Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Fishing fund gears up to help industry go green

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 January 2023.

Grants of up to £40,000 on offer through £100m UK Seafood Fund to trial greener engine technology, helping to create a safe and sustainable fishing sector whilst tackling rising fuel costs.

The UK fishing industry is to benefit from an initial £2 million investment to trial new, greener engines and help create a safer, more sustainable fishing fleet as the latest round of the £100m UK Seafood Fund opens today (27 January 2022).

OIder vessel engines are some of the industry’s biggest polluters and, according to a report by MARFISH, over half of the boats across the UK fishing fleet are now more than 30 years old, meaning that the annual energy use of the fleet is equivalent to that of 110,000 homes.

From today, vessels in the small-scale coastal fleet can bid for up to £40,000 to trial hybrid and electric engines, and up to £20,000 to fund replacement petrol and diesel engines that are more environmentally friendly.

As well as supporting the fishing industry to deal with rising fuel costs, the trial aims to gather new data and evidence to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve efficiency and reliability, and help the fishing industry to reach net zero.

Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said:

Our small-scale fishing fleet is vital for food security, the economy, and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

This trial could help make vessels safer, more reliable, and more cost efficient as well as helping the fishing sector make the transition to net zero.

I encourage all those eligible to apply so we can gather the data we need to move towards a greener fleet that will benefit the fishing industry and our environment.

Katy Ware, Director of UK Maritime Services said:

We fully support this scheme to trial new, greener engines in the fishing industry and will assist owners participating in the scheme to ensure that the engines are safely installed.

Everyone taking part will be making a significant contribution towards achieving net zero in the fishing industry.

This round will be administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), more details on how to apply can be found on gov.uk.

This latest round of applications to modernise and improve the small-scale fishing fleet is part of the £100m UK Seafood Fund, a landmark government investment supporting the long-term future and sustainability of the UK fishing and seafood industry.

Overall, at least £65 million in grant funding is available through the infrastructure scheme to fund projects that improve the UK seafood sector supply chain. This includes investment in fleet modernisation and improved capability at ports, harbours, processing and aquaculture facilities.

£20 million has already been awarded in Round 1 of the scheme for projects including the expansion of processing facilities for popular British fish like Scottish salmon and Cornish sardines, alongside money to bring an ageing dry dock back to life. In December last year, the Government confirmed a further £30 million will be made available for infrastructure projects as the latest round of funding opened for bidding.

There is also up to £10 million in funding available through the Skills and Training scheme, the second round of which will be open to applicants shortly. The scheme will fund training projects and facilities for workers in the seafood and aquaculture industry, and recreational angling sector.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023 – UK statement to the OSCE [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and stresses the need to stand against antisemitism in all its forms.

Thank you Mr Chair, thank you Ambassador Ann Bernes, for your introductory comments, and your work as President of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Tomorrow we will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember and honour the lives of the six million Jewish men, women and children as well as, Roma, Sinti and others who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazi regime during World War II. This was one of the darkest moments in human history.

The UK’s theme for this year highlights the role of “ordinary people” – as perpetrators, victims, and rescuers. These people actively had choices to make – whether or not to perpetrate genocide; whether or not to stand by and actively ignore what was going on around them. There were those who took a stand against hatred, by coming forward to help those in need – whether by hiding people, providing food, or helping people to escape. They were ordinary people too… doing extraordinary things. It remains an extraordinary and uplifting fact that ordinary people in Denmark managed to save almost all of their countries Jewish populations. They were hidden in churches, hospitals and family homes, and spirited to coastal towns, from where they were taken to safety in Sweden. Sadly, there were also many who stood by silently and did nothing.

We will soon reach a point when the march of time means that the Holocaust will no longer be part of our living history. With that comes a growing concern about the rise of Holocaust denial and distortion – recasting history to erase the devastating horrors faced by the Jewish people. We have a duty to remember them and keep their testimony alive for future generations.

Holocaust distortion feeds the despicable scourge of antisemitism, which has no place in any society. We must continue to stand against it in all its forms, and to reject any attempts to deny the facts of the Holocaust. History is too important to be politicised.

We will continue to drive international efforts to promote Holocaust education, and counter Holocaust denial and distortion when the UK takes the Chairpersonship of IHRA in March 2024. To ensure we never forget the horrors, or forget the hard lessons we learnt – the UK has committed to building a new national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in London, expected to open in 2027.

