelling. Ukrainian women should not be denied safe abortion care, especially following the trauma of rape and sexual assault by Russian forces.

Despite the horror and trauma many have experienced over the past 12 months, Ukrainian women and girls have shown remarkable courage and resilience. From the tens of thousands of women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Territorial Defence Forces, to the millions of women from all walks of life who go to work each day to support the defence of Ukraine, regardless of the daily air raid alerts, power shortages and near constant danger. From the female first responders and medical professionals, to those across the Ukrainian diaspora supporting refugees and displaced persons, we salute the bravery, the humanity and resilience of all those ensuring that Ukrainian voices are heard across the world.

These mothers, daughters, sisters and protectors of Ukraine demonstrate strength, compassion and integrity in support of the defence of their country, their people and their principles in what are for many, unimaginable circumstances. We remain deeply humbled by their courage and determination and we stand united with them today and forever.

March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Five non-judicial members reappointed to the Civil Justice Council [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 9 March 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has reappointed Diane Astin, Nicola Critchley, Elisabeth Davies, Andrew Higgins and Rhodri Williams KC as members of the Civil Justice Council for a further term of 3 years.
The Lord Chancellor has reappointed the following non-judicial members, of the CJC:

Diane Astin, Housing Member: from 15 October 2022 until 14 October 2025

Nicola Critchley, Defendant Solicitor/Insurers Member: from 25 July 2022 until 24 July 2025

Elisabeth Davies, Consumer Affairs Member: from 1 January 2022 until 31 December 2024

Prof. Andrew Higgins, Academic Member: from 1 January 2022 until 31 December 2024

Rhodri Williams KC, Welsh Interests Member: from 1 January 2022 until 31 December 2024

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is a statutory advisory body established under the Civil Procedure Act 1997. The CJC’s membership brings together: the judiciary; civil servants; legal professionals and; those representative of the varied perspectives, expertise and experience from right across our civil justice system.

The CJC has a statutory function to review the civil justice system and also advises the government, the judiciary, the Rule Committee and others on the development of civil justice, especially how it can be made more accessible, fair and efficient. It is empowered to recommend changes and propose research.

Biographies

Diane Astin: teaches at Brunel University, London as a Lecturer in Legal Practice. She has previously taught law at the Universities of Westminster and North London. She works for Deighton Pierce Glynn. Previously she has worked at the Public Law Project, Islington Law Centre and Shelter as well as several legal aid firms. She specialises in housing, public law and community care and is the author of the Legal Action Group book “Housing Law Handbook”. Diane Astin has not declared any political activity.

Nicola Critchley: is a Partner at DWF, Manchester. She has extensive experience of dealing with high value costs litigation, costs budgeting, appeals, fraud, technical challenges, portal dropouts, infant approvals, fixed recoverable costs issues and bulk test litigation on behalf of insurers, the self-insured, and organisations. She is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers. Nicola Critchley has not declared any political activity.

Elisabeth Davies: is currently the Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints which oversees the Legal Ombudsman scheme and is also Chair of the Assurance and Appointments Committee of the General Pharmaceutical Council. She is currently Chair of the Prisoners’ Education Trust and was previously a Trustee of Support Through Court; supporting people going through the court process without legal representation. Elisabeth Davies has not declared any political activity.

Andrew Higgins: is an Associate Professor of Civil Procedure, University of Oxford and a fellow of Mansfield College. He is currently General Editor of Civil Justice Quarterly. He previously worked as a solicitor for the Australian law firm Slater & Gordon and was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 2011. Andrew Higgins has not declared any political activity.

Rhodri Williams KC: is a barrister specialising in EU law, local government law and public and administrative law from Chambers in Cardiff and London. He deals with cases involving both local and regional government, including advising the Welsh Government and other Government Departments and local authorities, in England, Wales and in Northern Ireland. Rhodri Williams has not declared any political activity.

The appointment of non-judicial members of the CJC are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. These re-appointments have been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 2023 [March 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 March 2023.

The King has approved that The Right Honourable Lord (Patrick) Hodge be re-appointed as His Majesty’s Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2023.

