Tag: Speeches

  • Angela Eagle – 2026 Speech on Back British Farming Day

    Angela Eagle – 2026 Speech on Back British Farming Day

    The speech made by Angela Eagle, the Environment Secretary, on 9 September 2026.

    Thank you everybody. It’s a great pleasure to be here this morning.

    I’d like to thank the NFU for convening today’s Back British Farming Day reception, which is an opportunity to celebrate the tireless work of our farmers and growers in producing high-quality food, nurturing our natural world and sustaining the beating heart of Britain’s rural communities.

    I think today is an opportunity to wear a wheat sheaf in recognition of all you do for our country.

    I’m pleased to be back at Defra. My leadership will be shaped by my experience as Farming Minister, which taught me so much, but also as Security Minister. It was a slightly shorter tenure there, but it also taught me a very great deal about what we need to be thinking about as we move into the future. It taught me as well that farming is as integral to our national security as energy or defence.

    And I would make one observation – that supply of food has often been taken for granted over the years. Because we’ve been so good at it, it has kind of faded into the background and everyone assumes it will always continue the way it always has.

    But I think that there are challenges that we have to face, not least after the kind of summer and growing season that we’ve had this year, that we perhaps haven’t had to think about in a strategic way for many, many years – and I would probably say since the last World War.

    And so, I think we must have different ways of thinking about how we do things as we move into the future.

    I know that the past year has been incredibly difficult for many farmers. You’ve had rising input costs, water supplies drained by back-to-back heat waves and climate-driven outbreaks of disease, and most notably bluetongue, which we’re having to deal with at the moment.

    I think when a third of farmers report that they make no profit, we’ve got to think about how to change that. If we’re relying on farmers to put food on our tables, farming has to put money in the pockets of those who farm. That is not rocket science conclusion to come to.

    So that’s why we’re taking action to help the sector respond to immediate pressures and build a more profitable, productive, and sustainable future.

    And we do that on the cusp of another great agricultural revolution, I believe, with the technology that has increasingly become available, which we have to not only be at the forefront of operationalising, but making certain that our farmers can use it and benefit from it.

    In his first month of office, the Prime Minister visited a farm to announce a £65 million support package, including improved access to water and £15 million for on-farm reservoirs.

    I also know this is an incredibly difficult time for animal keepers dealing with the bluetongue outbreak. APHA has published a new heat map of suspected and confirmed cases, which I hope you’ll all have seen so you can better understand the risk in your area. And from Friday 11th September, a revised reporting process will make it quicker and easier to confirm disease.

    Please speak to your vet about vaccination. It significantly reduces the severity of the disease, and you can apply for a free annual vet visit under the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.

    But immediate support isn’t enough. For too long farmers have been left to get on with it with nobody thinking about the overall structure. That’s why I worked closely with the sector on the first ever strategic plan for agriculture, setting out how farming needs to evolve – combining nature-led solutions and farming together that will make us more resilient as we look to the future.

    On Back British Farming Day, I’d like to reiterate my full-throated support for Farming Roadmap. I’m backing it, the PM’s backing it and we are backing you to put it into effect.

    The Roadmap doesn’t see nature and farming pulling in opposite directions. Healthy soil holds water in a drought, and it drains it in a deluge. Hedgerows shelter livestock in a heat wave, as do trees.

    Our Land Use Framework says that 15% of land use needs to change and that we can change it and produce the same levels of food. We want to help that transition come about.

    Our Sustainable Farming Incentive encourages nature-based practices which we need to see adopted. And I’m pleased to say that Window 1 was a success with 7,000 applications – 87% for businesses without an ELM agreement.

    We expect Window 2 to open on the 22nd of September with an increased budget of £230 million. And we’re introducing a new feature for Window 2 allowing farmers with agreements expiring by the end of February 2027 to apply for SFI26 before their current agreement ends.

    Alongside this we’ve allocated £225 million, up 50% from last year, to support our capital grants offer. That funding is delivering practical improvements to the environment like creating 2,500 km of new hedgerows and improvements to profitability.

    Our Farming Improvement Partnership Board is bringing industry leaders into the same room to set system-wide plans for growth, starting with our growth plan for horticulture, which I am extremely committed to making a success of. With poultry and other sectors to follow.

    British farmers shouldn’t have to shoulder the risks of changing climate.

    I believe we’re at a turning point, especially after the summer we have just had, which, let’s face it, is the third difficult summer in the last five years, and it’s probably going to be repeated in its difficulties perhaps next year, with the El Niño that we’ve got forming in the ocean on the other side of the world.

    So, we’re at a turning point where the Farming Roadmap, the Farming and Food Partnership Board, the Land Use Framework, all need to come together to set a direction to make farming profitable and ensure that we can support a good and secure food supply.

    On Back British Farming Day, therefore, I want to reiterate this government’s commitment to creating the conditions you need to adapt and to succeed, because when farmers thrive, the nation thrives.

    Thank you very much.

  • Andy Burnham – 2026 Joint Statement on Israel and Palestine

    Andy Burnham – 2026 Joint Statement on Israel and Palestine

    The statement made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 8 September 2026.

    A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is critical for peace, stability and security in the Middle East and beyond. It is a fundamental national interest for the UK, France and Canada to protect and secure this outcome.

    Systematic settlement expansion in the West Bank, including the Government of Israel’s latest decision to progress the E1 settlement, as well as the dramatic increase in settler violence, pose a direct and urgent threat to that vision for peace. 

    One year ago, we recognised the State of Palestine. The time has come to take further action to uphold our commitment to protect the two-state solution, our interests and to stand up for our values, before it is too late. 

    Settlements are illegal under international law. The UK, France and Canada will therefore take steps to ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them. 

    In taking this coordinated action we reiterate our desire for a close and productive partnership with Israel, our enduring support for the Israeli people and our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. We support a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a safe and secure Palestine.

    Today marks a further turning point in our approach to protecting the two-state solution. We will co-chair a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly later this month to advance our efforts and pursue peace.

