Press release: World Wildlife Day: A helping hand to turtles and mangroves

UN World Wildlife Day celebrates the best of conservation action around the globe including two UK Government supported projects



News story: Transport Minister calls on the aviation industry to address the gender gap

Transport Minister Liz Sugg has written to the aviation sector, calling on them to pledge action to overcome the gender gap, ahead of International Women’s Day later this week.

Women account for nearly half (47%) of the national workforce, but only 6% of airline pilots are women.

Aviation Minister, Liz Sugg, said:

For every 100 airline pilots, 94 are male. With a shortage of pilots in the future, the aviation industry needs to be making the best use of the talent in this country.

There are already some great industry initiatives, and ahead of International Women’s Day we are calling on the aviation industry to pledge action to address this gap.

International Women’s Day this year is being celebrated on Friday 8 March 2019, with the theme of #BalanceforBetter, to drive gender balance across the world.

There are already a number of positive initiatives taking place across the industry:

  • Baroness Sugg helped to launch the Women in aviation charter, which commits to build a more balanced and fair industry for women
  • easyJet is on track to achieve its target of ensuring 20% of its new pilot entrants are female by 2020
  • Flybe’s FlyShe campaign raises awareness of gender stereotypes
  • London Stansted Airport is a signatory to the ‘Women in aviation charter’, and has a number of education programmes including its Aerozone centre which have helped inspire thousands of young girls in the last 3 years

Liz Austin, HR Director at London Stansted Airport, said

Encouraging more girls into aviation-related careers is something London Stansted fully supports, and we welcome the government’s drive to increase the number of women in these roles.

Stansted Airport College was created to build pipeline of future talent, and works hard to promote the many exciting opportunities open to girls in aviation, from engineering to cabin crew. Along with our Aerozone education centre for younger children, we’re proud of the part London Stansted is playing in inspiring the next generation of the aviation workforce and look forward to seeing an increase in the representation of women in all sectors.



Press release: Minister for Middle East welcomes report by OPCW confirming reasonable grounds to conclude the use of chemical weapons in Douma attack

Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt comments on OPCW Douma report.



Press release: Minister for Middle East welcomes report by OPCW confirming reasonable grounds to conclude the use of chemical weapons in Douma attack

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has published a report confirming that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that a toxic chemical was used as a weapon in Douma on 7 April 2018.

The Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office welcomed the report, stating:

The UK welcomes the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) report published today (1 March) confirming that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that a toxic chemical, likely chlorine, was used as a weapon in Douma on 7 April 2018. We remember the many victims of that attack and their families today and remain committed to seeking the justice they deserve.

This is the latest in a long line of instances where the OPCW has confirmed that chemical weapons have been used in Syria. We welcome further investigations by the newly-mandated OPCW team, who will now work to attribute responsibility to the perpetrators of these hideous attacks.

The UK once again calls on the regime to engage meaningfully with the OPCW to fully declare and destroy all aspects of its past and current chemical weapons programme. The use of chemical weapons cannot be allowed to become normal – either in Syria, on UK streets or elsewhere. We call on the regime’s backers to use their influence to ensure the regime never uses chemical weapons again.

The UK remains committed to working with fellow members of the Chemical Weapons Convention to strengthen implementation of the Convention, and to challenge any efforts to undermine the ban on these vile weapons.



Press release: Joint statement on efforts to de-escalate tensions in southern Libya

UK, France, Italy and US reiterate support for credible and secure elections.