The equipment will improve the quality of screening and speed of diagnosis, with clinicians finding the machines more effective and easier to use.

Other benefits include:

• lower radiation levels, which will improve patient safety – newer CT scanners have a dosage reduction of 80 to 90%
• improved reliability, meaning better use of staffing resource with fewer cancellations
• different types of scans, which will enable more patients to be seen using less equipment
• the machines will be artificial intelligence (AI) enabled, to ensure they are AI ready when an update is available

The £200 million of new funding is part of the government’s commitment to ensure 55,000 more people survive cancer each year.

Through the NHS Long Term Plan, the government committed to diagnosing three-quarters of cancers at an early stage by 2028 through improved screening processes.

Additional, newer CT scanners will help identify cancers more quickly. They will also pick up a range of other health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and help reduce inequalities in cancer outcomes.  

This will have a dramatic effect on survival rates – as patients diagnosed at stages 1 or 2 have the best chance of long-term survival.

To support earlier diagnosis, the NHS is also introducing rapid diagnostic and assessment centres, helping to detect cancer in people with a range of symptoms like unexplained weight loss and abdominal pain.

Allocation of the new machines will be based on an assessment of local infrastructure and local population need, and the funding will be split across 2 years.

NHS frontline funding is one of the Prime Minister’s priorities. The government has already committed an extra £2 billion, including to upgrade 20 hospitals across the country and for new equipment and AI research.

The government has also recently announced that another £210 million will be invested in frontline staff, including a personal training budget of £1,000 for every nurse. This is on top of the extra £33.9 billion every year to be invested in the health service by 2023 to 2024.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

“The NHS is the best healthcare service in the world, and the treatment and care it provides is one reason cancer survival rates are at a record high.

“But too many lives are still being lost to this shattering illness. We can, must, and will do so much more for sufferers and their families.

“These new scanners will lead to quicker diagnosis, more screenings, and improved care for patients, giving brilliant NHS staff the tools they need to further boost survival rates.

“It’s my priority to make sure our NHS gets every penny it needs to provide the very best care ‒ wherever you live, and whatever your condition.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“I want to see the way we fight cancer in the NHS transformed, so we can confront this cruel disease with the best facilities to give our family, friends and colleagues the greatest chance.

“I’m determined to get cutting-edge equipment into hospitals across the country so that clinical staff are equipped with the best technology available for patients.

“This will be the first step in reaching our ambition through the NHS Long Term Plan of becoming a global leader in cancer diagnosis, saving the lives of tens of thousands more people each year.”

Thank you very much, Mr President. And I’d just like to welcome today all Ministers to this council. The Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, had wanted to make the UK’s intervention today, but he’s had to return to London for urgent parliamentary business.

Mr President, the United Kingdom is a staunch supporter of the African Union’s vision for silencing the guns in Africa. And as we’ve heard today, real progress is already underway towards this noble goal, driven primarily by African leaders, civil society and communities. And it’s important that we see an integrated United Nations approach across the three UN pillars in support of that goal. The African Union and the African regional economic communities are indispensable partners in maintaining peace and security on the African continent. So, Mr President, the United Kingdom applauds the joint efforts of the African Union and the United Nations in fostering dialogue and mediating peace negotiations across Africa. Those efforts, together with those of subregional organizations, have borne real fruit in 2019. They have supported the transition to civilian led government in Sudan. And we were glad that all members of the Council, of the Security Council, were eventually able to support the African Union’s position in Sudan and of course, a new Peace Agreement in the Central African Republic. And we hope all members of this Council will lend their full support to the implementation of the Peace Agreement in the Central African Republic and refrain from any destabilizing bilateral activity there.

Mr President, I hope that Chairperson Faki and Secretary-General Guterres will continue to exert their good offices in the region in the coming months. That’s vital to help resolve and prevent conflict, for example, by encouraging progress on the implementation of the Peace Agreement in South Sudan and supporting the recently announced national dialogue process in Cameroon. Cooperation and coordination on a range of peace and security issues is a vital element of the UK-AU strategic partnership. In Somalia the United Kingdom has deployed military personnel through the United Nations to support AMISOM in addition to our extensive bilateral support to the Somali security forces.

Mr President, we recognise the African Union’s vital role in peace enforcement activity. That is why we support, in principle, access to UN-assessed contributions for future AU-led African peace support operations on a case by case basis and subject to certain key conditions. And in that context, I hope that all member states, especially those which most support this proposal, will back posts designed to support the necessary standards of compliance in AMISOM in the fifth committee this year. Mr President, the United Kingdom’s support for Africa’s peace and stability is perhaps most obvious in our defence and security partnerships. Our armed forces train thousands of their African counterparts through long term training programs.