  • Ed Miliband – 2026 Statement on Israel-Palestine

    Ed Miliband – 2026 Statement on Israel-Palestine

    The statement made by Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 8 September 2026.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a statement on Israel and Palestine.

    I do so as a proud British Jew, someone with the deepest gratitude to the State of Israel for giving a home to my grandmother after she lost her husband, my grandfather, and 60 other family members at the hands of the Nazis.

    I remember visiting her in the 1970s in Tel Aviv and seeing the life and the sanctuary Israel had provided. Indeed, some of my most joyful childhood memories were picking oranges as a kid on the kibbutz where my cousins lived.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, my personal story and that of thousands of British Jews is one of the many reasons why I say to anyone here or around the world who questions Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people: you are wrong and we will call you out whenever you engage in this attempt at the erasure of Israel.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, I know what the trauma of Hamas’s terrorist atrocity of October 7th meant and still means to people across Israel and to Jews across the world. It was a murderous act by a murderous terrorist organisation designed to massacre and instil fear across a whole population.

    October 7th makes plain the grave threats that Israel faces. And it has every right to defend itself.  We should not only condemn those threats but act against those who carry them out.

    Iran continues to threaten Israel and Jews across the world.

    We have already designated Iran’s IRGC and we will do more today on Iran’s proxy groups. So today I can also announce we are sanctioning Lebanese Hezbollah’s financing arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan.

    Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. So we are also acting this week to report Iran to the UN Security Council for its nuclear violations, alongside our allies. And I can announce today that we are also reimposing major economic sanctions on Iran in line with the European Union and the United States.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, tackling these threats is just one of the important, shared national security interests we have with Israel, on which we will continue to co-operate.

    I know too that so many members of the Jewish community now live in fear in the face of rising antisemitism, including here in the UK.

    Last week we commemorated the anniversary of the Heaton Park attack—Jews murdered at their place of worship simply for their religion.

    An outrage that was followed by antisemitic attacks in Golders Green, including on the Hatzola ambulances.

    And the everyday life of Jews in Britain is deeply affected by the climate that such hate creates.

    When I went to school in the 1980s, I did so without fear.

    Today we need to face the truth: that is not the case for thousands of Jewish children across the UK, children who have to go to school with security guards outside their school.

    Mr Speaker, no child should have to go to school facing this. And no teacher should face antisemitism either.

    Whether it happens in our schools, universities or workplaces or online or on our streets, antisemitism is a scourge and an evil.

    We are rightly putting in place an additional investment of £250 million for community security. But we all have a responsibility to do more.

    As part of this, I will in October host representatives of the J7, the countries with the largest Jewish populations from across the world.

    We will meet in the UK to discuss the different ways we can work across borders to tackle antisemitism, including tackling online hate.

    So Madame Deputy Speaker, I am proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the State of Israel.

    And there is absolutely no contradiction between this and my support for the State of Palestine. Indeed quite the opposite.

    The two state solution is based on an explicit belief that the only route to security for both peoples is to live side by side in peaceful co-existence with freedom, security and self-determination.

    Securing the two-state solution in its fullest form is the North Star of this government’s policy, and indeed of successive British governments over decades.

    And it is precisely this belief in the rights and freedoms of the Israeli and Palestinian people that leads many, including me, to a deep sense of shame about what has unfolded in Palestine under the eyes of the international community.

    In Gaza, the most unimaginable trauma and suffering in the last three years – death, destruction and dehumanisation on an appalling scale.

    A stain on the conscience of the world and of this country too.

    And in the West Bank, the clear attempt to – in the words of Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich – and I quote – “bury the idea of a Palestinian State”.

    So Madame Deputy Speaker, there is a deeply painful contrast between our professed commitment to a two state solution, and the reality on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank.

    I pay tribute to my predecessors, the current Health Secretary and the Right Honourable Member for Tottenham, for their tireless efforts on this issue as well as my Right Honourable Friend the Member for Lincoln.

    We should always be proud that it was a Labour government that took the historic step of recognising the State of Palestine. 

    But the Prime Minister is right to say that the Labour government has not done enough in the face of what is happening.

    So today marks the beginning of a new approach.

    An approach that not only calls out injustice and suffering but acts.

    And in taking this stance, I make a very clear distinction – which is crucial for all of us in this debate:

    Our argument is not with the people of Israel, with whom the UK has unshakeable bonds. Our argument is with the conduct of its government.

    And I also want to say emphatically to people in Britain and across the world:

    Holding British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli Government is antisemitism, plain and simple.

    What we seek today is to salvage the only course for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians – the two state solution.

    Let me start with the situation in the West Bank.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, at the time of the Oslo peace accords in 1993, around 270,000 settlers lived in the occupied Palestinian territories. Today it is some 770,000.

    More settlements have been approved under the four years of this Israeli government than in the previous twenty years. 

    Let us spell out what this has meant for Palestinian communities.

    Houses bulldozed. Roads and public infrastructure destroyed. Families displaced from their homes.

    Community by community.

    Family by family.

    Person by person.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, sixty-five Palestinian communities completely expelled since 2023 – a total of over 4,000 Palestinians evicted from their homes due to settler violence and state actions.

    And in August, the crossing of a long-standing red line: the issuing of E1 tenders for over 1,200 homes.

    I visited a community in the area covered by E1 in 2014. The Bedouin communities I met in Khan Al Ahmar had lived on that land for generations.

    E1 proposals would evict them and place settlements directly between East Jerusalem and the West Bank cutting through the heart of Palestine.

    Let’s be clear what this means: the creation of a set of facts on the ground to make the two state solution unviable.

    And on top of official state policy, settler terrorism is rampant.

    The UN reports an average of six violent settler attacks against Palestinians per day this year, the highest on record.

    Take one example

    In Al Mughayir, twenty miles north of Jerusalem, settlers have encircled the village and mounted a campaign of intimidation, largely under the protection of the Israeli military.

    Families in the village are increasingly cut off from accessing their land, squeezed into ever smaller areas and have olive trees uprooted and livestock stolen.

