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Theresa May will today pledge £212 million to make sure children living in developing Commonwealth countries receive 12 years of quality education. She will also call on leaders to commit to halving malaria by 2023.

In a wide-reaching speech ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Prime Minister will tell those attending the summit that “we need to show the world what the Commonwealth is capable of”.

Alongside other high profile speakers, including Bill Gates, she will stress that global challenges require global solutions. And that maintaining the relevance and fulfilling the potential of this diverse, unique organisation, will begin at this summit.

Fulfilling this potential will ensure 2.4 billion Commonwealth citizens have safer, more prosperous and, crucially, fairer lives – which is key to the future of the organisation. Access to education and a life free from malaria will play an important role in this.

Drawing on her meetings with delegates at the Youth and Business Forums, where she heard their ambitions for a better future, Theresa May will announce substantial financial support for children, specifically girls, in developing countries across the Commonwealth to go to school.

The Prime Minister is expected to say:

Across the Commonwealth, tens of millions of young people – usually but not always girls – are denied the education that would allow them to get on in life.

All too often young people receive only the most basic education before being forced out of school through discrimination, poverty, or simply the expectations of society.

She will continue to say that:

International experts agree that young people need 12 years of quality education if they’re to fulfil their potential.

I want this to be the summit where the Commonwealth agrees to make that the goal for all our members – and begins to put in place the concrete measures that will allow it to become a reality.

To help make this happen, I can announce that the UK will be committing £212 million of funding to support member states in delivering the 12 years commitment.

This foreign aid money will see nearly one million more girls in developing Commonwealth countries being able to go to school.

Alongside education, the Prime Minister will call on fellow Commonwealth leaders to join the UK in committing to halving malaria by 2023.

Since 2000, global malaria deaths have been cut by 60 per cent, due to hard work from governments, civil society groups, and individuals such as Bill Gates, who is also due to speak at the Joint Forum Plenary event.

The Prime Minister will thank Mr Gates and his wife Melinda for the tireless campaigning they have done in the fight against this disease. And on Wednesday, the UK will co-host a global malaria summit with Rwanda and Swaziland.

Around 90 per cent of Commonwealth citizens live in countries where malaria is still endemic. More than half of the 445,000 worldwide malaria deaths each year are in Commonwealth countries.

And while the effects of this disease can reduce a country’s GDP by as much 1.3 per cent, the human cost, the PM will say is “incalculable.”

Adding that:

We cannot in good conscience, talk about the young people of the world, about securing a legacy for our children and grandchildren, without tackling a disease that, worldwide, kills one of them every two minutes.

She will say:

The UK remains committed to its five-year pledge, made in 2016, to spend half a billion pounds a year tackling malaria.

This year, that figure includes £100 million that will be match-funded by partners in the private sector.

I know other Commonwealth nations are also among the biggest funders of this global effort.

Malaria devastates lives worldwide but it has a particular impact on the Commonwealth. And we, as a Commonwealth, have a particular duty to tackle it.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister had a bilateral meeting with President Buhari of Nigeria at Downing Street today.

They agreed that the UK and Nigeria were strong and enduring partners and that we would continue to champion our shared values of democracy, including the fight against corruption, and inclusive education.

They agreed our defence and security cooperation was close and longstanding, particularly on issues of regional security where we were working together to tackle the threat of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, including through a new £1 million package of counter-IED equipment to protect troops and civilians in Nigeria. The Prime Minister said she was saddened so many girls had been affected by the security situation in Nigeria, and that the thoughts of the British people were with the girls and their families.

They agreed on the importance of tackling climate change, and of fighting the scourge of modern slavery.

They discussed Salisbury and Syria, agreeing on the vital importance of upholding international norms against the use of chemical weapons.

The Prime Minister also congratulated the President on leading a successful business reform agenda in Nigeria, noting that as the UK leaves the EU, our bilateral trade and investment relationship would continue to go from strength to strength.

