A year ago, I stood outside Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister, and I set out the defining characteristics of the government I was determined to lead.

A clear understanding that the EU referendum result was not just a vote to leave the European Union, but a deeper and more profound call for change across our country.

A belief that at the heart of that change must lie a commitment to greater fairness in our country as we tackle the injustices and vested interests that threaten to hold us back, and make Britain a country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.

And a determination to address difficult issues and take big decisions in the long-term interests of Britain, so that we emerge from this period of great national change stronger and better able to seize the opportunities ahead as we fulfil the promise of Brexit together.

And though the result of last month’s general election was not what I wanted, those defining beliefs remain; my commitment to change in Britain is undimmed; my belief in the potential of the British people and what we can achieve together as a nation remains steadfast; and the determination I have to get to grips with the challenges posed by a changing world never more sure.

I am convinced that the path that I set out in my first speech outside Number 10, and upon which we have set ourselves as a government, remains the right one.

It will lead to the stronger, fairer Britain that we need. It will deliver the change people want. It will ensure we make the most of this opportunity to ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be and to answer that question with confidence, optimism and hope.

That is why I am so grateful to Matthew for the report he is publishing today.

Because the issues it confronts go right to the heart of the government’s agenda and right to the heart of our values as a people.

The nature of employment is central both to our national economic success, but also to the lives we all lead. From the end of our childhoods until the years of retirement, if we don’t win the National Lottery jackpot, the vast majority of us will expect to devote at least half of our waking hours, on most days of the week, to work. A good job can be a genuine vocation, providing intellectual and personal fulfilment, as well as economic security.

With good work can come dignity and a sense of self-worth. It can promote good mental and physical health, and emotional well-being.

And our motivations for going out to work are deeply personal. It is how we provide for ourselves and our families. It’s how we pay the mortgage or the rent to keep a roof over our heads, how we put food on the table and provide for our old age.

And as Matthew says in his report, ‘work is a pathway out of poverty’.

Think of the household where a mum or dad, a brother or sister, or a grandchild moves into employment. They can gain the security of a regular wage, the opportunity to plan for the future. A child can grow up seeing a parent go out to work every day, and inwardly form the expectation that they will do the same.

Imagine that child a few years later, taking the step from education into employment and starting her working life on the front foot. She is setting herself on the road to a fulfilling career and a happier life.

Imagine her father, who might have been unemployed for years, who might have given up all hope of working again, getting a job thanks to the tailored support of Universal Credit. He will have helped himself, his family and the whole country.

That is the real value of work, and we should never lose sight of it.

At the same time we will always back enterprising small and medium-sized business owners. They are people who take risks with their own economic security in order to start and grow a business, contribute to our national success and provide employment to other people.

They don’t play it safe – they put faith in their talent and hard work and take a chance. When they succeed, we all benefit.

So as aspiration becomes reality, as an idea becomes an invoice, we will back those who dare to dream and who dare to think big.

And my message to them is clear and unequivocal – we respect the work you do and we will always be on your side when you do the right thing.

Our task, informed by the work of Matthew and his team, is to make sure that the high standards of our best employers become the benchmark against which all employers are judged.

As the world of work changes, our practices and laws must properly reflect and accommodate those changes. Because good work is in the interests of good business.

We know that flexible working opportunities help to ensure that employers don’t miss out on the talents and skills of those who would otherwise be unable to fit with the regular nine to five.

That investment in learning and progression for staff is not just valuable for employees, but also helps to boost productivity.

If we are to deliver our vision for Britain as a high-wage, high-skill economy then we know that we have to invest in good work.

As a government, we will always be on the side of hard workers and good employers. Just look at our record to date:

We have introduced for the first time a National Living Wage, giving 1.5 million workers the fastest pay rise in 20 years.

We have created a new director for Labour Market enforcement to stamp out exploitation and help protect workers’ rights.

We have banned exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts, to ensure that people always have the freedom to take on other work.

We have extended the right to flexible working and introduced shared parental leave, so both parents can spend time with their children in those important early months, but also carry on with their careers.

We have worked with business to ensure there are more women on boards than ever before, and are working with them again to take further steps to improve corporate governance.

All while at the same time the number of people in work is up by 2.9 million.

The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since 1975.

And there are now over 800,000 fewer workless households since 2010 – a reduction of 21 per cent.

Youth unemployment is down 375,000 since 2010 – and long-term youth unemployment has halved.

That is the record of this government, and a record of which I am proud.

It’s important to remember that almost three-quarters of the rise in employment over the last seven years has been in full-time jobs, and two-thirds of the jobs created since 2010 have been permanent positions.