    In the same community, just last week, two teenagers were shot when settlers entered the village under police and military escort. Both died before reaching hospital. Madame Deputy Speaker five teenagers have now been killed from their school this year.

    Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli Prime Minister, has described what is happening as – I quote – “a violent and criminal effort to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank’.

    The former Minister of Health and retired Brigadier General from the IDF, Ephraim Sneh has said – and I quote again – “this is ethnic cleansing to put it simply”.

    Ethnic cleansing is defined by the UN as ‘a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.’

    The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank – perpetrated by settler terrorists.

    And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.

    Now Madame Deputy Speaker, I recognise the gravity of saying this but the truth is, it is the least the people who face such suffering deserve. And it should be the prelude to justice.

    Now for a long time, the British government has rightly said settlements are illegal.

    But we have remained silent on the question of the legality of the occupation as a whole, which in 2024 the International Court of Justice concluded was unlawful.

    Today I announce that the official view of the British Government is that the occupation is unlawful.

    Because of Israel’s entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty, and its expansionist agenda via illegal settlements.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, our position is not just an overdue statement of reality.

    The government believes the unlawfulness of the occupation should be reflected in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories.

    I do not believe that the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets.

    So I can announce today that we will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

    To do so, we will introduce a new comprehensive sanctions regime working with my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary, with appropriate religious exemptions.

    And as part of this regime, we will go further.

    We will take action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion.

    So to those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this, you will face the full force of UK sanctions.

    Settlements are illegal. They should not be promoted in our country.

    Earlier this year, shamefully, just a few miles from here, we saw an expo advertising illegal settlement land. 

    We must and we will ensure this never happens again, so we will ban the advertising in the UK of illegal settlements.

    The sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel.

    We will continue to support important and valued trade with green line Israel precisely because we support the two state solution, including security and prosperity for Israel.

    For this reason, I wholeheartedly oppose the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions or BDS campaign.

    The legislation I have announced today will be in place within 6 to 9 months and we will also take more immediate steps.

    Today we are sanctioning a further set of extremist settlers who have supported or incited acts of violence against Palestinian communities.

    And I can also announce that we are extending the existing global human rights regime such that it will enable swifter action to deter settlement expansion, including crucially seeking to present the development of E1.

    I also want to address the question of arms sales. We have already suspended over 30 arms licences used by the IDF in Gaza. That suspension remains fully in place.

    We will now also refuse all licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation, in effect a double lock against arms sales.

    This means the ban on such exports will now remain as long as the occupation persists. 

    To advance the two state solution, we also need viable and effective Palestinian governance.

    So I urge the Palestinian Authority to accelerate reform and I urge Israel to lift its withholding of revenues that is financially crippling the provision of essential services in the West Bank.

    The set of measures I have announced represents a clear message to the government of Israel, to the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and to the world that we will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two state solution.

    I turn now to Gaza.

    The horror of October 7th appalled the world and had terrible echoes of the centuries of persecution of the Jewish people.

    Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by Hamas terrorists. People murdered whilst seeking to protect their families. Young people massacred at a music festival. People abducted from their homes.

    As the 20 point peace plan for Gaza sets out, this is one of many reasons Hamas can play no role in the future governance of Gaza, it must decommission its weapons and must dismantle its terrorist infrastructure.

    Israel has the right not to live in fear of vile terrorism, and the Israeli State has the right to protect its people and defend its territory.

    But Madame Deputy Speaker that cannot justify what has happened in Gaza.

    Over 70,000 people have been killed, at least 20,000 of them children. 20,000 children.

    The vast majority of the population is now displaced – nearly two million people – who are now penned into just one third of the territory.

    Life-saving humanitarian aid and access has been routinely blocked.

    Hospitals and clinics have been destroyed.

    Over 60% of homes are in ruins.

    Mr Speaker, international humanitarian law imposes clear rules for states fighting wars – including to ensure access to food and medical supplies, to avoid mass displacement of civilians, and to avoid the targeting of civilians.

    Serious and intentional violations of this law, if proven, amount to war crimes.

    What has occurred, including the actions of the IDF, have been examined in depth by a number of organisations, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

    The conclusions of these reports represent increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed.

    And we support legal processes to determine this.

    On the question of genocide, the UK has always supported full, robust and fair judicial processes to consider allegations, with final determinations made by competent courts before the British government reaches a conclusion.

    This has been the case for all of the genocides since the 1948 Genocide Convention: Rwanda, Srebrenica, Cambodia, and acts against the Yazidi people.

    This will remain our policy. It is right that this issue has been brought before the ICJ and I want to make it clear that we support the Court in coming to its determination.

    So accountability for what has happened in Gaza matters.

    But even more urgent is action to address the ongoing crisis. 

    Because today in Gaza, the death and suffering continue.

    Nearly a year ago, Madame Deputy Speaker, a ceasefire was declared. Yet over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since.

    And the people of Gaza are experiencing a totally avoidable humanitarian catastrophe, I am afraid, driven by decisions of the Israeli government.

    Last week I talked to courageous doctors and humanitarian aid workers who have served in Gaza. It was a heartbreaking conversation.

    They recounted:

    Children dying waiting for medical treatment.

    People forced to live next to open sewage and without shelter.

    And food insecurity rampant.

    I’m sure the whole House agrees, this is unconscionable.

    So I pledge we will continue to do everything we can to provide all the humanitarian support possible to help the people of Gaza.

    UK-supported hospitals in Gaza will enable around 800,000 medical consultations this year and essential health services for patients. 

    UK expertise will deliver care to over a thousand child amputees.

    And we recently welcomed another wave of students from Gaza coming to study in Britain and we will welcome more.

    But in truth, unless Israel changes course, the situation will remain dire.

    So we are taking further steps – both ourselves and with others. 

    Our extension of the global human rights sanctions regime will enable us to target those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law, whether in Gaza or anywhere else in the world.

