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  • Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the English Football League Annual Conference

    Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the English Football League Annual Conference

    The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, on 8 June 2023.

    It is a pleasure to address all 72 EFL clubs today.

    You represent much more than 90 minutes on a pitch – you are the beating hearts of your communities and part of the fabric of our national identity.

    I want to start by thanking you for the incredibly positive impact that you have on the local communities you serve.

    This is underlined by the “EFL clubs and their Club Community” report published earlier this year.

    I was pleased to attend the launch of that report and enjoyed hearing from individuals who have led, supported, and benefited from the incredible work you do in local communities.

    I was also pleased to hear of the EFL’s partnership with the British Red Cross in which you are working together to tackle loneliness in our society.

    It was a fitting and timely intervention ahead of Loneliness Awareness Week taking place next week.

    This Government is proud to support the EFL.

    We have supported your work in the community, providing the English Football League Trust with £1.3 million through the Loneliness Covid-19 Fund, to make onward grants to its Football Club Community Organisations in 32 deprived locations across England, with the aim of connecting older people at risk of loneliness.

    Supporting the pyramid is crucial and this Government has already committed to invest £300 million of funding to support grassroots multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025. This is a key element of the Government’s upcoming sport strategy which will be published shortly.

    This year is a significant one for English Football.

    I am absolutely delighted to be backing our bid to bring EURO 2028 to the UK and Ireland.

    Our incredibly inspiring and talented Lionesses, the reigning European Champions, will be taking on the world at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.

    The recent success of the Lionesses has accelerated interest in the women’s game, with more people now watching, attending and playing women’s football than ever before.

    The Review of Women’s Football which we launched in September and is being Chaired by Karen Carney, is looking at how to deliver bold and sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots levels.

    This was the first recommendation taken forward from the independent Fan Led Review, and I look forward to seeing the findings published this summer.

    And of course, we started this year by publishing our Football Governance White Paper in response to that Fan Led Review.

    This included the groundbreaking commitment to establish a new statutory and independent regulator for English football.

    Despite the phenomenal success of football at home and abroad, we have seen too many examples of the devastating impact the failure of a beloved club can have on a local community.

    Since the Premier League was created in 1992, there have been 64 instances of clubs collapsing into administration.

    Historic clubs have been lost, taking with them chunks of our history and heritage, and leaving huge holes in their communities.

    Bury Football Club was one example. A club that, just a few years ago, would have sat alongside you at today’s conference.

    Over its proud 134-year history, Bury managed to survive world wars and countless economic cycles. But it was driven to the wall by financial mismanagement, which damaged the local economy and left behind a devastated fan base.

    But I am pleased to say that a vote to unify Bury FC and Bury AFC passed last month and Bury Football Club will be playing once again at Gigg Lane next season!

    But it is not just Bury that has been affected.

    The same is true of Macclesfield Town, another century-old club, and Rushden & Diamonds. Countless others, such as Derby County, have been driven to the brink after stretching far beyond their means.

    And we know there are a number of clubs across the EFL that are in real distress today.

    This is where our proposals for an Independent Regulator come in.

    The Regulator will have a clear focus, centred on ensuring that English football is financially sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve.

    The Regulator will operate a licensing system for all clubs in the top five tiers of English football.

    The Regulator will be independent of industry and Government. This will be set out in law.

    The model we have set out is proportionate and flexible, allowing English Football to continue being a global-success story, while tackling harms where they exist.

    Where clubs are already well run and risks are low, the Regulator will not look to intervene unless necessary, nor will the Regulator impose an extra layer of requirements to burden clubs with.

    Under the Regulator’s regime…

    We will legally strengthen the owners’ and directors’ tests, to protect clubs and their fans.

    These new tests will reduce the likelihood of unsuitable custodians.

    We will give fans more of a voice on the running of their clubs.

    This will include stopping owners from changing vital club heritage, such as names, badges and home shirt colours, without approval from the fans.

    Likewise, clubs will have to seek regulator approval for any sale or relocation of the stadium, and fan engagement will be a crucial part of that process.

    And we will give the Regulator the power to block clubs from joining closed-shop breakaway leagues, such as the European Super League.

    We want a thriving football pyramid, and more money must flow through the game to make this happen.

    On financial distribution, it remains our firm belief that the best solution is a football led one. If one is not found the Regulator will have a backstop power to intervene and force a solution.

    I am optimistic that discussions between the Premier League and EFL will find a solution on this urgent issue.

    I am hopeful that the resolution will be found soon. I would urge both sides to reach a deal as soon as possible. It is in the game’s interests to avoid the risk of further financial uncertainty.

    In short, we are protecting the long-term success of our national game, and restoring fans’ position at the heart of how football is run.

    Since the publication of the White Paper in February, we have been consulting with the football industry on our proposals.

    This is a crucial step in ensuring that we develop effective regulations that deliver positive outcomes for football, while minimising the harms identified in the game.

    I would like to thank the EFL and many of its member clubs for your support throughout this process as we look to further develop and refine our policy.

    The Government intends to publish its response to this initial period of consultation in the coming weeks.

    This will represent the latest step in our ongoing commitment to support, promote and protect the national game, as well as ensuring that fans are placed at the heart of it.

    We remain committed to bringing forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.

    I would like to finish by encouraging you to continue progressing with your valuable work in communities across England and Wales, as well as moving forward with much needed reform.

    Fans were able to have a major say in this White Paper. Football does not need to wait for an Independent Regulator to be in place before it can introduce improved governance practices. You can act now!

    I want to finish by thanking the EFL for inviting me to speak at this year’s Annual Conference. I thank Rick and Trevor for their continued engagement on these important issues.

    I appreciate our continued collaboration and look forward to hearing the outcome of discussions from the panel session.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the OECD’s Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris

    James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the OECD’s Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Paris on 7 June 2023.

    Good morning Ministers, Ambassadors, Friends, Colleagues.

    Welcome to today’s OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. Our theme “Securing a resilient future: shared values and global partnerships” is both timely and important.

    I’m honoured to represent the UK as chair of this year’s meeting.

    And we have put together an ambitious, forward-looking agenda that addresses our most serious and immediate concerns.

    The global pandemic demonstrated the importance of resilient and diversified supply chains and trading systems. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are serious problems for all of us.

    Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine threatens to upend the international order and that is why it is so important that it must fail and that our friends in Ukraine must win.

    I have just returned from Ukraine, from Kyiv, and I saw a country under arms, I saw a country defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. But I also saw a country defending the principles that underpin peace, security and economic development in the post-war era. That is why our support to them must endure and that is why their success must be guaranteed.

    The OECD is well positioned to promote unity between allies and to encourage a coherent response to the acute and long-term issues that we face.

    Today’s Ministerial Council Meeting is special, is unique. We have opened our discussions to non-members and we’re honoured by the participation of a wider range of global voices. And our agenda addresses their shared concerns and priorities. And we will have better discussions as a result of their participation.

