Written Statements

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

Tuesday 8 September 2026

UK Space Strategy

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment (Chris McDonald)]

My hon. Friend Baroness Lloyd of Effra, Minister for Space, Cyber and Regulatory Reform has today made the following statement:

I wish to inform the House of the publication of the UK Space Strategy, which has been laid before Parliament. Building on the aims of the 2025 Industrial Strategy and Strategic Defence Review, it sets out a one Government approach to space focused on delivering priority outcomes in defence, national security and economic growth, backed by £7.8 billion of funding, building on the ambition set out in the Defence Investment Plan.

The strategy builds upon the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy’s approach to reindustrialising the UK and delivering good growth in every postcode across the UK. It aligns activity across Government to provide a coherent and prioritised portfolio for delivery into the 2030s. It will enable the UK to become a more competitive, agile space power, better able to innovate and shape outcomes in a rapidly evolving domain. To maximise impact and deliver value for taxpayers, we have made clear choices to prioritise investment in capabilities where the UK can generate the greatest benefit across defence, national security and growth.

As reliance on space has grown, the domain has become increasingly contested by state and non-state actors. The UK must act now to compete more effectively, as other space powers increase their investment and scale in a domain of growing strategic importance.

Commitments in the strategy include:

Targeted investment in key space capabilities and high-growth sectors where the UK can achieve scale and deliver the strongest outcomes.

Action to strengthen the UK space ecosystem, including through funding local space clusters, supporting pro-growth regulation, and enhancing security, sustainability and resilience from space.

A co-ordinated approach to bilateral partnerships and multilateral leadership, driven by shared values and opportunity.

By setting clear priorities and direction of travel, the strategy provides greater certainty to industry, investors, innovators and international partners on future demand and opportunities across the UK space sector.

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Artificial Intelligence: Energy Systems

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Martin McCluskey)]

I am tabling this statement to inform Members of the publication of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s AI-enabled clean energy system vision.

Artificial intelligence has the capacity to transform jobs, businesses and industries, drive productivity and boost long-term economic growth, including delivering a more affordable, reliable and responsive energy system for consumers.

In the energy system, artificial intelligence technologies can make more efficient use of assets, meaning we need to build less at lower cost while improving the quality of service for consumers. Put simply, better forecasting, planning and operation reduce waste and avoid precautionary overbuild, putting downward pressure on system costs and, ultimately, household bills and emissions. For consumers, this means a system that is not only lower cost, but more predictable, more responsive to demand, and better able to integrate technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and flexible tariffs.

With world-leading deployment of renewable generation, strong scientific and innovation capabilities, deep capital markets and a skilled energy workforce, the UK is well placed to lead the next phase of energy system transformation. Many countries around the world have energy systems facing similar challenges. UK-based companies solving these with AI could export their products to markets around the world.

AI is already being adopted across the energy system, and this will continue with or without Government action. But as with previous technologies, adoption may be uneven, slowed by structural challenges, or pose new risks to the energy system and the consumer.

To this end, Government propose setting three high-level principles to guide AI deployment in the energy system—that it should:



Lower bills for households and businesses.

Increase the efficiency of the system and support decarbonisation.

Ensure energy security.

Government’s role is not to determine which AI models or tools should be used in particular functions, but to set clear public expectations, shaping the conditions for adoption. Government’s role is also to ensure that deployment by market actors is facilitated where it delivers system value and constrained where risks are unacceptable so that AI deployment is safe, ethical and aligned with societal expectations.

This document sets out early-stage thinking on how AI could transform the energy system over time, using two complementary lenses. First, it explores how existing and near-term applications could scale and connect across networks, markets, assets and end use—a plausible evolution in which AI becomes more embedded while strategic intent, governance and accountability remain firmly human-defined. Secondly, it uses a deliberately stretching “transformational” scenario to test what might change if AI autonomy and system integration advance rapidly, and what that would imply for control, accountability and governance in a safety-critical system.

This vision is intended as an initial articulation of opportunities and risks rather than a definitive assessment, and its core purpose is to test our framing and emerging positions with industry and other stakeholders. Following publication, we plan to deepen engagement and continue building the evidence base, including in response to the external review led by the Government’s AI and clean energy champion, which is being published at the same time and makes recommendations on rapid, safe and effective deployment pathways in electricity networks.

This engagement and evidence will inform prioritisation decisions on where and how Government should act to support adoption and manage risk, culminating in the UK’s upcoming AI for clean energy strategy.

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British Council: Long-term Restructuring

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)]

The FCDO, the British Council and HM Treasury have formally agreed the long-term restructuring of the British Council’s £197 million loan. This is underpinned by a five-year restructuring plan to bring the British Council back into profitability across its commercial business.

This agreement provides a balance between ensuring full repayment of the loan, and therefore protecting the interests of the taxpayer, while enabling the British Council to deliver as one of the UK’s most important soft power levers.