    And we will at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month shine the clearest and harshest spotlight on what is happening and what must change.

    And with Jordan, we will convene countries across the world to lead a call for action on health and humanitarian access.

    We will also lend the UK’s voice to the growing global alliance of countries – led by Arab partners in the region – calling for the full implementation of the US-led 20 point plan, the rejection of extremism, and for a lasting end to the cycles of violence.

    As we implement the policy measures I have announced today, we will continue to assess the government of Israel by its actions. We want to see a new approach – in both Gaza and the West Bank.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two state solution.

    We call out what is unlawful.

    We act on the import of goods from illegal settlements.

    We ban advertising of illegal settlements

    We act on services to prevent new settlement expansion.

    We act on settler violence.

    We support accountability for what has happened in Gaza.

    And we pledge to galvanise the international community to confront the ongoing and urgent humanitarian crisis.

    Above all, we say: Britain is not silent in the face of deep injustice and nor is it powerless.

    And today we act in concert with others in a broad international coalition.

    I can tell the House that today France and Canada are announcing, alongside Britain, that they will also ban the import of goods from illegal settlements. 

    Joining the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Norway – which have either banned goods or are in the process of doing so.

    With many other countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden – pledging today they will support further action.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, this is what Britain can achieve leading with others.

    And this is in our fundamental national interest because if there is one lesson of recent decades, it is that we will never have stability in the Middle East without a two state solution.

    And it is also the case that if we fail to stand up for the values that this country has long held and fought for, we lose credibility and influence in the world.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, my parents came here as Jewish refugees and found sanctuary and a country that stood up for the rule of law, freedom and self-determination.

    Those are the values this government is standing up for today.

    And I truly believe that the vast majority of the British people, including in our communities with ties to the region, are united in their desire to see humanitarian suffering end, and all sides commit to a durable peace process.

    And just as we want Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side, so we have to live out those values in Britain.

    Jews in Britain, Muslims in Britain, people of all faiths and none have a right to live without prejudice or fear.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, a Britain that upholds its values at home and around the world.

    A Britain that fights against oppression and suffering wherever it occurs.

    A Britain that stands up for what is right.

    And I commend this statement to the House.

  • Martin McCluskey – 2026 Speech on AI for clean energy vision

    Martin McCluskey – 2026 Speech on AI for clean energy vision

    The speech made by Martin McCluskey, the Minister for Local Energy and Jobs, at Google on 8 September 2026.

    Good morning everyone,

    I want to start by thanking Google for setting up this accelerator programme and bringing all of you together today: you are all incredible companies that are working at the leading edge of AI deployment in our energy system.

    From generation to transmission, each shows a tangible pathway from invention to innovation…and ultimately adoption.

    And to quote a line from some of the briefing I had on this programme, ‘AI is not just a tool, but a pivotal force in accelerating this essential energy transition’, in Google’s words themselves.

    Despite challenges we face today, we cannot rely on yesterday’s thinking.

    The electricity grid in the UK used to be managed centrally with a handful of large coal-fired power stations delivering baseload power around highly predictable peaks and troughs.

    Fast forward to today and not only has the electricity grid’s carbon intensity dropped, but its complexity has grown dramatically.

    In this country, total solar capacity across the UK surpassed 2 million installations for the first time ever in March 2026.

    In 2025, the UK had nearly 3,000 fully commissioned offshore wind turbines across 46 wind farms, producing up to 16.5 GW of grid-connected capacity.  

    The grid today is managing millions of decentralised energy generating assets from small- to large-scale, and the only way we can handle that generation and demand in real-time is through using AI.

    That’s why today matters. This programme is pairing your innovative concepts with the tangible means to make them a reality.

    And our people, our communities, are set to benefit.

    So I’m grateful to all of you here for choosing to put your ideas forward.

    And as the Minister responsible for AI in the energy system, let me spend a minute to talk through some of the areas where we see potential in the UK energy system.

    At the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, our number one priority is to make energy more affordable. Not just for consumers and households, but also for businesses.

    And we know that AI holds real potential to make this happen.

    Its application could transform our energy system for the better.

    All the different possible uses I’ve outlined could add up to one incredibly important outcome; a modern, reliable energy grid that gives homes and businesses value for money. 

    But the word ‘could’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

    Because this hinges on some big questions that need to be addressed.  

    Firstly, we need to take seriously the potential risks of introducing more AI into the energy system.

    We’re at a point in our history where energy infrastructure is known to be the target of disruption from our adversaries.

    That’s not just happening in the UK, it’s happening all over Europe.

    So we cannot be introducing risks and vulnerabities into our own system from technology that haven’t been fully explored yet. 

    And, second, we need to maintain public consent.

    Every technological and industrial revolution has been accompanied by questions about what it means for our society and the way we live.

    And that’s right – as politicians we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t ask these questions, and the public has every right to push us to set out where we stand and to ensure we’re acting responsibly.

    So we have a duty, as government in this country and other countries across Europe, to be responsible in designing and delivering the infrastructure of the AI revolution…

    …and, just as we are seeking to do with our clean energy revolution, taking communities with us and making sure they’re in a position to benefit from playing a part in a generational upgrade.

    But let me also say this.

    People across the country will not forgive governments that fail to ensure we are equipped for the future.

    And AI has a fundamental part to play not just in modernising our energy system, but in allowing our industries to compete globally and in protecting our national security.

    These are big questions as the government we’re all grappling with. The technology is evolving fast, and the UK government is leading the effort to keep pace with it, and harness it for the public good.

    We are still at the beginning of this journey, and there is so much we will need to learn in the years ahead, but let me tell you about three things we are doing now.

    First, today we’re launching our AI for clean energy vision and seeking views on how AI could transform our energy system.

    This Vision sets out early thinking on how AI could improve efficiency, cut costs and strengthen energy security.

    We want to start a conversation with the public, with industry, with others, where we can start thinking about the big questions that we face…

    …including what role government can and should play in this, what AI’s long-term impact will be in our energy system…

    …how we acknowledge and mitigate against the risks involved, and how we overcome and identify barriers to adoption.

