Business Secretary Alok Sharma has today (14 May) appointed Professor Ottoline Leyser DBE FRS as the new CEO of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Professor Ottoline Leyser is a leading British plant biologist and Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Starting the position on Monday 29 June, as UKRI CEO, Professor Leyser will guide the delivery on the government’s ambitions to increase investment in research and development (R&D) to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, establishing the UK as a global hub for science and technology, now and far into the future.

This appointment will ensure the UK research sector remains at the forefront of new advances to tackle the biggest industrial and societal challenges affecting the world today including climate change, healthcare and the current coronavirus pandemic.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:

Professor Leyser’s appointment comes at a critical time for the UK. The coronavirus pandemic has shown the importance of science for our future and UKRI has a vital role to play in this.

As the new Chief Executive, Professor Leyser will drive forward UKRI’s mission to create the great British companies of the future and help keep the UK at the cutting edge of global research and development.

I would like to thank Sir Mark Walport for his dedication to UKRI, leading its transformation programme and championing science, engineering and technology across the UK.

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said:

I am thrilled with the appointment of Professor Leyser and I look forward to working closely with her to drive forward our shared ambition to boost our world-leading research and development.

Since its launch in 2018, UKRI has gone from strength to strength. Professor Leyser has already led a highly collaborative lab in her previous role which will be a great skill to bring to UKRI as it embarks on a new stage of exciting evolution.

I would also like to personally thank Sir Mark Walport for his dedication to this role.

Professor Ottoline Leyser commented:

UKRI has a unique opportunity to make a profound contribution to tackling the many challenges facing the world.

During my career, I have seen the power of genuinely collaborative cultures to catalyse the transformative thinking needed to create effective solutions.

I look forward to working with the UKRI team to ensure that the UK’s superb research and innovation system continues to work for everyone, by pioneering new partnerships, developing innovative funding models and strengthening international collaboration.

About UKRI

UKRI works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish, ensuring the UK remains a world-leader in science and research.

UKRI was established on 1 April 2018, bringing together 7 existing research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. It has a combined budget of £7 billion.

About Professor Ottoline Leyser DBE FRS

Ottoline received her BA (1986) and PhD (1990) in genetics from the University of Cambridge. After post-doctoral research at Indiana University and Cambridge, she took up a lectureship at the University of York, where she worked from 1994-2010.

Among her honours are the Society of Experimental Biology’s President’s Medal (2000), the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award (2007), the International Plant Growth Substance Association’s Silver Medal (2010), the UK Genetics Society Medal (2016), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Women in Science Award (2017) and the British Society for Developmental Biology’s Waddington Medal (2020).

She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours list for services to plant science, science in society and equality and diversity in science. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society, an International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation and the Leopoldina. She is a Fellow of Clare College.

She currently chairs the Royal Society’s Science Policy Expert Advisory Committee and serves on the Council for Science and Technology.

We welcome and thank Ambassador John MacGregor and his colleagues for his report to the Permanent Council and the good work they have clearly done in Uzbekistan over the last year.

The excellent relationship his Office has built with the host government is warmly welcomed by the UK. This relationship allows the OSCE to strengthen co-operation between Uzbekistan and the full range of OSCE institutions and executive structures. We commend bringing the collective and tailored strengths of different parts of the OSCE to the country. This includes the Special Representative for trafficking; ODIHR; the High Commissioner on National Minorities; and the Representative on Freedom of the Media.

The UK government continues to support the Uzbek government’s reforms – including in the areas of law, commerce, foreign exchange, national security, and anti-corruption. We are also pleased to witness Uzbekistan’s continued cooperation with its neighbours, mirrored by the work of the Office.

I want to focus attention today – and highlight – three specific areas of commendable work of the Project Coordinator.

First on transnational threats. And in particular assistance in developing the draft National Strategy on Countering Terrorism in Uzbekistan and its related Action Plan for 2021 to 2025. We welcome the training of law enforcement officers on counter-terrorism policing and improving their skills on countering illicit drug circulation. The UK also looks forward to continuing collaboration with the Uzbek Government on regional security and the prevention and detection of serious organised crime.

Second, the work on the third dimension. This includes supporting adoption of a National Human Rights Strategy. This is occurring via a national consultation conference and by raising awareness of the tangible benefits of a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) against torture. We welcome the Uzbek Government’s efforts to improve engagement with the UN, OSCE and international NGOs and in addressing longstanding human rights concerns. At the heart of the OSCE is the principle of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which we support all efforts to advance.

And third – training to enhance women’s empowerment and advance female participation following the December 2019 elections, as well as promoting the importance of women in policing. Promotion of gender inclusivity is a key UK priority. We welcome the progress made on gender issues, and encourage implementation of the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

In addition – we welcome the Office’s Project Agreement Process. We are glad to see that this has been both useful and successful over the years in guiding the work of the field mission. It is of the utmost importance that OSCE-funded projects are effective and relevant and as such we welcome this useful tool. We also commend the renewed effort at sharing project ideas, successes and best practice in programme activity.

As this is likely to be the last Permanent Council meeting for Ambassador MacGregor in his role as Head of Mission in Tashkent I would like to greatly thank him for his hard work, his unbounded energy and his efforts in Uzbekistan and in ensuring the OSCE has a strong presence there. I wish the Office continued success and wish him all the very best in whatever comes next.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma has today (14 May) confirmed 9 appointments to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) panel.

