Britain and close European allies have exercised rapidly bolstering NATO’s eastern flank, demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to defend Latvia from any threat. The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a partnership of ten northern European nations, has successfully concluded Exercise Joint Protector, across multiple locations in Latvia, on NATO’s eastern flank over the last month. The exercise is a vital part of testing how quickly the JEF can deploy together across Europe to meet rapidly emerging threats. Military personnel from across the ten nations practiced deploying from their home countries, along with key equipment, to locations across Latvia. The ability of…
Author: HM Government
The United Kingdom has voted Yes on this resolution as an expression of our longstanding position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Expansion of settlements undermines prospects for peace and must cease immediately. We have witnessed, with grave concern, how an increasing number of Israeli settlers have systemically used harassment, intimidation and violence to pressure Palestinian communities to leave their land. We call on Israel to hold those responsible to account. After an unprecedented rise in settler violence over the past year, the UK has imposed sanctions on extremist Israeli groups and individuals for violence…
The Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) awards are an annual celebration of business successes throughout Cumbria and beyond. Sellafield’s Emerging Tech Team received the award for revolutionising the way in which the Sellafield site’s electrical teams are trained via a virtual reality electrical isolations simulator. The simulator immerses users in a familiar environment and allows them to practice and refine their understanding of electrical isolation procedures for multiple pieces of equipment. All of this can all be done from the controlled environment of Sellafield’s Engineering Centre of Excellence in Cleator Moor, West Cumbria, providing a safe space for users…
Chair, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States thank Director General Grossi for his report on the implementation of Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement. We commend the Agency for its continued efforts to verify Iran’s implementation of its safeguards obligations and to clarify information regarding the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. Unfortunately, due to Iran’s prolonged failure to address the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency is unable to provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Chair, Yet again, Iran has not provided technically credible explanations in response to the IAEA’s questions…
I thank ASG Jenča, National Security Advisor Juma and Dr Pape for their briefings. I took note of the statement made by Mr Cohen. The United Kingdom welcomes the strong regional participation of the representatives of Haiti, and many other countries from the region in this meeting. We are extremely concerned by the security situation in Haiti. Armed gangs have increased abhorrent and indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population. The targeting of commercial airliners has added a dangerous new dynamic. As Dr Pape’s testimony demonstrates no one is spared, not even health workers or children, from the horrors of gang…
New legislation has been laid to disregard certain compensation payments from the financial eligibility tests for civil and criminal legal aid. The legislation comes into force on Wednesday 20 November 2024 and affects applications for legal aid made on or after this date. Some individuals already in receipt of legal aid (and paying legal aid contributions) may be eligible for a reassessment of their means if they have received one of the disregarded payments. The following payments are mandatory disregards for both civil and criminal legal aid: Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) payments Miscarriage of justice compensation payments made…
I will make three points. First, the UK welcomes the progress made against the Roadmap as well as the Office of the Prosecutor’s clear plan to ensure that it remains on track to complete investigative activities by the end of 2025. As part of this, the unsealing of six arrest warrants in October is an important milestone. It is both a promising indicator of progress and a key step in providing justice for the victims of alleged war crimes in Tarhunah. The UK will continue to follow the plans for further arrest warrants applications with interest. Second, the UK welcomes…
New measures will bolster protections for elderly and disabled people relying on lifesaving alarms to call for help, benefitting nearly two million Brits. Comes as Government Minister calls on telecoms companies to complete strict checklist before transitioning customers from analogue to digital landlines, with support from central government, telecare service providers and local authorities. New safeguards include engineers testing safety of lifesaving alarms after a vulnerable customer’s line has been upgraded. The country’s most vulnerable, including elderly people relying on personal alarms to call for help, will be better protected during the switch from analogue to digital landlines, thanks to…
The government will today embark on major reform to end years of neglect of the children’s social care support system – breaking the cycle of late intervention and helping keep families together wherever possible so every child has the opportunity to thrive. A wide range of new reform measures will be set out in Parliament to deliver better outcomes and a more secure life for children across the country. The government will empower social workers, and all those that work with children, to take action against children’s placements providers that deliver subpar standards of care at sky-high costs to councils…
Armed Forces families deployed overseas will save thousands of pounds a year in childcare costs as the government increases support for service personnel, building on its commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve. The announcement forms part of a drive to boost military morale from Ministers, ahead of the first Parliamentary debate on the government’s landmark Armed Forces Commissioner Bill on Monday (18 November). Defence Secretary John Healey MP is extending a scheme which helps service families in the UK pay for wraparound childcare, to those based abroad. Hundreds of families will be able to claim up…