    This thinking, and the early answers to these questions, will shape the foundations of the AI in Energy Strategy we’ll be publishing next year.

    Second, we’re publishing an independent review of AI deployment in our electricity networks.

    And I want to thank Lucy [Yu], who is our AI Energy Champion, for her excellent work on that.

    The review has made a set of recommendations to government on moving towards a probabilistic grid…

    …delivering tangible benefits for consumers, establishing clear governance and accelerating the deployment of AI solutions.

    This is exciting stuff, pushing at the absolute frontier of global thinking on deploying AI in the energy sector.

    Third and finally, our Interim AI Adoption Plan, published in June this year, highlights four key barriers to adoption…

    …better data, clearer routes from innovation to deployment, trusted governance frameworks, and the skills and capabilities that we need to scale solutions across the system.

    For start-ups, like the ones we have here today, those barriers are also market opportunities.

    Opportunities to help unlock high-value datasets.

    Opportunities to make critical infrastructure safer and more resilient.

    Opportunities to bridge the gap between successful pilots and nationwide deployment.

    And opportunities to build trusted AI systems that regulators, operators and consumers can have confidence in.

    Let’s remember where we start from: The UK starts from a position of strength.

    We have world-class universities.

    A thriving technology ecosystem.

    Leading renewable energy deployment.

    And we already have examples of British companies creating exportable AI-enabled solutions for the energy sector.

    We are leading the work to get our energy system ready to embrace the AI solutions you are already working on here today.

    This is about exploring the potential of AI in our energy network, so that we can embrace it when the technology is ready.

    That’s what we need to communicate to the public.

    This is new territory for absolutely all of us.

    And we have a real duty to not just create policy, but to also explain to people about why we’re doing it.

    This is a frontier opening in the energy sector, where AI could resolve so many of the issues that have held us back in the past.

    So just to conclude, congratulations to all of you on the massive achievement of being here today…

    …because you’re on your way to solving some of the biggest challenges for our energy industry.

    My final message to you is simple.

    We need your ideas.

    We need your ambition.

    And we need your willingness to tackle some of the hardest problems in the energy system.

    The transition that we are on the road to in the UK at the moment, to clean power is one of the great national projects of our time.

    AI can help us get there faster.

    And it has the power to unlock a cheaper, fairer, simpler energy system for millions of people.

    Thank you.

  • Lucy Rigby – 2026 Speech at UK Finance

    Lucy Rigby – 2026 Speech at UK Finance

    The speech made by Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, in London on 8 September 2026.

    Thank you Bob and to UK Finance for bringing us together today. And thank you for inviting me.

    As you know, I have spent a couple of months away from being City Minister. I think you’d be hard pressed to describe doing the Chief Secretary role as a holiday – I’ve certainly had more relaxing breaks – but it is fantastic to be back and supporting the success of the financial services sector and its contribution to growth and prosperity in every corner of the country.

    I am pleased that while I have been away, the digitalisation and tokenisation agenda has continued to accelerate. And as many of you know, building on this momentum is one of the things I am most excited to do back in this role.

    Because we are used to waves of technological development improving our lives; putting new products on to shelves, including digital shelves, and ensuring we benefit from new services.

    But there are also moments in the history of economic development where technology transforms the very infrastructure on which an economy operates. In the 1980s and 1990s we saw the shift from paper to electronic trading radically transform our financial markets. I believe we have reached a similar moment a generation later with the move from electronic to digital.

    So it is a pleasure to be here as UK Finance launches this report. This report, reinforcing the Digital Wholesale Champion’s report published in July, demonstrates a powerful message for the sector, which is that digitalisation is no longer a conversation taking place at the margins. It is moving firmly into the mainstream.

    And that matters because the opportunities before us are significant. For the City, the whole financial services sector, and importantly, for the entire UK economy.

    Today, I want to deliver a clear message. That the digitalisation of wholesale financial markets is now a national endeavour. An endeavour that requires industry, government, and regulators to work together.

    To maintain and enhance our global competitiveness; in what is an increasingly competitive landscape.

    The government can create the conditions and advocate for the UK. The regulators can provide clarity. But it is industry; market participants; you; that innovate, compete, forge new pathways and drive us forwards.

    That is why the work of organisations such as UK Finance is so important, and why I wholeheartedly welcome today’s report.

    One thing has become increasingly clear as I speak to firms across the sector. The debate isn’t whether wholesale markets will become tokenised; it’s when.

    And, importantly, if the UK can move quickly enough to be a leader in that global transition. And I say we can.

    And 2026 has already been such an important year for delivery. Significantly, we have seen the publication of the first report from the UK’s Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, Chris Woolard. That report sets out an industry-led roadmap for accelerating the digitalisation of UK wholesale financial markets, identifies priority use cases, and focuses attention on the practical issues that must be solved if digital markets are to scale.

    It also establishes nine industry action groups, and I am looking forward to the composition of these groups being announced very soon. It has also been great to see the number and variety of firms participating, from new entrants to large incumbents, as well as the senior individuals who are giving their valuable time to contribute.

    I am looking forward to seeing the outputs of the next phase.

    The key to the success of this work is not the technology itself. The technology already exists and we have individuals and organisations with the skills to deploy it effectively. The roots of the challenge are in coordination in order to build…

    How do firms move together?

    How do platforms interact with one another?

    How do we ensure interoperability?

    How do we build liquidity?

    How do we create common standards and ensure the UK is leading the global discussion?

    And how do we generate sufficient confidence for markets to move from pilots to scale?

    The answers to these questions are why this work matters so much

    And the additional question for government and regulators is then: how do we ensure that regulation effectively and appropriately accommodates digitalisation?

    Regulation is often criticised for being slow to adapt to new technological challenges and a rapidly changing environment. Well, we’re trying to address this.

    As you know, we have the Digital Securities Sandbox, and as UK Finance’s report highlights, it offers a nimble way of modifying UK legislation to enable firms to roll out innovative digital solutions to market.