But we do know that our experiences of work and employment are changing and that, driven by technology, they will go on changing in the years ahead.

For many, the traditional model of a full-time job with one employer is still the norm, but for others, newer and more flexible forms of work are increasingly common.

That is why I commissioned Matthew to produce this report for the government.

The result is a substantial piece of work, and I want to thank Matthew and his fellow panel members for producing it.

They have travelled up and down the country – as you heard from Matthew – and spoken at length to workers and businesses to get an informed picture.

Their work will make a major contribution to the much-needed public debate on this issue.

What is clear from Matthew’s report is that our response to the changing world of work cannot be to try to stop the clock.

Much of our success is built on the fact that we are an open, innovative economy, and we must remain that way. Indeed, one of the key findings of Matthew’s report is that there is a great deal of good in ‘the British way’ – the model of employment we have here in Great Britain.

Its flexibility and responsiveness, alongside clear and consistent protections for employees and workers, are all sources of strength, and in responding to changes in the labour market, we must do nothing which weakens them.

But as the report also highlights – that flexibility cannot be one-sided, with workers shouldering the requirement to be available for work at very short notice, without any guarantee that work will actually be available or that they will be rewarded for their flexibility.

So while Matthew’s report is clear that many workers value the flexibility that zero hours contracts offer them, and that banning such contracts altogether would harm more people than it would help, it is important that we continue to ensure that employers do not use these contracts to exploit people.

In other areas we may need to look again at where the law has not kept up with modern working practices, like for those who make use of platform working.

But just as often it can be a case of making sure that existing laws are properly understood and enforced.

For example, employing unpaid interns as workers to avoid paying the National Minimum Wage is illegal, but we need to make sure that employers and interns alike are clear on the rules.

And I absolutely share Matthew’s ambition that all work should be fair and decent, with scope for development and fulfilment.

As Matthew says, good work and plentiful work can and should go together. The quantity of jobs remains vital, but quality matters too.

Because work is such a central aspect of most of our lives, we should also care about how people are treated when they are at work, whether they feel safe and secure, with the opportunity to get on and make progress.

So, we will study this report’s contents carefully over the summer and respond in detail later in the year, but in the meantime let me set out some of the key principles which will guide us as we act to make employment fairer and more secure.

When it comes to taking action, I am determined that we do so in a fair way – fair to all workers and fair to businesses too.

We will build on the strengths of our labour market – what Matthew calls ‘the British way’.

While avoiding overbearing regulation, we will make sure people have the rights and protections they need. That means building on our high employment rate and low unemployment rate – and continuing to strive for full employment.

It means retaining the flexibility that people value, and recognising that most employers treat their staff not just fairly but well.

It means remaining a home to innovation, new ideas and new business models, and recognising the risks and difficulties which those striving to build their own business face – not just on day one, but every day.

But it also means finding the right balance of rights and responsibilities, flexibilities and protections.

For business, it means taking their responsibilities seriously, and listening to their employees.

For government, it means increasing the National Living Wage so that people who are on the lowest pay see their wages go up as the economy strengthens, as well as supporting people to get into work and to make progress in their careers.

For us all, it means supporting people to live fuller working lives, and helping employers to retain the valuable skills and experience of older workers.

And because disability or a health condition should never dictate the path a person is able to take in their working life, it means helping everyone to progress in work, to get on, and to go as far as their talents will take them.

It will take time and a broad public debate to determine exactly the right action to take to ensure that we are living by all of these principles, and we will listen to all contributions to that debate.

But I am clear that the government will act to ensure that the interests of employees on traditional contracts, the self-employed and those people working in the ‘gig’ economy are all properly protected.

This report will provide the stimulus for that work across the range of employment types.

When I commissioned this report I led a majority government in the House of Commons. The reality I now face as Prime Minister is rather different.

In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in Parliament as well as in the country.

So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons – read this report, engage with the difficult issues it raises, come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.

We may not agree on everything, but through debate and discussion – the hallmarks of our Parliamentary democracy – ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found.

It is in that spirit that we will take this agenda forward in the months ahead.

And this new context presents us as a government with a wider choice.

At this critical time in our history, we can either be timid or we can be bold.

We can play it safe or we can strike out with renewed courage and vigour, making the case for our ideas and values and challenging our opponents to contribute, not just to criticise.

I think this country needs a government that is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a better future for Britain and we are determined to be that government.

In everything we do, we will act with an unshakeable sense of purpose to build the better, fairer Britain which we all want to see.

Two giant new fish tanks have been delivered to the hatchery at the Environment Agency’s Kielder Salmon Centre.