As we mark this poignant day, Mr Chair and the six million people who were not saved during World War II – let us reflect. Let us remember. And let us never forget.

Thank you.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor sets out long-term vision to grow the economy [January 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 27 January 2023.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt today set out his vision for long-term prosperity in the UK, calling on businesses in key growth areas to invest in the UK and expressing his desire to make the UK an attractive site for innovators and entrepreneurs.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt called on businesses to invest in the UK and promised long-term thinking to make the UK the next Silicon Valley

– he outlined a vision to drive for growth as one of the government’s five priorities – doing so by encouraging enterprise, tackling poor productivity, and getting more people into better paid jobs right across the country

– digital technology, green industries and life sciences among those identified as growth sectors that can help realise a more innovative economy

Speaking at Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London, the Chancellor opened his speech on the economy by highlighting one of the UK’s major growth sectors – technology – before revealing that the opening section of his speech had been written by ChatGPT, the AI software that was released late last year.

Getting the economy growing faster is one of the government’s five priorities, as set out in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s New Year address. Mr Hunt outlined how he intends to deliver upon that over the coming years, ahead of the Spring Budget due on 15th March.

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said:

“Our plan for this year remains to halve inflation, grow the economy and get debt falling.

“But all three are essential building blocks for much bigger ambitions for the years beyond.

“World-beating enterprises to make Britain the world’s next Silicon Valley.

“An education system where world-class skills sit alongside world-class degrees.

“Employment opportunities that tap into the potential of every single person so businesses can build the motivated teams they need.

“And opportunities spread everywhere just as our talent is spread everywhere.”

The Chancellor went on to call on businesses in the key growth sectors of Digital Technology, Green Industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries to increase their investment in the UK, with the Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance already leading work on how we should change regulation to better support safe and fast introduction of new emerging technologies.

The Chancellor added:

“If anyone is thinking of starting or investing in an innovation or technology-centred business, I want them to do it in the UK. I want the world’s tech entrepreneurs, life science innovators, and clean energy companies to come to the UK because it offers the best possible place to make their vision happen.

“And if you do, we will put at your service not just British ingenuity – but British universities to fuel your innovation, Britain’s financial sector to fund it and a British government that will back you to the hilt.”

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

“I believe that Britain is uniquely placed in the world to become the number one home for tech – one where entrepreneurs have both the stability, but also the freedom, to invest and innovate.

“We have a clear vision for where this country is going, and a government that is prepared to match that ambition with action. That’s why this year we’re bringing forward new laws to transform digital markets, free up businesses to innovate with data, and set out our strategy for globally important semiconductors.”

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“We stand at the cusp of a new age, facing a technological revolution that will transform the world as deeply as the industrial revolution did in the nineteenth century.

“The UK has an opportunity to be at the forefront of this revolution, building upon our world-class research infrastructure and open markets to scale up the business titans of the future here in Britain, in everything from AI to quantum, from robotics to biotechnology.”

The Chancellor set out his aim to increase enterprise, supporting businesses by using our new-found Brexit freedoms to review regulations in key growth sectors to make it easier for companies to innovate, alongside the importance of competitive business taxation.

He reiterated the importance of employment and tackling economic inactivity, helping more people into work and filling the vacancies in the jobs market. He also outlined ambitions to help more disabled people and those with mental illnesses into work, and a pensions system that encourages continued workforce participation. The Work and Pensions Secretary is thoroughly reviewing issues holding back workforce participation, with a report due to conclude shortly.

The Prime Minister and the Chancellor have both placed enormous importance on education, with £2.3 billion of additional funding for 23-24 and 24-25 announced at the Autumn Statement and continued implementation of the government’s skills reforms. The government has already made progress with T-levels, boot camps and apprenticeships.

And finally the aim of levelling up everywhere across the UK, ensuring that all areas feel the benefits of economic growth with empowered local areas and reducing the time it takes to build new infrastructure. Already the Levelling Up Fund has awarded £3.8 billion to projects across the UK and the UK Government is working to launch Freeports in every country in Britain, with several already operating in England and the locations of two having recently been announced in Scotland.

