Category: Gov Press Releases

The Queen has been pleased to appoint Mrs Susan Sheldon DL as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight to succeed Major General Sir Martin White KCVO CB CBE when he retires on 25 March 2019.

The Budget committed £1 billion in extra money for Scotland, maintained the freeze on whisky and fuel duty, and saw a £150 million investment in the Tay City Region Deal. The Chancellor also committed to progress growth deals in Ayrshire, Moray and Borderlands.

Today’s announcements for Scotland include:

• An extra £950 million for the Scottish Government, meaning its budget will have grown in real terms to £32 billion by 2020.
• £150 million for a Tay Cities Deal to support growth and create new jobs.
• A boost to the Scotch Whisky industry, which already accounts for 20% of UK food and drink exports, as Spirits Duty is frozen for the second Budget in a row. This means the price of a typical bottle is 30p lower than if it had risen by inflation.
• A UK-wide £10 million Fisheries Technology Fund to help transform the industry and make fishermen in Scotland world leaders in safe, sustainable and productive fishing.
• Opening formal negotiations for a Moray Growth Deal and progressing talks for Ayrshire and Borderlands Growth Deals.
• Continuing support for the oil and gas sector, through maintaining our globally competitive position and further strengthening Scotland’s role as a world leader in this area.
• Appointing a dedicated manager from the British Business Bank in Scotland, for the first time, to help to reduce geographical imbalances in small businesses’ access to finance.

Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said:

Today’s Budget is great news for people in Scotland.

The Chancellor’s decisions mean there will be an extra £1 billion to invest in public services in Scotland. I urge the Scottish Government to use this extra money to support the NHS in Scotland, fix the roads, boost Scotland’s economy and reinvigorate Scotland’s high streets.

The freeze on spirits duty will be a boost to Scotland’s whisky industry, maintaining the favourable tax climate for oil and gas will continue to help support the recovery of the sector, investing in fisheries technology will help support a key Scottish industry, and freezing beer duty will support large and small brewers across Scotland.

I welcome the significant investment – £150 million – in the Tay Cities Deal. The Deal will drive economic growth in Tayside, boosting jobs and prosperity throughout the region. I also welcome the announcement that we are to open negotiations on a Moray Growth Deal, and we continue to make progress on Growth Deals for Borderlands and Ayrshire. In all, the UK Government is investing more than £1 billion in City Region Deals right across Scotland, helping to drive growth in Scotland’s economy.

On top of our extensive investment in Scotland’s economy, individuals up and down Scotland will benefit from the ongoing freeze on fuel duty and the increase in personal allowance. Today’s Budget demonstrates clearly how the UK Government is delivering for people in Scotland.

Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said:

I am concerned by ongoing political developments in Sri Lanka and am following this fast-moving situation closely. Once again, I call upon all parties to uphold the constitution and due political and legal process.

I urge President Sirisena, in consultation with the Speaker, to reconvene the parliament immediately in order to give the democratically elected representatives of the Sri Lankan people their voice at this time.

The UK, as a friend of Sri Lanka, remains committed to working with international partners and alongside the Sri Lankan government and people to support democracy, human rights, and reconciliation.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Mark Field @MarkFieldUK
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Wales will benefit from over half a billion pounds in additional funding for the Welsh Government, as well as £120 million for a North Wales Growth Deal, the Chancellor has announced in the Budget today.

This year’s Budget is a result of the UK government’s balanced approach to the country’s finances, meaning the Welsh Government will have more spending power, while keeping taxes low and debt falling.

Today’s announcements for Wales include:

• More than £550 million of extra money for the Welsh Government, meaning its budget will have grown to over £16.1 billion by 2020.
• £120 million for a North Wales Growth Deal, generating investment, jobs and prosperity in the region.
• Continuing to support a Mid Wales Growth Deal, working with the Welsh Government, businesses and local councillors to agree a deal.
• Supporting the delivery of the M4 relief road by reviewing the Welsh Government’s borrowing powers.
• Giving Welsh councils the freedom to build more council homes by removing the borrowing cap on housing.
• Appointing a dedicated manager from the British Business Bank in Wales, for the first time, to help to reduce geographical imbalances in small businesses’ access to finance.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

My Budget sends a clear message to the people of Wales – your hard work is paying off.

Thanks to the UK government’s careful stewardship of the economy, the public finances are in a much stronger position and national debt is falling.

