Author Archives: HM Government

The hard work and dedication of Wales’ servicemen and women and those who support them will be recognised at the Armed Forces in Wales awards today (30 Nov).

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will deliver a keynote speech and present the main award of the evening at the prestigious event in Cardiff City Stadium.

Now in their fifth year, the awards honour the accomplishments and professionalism of our servicemen and women, as well as employers and individuals who work tirelessly to support our Service personnel.

The awards are:

• Sports
• Youth and Cadet
• Armed Forces Covenant
• Armed Forces Award

The UK Government has put defence at the heart of its vision for a Global Britain. Earlier this year, the UK Government announced that the tenth Armed Forces Day national event in 2018 will take place in and around Llandudno in the borough of Conwy, North Wales. And with 2,000 troops and over 1,000 MoD civilian staff based here, Wales is at the heart of the UK’s Defence.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

From the battlefields of Flanders to the deserts of Afghanistan, Welsh servicemen and women have served in our Armed Forces for the last century with distinction and commitment.

The Armed Forces in Wales Awards provide us with the opportunity to show our appreciation and pride for our soldiers, sailors and air personnel who sacrifice so much for others.

Our debt of gratitude also extends to the families and friends they leave behind but who contribute so much. I am privileged to have the opportunity to celebrate their invaluable contribution to the defence of our nation and I am humbled and honoured to be in their company this evening.

The event will also recognise employers who have made an outstanding commitment to support the Armed Forces.

The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Awards recognise employers who actively support the Armed Forces community in their workplace and also encourage others to follow their lead.

Mr Cairns added:

The companies nominated tonight have shown outstanding commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.

They have taken meaningful steps to ensure the Defence community are not disadvantaged by the sacrifice they make in helping keep this country safe. The actions of these employers make it crystal clear that regardless of size, location, or sector, employing people with military skills is good for business.

ENDS

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Scotland has a special place at the heart of our precious union of nations.

And today, on St Andrew’s Day, it is right that we should come together to celebrate everything that Scotland stands for and all that Scotland contributes to our United Kingdom and to the whole world.

For that is the breadth of Scotland’s influence.

From the creativity and ingenuity of Edinburgh’s Festivals, three of which celebrated their 70th anniversary this year as some of the world’s greatest arts events – to Dr Richard Henderson who has become the 14th Scot to be awarded the Nobel Prize.

From the UK’s life-saving humanitarian efforts co-ordinated from East Kilbride to the factory in Falkirk making iconic double-decker buses that are sold to Mexico City.

From Scotland’s defence industry, making world-leading warships on the Clyde, to Scottish food and drink enjoyed the world over.

And I am proud that as Prime Minister of our United Kingdom, the government I lead is committed to doing everything possible to support Scotland’s continued success.

That includes investing over £1 billion in City Deals that have backed projects from five new technology innovation hubs and the new concert venue in Edinburgh, to the V&A opening in Dundee next year.

And it is that partnership between all the nations of the United Kingdom that makes us even stronger.

So today, let us take confidence from the contribution that Scotland will make in helping the United Kingdom to secure a bold, confident and prosperous future as a truly global nation.

And to all Scots, wherever you are in the world today, I wish you all a very happy St Andrew’s Day.

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First Secretary of State Damian Green meets Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and First Minister Carwyn Jones, along with Local Authority leaders to move discussions on Brexit forward

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In her first speech as International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt today announced she will bring together global leaders and technology companies next year to tackle the barriers that prevent people living with disabilities in the world’s poorest countries from reaching their full potential.

During a speech at Microsoft’s head office in London, Ms Mordaunt will set out that the UK will co-host the Global Disability Summit in 2018.

Speaking ahead of her speech, the International Development Secretary said:

For too long many people living with disabilities in the world’s poorest countries have not been able to fulfil their potential due to stigma or a lack of practical support. They are, for example, missing out on school and the chance to work.

Discrimination is unacceptable in today’s society. I want us all to act now and break down the barriers people with all disabilities face in their everyday lives, so they are not short-changed on opportunities to use their entrepreneurial spirit to help their countries prosper.

That’s why I am bringing technology companies, governments and charities together at the UK Government’s first-ever Global Disability Summit in London in July 2018, to show our commitment to transform the lives of people living with disabilities.