    16 firms are currently participating, with the first firm recently approved to do live activity, and I am sure we will see more live activity soon.

    And we know there is more to do to ensure that the UK legal framework supports digital beyond the sandbox, building on work the government has done already to clarify the law.

    We will be engaging actively with the sector to map out the changes needed, and the plan for delivering them, including using the legislative tools we already have to make changes.

    All this builds on other work we are doing as government to support digital. This year, we have also seen continued progress on the Digital Gilt Instrument, DIGIT, which will be critical to establishing the foundations for a broader digital market ecosystem. DIGIT will be issued in Q1 2027, and we have announced our intention to prepare for potential further issuances, subject to the success of the first transaction.

    There is also work well underway to modernise the UK’s payments ecosystem, including through infrastructure upgrades and regulatory reforms that support stablecoins, tokenised deposits and the next generation of digital settlement.

    In particular, I wanted to recognise the efforts of UK banks in progressing the Great British Tokenised Deposit initiative, working with UK Finance to bring tokenised sterling deposits into the UK market.

    The work to tokenise bank deposits complements the work that the government and the regulators are undertaking to deliver a regulatory regime for stablecoins, all in order to provide payment settlement solutions for a truly digital market.

    Across all these areas, we are entering a critical delivery phase over this Autumn.

    Let’s continue to work together and whether it is the leadership shown by UK Finance.

    Whether it is the drive and the work of Chris Woolard and the Wholesale Digital Markets Champion Taskforce.

    Whether it is the Digital Securities Sandbox.

    Whether it is DIGIT.

    Each represents a different part of the same story. A story of a sector and a city choosing to innovate; whose sense of pride and ambition compel us to want to lead.

    A story of a country choosing to modernise.

    With a sense of national purpose to ensure that the markets of the future are built here in the United Kingdom.

    Thank you.

  • Louise Haigh – 2026 Statement on Rewiring the State

    Louise Haigh – 2026 Statement on Rewiring the State

    The statement made by Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, in the House of Commons on 3 September 2026.

    With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the work of the newly formed Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the change it will bring.

    On the steps of Downing Street six weeks ago, the Prime Minister set out the priorities that will guide this Government. He was clear that 40 years of overly centralised decision making and over-privatisation have stripped power and resources away from communities in every nation and region of this country; that public control over the things that matter so much to people’s lives has been systematically eroded and become a barrier to businesses wanting to start and grow; and that a broken economic and political model has cost good jobs and opportunities in many parts of the country, while delivering sky-high prices in exchange for poorer customer services.

    The Prime Minister was clear that this Government will be the circuit breaker that our country needs: a Government who will take power from Westminster and Whitehall, and put it in the hands of the communities who are best placed to use it; who will rewire Britain, so that our politics and our economy work for every person and every place. On a bedrock of fiscal discipline, we will build a pro-business culture and an innovation-led economy that delivers good growth in every postcode.

    We have wasted no time in delivering on that commitment. In the newly formed Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, we are rewiring the machinery of government so that the Prime Minister has the resources and levers he needs to deliver on his priorities. By stripping out many of the bureaucratic functions of the office, we have created a stronger, more focused Department that is capable of driving forward the Prime Minister’s agenda. This Government recognise that for far too long there has been a disconnect between the Cabinet Office and No. 10, and it is that lack of joined-up thinking that has hampered the ability of successive Prime Ministers to drive forward their own agendas across Government.

    We have had a dichotomy at the heart of Government: the most centralised state in the G20, with one of the most underpowered centres. In the newly established OPMC, we are ensuring that the Prime Minister has the support and resources he needs to deliver the change that the public are impatient to see. From that office, we will drive forward work across Government to put the essentials, such as water, transport, energy and housing, under greater public control, in order to regenerate our communities, breathe new life into our high streets and give people more room to breathe through action on the cost of living.

    That work of change has begun. Working closely with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary, we have begun the work of shifting power and resources away from Whitehall. Through our devolution blueprint and the establishment of No. 10 North, we have created a new engine of regional economic growth that will empower places that have been overlooked by Westminster for too long. We are granting new powers to strategic authorities to take more control over the future of their regions: a greater share of locally generated revenues, beginning with business rates; and more control over housing, public transport and infrastructure. For the first time, local leaders will have the power and resources they need to invest in the things that matter most to their communities.

    This Government are filling in the map to bring an end to the system of two-tier devolution, so that by the end of 2028 we are able to extend to all parts of England the same offer that the rest have enjoyed for many years. This is how we can empower communities, drive local economic growth, create new jobs and deliver maximum benefit to the people who live there. This is devolution by design and devolution by default, and by working across Government we will build a new economic model that begins to put life’s essentials back under stronger public control and make them affordable for people again.

    Working with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson)—and building on the strong foundations laid down by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Darren Jones), whom I thank for his work—we are delivering a once-in-a-generation rebalancing of power in this country. This is what a rewired state looks like: one that is relentlessly focused on delivering for the people of this country, with empowered communities and good growth in every postcode. These are the tests against which our decisions will be measured and the metrics by which our actions will be judged.

    Last month, the Chancellor and I announced reforms to public procurement that will cut red tape and unleash a new wave of British job creation. Too often, small and medium-sized businesses have struggled to navigate complicated procurement processes that seem to prioritise everything. When we prioritise everything, we prioritise nothing, so we are making the process simpler and doing things differently. From next year, businesses seeking to win a share of £90 billion in central Government contracts will be left in no doubt about what we want from them: creating good jobs and giving young people the skills they need for the future. These new rules will ensure that the £90 billion spent each year through Government contracts supports British jobs, skills and people in every postcode.

    We are going further in our reforms to public procurement to ensure that taxpayers’ money is delivering more for our communities. For the first time since 2020, we are removing the defence exemption from social value. That means billions of pounds of defence contracts will soon give weighting to jobs and skills for young people across Britain. This is how we back businesses in every part of the country. In my ministerial colleagues, Parliamentary Secretaries to the Cabinet Office my hon. Friends the Members for Gateshead Central and Whickham (Mark Ferguson) and for Chipping Barnet (Dan Tomlinson), businesses looking to build and grow here in Britain—creating those good jobs and driving that good growth—will have strong advocates in this Government.