Just this summer, UK forces provided military training to the latest Malawian battalion about to deploy to MINUSCO in the DRC. And as our own deployment to South Sudan ends in 2020, we will begin contributing British troops to MINUSMA in Mali. The United Kingdom’s experts are also working across the continent to help build African capacity to tackle a range of security threats. To take just a few, those include terrorism in Somalia, Nigeria and Kenya, the illegal drugs trade in Tanzania and wildlife trafficking in Malawi and Zambia. We are also supporting African security forces to prevent sexual violence in conflict and to implement the broader women, peace and security agenda. There can be no meaningful global debate on these topics, which does not include the voices of African women and girls. And they will be central to the global conference we are hosting this November in London on preventing sexual violence in conflict. Women and girls also have a wider role to play in preventing and resolving conflicts and in building sustainable peace. And we know the research, which says that peace processes which are inclusive of women are 35 per cent more likely to last for a period of 15 years or longer. Women are at the heart of many of the initiatives we support to find political solutions to conflict in Africa, such as the African Union’s Femwise network and the Commonwealth Network of women mediators.

However, Mr President, we must look beyond current crises. The African Union’s own Agenda 2063 recognises that stability, security, good governance and inclusive economic development are inextricably intertwined. Africa’s long term stability and success will depend in part on whether the 20 million young Africans who join the job market each year see meaningful prospects for filling their enormous potential. They will struggle to do so wherever conflict, corruption or the impacts of climate change constrain human capital investment and entrepreneurship. As one of the biggest development donors in Africa we will continue to focus on working with African partners on issues which will improve the lives of African citizens. This includes job creation, quality education, healthcare and access to family planning and climate resilience. And we will provide support to mobilise the high quality private investment which the region needs, including through a major UK Africa Investment Summit in London in early 2020.

Mr President, the United Kingdom will remain committed to a holistic approach to supporting peace and security in Africa, recognising the mutually reinforcing links between security, prosperity and good governance. And we will continue to work with and through partnerships across the region, recognising that it is Africans themselves who shape their continent’s future.

The Prime Minister has confirmed £50 million to support British athletes to help the UK remain an Olympic and Paralympic powerhouse at Tokyo 2020.

The funding is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to British sport, and will be used to support our elite athletes’ final year of preparation in the run up to the Games.

The support will help fulfil UK Sport’s ambition to deliver more medals and medallists to inspire the nation at the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.

For the first time, Para Taekwondo, Para Badminton, Sport Climbing, Karate and BMX Freestyle are all receiving UK Sport funding to help them compete at Tokyo.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The UK has repeatedly shown itself to be an Olympic and Paralympic powerhouse, with our athletes putting in truly extraordinary performances over multiple Games.

This further investment means we are right behind our elite athletes, backing them every step of the way as they strive towards medal success at Tokyo 2020.

I have no doubt their efforts will inspire the nation, encouraging even more people to get involved in sport – just as we saw after our record-breaking performances at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

And we must continue to build on our legacy of London 2012, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible talent in our country, and deliver real lasting change across sport and our local communities.

UK Sport’s strategic investment over the past two decades has led to record-breaking performances by the country’s National Lottery funded athletes at successive Olympic and Paralympic Games.

After Team GB and ParalympicsGB incredible medal haul at London 2012, the UK became the first host nation in history to better both its Olympic and Paralympic performance at the next Games.

UK Sport has outlined that it wants to increase the number of sports Team GB and ParalympicsGB are successful in at Tokyo 2020.

This investment will build on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, which led to significant improvements across sport facilities, the regeneration of East London and increased economic growth.

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said:

We are rightly regarded as one of the world’s greatest Olympic and Paralympic nations and we want it to stay that way.

Our support for our elite athletes is unwavering. Their efforts make the country proud, promote the best of the UK abroad and help to inspire a more healthy, active nation.

Dame Katherine Grainger, chair of UK Sport, said:

Since the introduction of National Lottery funding nearly 25 years ago, Great Britain has been transformed into a world-renowned sporting powerhouse. This achievement, which has seen Great Britain’s remarkable rise from 36th place to 2nd place in the Olympic medal table over just twenty years, did not happen by chance.

Strategic investment, strong leadership, ambitious goals, working in partnership and surrounding talented athletes with world leading expertise in coaching, talent development, sport science and medicine are just some of the factors that have driven this great British success story.

The investment that has recently been confirmed by Government will allow us to support the critical final year of preparations through to the Tokyo Games, and will give our athletes the best chance to achieve their dreams and inspire the whole nation through Olympic and Paralympic success.