    This year opens a new chapter in the OECD’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Underpinned by our new Strategic Framework, we all recognise the region’s importance for global growth, critical supply chains, digital transition and resilience, and, of course, climate action.

    But we must not ignore the challenges that we face today.

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is always at the forefront of our minds. And we must support Ukraine to win, and we must support its recovery efforts once it does. And we look forward to hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in a few weeks’ time.

    This war continues to imperil the world’s economy by disrupting global supply chains and unleashing a wave of inflation driven by high fuel and food prices. And vulnerable countries now face severe risk of food insecurity and, in some instances, famine.

    So we must work closely together to strengthen global economic resilience to current and future shocks. And the OECD has the right policy tools and the right analysis to support these efforts. And we’re promoting supply chain resilience, better international tax rules, climate action, and, of course, gender equality.

    We should remember that free markets offer the best and quickest route to prosperity. And gender equality is best advanced through free markets. Free trade inevitably benefits service industries and small business. And not only are they the life blood of local communities as well as national economies, they also disproportionately employ women. And so, therefore, freer trade disproportionately benefits women and when women are empowered socially and economically, everybody wins.

    And my colleague, Kemi Badenoch, the UK Business and Trade Secretary, will explore how smart trade and investment policies can deliver global economic resilience and stimulate growth.

    We often say that a rising tide raises all boats. Probably more accurate to say that a rising tide can lift all boats, and we need to work together to ensure that it does.

    Our world is changing rapidly. New technologies offer people across the globe new freedoms, greater access to knowledge, better opportunities economically.

    Artificial Intelligence-enabled technologies diagnose disease; virtual learning helps students who would otherwise be excluded from education; improved access to renewable energy will power our clean energy transition.

    But technology also has the potential to undermine our safety, undermine our security, and undermine our democratic values. So we must address the risks by working together to ensure technology is designed, developed and deployed, and governed ethically, safely and reliably, so that we can harness the advantages and mitigate the risks.

    The OECD Global Forum on Technology, which the UK is proud to support alongside Spain and the United States of America, had its inaugural meeting yesterday, chaired by my good friend and colleague Chloe Smith. And the Forum will find opportunities and mitigate the challenges of immersive technologies, quantum and synthetic biology.

    Innovation ushers our societies towards new frontiers. It unlocks previously inconceivable improvements.

    It will be central to ensuring we can adapt to environmental change and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

    And our discussions on Future Frontiers and Energy Futures will explore these issues in more depth, and I look forward to hearing the outcome of the panel chaired by my colleague Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero.

    The International Energy Agency and the OECD are highly regarded thought leaders in this field and that’s why it’s great to have Director-General Dr Fatih Birol and Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on the panel, alongside the Minister from Sweden.

    All our fortunes depend on a stable and peaceful international order. By working together we give ourselves the best chance to create an environment where everybody can prosper.

    The OECD is a cornerstone of the multilateral order. We are a community of like-minded members, committed to free markets, to democracy, to the rule of law, to free trade, to human rights, to sustainability, to gender equality, and, of course, to fairness. These are the values that have brought us together today.

    So let this meeting renew our commitment to global partnerships, to extend the reach of the OECD, and, by doing so, to build a prosperous future trade for the whole world.

    It is a genuine pleasure now to take the opportunity to invite the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to say a few words on behalf of Ukraine.

    Thank you.

  • Alex Burghart – 2023 Article on a Strengthened Procurement Regime

    Alex Burghart – 2023 Article on a Strengthened Procurement Regime

    The article by Alex Burghart published in The Times on 7 June 2023 and republished by the Cabinet Office as a press release.

    Protecting the nation’s security has always been government’s primary responsibility. In an increasingly interconnected world, defending the realm goes well beyond the “front line”. It means using every lever of government to further our nation’s security and protect us from ever increasing threats.

    We know that states across the world increasingly are using the tools at their disposal to project their influence and potentially threaten our security. These hybrid threats include using economic channels to attempt to undermine and compromise our government and society.

    So we have to act. Today we are strengthening the Procurement Bill, which will have its report stage in parliament next week, with changes in three areas.

    First, to ensure that we are alive to potential national security risks which some suppliers may pose, we are establishing a National Security Unit for Procurement. This new team, based in the Cabinet Office, will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security, and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements.

    The specialist team will work across government, ensuring we use our resources to protect our citizens, and helping those responsible for public procurement avoid signing contracts with bad actors.

    Second, we will introduce new powers to ban certain suppliers from specific sectors. This means that we can adopt a precautionary approach, banning companies which may pose a risk to sensitive areas of government, for example GCHQ.

    Finally, we are committing to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites. We have already taken firm action in this area. Last year we halted the installation of such equipment on sensitive government sites and asked departments to consider their removal. By publicly committing to this timeline, we are providing reassurance and urgency around the removal plans.

    These measures show the proactive approach that we are taking in ensuring that companies cannot threaten our national security through procurement.

    But the Procurement Bill is about so much more than protecting national security, it constitutes a major piece of legislation that will repeal an array of EU rules. The Bill will deliver better value for money for the taxpayer, through slashing red tape, boosting growth and driving innovation.

    The new rules will support smaller businesses by making it easier to win public contracts. For example, for the first time we are legislating to ensure that contracting authorities must help SMEs overcome the barriers they face when trying to win public contracts.

    It will create a more transparent procurement system, with clearer and faster competition processes for emergency buying.

    So we believe the Procurement Bill, which we call on all sides of the house to back, will deliver for Britain, protecting our security, growing our economy and helping small businesses.

  • Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at the D-Day 79 Commemorations

    Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at the D-Day 79 Commemorations

    The speech made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 6 June 2023.

    Mr. Minister, Your Excellency, veterans, ladies and gentlemen.

    Before coming here my officials drafted a speech they thought I might want to deliver.

    It celebrated the heroes, objectives captured and the units.

    And if I had not served myself I would have no doubt I would have delivered it.

    But what I wanted to say today was that this day belongs as much to the ordinary soldier, sailor, airman as it does the outstanding.

    Because the 6th June was an achievement of the platoon commanders, the non-commissioned officers, the private, and the airman and then naval rating.

    Because it is they who had to conquer first the fear.

    Who had to sort order from chaos, and who in the end had to stand up and walk towards the guns.

    It was they who had to inspire their section or troops.

    They who had no certainty of survival.

    Each man on 6 June would have to have rationalised the potential death they faced with themselves.

    That was the first obstacle on the day to overcome.

    And once that fear was overcome the task of turning the vast enterprise that was Operation Overlord could commence.

    As we celebrate the victory of the Allied forces on these beaches 79 years ago today, we should reflect that at this very moment there are men and women of Ukraine trying to overcome that same fear and trepidation.

    In assembly areas and on start lines along the vast front, each individual will be mentally preparing themselves for potential death or victory.

    They will be experiencing that same anxious feeling in the stomach. They will be trying to think of their home in the same way those Allies who had come from so very far away to this beach, on this day, 79 years ago.

    They will be looking to their friends beside them and their Corporals for encouragement or reassurance.

