Hinkley Point C will provide low carbon electricity to 6 million homes; beyond this there are many wider benefits from this large infrastructure project during its 10 years of construction.
This wider benefits realisation plan sets out what these benefits are and how they will be delivered.
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has published its report on ‘Feeding in the first year of life’, providing recommendations on infant feeding from birth up to 12 months of age.
The last review of infant feeding was undertaken by SACN’s predecessor Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) in 1994 and formed the basis for government recommendations in the UK.
SACN recommends babies are exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age and continue to be breastfed for at least the first year of life. Additionally, solid foods should not be introduced until around 6 months to benefit the child’s overall health. This represents no change to current government recommendations. SACN concludes breastfeeding makes an important contribution to infant and maternal health. This includes the development of the infant immune system, while not breastfeeding is associated with a higher risk of infant hospital admission for infectious illness.
By around 6 months of age, infants are usually ready to accept foods other than breastmilk or formula. SACN concludes delaying solid foods to around 6 months is not associated with later difficulty in accepting solid foods – the idea of a ‘critical window’ between 4 and 6 months is not supported by the evidence.
SACN has recommended strengthening advice regarding the introduction of peanuts and hen’s egg – advice on complementary feeding should state these foods can be introduced from around 6 months of age and need not be differentiated from other solid foods. The deliberate exclusion of peanuts or hen’s egg beyond 6 to 12 months of age may increase the risk of allergy to these foods.
Other recommendations include:
Breast milk, infant formula and water should be the only drinks offered between 6 and 12 months of age. Cows’ milk should not be given as a main drink, as this is associated with lower iron status.
A wide range of solid foods, including foods containing iron, should be introduced from around six months of age, alongside breastfeeding. These foods should have different textures and flavours and may need to be tried several times before the infant accepts them, particularly as they get older.
Breastfed infants up to 12 months should receive a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10µg of vitamin D (340-400 IU/d). Formula-fed infants do not need a supplement unless consuming less than 500ml of infant formula a day.
SACN raises concerns about the proportion of infants with energy intakes above requirements and the proportion exceeding growth standards for their weight – around three-quarters of infants for both. SACN recommends consideration is given to monitoring the prevalence of overweight and overfeeding in infants, and ways to address high energy intakes in this age group.
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England (PHE) said:
The SACN report reinforces existing advice on infant feeding in relation to breastfeeding and the introduction of solid foods. In new advice, it provides clear guidance on the introduction of allergenic foods.
SACN’s robust advice puts to bed any arguments about a beneficial effect of early introduction of solid foods.
PHE’s Start4Life website provides a range of advice and resources to help parents through pregnancy, birth and parenthood. This includes tips on infant feeding to help give children the best nutritional start in life.
An innovative cloud profiling radar is 1 of 7 exciting new projects whose funding was announced this morning by the UK Space Agency.
The cloud radar (being developed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space facility) to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting, won a share of a £4.7 million funding pot to develop highly innovative sensors that could be used to monitor climate change, improve mapping and co-ordinate disaster relief efforts from space.
Dr Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:
The UK is a world leader in earth observation technology, which not only allows us to better understand the planet that we live on, but also has outstanding potential for export – providing highly skilled jobs and economic growth across the UK.
This new funding is fundamental in our mission to grow the UK’s space economy and maintain our leadership in these science and technology areas, and I am keen to see the results.
From world-leading science in orbit to innovative satellite technology and services, space is a fundamental part of Britain’s future. The UK space sector is growing, worth £13.7 billion (2014 to 2015) to the economy and employing more than 38,000 people across the country.
In November 2017 businesses and organisations were invited to bid for UK Space Agency funding to match their own investments in developing new EO technologies that could create export opportunities for the UK and match the ambitions of the newly released EO Technology Strategy
Following a hotly contested competition run by the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI) and extensive peer review, the 7 winning projects were announced today.
These will work to:
Technical information about the 7 winning bids:
GRaCE: G-band Radar for Cloud Evaluation
A consortium led by STFC RAL Space and including Thomas Keating Ltd, the University of Leicester, and the University of St Andrews has been awarded £609K to build and demonstrate a 200GHz, 1.5mm wavelength cloud profiling radar, able to provide enhanced scientific data that can improve the accuracy of societally important numerical weather prediction models.
Development of a new high-resolution multispectral camera system for EO applications using a new TDI CMOS image sensor A consortium led by Teledyne e2v and including Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and the Open University has been awarded £968K to develop and demonstrate a novel very high resolution imaging system incorporating Time Delay and Integration (TDI) CMOS image sensor technology. The new design will provide a new entry level for customers looking to take advantage of sub-metre ground sampling grid using a smaller, lower-cost imager system than would normally be required, positioning UK industry to take advantage of the rapidly growing international market.