The Secretary of State for BEIS Grant Shapps and Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport also delivered keynote speeches at the event.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Political prisoners in Belarus – UK statement to the OSCE [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 January 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown joins others at the OSCE in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

Mr Chair, the Lukashenko regime continues to enact harsh repression against its own people. In Belarus, individuals exercising their human rights are systematically detained, abused, and subjected to intimidation and harassment. Civil society organisations face an unprecedented struggle for survival and at the last count there are as of today, 1,444 political prisoners in Belarus and 2,350 people have been declared “extremist”. Last year Lukashenko’s regime made at least 1,200 political convictions on criminal charges. 215 printed media outlets were shut, and since 2020 more than 1,000 NGOs have been liquidated.

2023 has already seen this continue. Even as this session takes place, numerous high-profile politically motivated trials are happening in Belarus. Nobel Peace Laureate Ales Bialiatski and two other members of human rights NGO Viasna are being prosecuted on trumped-up charges of smuggling and “financing group actions that violate public order.” On the first day of this trial the defendants were handcuffed and locked in a cage.

The trial of Svetlana Tikhanovksaya and other well-known opposition figures for treason began in absentia last week, with an empty cage representing her and fellow defendants. Svetlana was forced to flee the country in 2020, has stated that “in Belarus there are no honest trials.”

Independent journalists also cannot escape the long arm of the Lukashenko regime. Read by more than 60% of the population in 2019, Tut.by was the largest independent media group in Belarus. Former chief editor, Maryna Zolatava, and director-general, Lyudmila Chekina, are currently facing trial on trumped-up charges, including threatening the national security of Belarus. But, independent journalism is not a crime.

These are the names we know well, but many of the more than 1,400 currently in detention are ordinary Belarusians who are being brutally punished for protesting the fraudulent 2020 Presidential elections. Journalists, media actors, opposition figures, and human rights defenders sentenced for peacefully exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms, those same rights underscored by our collective commitments – on freedom of expression and the freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

We once again call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus. Since the new year, the Belarusian authorities have already turned their attention to expanding their toolbox of repression. Lukashenko has signed new laws, allowing the regime to confiscate property of individuals or organisations who engage in “unfriendly activities” towards Belarus.

The OSCE has been active in condemning the human rights situation in Belarus. In 2020, 17 States triggered the Moscow Mechanism, the report concluded that “massive and systematic” violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms had been committed by the Belarusian security forces.

Mr Chair, have the Belarusian authorities, who have been given ample opportunities, responded to the recommendations in the report? No. The human rights situation in Belarus has only deteriorated. In November 2021, we then invoked the Vienna Mechanism, yet again there was no substantive response.

We urge the Belarusian authorities to fully implement their international obligations and OSCE commitments, and to make use of the OSCE’s tools and mechanisms to help resolve the continuing human rights crisis in Belarus.

Finally, we commend the tireless work of civil society organisations and human rights defenders in Belarus, despite the very real dangers they face in conducting their vital work.

Thank you Mr Chair.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Teesside country park project to bring boost for wildlife [January 2023]
The press release issued by Environment Agency on 27 January 2023.

Plans for a £1million project to restore wetland habitat, open up the river for fish and improve access at a Teesside country park will be on display next week.
Residents are invited to find out more about the Billingham Beck Valley Country Park habitat restoration project, which will boost wildlife and biodiversity and support water quality improvements at Billingham Beck and Thorpe Beck.

The £1million project, led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and National Highways, will start later this year.

It includes:

Partly removing an historic weir to open up 55km of river for migrating fish from the River Tees.

Woody debris dams and new shallow ditches to reconnect Billingham Beck to floodplains, restoring areas of wetland.

An upgraded network of footpaths and improved landscaping to enhance access and public enjoyments of the site and boost visitor numbers.

Improved vehicle access for easier maintenance of the new wetlands.

Public events to find out more about the project will take place on:

Monday 30 January in Billingham Library from 3-6.30pm

Friday 3 February in Norton Library from 3-6.30pm

The watercourses in this area have been historically modified with channels straightened and deepened and the introduction of culverts and a weir, with the loss of wetland habitat having an adverse effect on the ecology and restricting fish movement.

Much-needed boost to biodiversity

Joe Reed, Project Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

This exciting project will bring a much-needed boost to biodiversity after decades of modification saw precious habitat lost.

Working with our partners, we’re creating new wetlands, supporting fish migration and making it more accessible for the community and we’d encourage people to come along to the events to find out more.

Councillor Mike Smith, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, added:

Last year we announced a ten-year Environmental Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Strategy – and it’s great to be working on this project alongside partners who share the same ambition to protect and enhance the environment, which is one of the key aims of the strategy.