This means we have more money to invest in Wales’s future – including £550m of extra funding for the Welsh Government and £120m for a North Wales Growth Deal.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Today’s budget shows the scale of ambition the UK Government has for Wales.

From the clear support for a North Wales Growth Deal, reviewing borrowing capacity to deliver critical infrastructure projects, and the additional half a billion of spending power, this is a Budget that clearly backs Wales’s future prosperity.

The wider package of announcements made today show that we are getting the important things right – backing hardworking people and unlocking key infrastructure. Taken together, these measures are proof positive of a UK Government that is building on a strong foundation for Wales’s economic prospects as part of a stronger United Kingdom.

The Chancellor set out his Budget against a backdrop of positive economic news across Wales. Since 2010, 151,000 more people in Wales are in employment and in 2016 it had one of the highest productivity growth rates across the UK.

The people of Wales will also benefit from measures to tackle the cost of living:

• Fuel duty has been frozen for a ninth successive year. As a result of these nine years of freezes, by April 2020, the average car driver will have saved a cumulative £1,000 compared with the pre-2010 escalator.
• The National Living Wage will also rise next year to £8.21 per hour, with the current rate benefitting around 81,000 workers in Wales. An additional 20,000 people will also benefit from changes to the Minimum Wage, which will also increase to £7.70 per hour.
• The Personal Allowance will increase to £12,500 and the Higher Rate Threshold will also go up to £50,000, meaning people will keep more of what they earn.

The UK’s Minister for Europe, Sir Alan Duncan, will join other world leaders in Istanbul to mark Turkish Republic Day.

The most important day in the year for Turkey, it marks the proclamation of the Turkish Republic by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 29 October 1923.

Today (28 October), the Minister will also attend the opening ceremony of Istanbul’s new airport. The airport will replace Istanbul Ataturk and contribute to Istanbul’s role as one of the world’s leading transit hubs.

Sir Alan will join Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu at the ceremony, as well as meeting Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Faruk Kaymakçı.

Ahead of the visit, the Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan said:

This is a truly historic moment for Turkey – celebrating its Republic day at the same time as opening a brand new international airport – and I’m proud to be representing the UK in Istanbul.

Turkey has always been, and will continue to be, a close ally and friend of the UK.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• President Steinmeier will attend Remembrance Sunday Service in an historic act of reconciliation to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War
• He will become the first German leader to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph ceremony before later attending a service at Westminster Abbey

The German President will attend the UK’s commemorations for the centenary of the end of the First World War on Remembrance Sunday.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the German people in an historic act of reconciliation.

It will be the first time a German leader will lay a wreath at the ceremony. The act marks the significance of the centenary, 100 years after the guns fell silent on the Western Front after four years of war.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Remembrance Sunday gives all of us the chance to come together and remember the immense sacrifices made in war.

I look forward to welcoming President Steinmeier to this year’s ceremony where we will remember all the fallen and give thanks for peace. His attendance to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph shows the significance of this event, 100 years after the end of the First World War.

President Steinmeier will also attend a Service at Westminster Abbey on the Sunday evening. The 2,000 guests will pay tribute to all those who came home and helped to build the world we live in today.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said:

I am pleased that on this most important of days, we can come together with our German friends to mark reconciliation and the peace that exists between our two nations today. It is part of a fitting finale of our four year commemoration of the First World War Centenary.

Remembrance Sunday will mark the culmination of the Government’s First World War centenary programme. Over the past four years, the German State has been represented at all commemorative events including those to mark the Battles of Jutland, the Somme and Amiens.

Sir Alan Duncan, the Minister for Europe, will join the UK-Spain Tertulias event, which will celebrate the UK’s strong bilateral and cultural links with Spain and commitment to strengthening the UK-Spain relationship after Brexit.

The 30th edition of the event, to be held in Malaga today and tomorrow (Oct 26-27), will see the Minister meet with Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, Europe Minister Luis Marco Aguirano and Minister for Territorial Policy, Ignacio Sanchez Amor.

Speaking ahead of the event, Sir Alan said:

The annual Tertulias dialogue not only demonstrates the importance of our close links for UK and Spanish citizens, but illustrates the many layers of friendship and shared history between the UK and Spain – a relationship we are committed to strengthening as we prepare to leave the EU.

Malaga is also one of the most important hubs of British life in Spain, and plays a key role in British-Spanish relations. At the heart of Costa del Sol, Malaga is home to 55,000 British residents and welcomed more than three million British tourists last year. It is one of the most popular destinations for British people visiting in Spain.