People with disabilities have a much lower employment rate in both developed and developing countries. In Bangladesh, this means that $54 million are lost every year, because people with disabilities do not have the right support. Overcoming these barriers would boost global prosperity.

DFID wants to shine a spotlight on the role that innovation and technology can play to help people with disabilities. For example, UK aid-supported D-Rev, is a small business which developed a low-cost prosthetic knee for young adults in rural Africa and Asia, to make sure it could reach the poorest people.

Innovation and expertise from world-leading private sector businesses, including Microsoft, will be vital for DFID to learn how to successfully support people with disabilities in the developing world.

Hugh Milward, Senior Director Corporate and External Legal Affairs at Microsoft said:

Microsoft believes that technology can play a critical role in removing barriers and empowering people with disabilities. At this moment, the world is at the dawn of a data and technology driven fourth industrial revolution, and these technologies enable governments and organisations to change the way they deliver services to their communities, customers and colleagues.

DFID has already started to put disability at the heart of its development agenda, with programmes funded through UK Aid Match and the Amplify challenge, showing first-hand how the lives of people with disabilities can be improved.

Notes to editors

The Global Disability Summit will be co-hosted with the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

One study in Bangladesh found that, ‘reductions in wage earnings attributed to lower levels of education among people with disabilities and their child caregivers were estimated to cost the economy USD 54 million per year’.

UK aid will support programmes which are proven to improve the lives of people with disabilities, including quality education, jobs and healthcare.

For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal, the government will also contribute £1 of UK aid, to help these projects go further in changing and saving lives.

Amplify is a DFID programme in partnership with IDEO.org. which sources early stage ideas to tackle emerging development challenges, including disability. Through the Amplify challenge, DFID has experience of what programmes can help deliver for disabled people globally:

• UK aid funded the Action on Disability and Development International project in Bangladesh to provide skills training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the garment industry and in small businesses.
• British charity Motivation UK broke down the barriers for children with disabilities in Uganda to participate in school by providing training and facilities. Thanks to this work, the attendance rates of children with disabilities in the supported schools almost doubled.

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The Prime Minister will today make a new long-term commitment to work with Jordan as it seeks to transform its economy to make it more inclusive and provide jobs and opportunities for all Jordanians.

Following on from her visit to Iraq where the Prime Minister discussed the success of the military campaign against Daesh, she will make the case in Jordan today for going beyond militarily addressing Daesh to tackling its root causes, including by creating social and economic opportunities for all.

The UK will initially provide £94.5 million to improve education, create jobs, and boost Jordan’s long-term economic resilience. We will then look to provide a significant uplift in our funding over the coming years, as Jordan implements its ambitious reform programmes, including making the private sector a particular engine of growth.

The UK’s support will:

• provide £60 million in new investment grants to create new jobs, boost productivity and increase economic resilience
• help to construct critical infrastructure, benefitting millions of people and creating thousands of jobs
• get 10,000 Jordanians into apprenticeships or vocational skills training
• improve education quality for millions of Jordanian children, building the workforce of the future

The UK will mobilise partnerships between British and Jordanian businesses, helping Jordan to kick-start its economy and creating private sector jobs. The Prime Minister will offer public and private sector expert advice, including from University of Oxford and London School of Economics economists, and establish a new UK-Jordan policy dialogue on economic reform, led by senior officials.

Providing this kind of support is firmly in the UK’s national interest, boosting the resilience of a country on the frontline of multiple regional crises and incentivising people to stay in their neighbourhood rather than make the perilous journey to Europe.

The Prime Minister will call on the rest of the international community to join us in this transformative effort.

Speaking in Amman, the Prime Minister said:

Jordan’s stability is crucial to our interests in the Middle East and we are committed to helping them create jobs for all Jordanians.

I call on other countries to join us in this transformative effort so Jordan can continue to deliver vital support for the Syria crisis and remain a beacon of hope in the Middle East.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

Jordan is on the front line of multiple crises in the Middle East and our new 10-year partnership will deliver economic stability for Jordan, creating jobs and helping to build a more prosperous, safer world.

This will further strengthen our relationship with Jordan and every penny invested by the UK will encourage more from other donors to boost Jordan’s economic resilience, helping them deliver on their pledge to get every child into education and to create 200,000 jobs for Syrian refugees.

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