The fibre glass tanks, which measure 9 metres across by 1.5 metres deep, weigh more than 500kg and can hold 50,000 litres of water each, will be the final stop for thousands of young salmon before they are released into tributaries of the River Tyne.

The old tanks had been in use since the hatchery opened in 1980, and were at risk of failing and flooding the nearby office and visitor centre.

Young salmon will be ‘stronger and fitter’

Richard Bond, manager of Kielder Salmon Centre, said:

It was a relief to see the new tanks arrive safely, and our young salmon will be stronger and fitter in future because of the improved conditions we can now provide.

During the summer and autumn months up to 150,000 small fish aged between four to eight months will be stored in each tank.

There are only two manufacturers of tanks this size in the UK, so they had to be brought on a long road trip from Aberdeen down to the salmon centre.

Specialist fitters were given the job of installing the £200,000 tanks on to concrete bases, specially strengthened to support the eventual 128 tonne weight of the tanks when filled.

The new concrete slab was laid with space and water supplies for five smaller tanks which it’s hoped will be installed in future as the work of the hatchery expands.

Kielder Salmon Centre is run by the Environment Agency and is open to visitors every day from April to September from 10am until 4pm. Visitors can take a self-guided tour to discover some incredible facts about the wild salmon, endangered freshwater mussels which are also looked after at the hatchery, and other interesting species in their local environment.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen and friends. I’m really delighted to be here today and also to welcome you all. I know it’s a bit of a late welcome this morning. Because we have been taking the message externally.

You heard from Melinda earlier on, she and I were doing some media this morning and really talking about the virtues of what we are doing and, of course, making the case.

So I am just thrilled that you are all here – you heard me say a bit of this last night.

But also I really want to give my thanks to Melinda, Natalia but all of you – all of you who’ve been such powerful and passionate advocates of this very, very essential issue.

We are here because of the nature of the issue and the nature of the challenges that family planning brings to all countries around the world. But, also, because of the ability that it brings to save lives and change lives and, of course, because it’s so fundamental to development.

Family planning enables women to take control of their futures, so that they can finish their educations. get better jobs, but also to plan for their families – rather than being trapped in that cycle of grinding poverty and deprivation.

Which we have to keep on saying. And I was quite struck this morning when undertaking some media interviews just the fact that we have to state that, re-state that again and again. Because we all take it for granted. In the west we all take this for granted.

So we have to be out there and really drive the case and be the advocates for this.

But we also know that these women have fewer children, and later. And these children, of course, then grow up to be healthier, they have better outcomes in terms of their own life chances and opportunities.

And that’s exactly what we need to keep on speaking about.

And, of course, that has much more, in terms of positive outcomes, for local economies, countries to grow, the prosperity agenda.

It’s exactly what we saw in Asia. The World Bank attributes one-third of economic growth in South Korea over a 40 year period to the demographic dividend, where family planning programmes have of course enabled the fertility rate to fall, alongside education programmes, awareness programmes but of course comprehensive economic plans and policies as well.

And, frankly, we know that family planning, from a development perspective, is one of the smartest and savviest tools that we have out there. And it’s a clear investment any country can make when it comes to poverty reduction.

Every pound spent on family planning can save governments over four pounds which can be spent on other public goods – on health, housing, sanitation and other public services.

So, today, we are saying that family planning is not a nice-to-do, it isn’t an add-on if you are a politician, a minister anywhere around the world – it is crucially essential. Because we cannot beat poverty, we cannot tackle the scourge of poverty unless we get on top of this issue.

And for the 214 million girls and women in the developing world right now who don’t want to get pregnant and aren’t using modern contraception – we need to give them hope, we need to give them the ability to change this, we need to give them the ability to change their circumstance and their outcomes.

And of course that’s the purpose of why we are here, the urgency as to why we need to move fast.

And right now 1.2 billion adolescents are at the start of their reproductive years –most of them don’t know about or aren’t even allowed to get access to contraception.

And every year there are 6 million unintended pregnancies amongst adolescent girls in developing countries – and 2.5 million, as we know, tragically and completely unnecessarily as well, end up in backstreet abortions. So, together, pregnancy, childbirth, HIV are the leading killers of adolescent girls in Africa.

And we can change that, we can absolutely be at the front of the queue in changing that.

And the story of a typical girl in a poor community is that she has her first, often coerced, sexual experience at a very young age, very early teens, and of course that means her first child is going to arrive at a very early age as well. And that leads to that cycle of dropping out of school. And then of course it’s that cycle, that vicious cycle, where she then goes on to have more and more children – on average around 6 children in her lifetime.

And, of course, if that young girl’s story doesn’t change, neither will that story about her own country…the prospects of her own community and her country.