Further information

• Follow Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

As part of HS2’s enabling works, over the next 2 years, more than 1,000 archaeologists, specialists, scientists and conservators from across the UK will be exploring and recording over 60 archaeological sites for the project.

Ranging from the Prehistoric and Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods, and the Industrial Revolution and World War 2, HS2’s archaeology programme is Europe’s biggest dig and promises to provide a fascinating insight into the everyday lives of the people and communities who made modern Britain.

The archaeology programme is a central part of HS2’s ground preparation works for Phase One of the project, London to Birmingham. HS2, its contractors and supply chain are well underway with a programme of work, clearing sites, ahead of main construction works next year. Given the historical significance of the sites, HS2 will be engaging over 1,000 archaeologists to ensure that we carry out the works to a professional standard while leaving a lasting legacy of skills and apprenticeships as well as new discoveries.

Early finds include prehistoric tools in Buckinghamshire, medieval pottery in Stoke Mandeville and 2 Victorian time capsules with more discoveries to come as archaeologists begin the exploration of our past.

HS2: A train through time

Commenting on HS2’s archaeology programme, Mark Thurston, HS2 Ltd Chief Executive, said:

How we build HS2 is as important to us as what we are building and we are committed to sharing as much of our cultural heritage as possible. Before we bore the tunnels, lay the tracks and build the stations, an unprecedented amount of archaeological research is now taking place between London and Birmingham. This is the largest archaeological exploration ever in Britain, employing a record number of skilled archaeologists and heritage specialists from across the UK and beyond.

As well as improving connectivity, generating 30,000 new jobs and creating a network of new wildlife habitats, our archaeology programme shows that HS2 is more than a railway; it’s an opportunity to tell the story of our past, create opportunities in the present and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Highlights along the line of route include:

• exploring a prehistoric hunter-gatherer site on the outskirts of London;
• researching an undiscovered multi-period site (Bronze and Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval) in Northamptonshire;
• excavating a Romano-British town in Fleet Marston, Aylesbury;
• uncovering the remains of a medieval manor in Warwickshire;
• finding out more about the Black Death and its impact on medieval villages;
• re-telling the story of a Buckinghamshire village through the careful excavation of a 1,000 year old demolished medieval church and burial ground;
• comparing and contrasting the lives of the buried population in 2 Georgian/Victorian burial grounds in London and Birmingham; and
• discovering a WW2 bombing decoy in Lichfield.

HS2 has granted BBC Two access to this pioneering project, to be documented in a new series made by Lion TV, due on air in 2019/20 presented by Prof. Alice Roberts.

HS2 will also share the finds with local communities through a series of open days and talks and will create a permanent archival legacy of artefacts and discoveries for future generations.

Helen Wass, HS2 Ltd Head of Heritage, said:

The sheer scale of possible discoveries, the geographical span and the vast range of our history to be unearthed makes HS2’s archaeology programme a unique opportunity to tell the story of Britain. From Prehistoric remnants and Roman settlements to deserted medieval villages, Wars of the Roses battlefields and Victorian innovation, HS2’s archaeology programme has it all.

All artefacts and human remains will be treated with dignity, care and respect and our discoveries will be shared with communities in a variety of ways through open days, expert lectures, the BBC documentary and online. This is a very exciting time for archaeology in Britain and we are committed to make sure that HS2’s archaeology programme creates knowledge for further study, engages with communities and leaves behind a lasting archival and skills legacy.

The archaeological investigation is expected to last around 2 years with over 1,000 archaeologists, experts and engineering personnel beginning work on site. They are part of more than 7,000 people already employed on the project, which is expected to support up to 30,000 jobs at the peak of construction.

Welcoming the launch of HS2’s archaeology work, Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:

With the building of HS2 comes a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our understanding of how people have shaped England’s landscapes over thousands of years, from the first prehistoric farmers through Roman and Saxon and Viking incomers to the more recent past.

Historic England is working closely with HS2 archaeologists so we can make sure that this opportunity is seized and we are advising on how we can get the best possible results from the discoveries.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister held a telephone call with the new Prime Minister of Iraq, Adil Abdul Mehdi, this afternoon to congratulate him on taking office.

They agreed to continue to work together as Prime Minister Mehdi aimed to build a successful future for the people of Iraq.

They agreed the UK and Iraq were significant security partners, particularly in the ongoing fight against Daesh.

They noted that Iraq had an important role to play in the region.

They looked forward to meeting in the future.