    The fear that many of us have witnessed first-hand will be somewhere behind the eyes.

    They will be doing what the Free French did so powerfully on this day. They will be fighting for their lands, their soil.

    They will be fighting for Europe to be free.

    We should not underestimate the challenge it is to go forward under fire.

    Attacking is a very different task from defending.

    The memorials here today remind us of that.

    We must be grateful as a generation that on that day of days courage was on our side.

    That despite all the chaos, and fear and noise, it was the ordinary who grabbed their rifle, overcame fear and fought for us all.

  • Chloe Smith – 2023 Speech at the Global Forum for Technology

    Chloe Smith – 2023 Speech at the Global Forum for Technology

    The speech made by Chloe Smith, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, in Paris on 6 June 2023.

    Thank you for that warm welcome, Secretary General Cormann.

    It’s a privilege to be joining you and everybody here at the inaugural Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Forum on Technology.

    Today’s event is unique, it is ambitious, and it is truly global.

    It is wonderful to be able to welcome such a rich and diverse group of open and democratic countries, and leaders in academia, industry and civil society from across the world.

    I must first express my sincere thanks to the OECD for their efforts in shaping today’s programme.

    With its world-leading expertise on tech and the digital economy, and its vital role in developing policy guidance and approaches to governance that we value highly in the UK, there is nowhere better placed to hold a forum like this.

    My thanks also go to the US and Spain for their support in getting us here today, and to the many other countries and stakeholders that have shaped, and will continue to shape, this forum in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.

    Within a relatively short period of time, it’s fair to say that technology has evolved at breakneck speed. The meteoric rise of ChatGPT and of AI more generally, of virtual assistants, of self-driving cars – of all this incredible technology – has the power to fundamentally change society as we know it. What were once regarded as the challenges of tomorrow have fast become the challenges of today.

    And the geopolitical context is increasingly uncertain, too.

    Against this backdrop, we need to work even harder to make sure that the values and fundamental principles of democracy are embedded in the design, development, deployment, and governance of new technologies.

    Strengthening collaboration with industry, academia and civil society around the world, not just among OECD countries, is essential to achieve that vision.

    This Global Forum on Technology provides us with the platform to tackle the challenges we face in doing so, head on.

    Everybody here today shares a commitment – to shaping a future where new technologies strengthen open societies, support human rights, and empower citizens, even as they turbo-charge innovation and sustainable growth for the benefit of all.

    We know that technology and scientific discovery are key to realising our future prosperity and wellbeing – as long as the critical foundations of digital infrastructure, digital skills and digital literacy are addressed first.

    In fact, when you take three of our biggest global challenges – food, fuel, and healthcare – it’s clear that those opportunities are already here.

    Right now, engineering biology is revolutionising agriculture, developing crops that are more resilient and nutritious, enabling us to take enormous steps towards achieving our Zero Hunger sustainable development goal.

    Engineering biology is also bringing us closer to delivering affordable, reliable, sustainable energy for all, through advances in everything from carbon capture technology and the bioremediation of pollution to the sustainable production of new materials and biofuels.

    And the chance for change is just as exciting in enhanced healthcare. Speaking personally for a moment, I’ve beaten breast cancer, and cancer will have touched many of us in this very room. So we can be excited that AI-powered image analysis tools can help doctors to identify cancer cells more accurately, while Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are being used to create immersive experiences that can help patients to better understand their condition and empower them to shape their own care.

    We must do all we can to seize these opportunities. But, of course, they come with risks, too. We know that there are real and legitimate concerns about how to ensure that the transformative power of tech is harnessed safely and responsibly.

    We know that virtual reality, for example, has the power to bring people together in new ways. To revolutionise education, training, entertainment and a whole host of other sectors. But, like social media, we want to ensure that this immersive world does not become a breeding ground for hate or intolerance.

    Discrimination can be baked into algorithmic decision-making, too.

    The data that Generative AI is trained on, for example, is overwhelmingly created by people in wealthy, developed countries, making these powerful tools less relevant to those in poorer parts of the world.

    And there are risks elsewhere. Synthetic Biology has the potential to revolutionise many aspects of our lives, making them longer, happier, and healthier. But it could also be used to create new pathogens that threaten human health, and bioweapons that could be used to harm people or disrupt critical infrastructure.

    So, the question we must ask ourselves is: how do we put people at the centre of our technological future, protecting democracy, freedom, and human rights, while capturing those benefits.

    As governments, we know we can’t only rely on traditional governance models to do this. These are powerful new questions, and old answers just won’t do.

    We do need to look to innovation, creativity and flexibility. I think we need to work with business to grow economies – creating jobs and prosperity for citizens, building public trust.

    And the Global Forum is critical in this endeavour… in its breaking down of barriers between communities – bringing together, industry, civil society, academia and policy makers – to gain a better understanding of the challenges we face, and how to overcome them.

    We have a real opportunity here for meaningful dialogue that addresses the kind of knotty issues we don’t necessarily discuss elsewhere. And by involving non-OECD partners from the start, we can ensure that our discussions are informed by a community of partners with truly global perspectives.

    I am personally deeply excited to see where today’s discussions will take us. I look forward to the journey ahead with all of you today.

    Thank you.

  • Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech at the Countryside Future Conference

    Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech at the Countryside Future Conference

    The speech made by Therese Coffey, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at Hatfield House on 6 June 2023.

    Thank you very much Nick and I really appreciate that warm welcome. It is true I have come from Cabinet this morning. But I want to start by saying a huge thank you to the Countryside Alliance Foundation organising committee for today’s event. I know many people have made a contribution today, indeed everyone who’s given up their time to participate in this important discussion on the future of our countryside. And also particularly in this great estate – thanks to Lord and Lady Salisbury in particular – which as we already know has played such an important role in many chapters of our national history.

    The countryside is the bedrock of our own story, rightly famous around the world for its beauty. And absolutely at the heart it is a part of what makes our country such a great place to live. It has nourished generations of painters, poets, authors, composers, who brought the countryside and nature to life, whether that’s Elgar, Beatrix Potter, Gainsborough, Jane Austen, I can even add Clarkson’s Farm which has opened up the world of agriculture to a new audience who may be connecting for the very first time on what a challenging and rewarding life being a farmer is. And from the patchwork quilt of fields, hedgerows and the dry stone walls that characterise our landscapes to the woodlands that have kept watch for generations and the ancient stone circles that still keep us guessing about how they got there, we are so fortunate that we have these wonderful touchstones of our shared heritage to hand. Our countryside makes up over 90% of our land. This is a living, breathing, vibrant place that adds so much to the health and happiness of millions every year and over £250 billion to our economy in England alone – thanks to the hard work and dedication of the nearly 10 million people who are proud to call this home.

    Just a few weeks ago, I was delighted to present the Countryside Alliance awards – the rural Oscars as they’re known – to several brilliant businesses from across the United Kingdom, who’ve been chosen from over 15,000 entries. It was a joyful, brilliant celebration of a thriving, vibrant countryside that we all know, that we all love, that we all cherish, and that we want to continue to prosper.

