DASA is working with the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) to encourage collaboration under the Metasurfaces for Defence and Security competition.

The ‘Showcasing Emerging Technologies’ Event, hosted by the KTN will bring together the UK metamaterials community, from across industry and academia.

As part of this event, suppliers funded under Phase 1 of the Metasurfaces competition will be delivering a short presentation on the work they are undertaking.

Although new funding will not be available at this event, Phase 2 of the DASA competition will be launching later this year and will be seeking to promote teaming between academia and industry (small or large) to develop the role of metasurfaces for years to come in fields such as signature management, sensing and communications.

This event therefore provides an exciting opportunity for both current and potential suppliers to meet a wide range of the metamaterials community.

To participate in this collaboration event please register by going to the Eventbrite page.

Please note that places for this event are limited and if the event is oversubscribed, we reserve the right to limit attendance if needed.

In July 2018, DASA launched Phase 1 of the Metasurfaces for defence and security competition.

Primarily funded by the Materials for Strategic Advantage programme in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Phase 1 of this competition sought proposals to:

• maximise capabilities within limited platform space enabling technology integration into the difficult to use parts * platform
• unlock further benefits from signal processing software
• enable pan, multi- and hyper spectral system operation, and interoperability
• lead to long-term cost reduction through technology advances and eased and modular integration

Overall, 12 bids were successful with total funding of £883k awarded.

Phase 2 of the competition will be launching later this year and will be open to both new and existing suppliers.

Further details will be released on the DASA website.

If you have any queries, please do contact us at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

A-One+, who are Highways England’s main operations and maintenance supplier in Kent and Sussex have worked since July 2017 without any of its employees on the road network suffering a work-related injury.

Chris Sheppard, general manager at A-one+, said:

This is a remarkable achievement. These records don’t happen by chance. Every morning when our people go to work, they’re armed with the best safety equipment, training, processes, and support in the business.

Each year we look back at our performance, and we don’t just show a video or open a book. From the office to the field employees, the importance of safety and wellbeing is continually emphasized.

The introduction of staff champions, has also reinforced a zero tolerance of workplace dangers and this focussed time and attention has helped reinforce our commitment to safety with every employee.

Karen Davies, from Highways England, added:

Safety is Highways England’s top priority, and we congratulate A-One+ on reaching this milestone. Working on a high speed road is a high risk environment, but by keeping a relentless focus on safety and sharing safe working practices across our road network we look to minimise the risk to all our employees and contractors.

Highways England continue to lead the way in showing how to minimise this risk, to increase the safety of our staff and ensure that everyone goes home safely at the end of their shift. We will be sharing this practice and looking to see it replicated across our road network.

The last reportable incident within this operating area was in July 2017. Since then A-one+ have continued to work hard to improve safety awareness and preventing harm.

The team has managed to achieve this feat through:

• embedding culture through a Wellbeing, Improvement, Safety and Environmental Strategy known as WISHES
• increasing daily engagement between management and key staff members to address the challenges faced by the teams and counter complacency
• groups reviewing innovative practice and then sharing it with operatives, encouraging them to take ownership of their safety and best practice
• last year A-One+ carried out 3,345 inspections
• A-One+ has 9 safety champions across their depots
• launch of a bespoke web enabled safety observation app to prevent harm, where all observations such as near misses or improvement ideas are discussed and actioned on a weekly call attended by around 60 people including supply chain
• supplementing the app with a mental health section providing 24-hour mobile access to resources and support and a traffic management incursion section allowing safety trends to be analysed

Over the next five years Highways England plan to invest over £11 billion to modernise and maintain the network including a range of safety measures: upgrading junctions, removing bottlenecks, upgrading barriers and verges, and improved signage.

Road improvements under construction along the Kent Corridor also include creating a new junction on the M20 near Ashford, upgrading the M20 to a smart motorway between junctions 3 and 5 and work to improve the resilience of the M20 to cross channel disruption. In addition, detailed plans have been published to upgrade two junctions on the A2 and a new flyover for the M2 at junction 5 near Stockbury.

And in the longer term, a new Lower Thames Crossing – the biggest road project in a generation – will create a brand new link between Kent and Essex, spur growth and relieve the congestion at the Dartford Crossing.

Highways England has a target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on motorways and major A roads by 40 per cent within 10 years.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Roadworkers on motorways and major A roads in Kent and Sussex have reached a landmark of working more than two million hours without an accident.

Regular vaping among young people remains low in Britain and has plateaued among adults, an independent report led by researchers at King’s College London and commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) has found.