Notes for Editor

The Lord High Commissioner is the Sovereign’s personal representative to the Annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He attends the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on behalf of the Sovereign. He makes the opening and closing addresses to the Assembly, and carries out a number of official functions as the Lord High Commissioner.

March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Seven year ban for care staff recruiter, James Ireri, after abusing two Covid support schemes [March 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 9 March 2023.

James Ireri, 44, from Surrey, has been banned for seven years after abusing two different Covid loan schemes during the pandemic.

Ireri was the director of Safi Care Ltd, which traded as a recruitment business from Surrey, supplying staff to care homes, from its incorporation in February 2015 until it went into liquidation in August 2021. The company had first traded as Safi Services Ltd until March 2016.

In May 2020, Ireri applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan – the maximum amount allowable – for the company.

Bounce Back Loans were a government scheme to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby companies could apply for loans of up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, up to a maximum of £50,000.

Yet in August 2020, Ireri applied for another loan of £100,000 on behalf of Safi Care Ltd, this time from a different lender, and through a different Covid support scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.

Under the rules of the Covid loan schemes, eligible businesses were able to apply for a single loan under one or the other of the schemes, but not both. However, a business could obtain a second loan if the money was used to repay the first in full.

But when Safi Care Ltd went into liquidation in August 2021, the company owed more than £231,500, including the full amount of both loans.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service was triggered, but Ireri failed to provide adequate company accounts and investigators were unable to determine whether Safi Care Ltd had ever been eligible to apply for the initial Bounce Back Loan, based on the company’s 2019 turnover.

The lack of company books also meant that Ireri was unable to prove that he had used the loan money for the economic support of the business – another condition of the scheme.

Investigators discovered that more than £491,300 had been withdrawn from the company bank account between May 2020, when the first loan was received, and July 2021, shortly before Safi Care went into liquidation, including more than £80,000 for personal spending and around £93,900 of transfers into Ireri’s personal bank accounts.

The Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from James Ireri after he did not dispute he had caused Safi Care Limited to breach the terms of two Covid Support loans by failing to repay the Bounce Back Loan after obtaining the Interruption Loan, and by failing to provide adequate evidence of the company’s turnover or how the loan funds were used.

His ban started on 8 December 2022, and lasts for seven years. The disqualification prevents him from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

Neil North, Deputy Head of Investigation at the Insolvency Service, said:

“Bounce Back Loans and Covid Business Interruption Loans were designed to provide vital support for viable businesses through the pandemic. James Ireri abused not one, but two of these schemes.

“His ban should serve as a warning to other directors who misuse financial support available to companies that the Insolvency Service is able to bring your actions to account and remove you from the corporate arena.”

March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : University and investor experts to head up review of UK spin-out landscape [March 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 9 March 2023.

Experts appointed to identify best practice in turning university research into commercial success.
- Professor Irene Tracey CBE and Dr Andrew Williamson appointed to lead review into turning university research into commercial success.
- The independent review will identify best practice in the field to promote innovation and grow businesses of the future, as part of the Chancellor’s vision to nurture the world’s next Silicon Valley.
- Both experts will work hand-in-hand with universities, investors, and founders to advise government on how to continue to capitalise on the UK’s world-leading university research.
Two leading university and investor experts have been appointed to identify best practice in turning university research into commercial success, in order to help the UK fulfil its ambition to become a Science and Technology Superpower.

Professor Irene Tracey CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and member of the Medical Research Council of UK Research and Innovation, and Dr Andrew Williamson, Chair of the Venture Capital Committee at the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), will consult with universities, investors, and founders to identify best practice in university spin-outs – companies born through university research.

The financing of innovative science and technology companies like these is a key tenet of the UK Science and Technology Framework, with a view to strengthening the pipeline of high-quality science and technology businesses and spin-outs that drive growth in the economy across this decade.

The review aims to evaluate performance across universities and identify best practice in spin-outs and licencing deals for university intellectual property to promote the continued growth of the sector, which upholds the UK’s role at the forefront in seeding and growing innovative businesses of the future.