It’s very exciting to be involved in restoring the wetland at Billingham Beck Valley Country Park and I would certainly encourage anyone who wants to know more to come along to one of the upcoming drop-in engagement sessions.

Most of the funding for the project has come from National Highways, which has approved £906,000 for feasibility, detailed design and implementation. The project has been aligned with its scheme to improve the A19 between Norton and Wynyard to create a better journey for drivers, ensuring it also provides benefits for the environment.

National Highways Senior Project Manager Keith Bradley said:

Our aim is that through our activities, there should be no loss of biodiversity. By working closely with the Environment Agency we have aimed to protect the landscape surrounding our roads, as well as wildlife and water quality.

By funding the improvement of public access to this area we have also worked to develop a fantastic community green space as well as a tranquil rest area for users of the A19. We’re delighted that the community now has the chance to see these plans for themselves.

The funding has been provided through National Highways’ Designated Funding programme. National Highways manages four designated funds, allocated by the Government, to deliver benefits above and beyond building, maintaining and operating England’s strategic roads.
January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UK supports the expansion of the Security Council [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Richard Croker, at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

Thank you Co-Chairs.

On behalf of the United Kingdom I’d like to thank you for taking on the responsibility of co-chairing this session of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

The UK recognises that the world is not the same today as it was in 1946 when the Security Council first met, or as it was in 1965 when it was last expanded. This is why the UK has long supported reform of the Security Council. This task is more relevant and important today than ever. At a time when the Charter itself is under threat following Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine it is incumbent on all of us to ensure the Security Council is able to uphold international peace and security. And to show that we are united in our commitment to the principle that no state should threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another, as enshrined in the Charter.

The UK believes that to fulfil its important mandate, the Security Council must be efficient, effective, and accountable. This is why the UK was proud to co-sponsor the initiative led by Liechtenstein last year to bring greater scrutiny to the use of the veto in the Security Council. And it is why we approach the task of Security Council reform seriously. Although we recognise its inherent challenges, we believe momentum for change is building around the UN, and hope that all Member States will approach these negotiations with flexibility and the intent to make progress.

We remain convinced that a move to text-based negotiations in a fixed timeframe could help us to make meaningful progress on our collective task. I would like to reiterate the UK’s longstanding position – as articulated recently by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly: the UK supports the permanent membership of Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan; permanent African representation; and the further expansion of the non-permanent category towards a total membership in the mid-20s.

Our position is grounded on the core principles of the UN Charter: that the Council should represent the world whose peace and security it seeks to protect and should draw on diverse perspectives and expertise. And that Council members are willing and able to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. On the question of regional representation, we are also clear that the Council acts on behalf of the whole membership and therefore we remain clear that States are elected to the Council, by the General Assembly, in their own right. We note that this is reflected in the Co-Chairs Elements Paper of 2022.

Thank you, co-chairs for convening this meeting. We look forward to discussions in the coming months as a further step towards securing a Security Council that is fit for purpose for the twenty first century.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The ‘New Agenda for Peace’ is an opportunity to put prevention centre and to save lives down the line – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council Open Debate on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace.

Thank you, President. I am grateful to the Deputy Secretary-General, Peacebuilding Commission Chair, and Ms Ndiaye for their briefings.

As we all know, the cost of conflict is unsustainable – both in terms of human suffering, and the resources available for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid. The ‘New Agenda for Peace’ is an opportunity to put prevention front and centre, to save lives and greater costs down the line.

President, we understand that the concept of conflict prevention can raise sensitivities. But nationally-owned peacebuilding processes can bolster sovereignty and strengthen state resilience. This is at the heart of the Sustaining Peace framework articulated by the General Assembly in 2016 – which emphasises working with countries to meet their needs, shared responsibility and a whole-of-system approach. Fragilities are universal, and sustaining peace requires constant work in all countries.

Working together, the UK sees potential for greater impact in three key areas.

Firstly, we should support efforts to strengthen UN foresight capabilities to anticipate risks, and inform responses. We can better leverage data and technology to understand conflict risks, including in places where climate change is exacerbating those risks. And we can ensure the UN has the right mediation capacities, and wider networks, to help resolve conflicts before they escalate. Inclusive approaches and investing in women and youth peacebuilders is a priority, because we all know the evidence that this leads to results that are more durable.