OVERPaSS: On-board VidEo Rapid ProceSSing
Optimising data processing on-board a satellite can substantially reduce the amount of data the satellite needs to store and downlink, increasing the satellite’s overall utility. A consortium led by Earth-i Ltd and including SSTL, Cortexica Vision Systems, and University College London has been awarded £820K to implement, test and demonstrate ultra-high-resolution optical image analysis techniques (including super-resolution enhancement of images; retrieval of sub-pixel 3D point clouds; cloud detection and image quality assessment; change detection and moving object extraction; video compression), involving both innovative software techniques and dedicated hardware such as Graphical Processing Units (GPUs).
Compact Multispectral Imager for Nanosatellites II A consortium led by the University of Strathclyde and including Wideblue Ltd has been awarded £719K to demonstrate the application of an innovative single-pixel sensing technique to multispectral imaging instruments. The resulting payload is very compact and suitable for nanosatellite deployment, providing high capability at low cost.
Fast Slew Gimbaled Optics for Real-time Earth Observation Applications
A consortium led by the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey, and including In-Space Missions Ltd has been awarded £867K to develop the mechanisms, optics and interfaces to deliver a protoflight model of a zoomable, fast slew, gimbaled video and still camera system. This will address an upcoming flight opportunity in 2020, and form the basis for a low-cost family of commercial products.
Characterisation of Leonardo MCT APD arrays in the ANU hyperspectral instrument
Leonardo MW Ltd will develop and characterise large format Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) Avalanche PhotoDiode (APD) arrays for use in future infra-red instruments for export and operational space missions. The project is a collaboration with the Australian National University, who will develop a system to test and characterise the devices.
Next Generation Infrared calibration Sources (NGENIRS) A consortium led by STFC RAL Space and including Surrey Nano Systems Ltd and the National Physical Laboratory has been awarded £594K to combine a range of technologies funded through previous CEOI and NSTP programmes in order to build and characterise a fully functional prototype flight black body demonstrator, which is a key enabling technology for delivering high-performance and accurate data from infrared sensing missions.
This Annual Report outlines the UK Co-ordinating Body’s constitution, objectives and performance indicators, and its performance against Business Plan targets.
It also gives information of the UK Co-ordinating Body’s:
The report has details of the UK Co-ordinating Body groups, including:
Thirty students will this week learn from businesses and trade experts about the vital role of international trade in helping companies thrive at the first International Trade Summer School.
Launching the initiative, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP called on the next generation of business leaders and policy makers to broaden their horizons, deepen their knowledge and prepare themselves for the exciting opportunities ahead in the global economy.
The 3-day event is organised by DIT’s National Trade Academy Programme, part of the Board of Trade, which aims to upskill the nation on international trade and build a culture of exporting through a range of educational projects and initiatives.
The Summer School sees DIT working with a number of partners, from business organisations to banks. These include the Institute of Exports & International Trade, Barclays and the City of London Corporation, as well as successful exporters like premium tonic maker Double Dutch, to deliver interactive sessions equipping the next generation of exporters and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed.
Over the 3 days, the students will also take on an Apprentice-style export challenge. They will be tasked with creating an exporting strategy to boost sales of bicycles manufactured in Sheffield, in a scenario not unfamiliar to trade advisers at DIT which each year helps tens of thousands of companies take the first steps toward exporting.
Opening the first International Trade Summer School, International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox MP said:
Through the National Trade Academy Programme, my international economic department is working to energise and educate the next generation of exporters and entrepreneurs and this summer school will do just that, giving students a comprehensive and practical insight into the world of international trade.
As the UK gets ready to leave the European Union and make its own independent trade policy for the first time in 40 years, students will learn about the vast benefits that free trade brings to national economies as well as the enormous potential that a truly global Britain offers individuals and businesses across the UK.
Lord Mayor of the City of London Charles Bowman said:
The UK has prospered as a result of strong relationships with international partners. As we edge closer to departing the European Union our global trade links will become even more vital.
Equipping students, individuals and businesses with the tools to enhance these international links is a tremendous initiative that the City of London is proud to be a part of.
I look forward to meeting delegates to discuss how we can bolster the trade of the future.
Andy Fishburn, Head of Investment at Virgin StartUp, said:
We’re thrilled to be hosting day 3 of the National Trade Academy Programme’s Summer School to showcase some of UK’s best exporters and help inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
ENDS
The International Trade Summer School The International Trade Summer School is 3 day event, from 16 to 18 July, and will be attended by 30 students. It is the first of its kind and presents a unique opportunity for participants to learn about international trade, meet successful businesses leaders and engage with senior government officials. The summer school will enable participants to develop their thinking around the concepts of international trade and use this insight to inform their future study, support job applications and gain useful skills for their careers.
Day 1 will be hosted by the Department for International Trade.
Day 2 will be launched by the Lord Mayor of London and hosted at Mansion House.
Day 3 is taking place at Virgin StartUp in Paddington.
A number of high profile partner organisations will also be delivering learning sessions at the International Trade Summer School. These include: