Households, businesses and public sector organisations across the country will be protected from significant rises in energy bills, thanks to new government support taking effect from today (Saturday 1 October).

Without Government action, average household energy bills under the energy price cap had been due to rise to around £3,500 a year in October – a rise of 80% on current bills. Next year, they were estimated to increase even further to as high as £6,500.

From today, the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee will limit the price households pay per unit of gas and electricity they use.

It means a typical household in Great Britain will pay around £2,500 per year, starting this month for the next two years – saving an average £1,000 a year on their energy bills.

Households will also see the first instalment of the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme in their October electricity bill. The discount will be automatically applied monthly in six instalments between October 2022 and March 2023.

Thanks to the government’s support, energy bills will now be close to where they’ve been for the past six months – and it will curb inflation by 5 percentage points, boosting economic growth, controlling the rising cost of goods, and reducing the cost of servicing the national debt.

This necessary intervention makes up the biggest proportion the Government’s fiscal package set out in the Growth Plan.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said:

I know people across the country are anxious about their energy bills, which is why we have acted quickly to help them.

Livelihoods and businesses were at stake. The government’s energy support limits the price they pay for gas and electricity, shields them from massive bill increases, and is expected to curb inflation too.

The cost of not acting would have been enormous. To make sure the British public is not left in this position again, we are also fixing the problem at its source by scaling up home-grown energy and reducing reliance on foreign supplies to boost our energy security and independence.

The UK Government is also urging people today to stay alert to scams and fraudulent messages. There is no need to apply for the schemes, with most customers receiving today’s support automatically through their electricity bill.

Households in Northern Ireland will also receive the same support through the Energy Price Guarantee from November, with support for October bills backdated so they see the same benefit overall.

Those who might live in an area of the UK that is not served by the gas grid or use alternative fuels such as heating oil to heat their home will receive a £100 payment to support them with their energy bills.

Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said:

While Putin’s weaponisation of energy has driven energy prices to record highs, we will not let his regime harm this country’s businesses and households.

Unprecedented government support is beginning this weekend, protecting families and businesses across the country from what was going to be an 80% increase in energy bills this winter.

“I also urge people today to stay alert to scams. This support will reach people automatically and there is no need to apply.”

British businesses have also been experiencing significant increases in energy costs, with some reports of more than 500%. Businesses, charities and public sector organisations will also be protected through the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme from October over the next six months.

This support is equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households and similarly discounts price per unit of gas and electricity, meaning businesses and others will pay wholesale energy costs well below half of expected prices for this winter.

In parallel, the Government is also taking decisive steps to tackle the root cause of the issues in the UK energy market through boosting British energy supply and increasing independence to ensure this doesn’t happen again. This includes the work of our Energy Supply Taskforce, a new oil and gas licensing round, lifting the moratorium on UK shale gas production, and driving forward progress on nuclear and renewables.

President, yet again, Russia has abused its veto to defend its illegal actions.

Council members have voted in different ways. But one thing is clear. Not a single other member of this Council recognises Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. Russia’s veto doesn’t change that fact.

The announcement by President Putin today of the accession of the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhyzhya, Luhansk and Donetsk into the Russian Federation has no legal effect. It is a fantasy.

Russia’s invasion needs to end. The world has made this clear for 7 months. Yet Russia’s response has been further escalation, further mobilisation, nuclear threats, and today another callous attack on a civilian convoy in Zaporizhzhya.

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is under attack. The international system is being assaulted in front of our eyes. Russia will not succeed in this illegal imperialist war. The only question is how much damage they do, how many lives they waste, before they realise that.

Colleagues, Russia’s annexations further jeopardise the prospects for peace, and fundamentally undermine the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.

The area Russia is claiming to annex is more than 90,000 square km. This is the largest forcible annexation since the Second World War.

There is no middle ground on this. It is in the end a very simple question of principle, as the Secretary General has said.

As members of the Security Council with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security and upholding the UN Charter, we must condemn Russia’s actions, and vote in favour of this resolution.

I’d like to thank our briefers for setting out what we know so far about this case, which is still clearly very limited.

Once again in this chamber, we have heard some absurd Russian claims and conspiracy theories this afternoon.

Russia’s request for this meeting was a cynical attempt to distract from President Putin’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory today.

The damage to the Nordstream 1 and Nordstream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea is of deep concern.

These leaks are not only causing risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. They are releasing enormous amounts of methane into the earth’s atmosphere.

We agree with the assessment that all currently available information indicates this damage is the result of sabotage. We strongly support the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible, wherever it takes place. We must establish clear international norms that such damage is utterly unacceptable.

For NATO’s part, as set out in yesterday’s statement of the North Atlantic Council, Allies remain committed to prepare for, deter and defend against any hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors including coercive approaches to energy.

We are clear that any deliberate attack against Allies’ critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response.

The UK will continue to work alongside our partners to protect Europe’s energy security.

Thank you, President.