    Now I know how government has already helped businesses – rural business rate relief, financial support to keep things like the network of rural post offices open. We’re continuing to do so. We’ve got £3.2 billion a year supporting farmers, £2.6 billion in the Shared Prosperity Fund and indeed the extra £110 million of the Rural England Prosperity Fund that we are deploying. And that’s just to name a few of the initiatives that we’ve undertaken. This morning, sitting around the cabinet table, we were discussing these important rural matters, and most of the cabinet ministers represent rural areas. My team of Defra ministers certainly do. And we know why people love living and working in the countryside. We live and work there ourselves. We know the potential, but we also know the challenges that our rural communities can and do face. As a government, we have established the rural proofing policy so that every department has to consider policy through the rural lens. And that’s why also we started presenting the annual rural report, the next version of which will be published later this year.

    To complement that today, and because of that potential we know exists, I’m pleased that the government is publishing Unleashing Rural Opportunity, which outlines some of the work we’ve already done and some new initiatives to help – to help grow the economy, to help increase connectivity, to help introduce affordable housing, and to help strengthen our rural communities.

    Securing a fine and prosperous future for our countryside is not a niche concern. Far from it. It is a national priority. As Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, I make my pledge to you, indeed to people living and working in the countryside, that we will always champion the countryside and cherish rural ways of life. Those of us with mud on our boots, we may roll our eyes when we hear newcomers to the village complain of the clanging of the church bell or the smell from the spreading of manure. But we also know that with time comes a really growing understanding that these are the things that make the countryside so special, and that we take them for granted at our peril. So I am delighted – as we think about the next generation in particular – we’ve recruited none other than Shaun the Sheep to help us promote respect for the countryside through the Countryside Code.

    And it is that respect for the hard work it takes to keep the countryside beautiful and healthy, that respect for the countryside and for the people living and working in it, that I really want to reinforce today. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live and work in the countryside know the many benefits that spending time in the great outdoors can bring to our lives. Indeed we made a pledge in our Environmental Improvement Plan to provide access to green or blue spaces within 15 minutes from everyone’s home.

    We have over 140,000 miles of public rights of way in England and Wales alone and we are extending the deadline to 2031 to register more. When complete next year we will have the longest coastal path in the world, the recently rechristened King Charles III Coast Path, and that level of access is extraordinary. But I do believe that access needs to be carefully managed, carefully respected, to protect our ground-nesting birds, to keep dogs on leads to stop sheep worrying, and to allow farmers to farm. Which is why we, the Conservative government, will absolutely not be establishing a right to roam but we are reinforcing respect for rural communities.

    Now I think we’ve made a lot of progress in supporting rural communities to prosper since 2010. We actually see very high rates of employment in the countryside. But it can hide pockets of poverty too and in particular on low pay, where there are some of the lowest salaries in the country – the council that’s represented by the Prime Minister has the third lowest median salary in the country. That is a challenge undoubtedly. And we are reviewing how we measure deprivation in rural areas so that the interests of rural communities are better represented in future policy.

    We want everyone in rural areas to be living long and fulfilling lives with the sustained improvements to living standards and their wider well-being we all want to see, beyond what just the natural green of the countryside provides – so providing the tools and resources they need to actually shape their future and to be part of decisions that affect their lives as we work together to make the most of the countryside for everything we want to achieve. And of course that includes our farmers. I’m not intending to dwell on farmers today but they are a core part of our countryside. I’ve spoken about this at length in recent months and indeed, their dedication makes everything possible. I call them the original friends of the earth – they are certainly the custodians of our countryside. This was reinforced I hope when the Prime Minister made clear how important they are at the Food Summit that we hosted in Number 10 just a few weeks ago. And as I pointed out, our rural reporting is now an annual fixture. So combining the best of the rural resourcefulness that many of us enjoy, the stewardship, the husbandry, we do need to make sure that we future-proof our rural ways of life.

    And some of this work needs to be undertaken and is being undertaken on a massive scale, including the £2.4 billion flowing into the rural economy through supporting sustainable and productive farm businesses in England alone. Yet, just as a host of small challenges compound one another in the unique context of the countryside, we need to have smaller targeted solutions and initiatives come together and make a real difference for the people who need them the most and expand the horizons of what rural life can be. I think in particular, when I think about the different ways that we can do that, it is about making sure that we are unlocking growth and unleashing that rural potential. And there are certain ways that we can try and make sure that happens.

    So we have digital connectivity. You should be able to run a financial services company or an architectural practice at the top of remote valley just as well as you can in a town. And that in turn will help us create more of the jobs we need in the countryside, as well as making it easier to give young people the wider educational and vocational opportunities they need to take them up, close to where they live, paying more rather than having to factor in an expensive commute into their working day. I’m determined that we would keep at it and, as I pointed out already, whether that’s business rate relief that we have, support for schools, investment in post offices, making sure that people can access the services that they need. So in terms of setting out our initiatives, we’ve got four themes where we’re talking about how we can grow the economy.

    But to do that, we also want to make sure that we are improving that connectivity, and not just mobile phone but indeed broadband, and also reinforcing what it is about when we live in homes that are the affordable homes that many of our younger people especially need, rather than having an exodus to the cities and then coming back later in life. But critically we also need to reinforce our communities and back the proven resilience, resourcefulness and agility that rural communities and rural businesses provide. So in terms of supporting growth in the rural economy, we will press on with making sure that we try to improve, as part of the levelling up agenda, supporting jobs, supporting education. whether that’s traditional rural strengths like farming, forestry, tourism, to make sure that we’re also capturing ventures into green industries and biotechnology, improving their skills, getting more people into better paying jobs, and just making things easier for people to do that.

    We’re investing £10 million through the new Rural England Prosperity Fund, and we’re going to be helping those who have furthest to travel to college each day by increasing our funding for bursaries for 16 to 19-year-olds by 10% for the next year. In terms of transport and connectivity, getting to work is absolutely key and we should just accept that most people in the countryside do and will continue to drive. But quite rightly, we know that people want to be able to travel by buses too, particularly as people get older in life. But it can be astonishingly expensive. And that’s why I was delighted that we’re extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of October, and then we’ll go up to £2.50 until November 2024. And I know it’s helping a lot of rural people already. If I think about a trip from Kendal to Lancaster, it normally costs £15.

    People are already saving that money now with the £2 cap and I can see the difference it makes in my own constituency as well. So overall, we’ll see over £3 million in government investment to better protect our services into 2025 and keep travel affordable alongside the wider £1 billion being spent to improve the reliability, frequency and cost of buses. We’re also consulting on ways to better reflect the cost of operating rural bus services in subsidy payments to try and keep those fares low and the service levels high. So we want to protect vital rural routes. But even with the best will in the world, many people will know we can’t get a service everywhere, which is why we’ll be investing in more demand-responsive options as well.