Panel members are tasked with running merger and market inquiries that have been referred for a thorough (phase 2) investigation. Panel members also make decisions on regulatory appeals on price controls or terms of licences.

Jo Armstrong

Jo Armstrong is a business economist and corporate financier having worked in financial services, oil and gas and government, and has also worked extensively with regulatory bodies including Ofgem and the Scottish Housing Regulator. Her appointment as a panel member commenced in May 2020.

Margot Daly

Margot Daly is an executive director of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), a trustee of GamCare and an independent business consultant. Previously she was a panel member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Her appointment as a panel member commenced in May 2020.

Ashleye Gunn

Ashleye Gunn is an independent consumer policy consultant. She is a panel member for Ofgem’s RIIO Stakeholder Engagement and Consumer Vulnerability incentive and for UK Power Networks London Customer Engagement Group for RIIO-2. She was previously Policy Programme Director at Which? Her appointment as a panel member commenced in April 2020.

Jennie Holloway

Jennie Holloway is co-founder of The Growth Stage and co-founder and Director of Ekta Partners Limited. Prior to launching these businesses, Jennie worked in investment banking for 15 years, latterly as a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where she ran Alternative Equity Capital Markets. Her appointment as a panel member commenced in May 2020.

Frances McLeman

Frances McLeman is an experienced corporate and regulatory lawyer. A former Corporate Partner at City law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP (now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP), she was recently Head of Ring Fencing Legal at Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) delivering a major regulatory reform programme, and before that LBG’s Head of Corporate and M&A Legal. Her appointment as a panel member commenced in May 2020. 

Cyrus Mehta

Cyrus Mehta was a Partner and Head of the EU and Competition team at law firm CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP. He has over 30 years’ experience in the field of UK and EU competition law, state aid, trade law and regulation. His appointment as a panel member commenced in April 2020.

Sir Kenneth Parker

Sir Kenneth Parker was formerly a QC, joint head of Monckton Chambers, a Law Commissioner and Judge of the High Court. He is currently a Judicial Commissioner in the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office, and a legal chair for the Financial Reporting Council. His appointment as a panel member commenced in May 2020.

Stephen Rose

Stephen Rose was a consultant to international law firm, Eversheds-Sutherland (International) LLP, having formally been a senior partner in the firm’s Competition, EU and Trade group for over 20 years. His appointment as a panel member commenced in April 2020.

Crispin Wright

Crispin Wright was Director General of the Takeover Panel from 2015-2018. Prior to that he was an investment banker for over 30 years specialising in mergers and acquisitions at Rothschild and Co, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Grenfell. His appointment as a panel member commenced in April 2020.

The CMA

The CMA is a non-ministerial department and the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It has responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries, and enforcing competition and consumer law.

Mr Chair – I would like to thank the Director of ODIHR for her presentation to the Permanent Council. The United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of ODIHR in its work to support participating States in implementing their OSCE human dimension commitments.

Let me thank you Director and your team for your hard work throughout 2019. This is clearly documented in the Annual Report, and you have highlighted it here today.

With such a comprehensive mandate, which is demonstrated by a wide range of activities in many states, I will not attempt to address the full extent of ODIHR’s work here.

However, let me mention briefly your work to monitor the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. We were delighted that ODIHR chose the UK as a State for assembly monitoring and that representatives of ODIHR visited London in December 2019 to observe demonstrations there. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is essential for so many other aspects of democratic life. It is linked to both freedom of expression and freedom of association, and is a core part of electoral processes and of holding governments to account. We welcome the opportunity to share our experience of enabling the right to peaceful assembly and encourage other States to work with ODIHR in this field in the future.

We welcome ODIHR’s continuing work on gender equality, and that the pursuit of this is taken forward throughout all departments and all elements of their work, not as a standalone piece of work, or an after-thought. This can be seen throughout the Annual Report, and in the assistance from ODIHR to parliaments in adopting and enacting gender-sensitive legislation.

Looking ahead, this is clearly going to be a challenging year for States and for the OSCE’s institutions. In line with the recommendations being made by the World Health Organisation, States are rightly taking exceptional measures as they seek to halt the spread of COVID-19. However, some of these measures have potentially profound effects on individuals and societies, and impact on people’s enjoyment of their human rights.

ODIHR, together with the other OSCE institutions, has a clear role to play in supporting participating States uphold their OSCE commitments. You have identified some of the risks: hastily adopted legislation, a lack of parliamentary oversight and scrutiny, a risk of increased intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes; and as we discussed here two weeks ago, an increase in domestic violence and abuse.

We can also see that the elections calendar for 2020 has already been disrupted, with delays to planned elections already in place, and a pause in election observation plans. Let me take this opportunity to restate my and my country’s support for ODIHR’s independent election observation. This includes ODIHR’s election observation methodology.

Finally, a word on the role of civil society. During these unprecedented times, civil society is playing an essential role both in supporting communities and contributing to States’ responses. Civil society also provides a challenge function, identifying risks and shortfalls in States’ plans, as well as contributing to policy and decision making. It is crucial that space for civil society is respected, both in participating States and in OSCE fora.

To conclude – ODIHR is a vital organisation within the OSCE area – it is essential in upholding and helping to implement participating States commitments on human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. ODIHR is as essential as ever in 2020 and in the current circumstances we face. We wish all the very best to the Director and her able team and assure her of the UK’s full support.