    The work of my Department in strengthening our national resilience and co-ordinating the Government’s response to emergencies remains central. Over the summer, we saw communities across the country impacted by unprecedented wildfires precipitated by one of the hottest and driest summers on record—a reminder of the very real and present threats to the UK posed by climate change. During the third week of August, four major incidents were declared across south Wales, Hampshire, Cambridgeshire and the west midlands. By 13 August, fire and rescue services were tackling 47 wildfire incidents, and 79 separate requests for additional equipment and resources were made by fire and rescue services. In south Wales alone, more than 200 military personnel were deployed to tackle 14 separate incidents.

    Such was the extent of support provided across the country that almost every service was impacted or involved in the response, and some of the most stretched services faced the prospect of having to deprioritise certain call-outs due to the pressures on the system. The day before the national alert was issued, close to 12,000 999 calls were recorded in a single day, which is six times the average call volume. Many services were stretched to breaking point, but continued to work around the clock to protect lives, communities and properties. I am sure everyone in the House will join me in thanking our emergency services and military personnel, who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe.

    On 14 August, when the Government received direct requests from fire and rescue services for urgent Government intervention, we took decisive action. A national emergency alert was issued to provide the public with clear guidance on the steps they should take to avoid inadvertently contributing to an already dangerous situation. It should come as no surprise that the British public did their bit. Within 48 hours, there was a 42% decrease in the number of 999 calls, falling from 12,000 to 5,200, and by Monday morning the number of live wildfire incidents had fallen from 47 to 27. This gave our fire and rescue services the breathing space they needed to tackle existing fires and keep us all safe.

    Over the coming weeks, I will continue to work closely with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the Government’s response meets the scale of the challenges we face. I will also be working closely with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Security in ensuring that this Government take a long-term and strategic approach to the country’s preparedness. The Government will continue to work closely with our frontline services and local resilience forums to mitigate the risks posed by extreme weather and drought, including a £100 million increase in funding for the fire services and a £65 million boost in support of our farmers.

    In the interests of brevity, I will touch briefly on the work that is happening elsewhere in my Department. I have been delighted to welcome my right hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Kanishka Narayan) not only to his role as the Minister for Artificial Intelligence, but to join us around the Cabinet table. The Prime Minister has been clear that he sees harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence as a central part of our country’s future, and the elevation of this role reflects the ambition this Government have to make Britain a world leader in these advanced technologies.

    I am also pleased to welcome the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations to his role. My right hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer) has wasted no time in the vital work of building stronger ties with our closest neighbours and allies. I was very grateful to him for interrupting his honeymoon to come home and be appointed to the post.

    My Department is also bringing forward a programme to modernise the operation of the state. We are taking public control of the way Government work—cutting out the unnecessary processes and needless reviews that slow decision making and stifle innovation. At the heart of this agenda will be the restoration of Ministers’ responsibility and agency to deliver the change they promise, with increased accountability to Parliament and the public for the direction they set and the decisions they take. We will bring forward new methods of public deliberation in policy development and do away with box-ticking consultation with the usual suspects. Fewer decisions will be delegated to unelected bodies, and the way decisions are made will be scrutinised in Parliament, not in the courts, ending the warm bath of constructive ambiguity that politics has been too happy to soak in for far too long.

    I am aware—I am deeply honoured—that I am the first woman to hold the role of First Secretary of State since the late, great Barbara Castle. I am confident that if I can channel even a fraction of the energy and determination that she brought to this role, collectively we can change our country for the better. For too long, too many places have been written out of our national story; their contribution ignored and their potential overlooked. People feel like the system just does not work for them. That is why in 2024 they voted for change. This Government are on a mission to ensure we can deliver on the Prime Minister’s and the public’s priorities. This is a collective endeavour, and together we will deliver the lasting change that people deserve. I commend this statement to the House.

  • NEWS STORY : Diane Abbott Calls Imminent Russian Threat ‘NATO Fiction’

    NEWS STORY : Diane Abbott Calls Imminent Russian Threat ‘NATO Fiction’

    STORY

    Diane Abbott has rejected claims that Russia poses an imminent threat to the West, describing the warning as a “NATO fiction” being used to support higher military spending. The Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said the proposed increase in defence expenditure should not proceed.

    Writing on social media, Abbott said: “The imminent threat from Russia is a NATO fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending.” Her comments came as the Government continues to face questions over how it will finance its commitments to increase defence spending in line with NATO targets.

    The remarks drew criticism from Conservative politicians. A spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch called Abbott’s position “reprehensible”, while Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty accused her of being “dangerously out of touch” and said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and hostile activity directed at European countries demonstrated the need for greater defence investment. Downing Street declined to comment on Abbott’s statement.

  • Florence Eshalomi – 2026 Statement on Ending Homelessness

    Florence Eshalomi – 2026 Statement on Ending Homelessness

    The statement made by Florence Eshalomi, the Homelessness Minister, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026.

    On 19 August, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced the next steps in his national drive to end rough sleeping, backed by £442 million of funding through a new rough sleeping programme.

    This will ensure that everyone sleeping rough is offered a route off the streets before Christmas this year, while providing longer-term accommodation and support for people with the most complex and long-term experiences of rough sleeping.

    No one should have to sleep rough. Yet too many people remain without the safety and stability of a secure home. This Government are determined to change that, combining urgent action this winter with longer-term investment to tackle rough sleeping and help people rebuild their lives.

    Ahead of Christmas, we are funding local areas to expand accommodation provision for people sleeping rough, alongside tailored support to address the issues that contribute to rough sleeping. This may include accommodation, support to access mental health or substance use services, help to access employment or training, help to access or maintain accommodation, or other support tailored to individual circumstances. At the same time, we are investing in settled accommodation and intensive support for people experiencing long-term rough sleeping, helping those with the most complex needs to leave rough sleeping behind permanently. This investment will help deliver more than 1,000 settled homes for people experiencing rough sleeping, alongside the support needed to sustain them.

