Day: June 25, 2018

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This evening the Prime Minister called President Erdogan of Turkey to congratulate him on his victory in the Turkish Presidential elections.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of the bilateral relationship between the UK and Turkey and expressed her desire to continue working in partnership with President Erdogan and his government on our shared priorities including security cooperation, trade and investment, the situation in Syria and supporting a political settlement in Cyprus.

The Prime Minister thanked President Erdogan for Turkey’s support on the Chemical Weapons Convention Special Session and the leaders looked forward to meeting at the NATO Summit next month.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

In a meeting at Downing Street, Prime Minister Theresa May and European Council President Donald Tusk discussed this week’s upcoming European Council meeting in Brussels.

The Prime Minister said it would be an opportunity to discuss a number of important issues, including migration and security and defence ahead of the NATO Summit.

On the Brexit negotiations, the PM looked forward to discussing the continuing progress we have made on issues relating to the UK’s withdrawal and work to build towards a deep future partnership.

The PM said the UK will be setting out more detail on the UK’s vision for the future relationship in a White Paper after the June Council.

The Prime Minister and President Tusk also looked forward to the Western Balkans Summit which will take place in London next month.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

I realise the disappointment this decision may cause, but ultimately this project did not meet the threshold for taxpayer value.

The reality is the consumer and industry would have been paying disproportionately high prices for electricity when cheaper alternatives are available. I was an early and consistent supporter of the scheme – and took it to Number 10 – but after months of hard work by officials – the conclusion when taking a responsible approach to taxpayers money – is it just did not stack up.

It’s important to stress that the issue here is specifically with the tidal lagoon application, not the concept of marine energy itself. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales and wider Government is committed to renewable energy and we will remain open to different sources of that. However, the priority always has to be that renewable energy represents good value for the Welsh consumer.

Read the Business Secretary’s statement to the House in full here

Read the Value for Money assessment here

UK aid is supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to educate 500,000 children and provide health services for 3 million Palestinian refugees.

The UK will deliver financial support earlier than originally planned to ensure vulnerable Palestinians continue to receive food, education and healthcare. At the UNRWA pledging conference in New York today (Monday 25 June), the UK will confirm that it will be imminently releasing £38.5 million to the agency to help alleviate some of the financial pressures the organisation is under.

Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt said:

The UN Relief and Works Agency is a necessary humanitarian and stabilising force across the Middle-East, providing millions of Palestinian refugees with hope and opportunities every day.

The recent violence on the Gaza border has significantly added to the burden on UNRWA’s services, and their vital work delivering food, education and healthcare has never been more critical.

I urge the international community to come together and follow our lead so the Agency can continue its often life-saving work.

Notes to Editors

• The UK will deliver financial support to UNRWA earlier than originally planned, releasing £38.5m to the Agency which includes £10 million on top of the £28.5 million package of support announced by Minister Burt at the Extraordinary Ministerial Conference on UNRWA in Rome in March. This urgent support will ensure vital frontline services remain uninterrupted.
• The announcement will be confirmed at the United Nations in New York by Jonathan Allen, Deputy Permanent Representative for the UK Mission to the UN.