And it’s simple, if we can give girls and women the chance to own their bodies, they can own their future.

And that’s why the United Kingdom feels so strongly about this. On working with many friends that I can see here, on working across the political but also public policy landscape as well.

We know that we want to make this a stronger and firmer pillar when it comes to family planning and that comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls.

We absolutely put this on the agenda five years ago, alongside both Bill and Melinda Gates, by hosting the inaugural Family Planning Summit here in London.

And the progress that has been made has been immense, supported by the FP2020 partnership work.

And, of course, within the UK as well, much of the work that we have focused on has been on helping nearly another 8.5 million additional women to take up modern contraception.

So we are steadfast, absolutely steadfast, in our support, unwavering in our determination. And I think that’s how we all must be as well – not just as the advocates but absolutely calling others out that need to do more in this space as well.

So it gives me tremendous pleasure to say today that the British Government will boost our support for family planning around the world by 25%.

So we are going to increase our funding as well.

And that 25% increase is an additional £45million a year. We are also extending the timeframe of our support by an additional two years – committing ourselves right up to 2022.

Which means we’re going to spend £225million on family planning every single year over the next five years…cementing our place as the leading European donor to family planning.

We’ve got to walk the talk – and that’s what this is absolutely about. Be the advocate and also call upon others to do more as well.

But the fantastic thing about this support, we can talk about money but then we have to speak about people and what this means –

We will be providing through that money contraceptive support for 20 million women and girls every year…and prevent 6 million unintended pregnancies…but also prevent the trauma of over 75,000 still births.

So that is a very comprehensive package of measures.

And what I would like today is for some of us just to hold some of those numbers, not just about the money, but the people who are associated…the 20 million women and girls, the 75,000 mothers that are involved in still births and the psychological traumas, the physical and health traumas as well.

Because behind every one of those numbers is a story. And they are the women and girls that we are here to speak up for today.

And of course this new support and the initiative, and the working together today, the partnership work in particular…is helping to bring together and knit together all of us – civil society organisations, our NGO partners, but also private sector and businesses, to tackle and unblock those supply chain issues and to reach women and girls in those rural communities through new technologies.

And actually this is the exciting aspect of what we are doing. Yes we are providing a lifeline, yes we are helping so many more women and girls, but technology is a front-runner here as well.

And we are absolutely at the front in terms of pioneering much of the research and development that’s taking place.

And of course our partners here are rolling out the new injectable contraceptive, Sayana Press, at the newly agreed reduced price; and this is the first time in more than a decade that a new contraceptive method is being introduced – but importantly being globally scaled up. We are here really as the pioneers in new technology and new methods as well.

And at the same time, supporting safe abortion and working to prevent the horrors of backstreet abortions that kill so many women and girls.

Now this can never be done in isolation. And of course we have to link this and knit this together with the wider investment when it comes to education for girls, maternal health, women’s economic empowerment, preventing HIV/AIDS, ending violence against women and girls including FGM and child marriage.

And we are the community in this room. Many of us have already been the champions and the advocates on this. And that gives us a great sense of pride and a great sense of purpose.

And we demonstrate once again that our call to action means that we can carry on with the global commitment on family planning, the global commitment that we all have for women and girls.

And we know that we can do more within the international community, as well, to bring others to the table.

In developing countries – and I know that I interrupted the country programme session – that’s exactly where the change is going to start to happen.

So we know we can’t sugar-coat some of the challenges that we are all here to address and deal with.

We know that we can work with all our partners at a macro-level in the international community – but also within countries as well.

Because we know that it’s not just about the money, it’s about the ways of working, we know that it’s about the technology. But, importantly, focusing on the efforts where we are falling short and looking through today in particular how we can pick up those challenges and step up to meet those challenges,

Work with other donors obviously – because I know many others are going to make great contributions,

But I think, importantly, being the change that we want to see and being the powerful voice in this space is effectively what this is about.

So thank you very much, have a fantastic day, I look forward to talking to so many of you throughout the day as well.

And I really just want to give a genuine and heartfelt thank you to everyone, not just for being here – but for being at the forefront of the change that we want to work together to achieve. Thank you.

The UK and Australia enjoy a historic relationship and modern partnership. It is a unique and enduring bond built on friendship and shared values; one underpinned by strong security, prosperity and people-to-people links; one more relevant than ever as we work together advancing common interests and tackling global issues, including in cyberspace. We recognise that the pace and development of new technologies and applications, in conjunction with greater access, is delivering significant opportunities for both economic and social development. While bringing great advantages, the reliance on increasingly interconnected networks also exposes states to new vulnerabilities. Irresponsible or illegal exploitation of those vulnerabilities can have both profound impact on the victim and, in the most egregious cases, risk international stability.