The fifth Atlantic Future Forum (AFF) took place in New York Harbour, on board HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. At the business reception hosted by the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign, Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins, the UK’s biggest selling classical artist of the century and GREAT Ambassador, performed against the New York skyline alongside the Royal Marines Band.

The audience of over 500 distinguished high-profile business and political figures included Dame Karen Pierce, Britain’s Ambassador to the United States, Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for Transport for the UK.

The AFF is a conference hosted by the Royal Navy and led by the Department for International Trade. It brought senior politicians, business leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and military leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to tackle the biggest issues facing the world.

Both the AFF and GREAT celebrate the United Kingdom’s special relationship with the United States – as exemplified by Katherine’s rendition of both nations’ anthems at the beginning of her performance.

Katherine says, > As a proud Welsh woman and Brit, it was wonderful to sing on board HMS Queen Elizabeth II in such an iconic setting. With family now on both sides of the pond, I loved seeing the UK and the US coming together in this truly amazing way.

The GREAT Campaign is delighted to return to New York, building on the success of its earlier GREAT Calling New York Campaign. GREAT Calling saw the campaign partner with dynamic UK companies and famous faces to deliver events on sport, music, food and AI, inviting US audiences to ‘See Things Differently’ and to see a fresh side of the UK.

Link to all images here.

Background information

About the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign for UK:

• The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign (GREAT) is the government’s flagship international communications programme. The objective is to drive economic growth across the entire nation by encouraging an international audience to visit, study, trade, invest, live and work in the UK.
• Established in 2011, GREAT promotes the best of the UK and has been used in 149 countries worldwide, and by 22 government departments and ALBs, providing HMG’s international network with a high-quality, impactful and consistent communications brand.

About GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign for US:

• The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign (GREAT) is the UK’s international promotional program. It works closely with UK businesses, not-for-profit organisations and high-profile figures to promote the very best of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, encouraging the world to visit, study, live and do business with the UK.
• GREAT invites the world to ‘See Things Differently’ and to see a fresh side of the UK. GREAT showcases the UK as dynamic, outward looking, confident and collaborative – bringing unconventional thinking to the global challenges we face.

Thank you, and good morning everyone.

It is a real pleasure to join you today (29 September 2022).

And what better backdrop for a speech on maritime security than the magnificent HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Thank you to all her crew for accommodating us this week.

Yet whatever pride I feel delivering my first speech as Transport Secretary on the largest vessel ever built for the Royal Navy, my emotions are also tinged with sadness.

Because it was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who performed the naming ceremony for this superb ship just 8 years ago at Rosyth in Scotland.

Suitably, she didn’t use the traditional bottle of champagne, but a bottle of whisky, to launch the new vessel.

Her Late Majesty will be profoundly missed, and I would like to thank all those around the world, including many friends here in the United States, who sent condolences. Your support and demonstrations of love and respect helped ensure a fitting farewell to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

Her Late Majesty was a champion of the Royal Navy, and she understood its historic leadership in underwriting prosperity and trade.

Shipping continues to drive the global economy today, just as it has done for millennia.

Our seas are by far the most important arteries for global trade, carrying over 95% of all goods.

But while the maritime industry normally conducts its business beyond the public gaze, recent events have thrust global supply chains into the spotlight… and in particular, the importance of resilient and secure shipping routes.

In particular, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has awakened and reminded us all of our need as a global community to protect maritime trade, and support an international order based on rules and principles which are enforced.

For the Department for Transport, that is about ensuring the security of all networks that move goods, people and information around the world, and that underpin our way of life and our economy.

We have seen Putin weaponise food by trying to crush the economic and humanitarian criticality of Ukraine’s agricultural economy.

In blockading of Ukrainian ports, Putin has prevented the export of global grain supplies.

These actions have had a terrible impact on the world’s poorest people, and driven up food and fertiliser prices.

We are doing what we can to alleviate the international food security crisis that Putin has created.

The UK and our allies pushed hard to secure the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative in July that has allowed over 3 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports so far.

We will continue to enforce the toughest sanctions against Russia to undermine its shipping industry and reduce its export revenue.

We will continue to work with international partners to implement an oil price cap and ban on maritime insurance for Russian oil later this year.

And we will continue to stand alongside our Ukrainian friends, strengthening their hand to finish this war on their terms.

The UK is an island nation with global interests.

The numerous islands that form the UK, our Crown Dependencies and our Overseas Territories all rely on unimpeded international trade.

The shipping routes between the UK and our trading partners and allies form some of the busiest trading routes in the world.

We are highly connected to the rest of the world and will continue to be so in the future.

Our maxim is to ensure the UK is and remains the most secure and reliable nation to trade with globally.

In 2021, we published Global Britain in a competitive age: the integrated review of security.

This document reaffirmed the first duty of government – to protect our people, our homeland, and our democracy.

That means protecting our ports and airports, and the trade routes vital to our national prosperity.