    The Department for Transport will be publishing later this year the Rural Transport Strategy and that will provide guidance for local authorities to use new technologies to improve access to services, tackle isolation and increase access to jobs and services in rural and remote areas. I was very pleased that we did issue a call for evidence last year on driving licences. Anybody here who got their driving licence before 1997? So most people in the room but actually not all. And if you did that there was a European regulation, which Britain fought hard for at the time, that meant you were able to keep your driving licence rights which actually involved being able to drive up to a seven-and-a-half tonne lorry – but also critically, and this is why it matters to me so much, a D1 licence and that is basically where you can drive community mini buses. And I see it quite regularly in my own constituency that you see charities investing money in people, about £2,500 to £3,000, to get their licence. I’m pleased to say that in the summary of the call for evidence that’s been published today, 73% of those who responded would like to reinstate those rights, particularly for mini buses.

    Digital connectivity is now mission critical. And things have moved faster than any of us could have imagined. 75% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband. That’s up from 6% just at the beginning of 2019. And over 730,000 premises have already been upgraded in hard-to-reach rural areas as part of our five-day enhanced project in gigabit investment. And so by December 2025 we will have provided over 1.5 million premises with access to gigabit broadband, with fibre being laid up and down country. I remember it’s not that long ago, probably a decade ago, when we talked about Universal Service Obligation. That was when we were going to excitedly give everybody access to 10 megabits and now we’re talking about a gigabit and we will continue to invest in that as well – an £8 million grant scheme to improve satellite connectivity for those really hard-to-reach places, up to 35,000 homes in the remotest parts of the country, as well as tripling the value of vouchers available under the gigabit broadband voucher scheme.

    So that will mean we’re investing over £1 billion in the shared rural network alongside industry to get 4G coverage and to get more people onto gigabit, and indeed we are planning through our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to boost it by £40 million. There are a number of trials we are doing in the remote islands of the Shetlands or deep valleys and the new £7 million fund will help to see how we can bring together satellite wireless and internet connectivity. I believe that will help tourism businesses, it help farmers to access lightning speeds and reliable connectivity for the first time. I am delighted that Simon Fell is going to be our rural connectivity champion, and that will encourage innovation investment and advanced wireless technologies in rural areas.

    We also want to make sure that people can get a home. The affordability of homes is really challenging. That includes making it easier for farmers to convert their disused farm buildings. We’re also funding a new team of rural housing enablers right across England to support new schemes and boost the supply of new affordable housing to rent for rural communities as well.

    You already know some of the challenges that we have on second homes. That’s why local authorities will have the power to charge up to double the council tax on second homes, to help them to manage the impact that they can have on rural communities. And we’ll be consulting on the tools needed to address concerns about the proliferation of short-term lets. I know that we’ve already supplied quite a lot of money, particularly for those areas with high proportions of second homes, to build new homes. I had the pleasure of opening a suite of those in Southwold in my own constituency. But it is critical that people do not feel that they have to leave the communities in which they have been brought up and want to stay within.

    I think also one of the things that doesn’t really get registered very often is crime. And we know that crime is generally lower in rural areas. But it’s also worryingly concerning around things like agricultural theft, in terms of equipment. These drills are not cheap to replace. These tractors are not cheap to replace. But they are being stolen and that’s why the establishment of the new National Rural Crime Unit with targeted funding, I believe, will do a lot to bring together best practice, but also a laser-like focus on making sure that it’s not just about fly-tipping, which is a blight, but also how this is impacting the incomes and the prosperity of the people who are the very custodians our countryside and put the food on our plate.

    One of the things I am conscious about is that we want to see improve our access to things like health, the new dental plan. I’m expecting more work to be coming through on specifically on how we support rural communities. Coming back to the villages, the hamlets, the market towns, quite a lot of this is about is ‘the pub the hub?’ or ‘is the village hall the hub?’. As far as I’m concerned, it could be both and anything – anything that brings people together, brings communities together to enjoy that way of life, to be the volunteers, not just listening to The Archers every night – but so they can have it happening in their own homes, in their own communities.

    We need to make sure that we tackle that rural isolation, that we support the different elements that make people feel special. It’s why we’re forming a new Public Library Strategy for England in 2024. We’re giving some funding to ACRE and its network of member organisations to help more people to volunteer and tackle loneliness. But also that’s why we continue to invest in things through the assets of community value. I think the Prime Minister referred in cabinet this morning to the pub that he helped reopen when the community had bought it. For locals, like with the Racehorse in Westhall in my constituency, just under £100,000 was the key bit in there helping them buy and keep their pub open.

    And indeed we want to make sure that village halls endure, which is why we created a fund especially in celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. And indeed I was in Herefordshire just a few days ago, where they were showing me how the support has made all the difference to making sure that their community hub is absolutely there.

    Let’s be clear, our countryside needs to be living, working, vibrant and thriving. That’s why I believe there are still many opportunities to really unleash its potential. That’s why today, I am publishing Unleashing Rural Opportunity, and it’s why I’m excited for now and generations to come to be the Secretary of State of Defra, to be the person that bangs the table with my fellow cabinet ministers to make sure the countryside is not only respected, but cherished, valued, considered and continues to prosper for generations to come. Thank you very much.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement on Illegal Migration

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement on Illegal Migration

    The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 5 June 2023.

    This morning, I’ve been out in the Channel with our new Small Boats Operational Command.

    And the whole experience just reinforces how tragic, morally wrong, and profoundly unfair this situation is.

    We’ve got organised criminals risking people’s lives in makeshift dinghies.

    Gangs trying to usurp the role of government; taking it upon themselves to decide who comes to our country.

    Our asylum system is being overwhelmed with people travelling from safe countries, taking away our capacity to help those in the greatest need.

    And the British people are having to spend £6 million a day putting up illegal migrants in hotels.

    Earlier this year I set out five priorities: to halve inflation; grow the economy; reduce debt; cut waiting lists – and stop the boats.

    Today I’d like to update you on the progress that the Home Secretary and I are making.

    And my message is this – our plan is starting to work.

    Before I launched my plan in December, the number entering the UK illegally in small boats had more than quadrupled in two years.

    Some said this problem was insoluble or just a fact of 21st century life.

    They’d lost faith in politicians to put in the hard yards to do something about it.

    And, of course, we have a long way still to go.

    But in the five months since I launched the plan, crossings are now down 20 per cent compared to last year.

    That’s right: crossings are down 20 per cent.

    This is the first time since this problem began that arrivals between January and May have actually fallen compared to the year before.

    And this progress is not replicated across the Channel. Illegal migrants entering the rest of Europe have risen by 30 per cent.

    But we’re not complacent because we know people smugglers are highly organised and will change their tactics if we let them.

    I will not rest until the boats are stopped.

    With grip and determination, the government can fix this, and we are using every tool at our disposal.

    First, I promised to work closely with our international partners.

    Because this is a global phenomenon.

    There are 100 million people displaced around the world.

    And European countries alone saw almost a million asylum applications last year.

    This international approach is delivering.