Secondly, the UN family – ourselves included – must fully implement the Sustaining Peace agenda. This includes empowered Resident Coordinators leading joined-up peacebuilding approaches to maximise the impact at country-level of development, diplomatic and other efforts. The UK has long invested in the Peacebuilding Fund, with its critical role in incentivising UN coherence and underpinning nationally-owned prevention strategies. But coherence can also be driven and modelled better in New York among all parts of the UN system, including the Agencies, Funds and Programmes.

Finally, this Council can do more to support conflict prevention by being aware of emerging risks, and working in cooperation with relevant UN bodies and regional organisations to drive integrated responses. The Peacebuilding Commission is also a critical part of this equation – both in its own right, and through its advisory role to the Council. The United Kingdom strongly supports a more active role for the Commission. South Sudan’s active engagement is a welcome development and further example of the increasing interest in peacebuilding support.

President, the New Agenda for Peace is an opportunity to reinvigorate our shared commitment to sustaining peace. I welcome Japan’s initiative today to help move forward ideas. We all need to adapt to emerging threats and risk multipliers, investing in and prioritising prevention.

Thank you.

January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Housing and Planning Minister visits Digital Planning partner council [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 January 2023.

Lucy Frazer MP visited Buckinghamshire Council to see new digital planning services which are modernising the planning process.
Housing and Planning Minister, Lucy Frazer, visited Buckinghamshire Council today (January 26), to see how DLUHC funding is being used to develop new Digital Planning services as part of the department’s Digital Planning Programme.

The minister met with a range of representatives from across the council including members and council officers who have been involved in the DLUHC funded Open Digital Planning (ODP) Project. The project brings together pioneering councils with digital agencies to co-design, build, test and launch more efficient software for planning.

Together with Lambeth and Southwark Councils, Buckinghamshire was one of the first local authorities to launch new digital planning services in 2022. Two of the new services which will help make the planning process easier for people applying were demonstrated to Minister Frazer during the visit.

The “Find Out If You Need Planning Permission” guidance service and “Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate” application service use plain English questions and visual guides to streamline the planning process for residents. The services allow users to quickly understand which permitted development rights exist on a property, submit proposals where planning permission is unlikely to be needed and apply for the documentation needed to prove a planning project is lawful.

Minister Frazer was also shown Buckinghamshire’s new Back Office Planning System (BOPS). This back-end case-management system for local authorities allows planning officers to reach planning decisions quickly by clearly indicating whether the application meets pre-programmed criteria. It also enables direct communications between planning officers and applicants.

Housing and Planning Minister, Lucy Frazer said:

It was fantastic to hear about the work going on in Buckinghamshire in the Digital Planning space. We want to ensure the public are better connected to the planning issues and decisions that affect them whilst also supporting councils to develop cutting edge services which will save them time and money.

These new digital services will modernise the planning system, speeding up applications and help us to deliver our levelling up mission.

Councillor Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council said:

We’re proud to be working with government to pilot new prototype software which will streamline and simplify the planning process for applicants and the council alike – and we’ve been delighted to welcome the Minister to Buckinghamshire today so show her this software in action.

As a new council, we’re proud to be at the forefront of developing and trialling new ways of working for councils that ultimately bring big benefits to our residents.

Work to improve the software used to process planning applications is only one part of DLUHC’s Digital Planning programme which is using digital tools and data to improve the current planning system, saving time and money for people and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs).

Other areas of the programme include:

Developing new legislation as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, to support our ambitions to create a data-driven planning system.

The development of the Planning.Data.gov.uk platform which makes land and housing data openly available on a national scale.

The delivery of a faster, more efficient local plan-making process, and

Accelerating the adoption of digital engagement tools to increase the quantity and quality of engagement through the planning process, through our PropTech Engagement Fund.

You can find out more about the DLUHC Digital Planning Programme on the DLUHC Digital Blog.
January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK firms up support for Georgia in annual Wardrop Dialogue [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 January 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hosted Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili in London for the annual UK-Georgia Strategic Dialogue.
- Foreign Secretary underlines UK’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during high-level talks with Georgian counterpart
- combatting hybrid threats from Russia, strengthening support for Ukraine and supporting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations were top of the agenda
The UK reiterated its commitment to the security and stability of Georgia today as the country faces increasing Russian aggression.

Known as the ‘Wardrop Dialogue’, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hosted Georgia’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili at Lancaster House in London (Thursday 26 January) for the eighth annual UK-Georgia Strategic Dialogue, telling Minister Darchiashvili that the UK would stand by Georgia for the long term.

