Thank you. I’m absolutely delighted to be here today, at UK House, to join you all, on Legacy Day, to reflect on, not just what has been a truly fantastic Games, but on the array of future opportunities it presents to the region and the rest of the country.

We’ve seen 10 incredible days of sport, cultural and business events, and it’s amazing to see the West Midlands front and centre on the world stage, something that will hopefully continue for a long time to come.

Firstly, I wanted to offer my thanks to everyone involved in staging this incredible event and in working so hard to ensure it leaves behind a lasting legacy. Putting on the Games and harnessing the myriad benefits it can bring to the region and the UK  has been a true partnership.

It is only through collective effort that the Games has been the success that it has. My thanks to each and every one of you who has engaged in the event and the opportunities it has brought about. And a particular thanks to Andy for the vital role that he personally played in helping to secure this fantastic event.

And let me say that this collective effort has resulted in what truly has been a Games of amazing achievements.

The fastest Games ever delivered, four and a half years rather than the standard seven.

An ambition to be the most sustainable Games yet, and first to strive to be carbon neutral.

The most inclusive Games ever, with the largest ever integrated parasport programme and for the first time, more women’s medal events than men’s.

But, beyond the event itself, I also want to reflect on the vast array of legacy opportunities that have been created, and that will continue to be created long after the closing ceremony has concluded.

As a government, we’ve been resolutely focused on ensuring that Birmingham 2022 leaves a lasting legacy for the host city and region, and the whole of the UK.

£778 million of public money has been invested to deliver  the Games itself. This core £778 million, as well as providing for an amazing legacy itself, has enabled a further £85 million of additional funding to be unlocked from a wide range of organisations.

The legacy of the Games ranges far and wide, with the ‘Games for Everyone’ vision embedded from the start.

The Games has supported communities to access its opportunities and benefits, with equality, diversity and inclusion embedded in everything that partners have done.

There has been significant new infrastructure with a new aquatics centre at Sandwell and the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium that local communities will be able to benefit from, long after the Games is over. Plus the regeneration of Perry Barr has created 1,400 new homes.

In addition, the Legacy programme for the Games has delivered:

A £10 million Jobs and Skills Academy that’s made sure local residents have the skills they need to capitalise on the opportunities driven by the Games.

More than £35 million invested by Sport England in delivering a physical activity and wellbeing legacy, supporting those who are least active to engage with sport and physical activity.

A youth and schools engagement programme, ensuring that we’re engaging children and young people across the country in the story and excitement of the Games and the Commonwealth.

A 6 month free-to-access Cultural Programme across the West Midlands, supported by £12 million investment from Arts Council England, the Heritage Fund and Spirit of 2012, as well as other partners.

Ambitious sustainability commitments including, as I’ve already mentioned, an ambition to be the most sustainable Games yet and the ‘first ever carbon neutral Games’.

And on top of this, £350 million worth of procurement opportunities, the majority of which were secured right here by firms from the West Midlands.

And of course, the £24 million investment that we, along with the Combined Authority, have made into the Business and Tourism Programme.

Here, at UK House, over the last 11 days, we’ve seen the power of this investment, bringing together business leaders from across the world, showcasing the West Midlands, as a place to live, work, visit and do business.

This programme is a vital part of harnessing the positive profile generated by the Games to boost the global reputation of Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK as a leading destination for tourism, trade and investment.

In partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, the West Midlands Growth Company, the Department for International Trade and Visit Britain, as well as sponsors in our audience today, we’ve seen it deliver some incredible in opportunities.

The opportunity to connect with Commonwealth nations and territories and other key global markets.

The opportunity to re-establish a resilient and sustainable tourism sector in the West Midlands and, more widely, to contribute to the recovery of UK tourism as we emerge from Covid-19.

And the opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the West Midlands and the UK are innovative, dynamic and investor-friendly.

But this is far from the end for the Business and Tourism programme, in fact it’s only just the beginning. Building on the profile and momentum of these fantastic past two weeks we’ve rightly set ourselves some lofty ambitions. By 2027 we’re aiming to:

• Generate more than £700 million of investment, including more than £370 million in the West Midlands

• Attract 39,000 new visitors, including 12,000 to the West Midlands

• Create 1,000 new jobs, with up to 600 of these based in the West Midlands

The drive and commitment of the Mayor and colleagues at the Combined Authority, West Midlands Growth Company, the Department for International Trade and Visit Britain has been a crucial part of ensuring the success of the programme. My thanks to them for all that they have contributed over many months and years.

In many ways, the Business and Tourism Programme, as a partnership between national, regional and local government and with the private sector, represents devolution in action. Working together, as more than the sum of our parts, to achieve extraordinary things and level up our places.

And on behalf of the Government, I look forward to working with the West Midlands as we explore opportunities to build on the success of the Games.

The Games have been a fantastic experience and we’ve achieved so much.

But as I’ve always said, this is about much more than the event itself. It’s about capitalising on the momentum of the Games to unlock the enduring benefits it can bring for the West Midlands region and its communities, and the UK as a whole.

I look forward to seeing the fruits of our collective efforts materialise over many months and years to come. Thank you.