The core tenets of the agreement are:

the loan will be restructured for a 15-year term until 2041, with a pause on capital repayments for a five-year period;

from financial year 2031-32, capital repayments will be paid in equal instalments for the remaining 10-year period, ensuring full repayment of the loan;

the loan will be provided on commercial terms, as required by the Subsidy Control Act 2022, in recognition of the British Council’s commercial teaching and exams business;

where possible, and subject to legal compliance in local jurisdictions, the FCDO is supporting the British Council in accessing local currency trapped overseas due to exchange controls. This trapped cash is expected to substantially cover the annual interest charge due on the loan; and

the five-year restructuring plan involves a significant efficiency drive, including the sale of assets to the value of £130 million, which will be reinvested back into the British Council business.

The British Council is now able to refocus on delivering against the turnaround plan and core remit: to promote UK values and interests overseas through its work in arts and culture, education and the promotion of the English language.

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Ebola: Central Africa

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister for International Development (Kirsty McNeill)]

Further to my announcement in the House on 1 September, I wish to provide a more detailed written update on the Bundibugyo virus disease Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on UK action with partners to support the African-led response, protect the UK public and help contain the outbreak.

Since the Government’s previous written ministerial statement—[Official Report, 21 May 2026; Vol. 71, c. 786WS.]—the outbreak has grown significantly. It is now the fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record. The latest data from the DRC, as of 1 September, reports 6,250 confirmed cases, and 2,744 confirmed deaths. The outbreak remains centred in Ituri, in the north-east of the country, but there is transmission in six neighbouring provinces. We congratulate Uganda, which, with the support of UK and other partners, has now been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation, demonstrating the value of early action, strong surveillance and co-ordinated partner support. Wider regional readiness has improved but remains a challenge, particularly in countries with high cross-border movement and weaker health systems, including South Sudan, Burundi and the Central African Republic.

Recognising the developing needs of this outbreak, and the scale of the challenge, on 1 September I announced that the UK would provide an additional £51.8 million in funding towards the response. This builds on the £26.9 million in UK bilateral support already announced, including £21 million for the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, support to Uganda and up to £5 million for research and development into vaccines and therapeutics. The lesson from previous Ebola outbreaks is clear: delay costs lives and ultimately costs far more. It is safer, cheaper and more effective to stop a disease at source than to deal with its consequences after it spreads. That is exactly what this funding is designed to do: to accelerate the response now in order to contain transmission and reduce the risk of wider regional spread. It will help affected countries and partners strengthen surveillance and contact tracing, expand treatment and case management capacity, improve infection prevention and control, support frontline health workers and engage communities to stop transmission.

The UK’s objectives remain to support containment at source, back the African-led response, reduce humanitarian impacts and wider secondary health impacts, strengthen regional preparedness and protect the UK public. Humanitarian access remains a significant constraint. Conflict, insecurity and armed group activity continue to disrupt operations and put responders at risk, while border measures and administrative processes are affecting the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies. The UK is working through our diplomatic missions in Kinshasa and across the region to help health and humanitarian workers move safely and quickly, and is helping to ensure that resources are directed where they are most needed.

The UK is also concerned about wider humanitarian and secondary health impacts. Ebola cases and deaths in internally displaced person camps underline the heightened risks facing vulnerable communities, where overcrowding and poor water, sanitation and hygiene increase transmission risks. Essential services, including sexual and reproductive health services, are also being disrupted. The UK is working with partners to reduce these risks and impacts, support vulnerable communities and help ensure that the response is safe, trusted and community-centred.

The UK is supporting regional preparedness and co-ordination. We have provided UK technical expertise—through the UK’s international health regulations strengthening project—alongside £1 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC, to help co-ordinate essential equipment and medical supplies across the response. This complements national and regional plans by helping to identify priority needs and strengthen preparedness in at-risk countries and get critical supplies and expertise to where they are needed most. Support also includes direct technical assistance through the UK Health Security Agency, including embedded UKHSA advisers in Africa CDC.

The UK public health rapid support team has deployed 10 experts to support preparedness, readiness and response across the region, including through the WHO and UNICEF. They are contributing to preparedness in South Sudan with technical expertise and regional co-ordination.

The UK is supporting urgent research and development. Through UK support to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, working with national and regional authorities, the WHO and other partners, progress is under way on new vaccines, treatments and tests. Major milestones include recruitment of over 200 patients to the first treatment trial, supported by Oxford University’s Pandemic Science Institute, and the first two of four vaccine candidates supported by CEPI, including one developed by Oxford University, entering early clinical testing in humans, as well as social and behavioural science research and modelling to inform the response.

The UK has also worked with partners to strengthen international political co-ordination for the Ebola response. The UK co-chaired BVD international partners group brings together key donors, affected countries and African response leaders to support the African-led response and sustain political and financial support. The UK continues to engage closely with international and African partners on next steps to sustain co-ordination and support for the response.

The UK is clear that safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, or SEAH, is a non-negotiable priority. We expect all UK-funded partners to meet the highest safeguarding standards, with robust systems to prevent, report and respond to incidents, and to ensure that affected people are at the centre of the response, especially the most vulnerable ones including women and girls. Safeguarding against SEAH is embedded in HM Government’s Ebola response strategy and delivery plan, including as a specific lesson learned from the 2018 outbreak.