The Foreign Secretary used the meeting to underline the UK’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which continue to be challenged by Russian hybrid tactics since their 2008 war, including through ongoing construction of barbed wire fences along the Administrative Boundary lines with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

He also welcomed Georgia’s support in the fight against Putin’s illegal war of Ukraine by providing vital humanitarian aid, including providing power generators and supporting refugees forced to flee their homes.

The Foreign Secretary recognised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the need to enhance and deepen cooperation with countries, including Georgia, that are particularly vulnerable to Russian aggression.

He also set out the UK’s commitment to playing a leading role in supporting Georgia to strengthen resilience against hybrid threats. This bolsters the wide-ranging assistance the UK already provides to Georgia covering military cooperation, cyber security and counter-disinformation.

During the meeting, the ministers agreed to increase cooperation on a range of priorities including combatting Putin’s aggression through continued collaboration on international sanctions and supporting Georgia’s aspirations for closer ties with NATO through the Tailored Support Package.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Few understand the reality of Russian aggression better than the people of Georgia.

Today I reiterated that the UK stands with our Georgian friends, and will continue our leading role in supporting them to counter hybrid threats they continue to face from Russia.

As part of the dialogue, the foreign ministers also signed an agreement to enhance cooperation on readmissions.
January 27, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Research agency supporting high risk, high reward research formally established [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 26 January 2023.

Science Minister George Freeman today announces the formal establishment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as an independent body.
Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), a new independent research body to fund high-risk, high-reward scientific research, has formally launched

this coincides with appointment of 5 new members to the ARIA board, including Nobel Prize winning chemist Professor Sir David MacMillan

ARIA has been built to identify and fund transformational science and technology at speed

Science Minister George Freeman has today (Thursday 26 January) announced the formal establishment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as an independent body, beginning its work to create transformational research programmes with the potential to create new technological capabilities for the benefit of humanity.

ARIA has been designed with a unique level of freedom which puts trust in the decisions of experts in their field and empowers them to quickly allocate funding in support of their ambitious vision.

It is a key part of the government’s plans to build a better future with innovation at the heart of growing the economy and improving lives.

UK Science Minister George Freeman said:

The UK has long been a leading light in scientific discovery research and pioneering technology: from the invention of the steam engine and discovery of DNA to the first computer and Formula 1 telemetry.

As the global race for science and technology leadership heats up, we are committed to going further to cement our position as a Science Superpower: which is why we have committed to a record £39.8 billion public R&D budget in the Spending Review, alongside the creation of ARIA.

Transformational discoveries come from world class scientists and labs with the freedom to explore the unknown. We have set up ARIA as an £800 million global super lab to do just that through frontier science and technology.

ARIA CEO Dr. Ilan Gur said:

I could not imagine a better board of directors to oversee ARIA’s formation. Guided by their experience and judgement, ARIA will make bold bets that leverage the strengths of the UK research system to drive world-changing breakthroughs.

The appointments of Dr. Ilan Gur and Matt Clifford MBE last year, as ARIA’s founding CEO and Chair respectively, demonstrate the UK’s ability to attract global scientific and entrepreneurial talent as well as the continuing strength of our research base.

Today also marks the announcement of 5 further board members, recently appointed to help ARIA realise its vision. Newly appointed Non-Executive Directors, joining the government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, are:

Stephen Cohen, a UK Civil Service Commissioner and a Commissioner for the Gambling Commission, who has over 40 years’ experience in asset management, in Asia, Europe and the USA

Professor Sir David MacMillan, a Nobel Prize winning organic chemist and the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University

Sarah Hunter, public policy expert who has worked across Silicon Valley and London, who is the Global Director of Public Policy at X, the Moonshot Factory

Dame Kate Bingham (DBE), Managing Partner at SV Health Investors and former Chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce

Also appointed as an Executive Director is Antonia Jenkinson, who takes up post as Chief Financial and Operations Officer. Antonia joins from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), where she was Chief Financial Officer.

This group brings together unique experience from across the science, technology and investment sectors, ensuring ARIA invests in the high-risk research that offers the best chance of high rewards, supporting ground-breaking discoveries that could transform people’s lives for the better.

The creation of ARIA as an independent body will help to cement the UK’s position as a global science superpower, building on record funding for R&D announced by the Chancellor in his most recent Autumn Statement.

ARIA was legally established yesterday (25 January), following a commencement order made in Parliament.
January 27, 2023