We confirm our joint commitment to promoting an international stability framework for cyberspace based on the application of existing international law, agreed voluntary norms of responsible state behaviour and confidence building measures, supported by co-ordinated capacity building programmes.

Australia and the UK will co-operate to deter, mitigate and attribute malicious cyber attacks by criminals, state actors and their proxies, including those that seek to interfere in the internal democratic processes of states. We will work with industry to implement resilient cyber security solutions for their products and services. We will also share lessons learned as we develop measures to provide defences across our governments, and make it easier for individuals and organisations to stay safe online.

We reaffirm our commitment to a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace. The foundation for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace is our mutual commitment to existing international law, including the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the application of international humanitarian law to cyber operations in armed conflict. We reaffirm that the UN Charter applies in its entirety to state actions in cyberspace, including the prohibition of the use of force (Article 2(4)), the peaceful settlement of disputes (Article 33), and the inherent right of states to act in self-defence in response to an armed attack (Article 51). The law of state responsibility applies to cyber operations in peacetime, including the availability of the doctrine of countermeasures in response to internationally wrongful acts.

We recognise that an increasing number of states are developing operational cyber capabilities. We assert states’ legitimate right to develop these capabilities, and emphasise their obligation to ensure their use is governed in accordance with international law. Acknowledgement of these capabilities does not encourage aggression, or contradict our common commitment to maintaining a peaceful ICT environment. Rather, acknowledging the existence of these capabilities fosters the understanding that, just like in the physical domains, states’ activities in cyberspace do not occur in a vacuum – states have rights – but they also have obligations.

We will promote operationalisation of norms of responsible state behaviour recommended in the 2015 report of the UN Group of Governmental Experts on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. We will focus on positive practical measures that states can take to put these voluntary norms into practice. We will also implement confidence building measures that can build trust between responsible states. In doing so we recognise that transparency is the first step to establishing mutual trust and provides a foundation for measures available to all states, whatever their stage of development. We are committed to working through the OSCE and ASEAN Regional Forum as a way of contributing to peace and understanding in cyberspace.

We confirm our mutual commitment to cyber security capacity building that directly contributes to international stability: recognising the importance to all our security of states developing responsible legal and governance frameworks, overcoming the barriers to implementing agreed norms, building resilience to cyber threats, and strengthening law enforcement responses in line with the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. As the next 1 billion people access the economic and social benefits of cyberspace, it is in all of our interests to ensure that cybersecurity is understood as a key part of the development agenda.

Further information

• £99m of government funding for a National Satellite Testing Facility on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire
• additional £4m announced for a National Space Propulsion Facility to develop and test space engines
• space sector forms a key part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy to spread economic growth across the UK

The £100m package includes £99m of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund investment to create a National Satellite Testing Facility (NSTF) on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, alongside a £4m investment for a new National Space Propulsion Facility to develop and test space engines at Wescott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.

Part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the significant funding boost will enable UK industry to competitively bid for more national and international contracts and ensure we remain a world-leader for space technologies for decades to come.

Visiting the UK Space Gateway on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, where the NSTF will be based, Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said:

“From Cornwall to the Highlands and islands of Scotland, the UK space sector underpins industries worth more than £250 billion to the UK economy, and through our Industrial Strategy we will unlock the sector’s potential to grow further.

“Located in a cluster known for research excellence, these new facilities will help UK companies be more competitive in the global market for space technology and support our ambition to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030.”

Due to open in early 2020, the new NSTF will be a world-class facility for the assembly, integration and testing of space instruments and satellites, positioning the UK to capitalise on the estimated 3,500 -10,000 satellites that are due to be launched by 2025. It will also facilitate the build of bigger and more technologically advanced satellites and remove the need for UK companies to use test facilities located abroad.

The NSPF will allow companies and academia to test and develop space propulsion engines, alongside a new facility for Reaction Engines where the revolutionary SABRE air-breathing rocket engine will also be tested and built.

Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

This investment will enhance the capability of the UK space industry. Having access to a National Satellite Testing Facility will help companies develop and encourage new business to come the UK, while the development of new facilities at Westcott builds on what is already a world-class UK space propulsion sector.

Dr Brian Bowsher, Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said:

STFC’s RAL Space team has been chosen as the delivery organisation for this investment and our staff will be responsible for the definition, design, building, fit out and operation of the facility. This is fantastic recognition of the strong reputation we have in the UK and overseas as the go-to team for the assembly, integration and testing of the incredibly complex and unique engineering involved in space payloads and satellites.