The risk to the UK public remains low. UKHSA continues to monitor the situation, including international travel risks, and public health measures remain under review. It is very rare for Ebola cases to occur in returning travellers, but the NHS has robust procedures and specialist facilities in place to safely assess and manage any potential cases. UKHSA’s returning workers scheme has been activated to support workers returning from affected areas and contingency planning is focusing on managing any imported case of Ebola and facilitating contact tracing. FCDO travel advice remains under review, and consular support is available where needed.

By acting now, alongside affected countries and international partners, we have the best chance of saving lives and limiting further spread across the region. The UK will continue to strongly support an effective health and humanitarian response.

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Iran: Sanctions

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)]

Today we are laying legislation that will tackle Iranian nuclear activity and other hostile Iranian activity.

The lack of transparency around Iran’s nuclear programme has long posed a serious threat to international peace and security. We have repeatedly seen Iran not act in good faith to address these concerns. For over two decades the international community has sought clarity and assurance about the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran has expanded its nuclear programme in ways that lack any credible civilian justification. This includes Iran’s accumulation of over 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60%. Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons that has enriched uranium to this level.

The UK complied with its UN obligations to implement the snapback of UN Iran sanctions on 1 October 2025, when the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 came into force. The UK went further and designated 71 individuals and entities in sectors that have links to Iran’s nuclear programme, including financial institutions and energy companies.

As my predecessor set out in a written ministerial statement to the House of 13 October 2025, and also in their oral statement to the House on 13 January 2026, the UK will now introduce legislation to impose further sectoral measures on Iran. Today I am laying in the House the Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, through which the Government are amending both the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023 and the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

These regulations introduce sectoral measures that are broadly those lifted as part of the joint comprehensive plan of action. Today’s legislation therefore doubles down on our action to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Financial measures will further reduce the Government of Iran’s ability to access the UK financial system and raise funds in support of its nuclear programme. Trade prohibitions against Iran are expanded under this legislation to additional goods, technology and services, including those key to significant industries contributing to Iranian nuclear escalation, such as energy, software, metals, gold, and related activities such as shipping, insurance and banking. The export of additional goods and technology key to Iran’s conventional weapons and nuclear capabilities are also prohibited. In addition, to bolster our existing designations and the termination of our bilateral air services arrangements in 2024, Iranian aircraft will be prohibited from landing in the UK unless certain exemptions apply.

The legislation will further expand our powers to sanction ships, strengthening our ability to target ships enabling and facilitating Iran’s nuclear programme and malign and destabilising behaviour.

As part of the UK’s responsible approach to the use of sanctions, this legislation—like all sanctions legislation—includes carefully designed sanctions mitigations.

This will include general licences to enable the continued operation of the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan, which provides critical energy supplies to our European partners. This is a continuation of long-standing policy and aligns us with the EU and the US, which have similar carve-outs for activities related to Shah Deniz.



Through these measures, the Government will uphold our commitment to ensuring that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon, and will strengthen sanctions that reduce Iranian hostile capabilities.

Iran’s nuclear programme has long been a serious concern to the international community. Iran remains in significant non-compliance with their international safeguards obligations.

A negotiated outcome is the only long-term solution to the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. We remain fully committed to a lasting and sustainable diplomatic solution that ensures Iran never develops a nuclear weapon.

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Rail Freight Growth

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Heidi Alexander)]

I wish to inform the House of an additional target that the Government are setting for the growth of rail freight, as part of continued support for the freight sector to realise its economic and environmental benefits.

We have previously affirmed our support for the existing target of:

at least 75% increase in freight moved by rail in net tonne kilometres by 2050.

To help realise this ambition, I am now setting an additional target as a milestone towards achieving the desired growth, namely of:

at least a 40% increase in freight moved by rail in net tonne kilometres by 2040.

To further support our vision for the sector, I have expectations that there is potential for rail freight to increase volumes of different types of commodities by 2040. Namely:

an increase of 65% in high value goods in net tonne kilometres;

an increase of 45% in construction goods in net tonne kilometres;

an increase of 7% in critical goods in net tonne kilometres.

This new target reflects not only our ambition for the sector, but our commitment to improving supply chain resilience, economic growth and decarbonising our logistics sector. It is estimated that delivering the 2040 growth target will increase the value of goods moved by rail freight from £33.7 billion to £49.5 billion. It is also estimated that meeting the target would save a million tonnes of CO2 per year compared with freight moved by road.

The Railways Bill, which is currently before Parliament, provides for the Transport Secretary (Heidi Alexander) to set a rail freight growth target for Great British Railways. This will ensure that the duty to grow rail freight will be embedded in the new body’s decision making.

In this way, the Government’s target setting for the growth of rail freight will have statutory status and continue to play a key role in ensuring that rail freight continues to prosper as an integral part of the railway.

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