UK Town of Culture 2028
(1 day, 20 hours ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I am pleased to open the UK town of culture 2028 to applications today in recognition of the vital role towns play in shaping our cultural life. Places across the UK are invited to submit expressions of interest to become the inaugural UK town of culture and deliver a six-month cultural programme in 2028. The competition will run over the next year, and we will announce the winner in the beginning of 2027.
Delivered across the UK and in collaboration with the devolved Governments, the UK town of culture builds on the UK city of culture, which was first launched in 2009 and is now in its fifth iteration. The UK city of culture has seen four winning places—Derry/Londonderry, Hull, Coventry, and now Bradford—deliver a year of rich cultural activity rooted in their unique identities, drawing on local strengths and stories.
However, for far too long, too many people have not seen themselves or their communities reflected in our national story. This competition shines a light on the places that have made an enormous contribution to our cultural life, but have not had the recognition they deserve.
I have previously announced that this competition comes with £3.5 million of prize money. I am pleased to confirm that this will see the winning town receiving £3 million while two finalists will receive £250,000 each. This is in addition to the bid development funds for each of the shortlisted places to support them in preparing their full bids. This funding package will help bidding places to get the most benefit out of taking part in the competition.
The competition criteria have been designed to focus on the unique story and important role that towns play in our national life, as well as delivering local impact where it is most needed and empowering communities to shape their bid and access the programme.
The competition is open to all towns—small, medium or large. Every town in the UK is unique and adds something different to our national story and I am keen for this competition to reflect the widest range of towns possible. I hope that as many places as possible from across the UK will consider bidding and celebrating the contribution they make to our rich and diverse culture. My officials have created a toolkit to aid MPs, supportive stakeholders and bidding towns in the application process. I will deposit a copy of the toolkit in the Library of each House for MPs and their offices to access.
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Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7: Offshore Wind Projects
(1 day, 20 hours ago)
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The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)
The seventh contracts for difference auction results have been published today, unlocking a record 8.4 GW of offshore wind projects. We have taken a significant step forward in our mission, showing that clean power by 2030 is achievable and on track. Despite well-known global pressures facing the industry, we have delivered enough capacity to power the equivalent of over 12 million homes. This is a major result and means we can take back control of our energy, meet the growing demand of electricity and get bills down for good for working people.
For fixed-bottom offshore wind, this represents the single largest auction in European history. These projects will be built right across Great Britain, supporting skilled jobs and investment in coastal and industrial communities. The clearing price for offshore wind in this round was on average 90.91 per MWh, far below the auction’s price cap and significantly cheaper than the 147 per MWh cost of building and operating new gas plants.
This proves that clean, home-grown power is the most affordable and secure choice for the country.
These results include Berwick Bank, which is the first new Scottish project to be procured through the CfD in three years, and Awel y Môr, the first Welsh project to win a contract in more than a decade. This will provide a boost to the Scottish and Welsh economies, underlining this Government’s commitment to see all parts of the UK benefit from clean power.
These results also represent major progress in our efforts to lead the world in the emerging technologies of the future, securing 192.5 MW of floating offshore wind capacity. Winning projects include Erebus in the Celtic sea, and Pentland in Scotland, backed by pioneering investment from Great British Energy and the National Wealth Fund. This success builds on last year’s leasing round 5 auction of 4.5 GW of seabed. These additional projects will boost regional economies and ensure that Britain continues to reap the benefits of clean power.
This auction will unlock around £22 billion in private investment in every corner of the country, supporting at least 7,000 jobs in areas including Scotland, north Wales, Norfolk, and Yorkshire and the Humber—delivering a major boost for the economy.
In a world of increasing instability, this Government are determined to back secure, clean, home-grown power to drive down costs for families, and provide the energy security our country needs.
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Food Standards Agency: Scientific Advisory Committees
(1 day, 20 hours ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton)
The Food Standard Agency’s independent scientific advisory committees ensure that the agency’s decisions and advice are grounded in the best scientific evidence. The SACs are essential for protecting public health, maintaining food safety standards, and ensuring consumer confidence by embedding science into every aspect of FSA decision making.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office undertook a review of arm’s length bodies in line with the aims of the Government plan for change. As part of the recommendations of this review, four of the FSA’s SACs that were previously classified as advisory non-departmental public bodies will be reclassified as departmental expert committees.
The committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment advises the FSA, the Department of Health and Social Care, and other Government Departments and agencies on matters concerning the toxicity of chemicals.
The advisory committee on the microbiological safety of food advises Government on questions relating to microbiological issues and food.
The advisory committee on novel foods and processes advises the FSA on matters pertaining to novel foods, traditional novel foods, genetically modified foods and feed, and novel food processes including food irradiation.
The advisory committee on animal feeding stuffs advises on the safety and use of animal feeds and feeding practices, with particular emphasis on protecting human health, and with reference to new technical developments.
All four committees will continue to maintain their current remit, secretariat and membership to allow the continuity of their work and secure their critical functions, with no disruption to their operations or expert advice.
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