More than 96% of farmers in England signed up to the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) have now received their full payments and the RPA is working to make the remaining 4% of payments which require more complex processing and therefore take longer to complete.

Over 18,000 2018 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications have already been submitted since the application window opened in March. A record 90% of the applications made so far have been online, as farmers continue to make the switch from paper forms, with over 16,500 online entitlements so far.

RPA Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:

We have made solid progress in delivering payments to farmers this year, with more than 96% now paid, and I am pleased so many of this final 4% have now received their bridging payments.

As always, there is more to do, and the RPA will continue working to make the final remaining payments. But now is also the time to get online to make sure your application for 2018 is in before the deadline closes in May.

Farming Minister George Eustice announced in January the commitment to provide a bridging payment to any farmer not paid by the end of March and highlighted how the burden of EU rules continues to be a barrier to processing some of the remaining claims. These bridging payments are worth 75% of their full allocated amounts.

The RPA is encouraging farmers to apply online now, to ensure that their application is submitted before the deadline of 15 May 2018. Applying online means farmers and agents can quickly check and update existing personal and business details, as well as view and transfer land and entitlements.

Throughout the application process, help and support is available through our online guidance, ‘How to’ videos and by telephone.

Online and paper applications

Anyone who applied online for the Basic Payment Scheme in 2017has been emailed all they need to apply online for BPS in 2017. Those who did not apply online in 2017 and did not use an agent have been sent a paper form and guidance on how to apply online.

Support available from the RPA

Farmers and anyone helping them with their claim can find step-by-step guides on transferring land, transferring entitlements and a general overview of how to apply online in useful ‘How to’ videos. Further guidance and scheme rules can be found on GOV.UK.
On-screen help is also available, going through the application process screen by screen. A copy of this on-screen guide is also available for download or print.

The application deadline for BPS 2017 is midnight on 15 May 2018. Late applications will be accepted until 9 June but will incur a penalty. More information on how to claim or amend applications in the penalty claim period can be found in the Key Dates section of the 2018 guidance.

Mapping queries

This is the first year that hedges are shown in online digital maps. For those that want to use hedges as part of their application it’s important that they read our guidance on ‘How to check and change your hedge information’. This guidance explains how to check the information we hold about hedges, whether applicants need to tell us about changes and what to do if changes do need to be made.

Where an RLE1 form is necessary as part of a BPS 2018 application, farmers should submit their main application first and on time (by 15 May 2018). They can then submit any queries and send the RLE1 form to the RPA with the sketch map before 6 July 2018. This is to reduce the burden on applicants and allow them more time to complete the extra information required.

The new dedicated team will work across government to help individuals identify and gather evidence to confirm their existing right to be in the UK. The team will include a dedicated contact point and aim to resolve cases within 2 weeks once the evidence has been put together. In addition, no one affected will be charged for the documentation which proves their right to be here.

The package of measures is being introduced to support individuals, who have resided in the UK for an extended period of time, and encourage them to come forward and regularise their stay. It will help guide individuals through the process and use data from across government to help build a picture that will evidence a person’s right to be here.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

This is about individuals, people who have built their lives here in the UK and contributed so much to our society. I don’t want them to feel unwelcome or to be in any doubt about their right to remain here. There is absolutely no question about their right to remain and I am very sorry for any confusion or anxiety felt.

The vast majority will already have documentation that proves their right to be here. For those that don’t I am announcing a new dedicated team that will be set up to help these people with getting the documentation they need and do it quickly.

We’ve also set up a webpage and have been speaking to charities, community groups and High Commissioners about providing advice and reassurance to those affected and we will set up a dedicated contact point to ensure this is resolved as soon as possible.

The new team will work with HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and other relevant bodies to help people evidence their right to be here.

The Home Office has also published a new web page which provides information and guidance for former Commonwealth citizens.

It gives examples of the type of evidence that can be provided to support applications including exam certificates, employment records, your National Insurance number, birth and marriage certificates or bills and letters.