    Funding has been targeted towards areas with the greatest rough sleeping pressures, while giving mayoral strategic authorities and local authorities the flexibility to shape services around local need. This reflects the Government’s commitment to devolving power and resources to local leaders, who are best placed to understand local challenges and shape the responses needed in their communities, and mayoral strategic authorities are expected to manage funding across their area, in partnership with local authorities.

    Alongside funding allocations, we have published guidance to help local areas mobilise quickly and deliver a consistent “route off the street” offer this winter. The guidance makes clear the need to ensure adequate and accessible provision for women experiencing rough sleeping, recognising that women are often underrepresented in official statistics and may be at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.

    We are also increasing investment in the ending homelessness in communities fund, taking the total funding to £47 million, with £8.1 million additional funding, supporting voluntary, faith and community organisations, which are often the first point of contact for people furthest from mainstream support.

    This investment builds on the Government’s wider national plan to end homelessness and sits alongside action to prevent homelessness before it occurs. The £442 million package takes total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to more than £4 billion. By combining immediate action this winter with long-term investment in accommodation and intensive support, we are taking a significant step towards ending rough sleeping and helping people build stable lives away from the streets.

  • Yvette Cooper – 2026 Statement on Funeral Industry Regulation

    Yvette Cooper – 2026 Statement on Funeral Industry Regulation

    The statement made by Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026.

    I wish to update the House on the Government’s proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector, announced this summer following the sentencing of criminal funeral director Robert Bush. These proposals will seek to crack down on rogue operators in the funeral sector and ensure better protection for bereaved families.

    On 31 July, Bush, of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a total of 67 charges, including the prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud, fraudulent trading and theft.

    His actions were utterly abhorrent, and my thoughts remain with all the bereaved families in Hull who were so badly let down. Every person in every situation deserves dignity in death, and every bereaved family deserves certainty that their loved ones are being treated with care and respect.

    For those families, there can be few things more painful than knowing a loved one was not treated properly after they died. The deceased cannot speak for themselves, which is why clear safeguards, stronger oversight and consistent standards are needed to protect their dignity and give families the reassurance they deserve.

    Sadly, this case was just the latest horrendous example in our country of the deceased not being treated with the care and respect they deserved.

    Sir Jonathan Michael’s independent inquiry into the horrific crimes of David Fuller in the mortuary of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust showed the need to ensure better standards across all settings that look after our loved ones after they die, including those where some level of regulation is already in place.

    Building on the progress already made in responding to the Fuller inquiry—see HCWS26, 15 July 2026—and in the wake of the Robert Bush case, the Government will bring forward comprehensive proposals to ensure respect and dignity for the deceased in every setting, to drive rogue operators out of the funeral industry, and to protect other families from suffering this same heartache.

    The Department of Health and Social Care is leading this work alongside the Ministry of Justice and other Government Departments, and will draw up detailed proposals to drive up standards, including proper regulation of the funeral sector. As part of this work, the Law Commission will also undertake a review of the criminal law in relation to the deceased, consider any gaps in existing legal protections and make recommendations on the creation of new offences, if they are needed.

    The Government will work closely with bereaved families, funeral providers, faith groups, local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure that future policy in this area is proportionate, effective and informed by those with relevant experience. This will ensure families can have confidence that funeral providers are meeting clear, consistent standards, no matter where they live or which provider they choose.

    These changes will also reinforce the profound responsibility placed on anyone entrusted with caring for someone after death. The majority of funeral providers live up to that responsibility, and offer compassionate and professional care every day. Nevertheless, stronger oversight, including proper regulation of the sector, will protect families from rogue operators, support good providers and restore confidence in a sector that people must be able to trust in moments of profound grief and loss.

    We will keep the House updated as this work progresses, and set out our detailed plans and timetables for the implementation of these new proposals in due course.

  • Blair McDougall – 2026 Statement on CPTPP Canada

    Blair McDougall – 2026 Statement on CPTPP Canada

    The statement made by Blair McDougall, the Trade Minister, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026.

    From 1 September 2026, the UK’s accession to the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership (CPTPP) enters into force with Canada. Following Canada’s ratification, UK companies can trade with Canada under CPTPP terms for the first time.

    This means that the UK’s accession to CPTPP is now in force with all other member countries. British businesses can now access the full benefits of the agreement across all 11 CPTPP parties.

    Canada is a close UK partner and fellow G7 member. It was the UK’s largest CPTPP trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2026, accounting for 23% of all UK trade with CPTPP. Canada was also the world’s 10th largest economy in 2025, with a market of 42 million people and GDP of $2.3 trillion.

    Benefits for UK traders and consumers

    Entry into force of the UK’s CPTPP accession with Canada means that we have secured access to Canadian tariff rate quotas covering a wide variety of dairy products, including cheese, cream and ice cream. This provides UK farmers and dairy producers with additional tariff-free market access to Canada and opens further opportunities to increase exports.

    The agreement will also make short-term business travel to Canada more flexible. UK business visitors will be able to stay for up to six months, with the option to extend.

    Alongside this, new digital trade commitments will further support UK businesses by permitting them to store data entirely digitally, rather than having to establish physical facilities in Canada. These commitments will be particularly useful for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) looking to expand into Canada and across CPTPP economies.

    By improving access to information, reducing barriers to trade and increasing transparency, CPTPP will also help SMEs take advantage of new opportunities across the bloc.

    Additionally, there will be access to new public procurement opportunities by giving businesses in both countries enhanced access to markets not covered under previous agreements. For UK suppliers, this includes opportunities in sectors such as air transport, accounting and financial services.

    The UK will continue working with Canada and the other CPTPP members to build on the opportunities it creates for businesses, consumers and economic growth.

    I will keep the House updated on future CPTPP developments.