    Our partnership with France stopped around 33,000 crossings last year – 40 per cent more than the year before.

    I’ve put co-operation on tackling illegal migration on the agenda of every international summit I’ve been to from the G7 and the Council of Europe to last week’s European Political Community Summit in Moldova.

    Last week we agreed a new action plan with Bulgaria.

    We began discussions on joint working with the European border agency, Frontex.

    And in December I reached a deal with Albania because last year nearly a third of all those arriving in small boats were from that safe European country.

    That’s delivering too.

    We’ve now returned 1800 to Albania in just six months.

    We’ve gone from accepting around 1 in 5 Albanian asylum cases to now just 1 in 50 – in line with our European partners.

    And what is the result of all of this?

    So far this year, the number of Albanian small boat arrivals has fallen by almost 90 per cent.

    This is proof that our deterrence strategy can work. When people know that if they come here illegally, they won’t get to stay – they stop coming.

    Second, I promised to improve enforcement.

    So, we’ve doubled the funding given to the National Crime Agency for tackling organised immigration crime.

    And arrests here of illegal workers have more than doubled.

    Third, I promised to stop people spuriously using modern slavery claims to frustrate their removal.

    And since we started asking for basic evidence to back up modern slavery claims, the refusal rate has tripled.

    Fourth, I promised to clear through the backlog of people waiting for initial decision.

    Numbers published today show the initial decision legacy backlog is down by over 17,000.

    And we’re on track to clear it entirely by the end of the year.

    Fifth, I promised we would get illegal migrants out of hotels – and into alternative sites, including military facilities.

    Today, I can confirm new large sites will open at Wethersfield and Scampton with hundreds moving in over the Summer and nearly 3,000 by the Autumn.

    And while we’re bringing those sites online, we’re also making more efficient use of hotels.

    By asking people to share rooms, where it’s appropriate to do so we’ve found an additional 11,500 places which will save taxpayers an extra £250 million a year.

    And I say to those migrants who are objecting: this is more than fair.

    If you’re coming here illegally, claiming sanctuary from death, torture, or persecution then you should be willing to a share a taxpayer-funded hotel room in Central London.

    To reduce pressures on local communities, we’ll also house people on ships.

    The first will arrive in Portland in the next fortnight.

    And we’ve secured another two today that will accommodate another 1,000.

    Finally, I promised not just to reform our asylum system, but to reform our laws.

    So, we’ve introduced unprecedented legislation to make clear that if you come here illegally you will be detained and removed in weeks – either to your own country or to a safe third country like Rwanda.

    Our Stop the Boats Bill passed the House of Commons in weeks.

    And we’re preparing now so that once any legal challenges are complete, we’ll be able to put this Bill into practice.

    I am ensuring we have more detention capacity to hold those who arrive illegally, enough court capacity to process their cases and the planes to remove them to Rwanda.

    I know these are tough measures.

    But I make no apology for that.

    We cannot allow our generosity of spirit to be used as a weapon against us or against those who are being pushed to risk their lives in the Channel by criminal gangs.

    Our approach is working.

    For the first time, crossings are down by 20 per cent.

    But we are not complacent.

    This won’t be solved overnight, and people will continue to come this summer, which is why it’s so important that we change the law.

    My policy is very simple: it is this country – and your government – who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.

    I will do what is necessary to achieve it.

    I said I would stop the boats and I meant it.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2023 Speech at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2023 Speech at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

    The speech made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office, in Singapore on 3 June 2023.

    Good afternoon, it is a pleasure to be here in Singapore, and to join such a distinguished panel.

    I am glad to have the opportunity to set out the ways in which the UK is deepening our cooperation with you, our partners in the Indo-Pacific. This work is important to us all, not just because this global growth hub plays a huge role in our shared security, freedom, and prosperity. But because of its central importance in tackling some of the most pressing global challenges – from climate change to managing the transformational impact of cutting-edge technologies such as AI.

    The UK’s commitment to the Indo Pacific is already bearing fruit across trade, defence, climate action and more. We are delighted to be an ASEAN Dialogue Partner and to be well on the way to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

    We hugely value and respect the central role that ASEAN plays in promoting co-operation and shaping the wider Indo-Pacific regional order. In particular, ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific provides a clear and welcome steer on how we can best work together, underpinned by shared priorities such as transparency, respect for sovereignty and international law.

    As a Dialogue Partner, and a country committed to multilateralism, the UK places huge importance on listening to others’ views and ensuring that we shape our approach. We know that these genuine, trusted partnerships are the key to success.

    If we look at some of the minilateralist relationships in the region, around climate action, we are excited to be working with Indonesia and Vietnam who are demonstrating great leadership in implementing new Just Energy Transition Partnerships with international support, driving a clean energy future for the region.

    On maritime co-operation, an area of particular importance to us as a maritime trading nation, we are developing, with our Southeast Asian partners, an ambitious programme to build capacity and boost training on vital issues from protecting the marine environment to upholding maritime law.

    We are also making a practical contribution to the region’s maritime security today. In 2021, two Offshore Patrol Vessels, HMS Tamar and HMS Spey, began their long-term deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

    These crews of young Royal Navy sailors have been discovering anew the maritime complexity of the region and building strong new bonds of friendship. We will deploy a Littoral Response Group to the region next year to add further support and depth to the UK’s commitment. And – following HMS Queen Elizabeth, our 5th generation aircraft carrier and her strike group’s visits in 2021 – we will be sending another Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.

    Meanwhile, on Myanmar, the UK has focused on uniting the international community behind support for the ASEAN Five Point Consensus – including the landmark UN Security Council Resolution agreed last December. We are proud to be the penholder at the UN and will continue to bring all our efforts to support solutions.

    The complex challenges facing the Indo-Pacific require a multi-faceted response.

    The UK respects and supports ASEAN’s central role, both in enabling cooperation between its members, and in anchoring the wider regional security architecture. Within our ASEAN Plan of Action, which is now up and running, are a series of practical ASEAN-wide programmes.  In addition, smaller groupings can also be effective in driving key issues more quickly.  For the UK, what is important is that these initiatives are guided by a shared vision and shared respect for the principles of openness, good governance, respect for sovereignty and respect for international law.

    Whether we are engaging with our partners collectively, bilaterally or as part of a smaller group driving action on urgent issues, the UK’s commitment to transparency with ASEAN partners remains unwavering.

    Perhaps most clearly, if we look at AUKUS – through which we are supporting Australia in their defence and security responsibilities, bringing our decades of experience to heed, and accelerating collaboration on advanced military technologies with them and the US.

    Is it geopolitically significant? Yes. Is it an alliance? No. Does it support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific – a goal to which ASEAN is also committed? Absolutely.

    This is why I was so pleased to see Indonesian President Widodo’s comments that AUKUS and the Quad are partners not competitors to ASEAN; we wholeheartedly agree.

    Looking to the future, the UK is committed to playing an even fuller and more active role in promoting and supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, alongside other ASEAN Dialogue Partners.