The UK is joining the Indian-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) to give over 1 billion of the world’s poorest people access to cheap, clean, renewable energy, the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has announced today (Monday 16 April) ahead of the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit later this week.

Narendra Modi’s flagship climate treaty has already brought together more than 60 countries who have pledged to increase solar power that will ensure homes remain lit, children can be educated in schools, health facilities can provide life-saving treatment, and businesses have access to vital mobile and internet services.

At an event held at the London Stock Exchange as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM), the UK cemented its membership to the ISA, which is aiming to raise $1 trillion of private and public finance to provide affordable and sustainable energy for all by 2030.

The International Development Secretary has championed the UK’s world-leading innovation and expertise – including from the City of London, the leading global centre for green investment finance – that will enable the ISA to deliver more effective programmes and help more of the world’s most vulnerable people.

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt said:

The signing of this treaty is a momentous occasion for the UK, and demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the very best of British expertise to the renewable energy sector. With the UK joining the International Solar Alliance, the lives of almost a billion of the world’s poorest people, across the Commonwealth and beyond, will be changed for the better.

Partnering with like-minded countries and businesses who share the UK’s commitment to delivering clean, affordable energy will help end poverty while also delivering benefits for the UK by opening up business opportunities for UK renewable energy and green finance companies.

Without India’s leadership, the Alliance would not have come so far and so fast. By increasing access to solar energy, millions more babies will now be delivered safely, millions of farmers will be able to grow more crops and better support their families, and millions more children can be better educated.

The UK will support the ISA to develop solar water pumping projects, where farmers can use cheaper solar power – rather than diesel pumps – to water their crops. This will build on the success of similar initiatives in Uganda and Bangladesh where farmers are already growing higher value vegetable crops and increasing their incomes.

UK expertise will also help increase the number of ‘mini grids’ supplying power to remote areas that cannot be reached by the main electricity grid. These energy sources are a life-line for rural communities, helping to power business and homes, making sure the poorest people no matter where they live can access clean, reliable and affordable energy quickly to lift themselves out of poverty.

This new collaboration means the ISA will be able to make solar power cheaper by helping countries join forces to procure solar energy systems. Currently twelve ISA countries, including Commonwealth countries Bangladesh and Malawi want to purchase over 720,000 solar pumps through ISA. The joint purchase will see a significant reduction in solar pump costs for each of the participating countries and up to five million people in developing countries will benefit from this collective purchase.

Notes to Editors:

Traditional financial aid to India ended in 2015. The UK now provides the country with world-leading expertise and private investment which boost prosperity, create jobs and open up markets, while generating a return for the UK at the same time. This is firmly in our interests.

The UK is providing technical expertise and private sector investments to support India’s development in areas where the UK has globally recognised expertise and commercial capability.

The International Solar Alliance aims to raise $1,000 billion to deliver clean and affordable energy to almost a billion people who currently lack access.

The UK will be the 62nd country to join the ISA. Others included Australia, Bangladesh, Tuvalu, Benin, United Arab Emirates Brazil, Vanuatu, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and France.

The UK will provide the best of British expertise and advice to help the effective delivery of the Indian-led initiative. The UK will only provide expertise to the ISA, there will be no monetary contributions.

UK expertise will enable UK, NGO’s, researchers and businesses to collaborate with ISA partners to generate innovation and investments that will help meet the ISA’s target to provide affordable sustainable energy for all by 2030.

The UK is supporting the ISA through existing initiatives and partnerships that will open up new solar markets for UK companies. This will include sharing UK experiences that supported the UK solar market to become viable and as a result no longer need taxpayers’ support.

A number of countries DFID works in have already signed up to join the ISA and will benefit from the additional expertise that the UK is providing. Countries include: DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Sierra-Leone, Uganda, Yemen, Rwanda, Nigeria, Somalia and Tanzania.