Richard Kilty, the 2014 World Indoor 60m champion and double European indoor champion in 2015 and 2017, said:

Thanks to the fantastic continued support from both Government and The National Lottery, we will be one of the best prepared teams heading into the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.

It’s going to be a really exciting year ahead for all athletes as we count down to Tokyo and this support puts us in the best possible shape to achieve our dreams.

I wanted to start by agreeing with what the French, German and Polish Ministers have said about the importance of international humanitarian law in this and, of course, about the work of other organisations which include, but are not limited to, the European Union, NATO and the OSCE – all of whom, as Ministers have explained, do very important work both on the prevention, protection and the combating terrorism agendas in this area.

For our part, the United Kingdom very much welcomes these counter-terrorism partnerships with regional and subregional organisations. And as terrorist threats evolve, cooperation between partners is vital to address cross-border movements of money, people, ideas and materials. However, as the Secretary-General affirmed this morning, such cooperation has to be anchored within the UN’s global counterterrorism strategy and the Security Council’s resolutions, and it has to reflect the balanced and comprehensive approach in compliance with international law, as outlined by both the Security Council and the General Assembly. And we fully agree with the Secretary-General that promoting gender equality, as ministers have also said, is an important component of countering terrorism and violent extremism.

The United Kingdom welcomed the Council’s recent adoptions of Resolutions 2462 and 2482, with their increased emphasis on the obligation to protect humanitarian activity. It’s important that regional partnerships and interactions reflect this obligation and that counter-terrorism measures are not used as a justification for ignoring this obligation, nor is it a justification for violating the Geneva Conventions or International Humanitarian Law more generally.

In this respect, we were pleased to hear that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has increased its attention on humanitarian assistance, and we hope that this will include the protection of humanitarian activity while countering terrorism.

If I can turn to Central Asia, terrorism remains a threat in Central Asia, which is, of course, a key area for this discussion. The attack in Tajikistan last August that caused the death of four foreign cyclists was an awful reminder of that threat. We welcome the work of the UN Regional Centre in Central Asia in implementing the UN Counter-Terrorism Frameworks and Security Council recommendations. We also welcome the engagement we’ve seen so far from Central Asian governments and we’d encourage them to cooperate more with each other and with UNRCCA, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. And in this regard, it was good that the briefers could tell us about stronger partnerships, but at the same time, I would like to stress the importance of a harmonised approach, including on designations.

We’ve also touched on Afghanistan and of course, this Council discussed Afghanistan recently. But to the rest of Asia, it has great potential, but faces great challenges. The UK is pleased to see the countries of Central Asia working together to support their neighbour, Afghanistan. Much has been said about the threat not only of extremism, but also of narcotics trafficking emanating from the country. While we should recognise those risks, it’s important not to overstate them. It’s the Afghan people themselves who suffer most at the hands of extremists. The international community, as well as regional partners, need to continue to work together – as indeed we have for many years – to support peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Turning to counter-terrorism cooperation, we hope that we will be able to continue to work together to prevent terrorism and violent extremism in all regions. Military and law enforcement measures alone will not suffice. As the German Minister said, we need to tackle the root causes. The United Kingdom, therefore, encourages all CT partners to strengthen collaboration with civil society and to ensure that gender and human rights considerations are always integrated across the full spectrum of CT efforts globally.

Finally, I would like to stress the importance of human rights. We welcome the affirmation from the briefers today on human rights. They are absolutely vital to this issue. The General Assembly and the Security Council have reaffirmed many times that the promotion and protection of human rights is a fundamental pillar of counter-terrorism. We have seen the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms have in themselves often contributed to validating terrorist narratives and enabling recruitment. It’s particularly important in Central Asia, where progress made on human rights there is fragile and needs to be protected. It’s imperative that the countries of the region and UNRCCA cooperate with regional actors to ensure that counter-terrorism approaches comply with human rights obligations.

For our part, Mr President, the United Kingdom is active in Central Asia. We collaborate and coordinate with a range of international partners, as I mentioned at the beginning. Our priorities are regional security, good governance, human rights and prosperity. Our projects support these priorities and we emphasise inclusion, participation and support for those vulnerable to extremism ideologies. We emphasise the need for the countries of Central Asia to cooperate on cross-border issues and to increase engagement with the rules-based international system. Counter-Terrorism offers a good opportunity for both.

In conclusion, Mr President, thank you for the opportunity to share our views on this important peace and security issue and to shine a light on the region that is of increasing strategic importance.