    This is why we have applied to join the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

    And we will continue to deepen our cooperation with ASEAN through our five-year plan of action which we launched last year, advancing our shared priorities on security, the economy and some of the biggest global challenges of our times. Together, we can continue to build a more stable, peaceful and prosperous future for all.

  • Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

    Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

    The speech made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, in Singapore on 3 July 2023.

    Good morning and thank you to IISS for hosting. It’s a privilege to be here in Singapore. An island nation and trading powerhouse with which the UK has much in common, not to mention a shared history. And I’m delighted to share this panel with my colleagues from Canada and the Philippines, just two of the nations we’re working closely with to keep strengthening the international order that benefits everyone.

    Lots has happened since the last UK Defence Secretary spoke here and the world already looks different in so many ways. We’ve fought off the pandemic. We did that by collaboration, not by isolation. The UK has had three Prime Ministers and we’ve lost our great Queen. Her similarly great namesake, the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier group, made her maiden visit to the Indo-Pacific in 2021. In that same year, the United Kingdom published the Integrated Review, signalling our increased commitment to this region.

    That review has been updated this year and we’re pressing ahead with our ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific, not least becoming ASEAN’s first new Dialogue Partner this century. Of course, events in Europe are focusing us closer to home at the moment.

    Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine is forcing a rethink of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. And it has spurred yet more countries to seek the collective security of NATO membership, precisely what President Putin claimed he was acting to prevent.

    But as busy as things are at home, developments continue apace. Indo-Pacific economic performance makes this the world’s undisputed growth engine – 40 per cent of global GDP, 60 per cent of global shipping, home to half the world’s population, and some of the fastest growing and most innovative economies.

    But far from seeking to secure blocks of interests, we believe this region offers enormous economic opportunity for all. It’s why European companies and countries are looking east, and why the United Kingdom Government considers our interests to lie as much here as they do in Europe. Indeed, in 2022 our total exports to the Indo-Pacific amounted to £127 billion – a remarkable increase of 22 per cent on the previous year.

    Yet just as we seek to benefit from the opportunities here, so must we also share  responsibility for the challenges. And in both regards, none are bigger than the “epoch defining” rise of China – as it was described in our Integrated Review Refresh.

    We are all now navigating the consequences of China’s rise – both those opportunities and those challenges. Lifting vast numbers out of poverty. Trading with the world. And the undeniable truth, that none of our most fundamental global issues can be solved without engagement with China.

    Be they climate change, energy and food security, economic stagnation, tech regulation, nuclear proliferation. But we must also speak plainly and acknowledge that there are also challenges from that ‘rise’. Illegal fishing, tensions in territorial waters, sovereignty disputes, and debt diplomacy.

    This session, Mr Chairman, asks ‘how can we create balance and stability in the Indo-Pacific?’ Many do consider that question purely through the lens of China and the balancing of some ‘great power competition’. But we don’t agree it has to be. We can do this in three ways… this might surprise you, coming from a Defence Secretary, but those ways are not primarily military.

    First and foremost, by upholding international rules and promoting common standards. Why rules? Because the ‘balance and stability’ we are talking about today is ultimately based on adherence to shared rules.

    The Ukraine invasion is a tragic reminder of the terrible costs when leaders disregard human life, national sovereignty, and the rules-based international system. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, is constantly claiming that the system is simply made up by the US as they go along.

    Of course, this is a fabrication. He’s talking about the very system – including the United Nations Charter – that we conceived, including Russia, together after the Second World War and for which we fought together, in the hope of saving future generations from the scourge of war.

    Of course, Russia doesn’t want ordinary countries to now benefit from those protections or the freedom to choose because they might not choose Russia. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – trampling sovereignty and brutalising innocent civilians – is a result of its utter disregard for rules and the belief that ‘might is right’.

    Well, they are wrong and that’s being proven by the international community’s determination to enforce those rules. Because rules are agnostic of nations’ military or economic power. They are common to all our needs. Their adherence prevents competition escalating into conflict, and disputes are resolved without fear or favour.

    What unites us is that rules apply to us all, regardless of actor or geography. We are all equal in the eyes of the law. It provides a level playing field. It ensures fair play. Which is one of the reasons, I believe, why Singapore has been so successful in recent decades. Because of the respect here for the regulatory environment, anti-corruption, dispute resolution and fair play. If it can work for Singapore, why can’t it work elsewhere?

    Whether you are the smallest country seeking to protect your fishing rights, or the largest seeking a greater share of global trade, the rules-based system is there to protect and enable us all. Yes all, including China. It is why the UK strongly believes so strongly in protecting the rights of littoral states in their Exclusive Economic Zones, as well as in the importance of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

    We reject any claims that do not adhere to its tenets. Attempts to restrict the global commons are fundamentally damaging to us all and our trade. If international treaties bearing the signature of 157 parties are junked on a whim, this represents an attack not just on one treaty, but on the entire international system.

    So, the United Kingdom will continue to demonstrate that all parties stick as close as possible to UNCLOS. Because responsible powers have a duty to protect international rules. And neither can they take a back seat in evolving those rules as well. We want a system of 21st century laws designed by all, for all.

    The second way we maintain balance and stability is by backing free trade.

    The UK has always believed in free commerce and capital flows. The more we open up competition, the more we reduce overdependence and build resilience. And neither can we afford to ‘decouple’, commercially or diplomatically.

    We believe the best resilience comes from diversification, not from protectionism. That’s why the UK is working to diversify our supply chains. It’s why we have done deals with Japan, Australia and, of course, Canada, and why we will be enthusiastic new members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

    You cannot put a price on the ability to sell to 500 million people with a combined GDP of £11 trillion. And we’re building on that momentum having signed free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand – as well as Singapore, Japan, Vietnam and the Republic of Korea.

    Third, and finally, the way we preserve stability is through the promotion of our principles and values.

    Coming to Shangri-la and visiting Singapore I feel immediately at home. Despite very different national systems, we share many of the same principles and values. The belief that all nations have the right to chart their own course. Instinctive understanding of the importance of global trade. And above all, a belief in fair play.

    You don’t need to have mastered the rules of cricket to know that fair play is ingrained in the British psyche. No matter how big or small you are, how rich or poor, we believe nations should treat each other fairly, with respect. The UN conventions reinforce that and as a P5 nation, we believe we have a responsibility to help uphold those rules around the globe.

    And that’s where Defence does come in, because it has an important supporting role to play, not just in hard power projection but soft power promotion. The skills and capability of our Armed Forces are there to help friends when they’re in trouble, from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, to crisis management and civilian evacuations. And ultimately, in times of conflict.

    I know you share that view, many of you here. We’ve seen it in Ukraine. Alongside our troops training Ukrainians in the United Kingdom are Australians, New Zealanders, as well as Canadians. The US-chaired Ukraine Defense Contact Group now includes many countries represented in this room. And we appreciate the very material support that you are sending to Ukraine to help return stability to our continent. And that’s because you recognise, as our PM said recently, that Atlantic and Pacific security is indivisible. Our security is your security.