In an increasingly uncertain world, we must work harder to safeguard transport networks against a complex variety of security risks and natural hazards.

That’s why we have published our National strategy for maritime security, setting out 5 strategic objectives to help deliver the objectives of the integrated review.

Our strategy acts as a blueprint for maritime security – explaining how we will protect our borders and ports, and address the threats we face.

We consider how we will comprehensively tackle cyber security, defending the global supply chain at a time of increased automation and evolving cyber technologies.

An important aspect of this is covered in the UK by the National Security and Investments Act.

This allows us to scrutinise and potentially intervene if acquisitions of assets linked to the UK may pose national security risks.

All investment involving our transport sector is subject to thorough analysis. and must satisfy robust legal, regulatory and national security requirements.

Alongside defensive measures, we are committed to maintaining our reputation for the UK to be one of the best places to invest.

That is why, the government has established a network of freeports – to act as business hubs for international trade, innovation and commerce, and have just announced last week a next wave of investment zones. These hubs will regenerate communities by attracting investment and jobs to towns and cities up and down the country.

Beyond investment in security, we have been developing our maritime security structure for several years.

A significant part of this has been creating the Joint Maritime Security Centre in 2019. This national organisation helps coordinate what we call our ‘whole system response.’

This brings together all the organisations and teams which work to deter and respond to threats – including high-readiness maritime assets.

The Joint Maritime Security Centre ensures that government, military, and law enforcement agencies have a closely-coordinated understanding of threats and risks in our own waters, and across the globe.

We continue to develop these capabilities against current and emerging threats – from terrorism, piracy or hostile states – and also help us understand security concerns for shipping routes as our climate changes and we need to adapt.

This is particularly important when looking at the Arctic and High North, which will provide faster shipping routes to Asia. There will be new security challenges which we need to anticipate and plan to provide 21st century solutions.

At home and abroad, we will always protect our interests and those of our international partners. That means understanding how threats could arise along international trade routes or chokepoints, how they can be addressed, and what their impact might be.

We don’t just consider hard security dangers.

Threats to our marine environment are also a security issue.

The fragile marine ecosystem is a precious resource, so we must respond to any dangers early. From destruction of fishing stocks to dumping of illegal waste. Any activities that harm the marine environment and destroy the livelihoods of those living in coastal communities.

In many countries this loss of income for some of the most impoverished in society can lead to people being exploited by criminal gangs and terrorists.

So tackling environmental problems early can reduce long term harm and we have a unique window of opportunity to harness technology develop new green solutions.

We must act now to reduce maritime’s contribution to climate change.

Maritime transport is currently responsible for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and if it were a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest emitter.

We face a massive challenge. However, with concerted global action, the worst impacts can still be averted

That is why earlier in the year, as part of the UK’s revised National shipbuilding strategy, we announced £206 million for a new UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, to invest in maritime decarbonisation.

Today, I am delighted to launch the third round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition – as part of this programme of investment.

This is the largest round to date, with up to £60 million available for technology and system demonstrations in clean maritime solutions.

So far, these competitions have helped many developers working on new shipping technologies and fuels.

From hydrogen, ammonia and methanol fuels, to batteries and shore power – and from automated vessels, hybrid engines and green storage facilities at ports to energy from offshore wind infrastructure – we are working hard to pioneer the breakthrough and secure maritime technologies of the future.

Today, I am also announcing the winners from the second round of the competition, allocating over £12 million to 31 different projects, including 3 green shipping corridors which can help lead decarbonisation solutions.

This will help to fulfil our commitment under the Clydebank Declaration, which the UK proudly launched at COP26 with 24 signatory states, including the US, to progress 6 innovative zero emission shipping routes by the middle of the decade.

Of course, the more we collaborate, the faster we progress.

So we will continue to work closely with US partners and others to raise the level of ambition on climate change at the International Maritime Organisation, which faces a crucial year as it revises its initial strategy on greenhouse gas reduction.

More broadly, the UK will work with like-minded partners around the world to reduce every sector in transport’s reliance on fossil fuels, and embrace decarbonisation.

On Tuesday, I was in Montreal speaking at the International Civil Aviation Organisation General Assembly, urging the adoption of long-term emission goals that are consistent with the Paris Agreement.

We must push every sector to play its part – but maritime will remain critical to our success or failure as a global family.

Under the leadership of new Prime Minister, Britain will be a relentlessly outward-facing nation.

The UK will continue to utilise its hard security, economic security and diplomatic heft to build stronger global alliances.

At a time when the world is recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and rebuilding the supply chains that feed the global economy…

At a time when Russian aggression is disrupting established trade routes…

It has never been more important for the international community to come together and protect global shipping.

We will continue to support, defend and uphold the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and protect freedom of navigation.

We will safeguard the marine environment, and help lead the transition to green shipping.

And we will work with all our partners to ensure maritime trade and travel continues to operate safely, securely and sustainably, right around the world.

Thank you.