• Visitors to the area can use their mobile phones to find out more about the project.
• Look out for signs on benches and posts near the project site.
• Use the QR code or text number on the signs to ask questions

The project has launched a 12-month pilot with Hello Lamp Post, an innovative virtual platform used to engage people with their environment, to give residents and visitors to the LORP project site at Budleigh Salterton the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the project using their mobile phone.

Hello Lamp Post allows people to have two-way “chats” with objects in their local environment. Residents and visitors will be able to find out why the LORP scheme is needed and what is happening around the site. They will also be able to give feedback on the project itself.

Signs have been attached to benches and posts along the footpath between Lime Kiln car park in Budleigh Salterton and South Farm Road, close to the LORP site.

Anyone with a mobile phone can scan the QR code or text the number on the sign to begin a conversation by text. Details are also available on the LORP website.

The first interactive locations are now live at the Lime Kiln car park, along the South West Coast Path, at the bird hide, on fingerposts, benches and viewing platform on the footpath and at the Kier Construction compound entrance in Granary Lane.

Mike Williams, project team member for the Environment Agency, the lead partner in the project, said:

Community engagement has always been a key part of the Lower Otter Restoration Project.

We’re always looking for new and better ways to talk to people, to find out what residents and visitors think of the work we’re doing and to let them know why we’re doing the work.

Hello Lamp Post lets people reach us when they’re walking by the project site.

The Environment Agency is working in partnership with landowner Clinton Devon Estates to deliver the £15m Lower Otter Restoration Project, which is due for completion next spring.

A similar project is taking place in Quiberville, Normandy – the Basse Saâne 2050 scheme. Together, the two schemes form the €26m Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts (PACCo) project, funded by the Interreg France-Channel-England programme.

On the occasion of the 27th Budapest Pride Festival, we, the undersigned embassies and cultural institutes, express our full support for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) community and their rights to equality and non-discrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and freedom from violence.

We note the important advocacy of LGBTQI+ grassroots human rights defenders, activists, journalists, media workers and civil society organizations which are working to ensure that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, receive equal treatment and the full protection of the law. Respect for the rule of law and universal human rights are the foundations upon which democratic states are built.

International human rights law is grounded on the broad premise that all individuals have the same rights and freedoms without discrimination. We reject and condemn all acts of violence, harassment, stigmatization and discrimination committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics and support the fight against hate speech, violence, and discrimination targeting LGBTQI+ individuals and communities in all regions of the world.

Celebrating diversity is an important way to promote respect for human rights for all. Budapest Pride has the longest history of such events in the region, and we highlight its role in promoting equality of treatment and social acceptance for all LGBTQI+ persons, and contributing to the creation of a more open, just, inclusive and equal society.

Signed by the following embassies and cultural institutes:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, General Delegation of Flanders, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Austrian Cultural Forum Budapest, British Council, Czech Centre, Estonian Institute, FinnAgora, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Instituto Camões, Instituto Cervantes, Italian Cultural Institute.

People in Worcestershire are set to benefit from more than £43 million of government funding for A38 upgrades to tackle congestion, improve local journeys, and support thousands of new jobs and homes.

The project will generate more than £93 million in economic benefits for local communities in the Midlands, with the improvements directly supporting 1,100 new jobs and the development of 5,500 new homes as the government continues to grow the economy, helping to address the cost of living.

The A38 currently experiences significant congestion during the weekday rush hour, with severe delays at junctions and unreliable journey times affecting local residents’ ability to travel and get to work.

Planned works will install new lanes at key junctions and widen the existing road, helping to improve traffic flow and reduce the threat of any unnecessary bottlenecks in the region. These upgrades will take place on a 7.5 mile stretch of the route, between the M5 Junction 4 to the north and the A38/B4094 to the south.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said:

I know local residents in Worcestershire have been affected by congestion along this key route for too long.

That’s why we’re investing more than £43 million, providing a huge boost to the area’s economy and ensuring people can get around the region quicker and easier – whether that be for work, education or to see family and friends.

We’ll continue investing in important transport schemes across the country, just like this one, as we level up, support local economies, and provide people with the world-class infrastructure they deserve.

The improved traffic flow and lower congestion will also reduce journey times for local buses, making commutes shorter and more reliable. Real time passenger information will be installed at bus stops along the route which will provide passengers with live updates to help them plan their journey, in line with the government’s long term strategy for buses outside London.

Local residents will benefit from improved walking and cycling facilities. A new cycle and pedestrian corridor running parallel to the A38 will be built, while new crossings and overbridges will connect to the wider local cycle network. This will improve safety, provide more options for active travel and support the drive to net zero.

The total cost of the scheme is £49.8 million, with the Department for Transport committing to provide just over £43 million and Worcestershire County Council providing the remainder.

Worcestershire County Council’s Leader, Councillor Simon Geraghty, said:

We are delighted that the A38 project has taken a huge next step forward in the journey towards securing £43 million funding from the Department for Transport.

This significant investment will help improve everyday journeys around Bromsgrove, easing traffic for local people, as well as boosting the local economy.

The scheme comes as part of the government’s drive to level up transport, reduce emissions by boosting opportunities for cycling and walking, and create more opportunities for people right across the country.

It’s the latest in a series of government investments to boost local transport infrastructure, including £5.7 billion for future local transport projects across England.

The local council must now successfully complete the design of the project; identify a preferred contractor; and submit to the Department a Full Business Case for final funding approval. If that is approved works are expected to start in early 2023.