    And that’s why the UK is becoming more proactive and more persistently engaged in the Indo-Pacific. We have been using HMS Spey and Tamar – our two Royal Navy ships, permanently deployed in the region – to deliver humanitarian aid to tsunami-hit Tonga. To help enforce the sanctions regime against DPRK. And to undertake 16 port visits and over 20 regional exercises.

    We have expanded our network of Defence Attachés and regional defence staff – including the recently restored Defence Section in Manila, Philippines – to deepen our understanding and influence in over 20 countries. And we’ve been growing our wider Defence presence in the region, whether here in Singapore, our garrison in Brunei, or the recent Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan.

    As a result of all this we’ve been able to increase our tempo, conducting over 60 defence activities in the last two years alone, from exercises and training teams to staff talks and personnel exchanges. And, as I speak, there are 45 officers from the regional partners here today attending professional military education courses back in the United Kingdom. And all that activity helps to build partnerships. Because it is only by deepening friendships, knitting together a tapestry of partners and allies, that we can collectively secure our populations and our interests.

    The UK is a proud member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The region’s ‘original’ defence arrangement – established when its security landscape looked very different.  We celebrated the FPDA’s 50th anniversary in 2021 and, from my discussions while here, I’m convinced it has an even more important role to play in the years ahead. In parallel, we’re now entertaining new partnerships with the recent announcements on AUKUS and GCAP with Japan and Italy. And for the avoidance of doubt, these are not just about countering threats, or the submarines and planes that we’re building.

    They’re about the collaborative efforts that underpin them – partnering for technology-transferring, skill-sharing, information exchanges. They are national and generational enterprises. They will allow us to sustain our capabilities over the long term, and they’ll strengthen our supply chain resilience to help us prosper through the 2020s and 2030s. That’s why ASEAN is also so important. And why – in recognition of ‘ASEAN centrality’ – I formally applied in March this year for the UK to join ADMM-Plus.

    It’s this ‘partnership principle’ that runs through everything we’re doing in UK Defence, as much as it does in our trade. It’s in our refreshed Integrated Review and will shortly be reinforced in our Defence Command Paper Refresh. And it’s central to every defence engagement, every exchange programme and capability programme, every exercise or operation.

    In 2025 our Carrier Strike Group will be returning to the Indo-Pacific. It’s a great symbol of our partnership approach. Showing that, in a more turbulent world the UK will not retreat to its own shores but continue sailing far over the horizon. Using our unique convening power to bring like-minded partners together, wherever they are in this world.

    Protecting our freedom to navigate and operate today and shaping our ability to travel and trade, long into the future. So we can focus on what really matters.

    Building the best possible future for all our people.

  • Chloe Smith – 2023 Speech at the Robotics and Automation Conference

    Chloe Smith – 2023 Speech at the Robotics and Automation Conference

    The speech made by Chloe Smith, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on 30 May 2023.

    Good afternoon.

    This time last year, the quiet backstreets of Oxford saw something the rest of Europe had never seen before; a fully autonomous vehicle on public roads – without a single person on board.

    This journey marked a milestone for Oxa, formerly Oxbotica, one of Britain’s most successful spinouts, in its mission to bring ‘universal autonomy’: the ability of any vehicle, of any size, in any place, to drive itself safely and sustainably.

    Meanwhile, in the skies above Oxford, we’re planning on building highways of a different kind.

    Project Skyway – with funding from our £125 million Future Flight Programme – intends to build the world’s longest and largest drone ‘superhighway,’ connecting the airspace above British towns and cities from Reading and Rugby to Coventry and Cambridge.

    Not that that’s the only thing happening up there in the air; British start-up, sees.ai, has just been granted permission to use its drones to inspect power lines beyond the visual line of sight.

    Uniquely capable of close inspection, sees.ai can cut the need for helicopters and planes, making a dangerous job safer, cheaper – and better.

    Each of these 3 stories show the extraordinary pace of the ‘robotics revolution’ since the millennium.

    And they show that Britain’s boldest entrepreneurs are right at the forefront.

    That’s just as well. Because we need innovation now more than ever.

    From the net zero transition to the impacts of an ageing society, today we find ourselves facing challenges new and old.

    For centuries, Britain has been defined by its ability to answer these kinds of big questions by rethinking, reimagining, and reinventing.

    And if we are to shape the world in the same in the century to come, then we must once more be bold enough to do things differently.

    Whether that means using robotics to help hard-working carers to make the lives of elderly people healthier and happier or applying automation to keep wind turbines turning far out at sea.

    The robots you will have seen just next door are already changing the way we interact with some of the most dangerous environments on Earth and beyond.

    From navigating nuclear decommissioning and exploring outer space, the £112 million we invested in the Robotics for a Safer World programme brought together our world-leading universities to create cutting-edge R+D in clusters across every corner of our country.

    And British companies are making a difference in other impactful ways, too.

    In Cambridge, CMR Surgical is using robotics to improve the safety, accuracy, and repeatability of keyhole surgery.

    And, having joined Britain’s ever-growing list of unicorns, its technology is already transforming care far beyond Cambridge.

    It’s reducing waiting lists and speeding up recoveries everywhere from Edinburgh to India, Bangor to Brazil.

    On every continent, then, British answers to those big questions are making our lives longer, healthier, and happier.

    And to the scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors coming up with their own answers beyond our shores, I can tell you with confidence that Britain is open for business.

    The opportunities here are extraordinary: our own statistics show that the productivity boost of robotics adoption in just 7 service sectors of our economy could be up to £150 billion in 2035 – that is just short of the current GVA of the entire UK financial services industry!

    But, of course, those opportunities come with risks.

    And, to tackle those risks, we’ve got to get the regulation right.

    So that, rather than ‘stealing’ our jobs, robots can do the dull, dirty, or dangerous work that people cannot or do not want to do and improve the quality, safety, and productivity of the work we can and want to do.

    Because my department’s mission doesn’t end with making Britain a ‘science and tech superpower’; we want to translate that superpower status into tangible benefits for the British people.

    That’s regulation is right at the heart of my agenda.

    Just last week, I met with the Prime Minister and CEOs from 3 of the world’s foremost AI businesses.

    Together, we discussed how we can capitalise on Britain’s unique position of influence and shared a commitment to deliver on the agile approach to AI governance that we set out in our recent White Paper.

    Because unlocking the potential robotics revolution requires public confidence that these technologies are being used in a safe and responsible way.

    And we are determined to work domestically and internationally, as well as with many of you, to put the necessary guardrails in place.

    Coming out of that meeting, I felt a renewed confidence.

    That a government unafraid to look to the world beyond Whitehall to work together with industry and academia can get it right not just on regulation, but on skills and investment, too.

    Whether you want to build self-driving cars, superhighways in the sky, or surgical robots in the operating room.

    Together, we can make Britain the best place in the world to start and scale a safe and successful robotics business.

    I wish you a safe and successful conference. Thank you very much for inviting me here to speak.