The UK university sector is a world-leader, playing an integral role in supporting economic growth and fuelling innovation across the country. The commercialisation of its research has also been on an upward trajectory over the last decade – investment in UK university spin-outs has increased more than five-fold to £5 billion in 2021.

The review launched today will seek to build upon those strengths, harnessing them to boost global competitiveness with other leading spin-out regimes like the US.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

“Our universities are among the world’s best and are crucial driving forces for innovation and economic growth.

“We want the UK to be the world’s next Silicon Valley and to get there the government must help spin-outs to thrive. The expertise of Professor Tracey and Dr Williamson will be invaluable in ensuring we have the right support in place.”

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan said:

“UK universities are long-established global leaders in research and it’s no accident that four of the world’s top ten universities call Britain home.

“However, our world-leading research apparatus hasn’t always translated into the raft of game-changing business giants you would expect. We can and will do more to support university spin-outs to become global business titans that generate highly-skilled jobs and rapid economic growth for the UK. This review will clearly set out the actions we can take to make sure the UK is the ultimate incubator for world class innovative business.”

Professor Irene Tracey CBE and Dr Andrew Williamson said:

“We are delighted to be involved with this timely and important review. We recognise the fundamental role that university spin-outs play in driving UK economic growth and in stimulating an entrepreneurial culture and ecosystem in Britain.

“Now is the time to review what the best processes are for both creating and structuring spin-outs so that we’re ready for this anticipated expansion in innovation clusters around the country. We look forward to partnering with stakeholders from the academic, entrepreneurship, and investment communities to identify opportunities to increase the impact of this important sector of our economy.”

Professor Tracey and Dr Williamson will report back to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology in the summer.
March 9, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s illegal war is affecting Ukraine’s labour market – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2023.

Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) speaks at an OSCE Economic and Environmental Committee meeting on digitalisation and the labour market.

Mr Chair,

The concept note for this meeting quite rightly highlights the impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine on the number of displaced people in Europe. This exodus of talent from Ukraine’s labour market, and the effect on the labour markets of those countries to which Ukrainian migrants have travelled, will have long-lasting implications.

The wanton destruction by Russian forces of critical and civilian infrastructure makes education and training for those in Ukraine more difficult still. Digitalisation may help Ukrainian students and workers safely access training and employment further away from Russian attacks, but in some areas, for those seeking in-person training and employment – and for those roles which can only be done in-person – this will be impossible until Russia withdraws the whole of its forces from Ukraine.

For many young people, the prospects of even remote education are a distant hope, future aspirations crushed by the brutal acts of the Russian invaders. Rather than going to school and preparing themselves for the world of work, children and young people in Ukraine face exploitation, trafficking, filtration, and forced deportation. As UNHCR Assistant Secretary General for Protection said at the PC recently, securing access to education for forcibly displaced persons, including at times of war, is crucial.

For the UK’s part, our £220m support to Ukraine includes £15m to UNICEF in Ukraine to coordinate activities, including education. We are contributing an additional five million pounds to UNICEF Moldova, a package which includes setting up youth centres equipped with laptops and assistive technology to follow education in Ukraine and Moldova.

Looking to Ukraine’s post-war recovery and reconstruction, attention will turn to revitalising the Ukrainian labour market, where digitalisation can play a key role. For example, in the UK, in 2022, the UK Government set up the Digital Skills Council to encourage investment in initiatives focused on upskilling, including digital apprenticeships. And our Skills for Life programme offers free, flexible courses covering, among other areas, software development, digital marketing, and data analytics. These are two examples from which other states may be able to learn.

Finally, the concept note mentions the recent OECD study on the impact of digitalisation on labour markets. We recognise there are a number of benefits to increased automation, with UK companies acknowledging the role of AI in helping them address labour and skills shortages; supporting learning and training; and improving recruitment and HR processes. However, we recognise that these advances will also necessitate an evolution of the key skills and training needed by future workforces across the world.

Before Ukraine is able to take advantage of these new opportunities, we must sustain our efforts to help meet Ukraine’s economic and social needs in 2023. The UK is proud to be hosting – jointly with Ukraine – the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June. We look forward to welcoming you there.

Thank you.

March 9, 2023