Thank you Mr President.

The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur on the right to education for her report. We remain strongly committed to enabling all children to receive 12 years of quality education.

The United Kingdom supports the work of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and thanks her for her work on the report into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

Mr President,

The United Kingdom condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last October. We remain clear that anyone found responsible – following a credible judicial process – must be held to account. The UK has urged the authorities of Saudi Arabia to provide a credible and transparent explanation of events. Key questions remain unanswered. We reiterate our calls on Saudi Arabia to ensure that such a terrible event cannot – and must not – ever happen again.

We note the findings and recommendations of the report. We urge all parties to share relevant information. We are concerned by reported restrictions regarding the investigative process. We advise Saudi Arabia to do all it can to ensure transparency of the judicial process.

We thank the Special Rapporteur’s for her report’s recommendations for strengthening international action to protect journalists and for new measures to act on the issue of impunity. We look forward to discussing these issues with partners in London at the Global Conference for Media Freedom.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you for inviting me to speak at the Design Biennale summit and welcome to all those here today.

I would like to congratulate the Biennale on its impact on the international design industry since its inception.

I must also congratulate Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans, the founders of this fantastic event.

From what I have seen of the schedule, today promises to be a melting pot of ideas and fascinating discussions that will continue to strengthen this impact.

This event promises to foster exciting international design thinking and to look more deeply at how design can make the world a better place.

In many ways London is the design capital of the world, so it is a fitting backdrop for this truly unique event. We are all united by our common interest in design and our passion for how great design can boost our countries and cities.

And how design thinking can revolutionise our approach to dealing with many of the challenges facing today’s society.

Es Devlin’s choice of theme – Resonance – is very exciting.

As Minister for Digital and Creative Industries, I am really interested in how the power of design resonates internationally.

UK design is recognised the world over – the Tube map, the Mini car, the classic Penguin book covers. It is our calling card to the world.

Design has the power to cross borders and provide links between cultures. It exports our values and culture to the world. And vice versa. This event shows the power of design to unite and facilitate collaboration.

In an increasingly connected and digital world design resonates with people on an incredibly personal level.

It alters accepted behaviours, shapes perceptions and helps to develop and transform societies and ways of living.

Of course, design is also vital to the modern economy. From airplanes to websites, furniture to buildings, UK design exports continue to generate billions for our economy.

I want design to be at the heart of our economic, cultural and social policies. And we are working hard to make this a reality.

The Biennale brings together different nations to work together to explore a single theme. The varied interpretations of the theme and ideas demonstrated show the value of different perspectives and approaches to the issues of todays’ society.

The Biennale is a great example of nations working together. This is ever more important in an ever more connected world.

It demonstrates that design can be an exciting catalyst for such cross border collaboration, which is ever more important today.

I look forward to seeing what the London Design Biennale 2020 brings. Thank you.

The Reservist community come from all parts of the community and all walks of life; sacrificing their spare time, balancing their civilian live and working alongside regular forces to protect the nation. They are deployed in operational theatres worldwide, undertaking different, diverse and sometimes dangerous roles. Across Joint Forces Command (JFC), they make a daily contribution to UK defence.

Lieutenant Commander Nathan Ditton based at Permanent Joint Headquarters, part of JFC spoke about his experience as a JFC Reservist and what made him choose to follow a career in the Reserve forces.

Nathan, who joined the Reserves in 2002 explained:

I joined the Reservists, because I have always sought to undertake wider activities that supported my community such as lifeboat crew, youth work and having an interest in military affairs. I wanted to find a method of putting something back into wider society, both in the UK and overseas.

When not working as a Civil Servant at Army’s Regional Command, Nathan is a Maritime Trade Operations Officer (MTO), providing operational liaison and interaction between military commanders and the merchant shipping community. This role includes providing navigational safety and security advice to merchant shipping in high risk areas.

He also completed 2 years as Executive Officer of HMS King Alfred, the Royal Naval Reserve Unit in Portsmouth, responsible for providing command advice to the Commanding Officer and being the link between the unit and the local community.

Nathan spoke about the biggest satisfaction of his role as a Reservist ‘‘is that the outputs I am responsible for make a real difference.”

He went on to explain that in his role as an MTO Officer:

the actions I take can help safeguard the free flow of merchant shipping and thus economic wellbeing of the UK and wider international community. In addition, the development opportunities particularly in the areas of planning and leadership have direct positive benefit in my civilian work performance and development.

As a civil servant, Nathan continuously utilises skills as a Reservist within the role and vice versa, this is particularly case in areas of policy development, leadership, project management and reporting.

Of being a Reservist, Nathan enthused:

I would strongly encourage people to join the Reserve Forces, there are multiple roles in which you can be employed and the commitment you choose to make can flex according to your circumstances. In addition to training and exercises, there is the opportunity to participate in social, sporting and adventurous training events.

The complete Reserves experience will have positive transferable skills to civilian employment.

From JFC, we thank Reservists for their dedication and professionalism and their integral work in protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas.

The role of IMEG is to provide independent advice to Minister (DPV) on the medical and scientific aspects of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

Dr Scadding is currently an Honorary Consultant Neurologist Emeritus at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), London. A senior British neurologist, now retired from clinical practice, but active in a number of clinical advisory and academic roles. He has experience of NHS and academic management roles.

Dr Scadding has formerly held a number of senior advisory and management roles, including chairmanship of the Medical Committee of NHNN; Medical Director of NHNN, and subsequently Deputy Medical Director of University College London Hospitals (UCLH); membership of the Board of Governors of NHNN Special Health Authority and of the Committee of Management of the Institute of Neurology (now part of UCL). He was Academic Dean and Vice President of the Royal Society of Medicine and until recently Chair of the Research Committee of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust.

He was formerly a member of the Medical Committee at CBDE Porton Down in the 1980s; a member of the original MOD ethics committees and later vice-chairman of MODREC (Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee); a member of several working parties; and Civilian Consultant Adviser in Neurology to both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

Dr Scadding has been appointed for a period of 3 years and will take up his post on 1 August 2019. The appointment has been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. In this case, none has been declared.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today (26 June 2019) laid regulations to enact an extended allocation of Tariff Guarantees on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

Tariff Guarantees provide investment certainty to larger, better value for money installations on the Renewable Heat Incentive. These will make a significant contribution to our stretching, legally binding carbon targets. Under existing arrangements, eligible installations granted a tariff guarantee were required to commission by 31 January 2020.

Changes laid in Parliament today will enable existing applicants to withdraw their tariff and reapply to achieve a later commissioning date, enabling a pipeline of new, large renewable heat plants.

Since the implementation of Tariff Guarantees, the government has granted 43 tariff guarantees for large scale projects, the majority of which produce biomethane for injection to the gas grid.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore said:

As the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions, we must act to reduce emissions from heat and industry – one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. That’s why we’re giving investment certainty to a number of renewable industries with an extended allocation of Tariff Guarantees on the Renewable Heat Incentive.

This will unlock significant investment across the renewable heat sector – an important step on our way to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Further announcements will be made regarding the progress of this legislation in due course.