The report is the first in a new set of 3, commissioned by PHE under the Government’s Tobacco Control Plan for England. It looks specifically at the use of e-cigarettes rather than health impacts, which will be the subject of a future report.

The findings show that while experimentation with e-cigarettes among young people has increased in recent years, regular use remains low. Only 1.7% of under-18s use e-cigarettes weekly or more, and the vast majority of those also smoke. Among young people who have never smoked, only 0.2% use e-cigarettes regularly.

Regular e-cigarette use among adults has plateaued over recent years, and remains largely confined to smokers and ex-smokers, with ‘quitting smoking’ the main motivation for adult vapers.

Professor John Newton, Health Improvement Director at Public Health England, said:

In contrast to recent media reports in the US, we are not seeing a surge in e-cigarette use among young people in Britain.

While more young people are experimenting with e-cigarettes, the crucial point is that regular use remains low and is very low indeed among those who have never smoked.

We will keep a close watch on young people’s vaping and smoking habits to ensure we stay on track to achieve our ambition of a smoke-free generation.

Despite e-cigarettes now being the most popular quit aid, just over a third of smokers have never tried one. Only 4% of quit attempts through Stop Smoking Services in England are made using e-cigarettes, despite this being an effective approach.

The report recommends that Stop Smoking Services should do more to encourage smokers that want to quit with the help of an e-cigarette.

Smoking rates in young people have plateaued in recent years, while smoking rates among adults continue to fall, with just under 15% of adults in England smoking, according to government figures.

A major UK clinical trial, published recently and not included in this PHE report has found e-cigarettes, when combined with face-to-face support, to be up to twice as effective for quitting smoking as other nicotine replacement products, such as patches or gum.

Professor Newton also commented:

We could accelerate the decline in smoking if more smokers switched completely to vaping. Recent new evidence clearly shows using an e-cigarette with Stop Smoking Service support can double your chances of quitting.

But with e-cigarettes currently used so rarely in services, it’s time for change. Every Stop Smoking Service must start talking much more about the potential of vaping to help smokers quit.

If you smoke, switching to vaping could save you years of ill health, and even your life.

Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London, and lead author of the report said:

We are encouraged that regular vaping among young people in Britain who have never smoked remains low. However, we need to stay vigilant and in particular closely monitor youth smoking.

With just over a third of adult smokers having never tried an e-cigarette, there is a clear opportunity for more smokers to try a method which has helped many others to quit. Smokers should be advised to stop smoking as soon as possible and explore all available options for support, including e-cigarettes.

The report says that combining e-cigarettes with face-to-face support should remain a recommended option available to all smokers. It calls for stop smoking practitioners and health professionals supporting smokers to receive education and training, in the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts.

Online training is now available, via the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT).

Background

More information can be found in Vaping in England: an evidence update February 2019, and in the previously published 2018 report E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products: evidence review.

Natural England will today (27 February 2019) open the latest stretch of the England Coast Path, increasing access to the magnificent Lincolnshire coastline with a new 16-mile route from Skegness to Mablethorpe.

Encompassing the tourist hotspot of Skegness, wild sand dunes and the world’s first official cloud spotting area, Lincolnshire’s first open stretch of the England Coast Path will enable people to explore the route’s natural and diverse wildlife that have made the area their home.

Home to a long-established coastal tourism industry, the new Lincolnshire route will benefit from improved access and signposting to allow visitors and locals alike to enjoy the diversity of the coast, with a new boardwalk at Chapel Point improving access to the North Sea Observatory.

Rural Minister Lord Gardiner, said:

England’s beautiful coastline is a sight to behold, and I am delighted that more people than ever before will be able to enjoy its striking scenery during this Year of Green Action.

With Lincolnshire home to some of our most precious coastal habitats, the new stretch of path announced today will open up access while boosting valuable tourism for rural communities and businesses.

Interim Chief Executive of Natural England Marian Spain, who is attending today’s event at the North Sea Observatory, said:

The England Coast Path plays a key role in helping people connect with and access nature and it is a privilege to open the first Lincolnshire stretch.

“From wild dunes to sandy beaches, the public will now be able to easily enjoy the countless beautiful habitats between Skegness and Mablethorpe.

The new route takes into account the area’s important coastal habitats, including the seascapes and unique habitats of Anderby Marsh, Chapel Pit and Wolla Bank Reedbed. Walkers will be able to enjoy the adjacent sand dunes, clay pits and beaches, where a range of bird species such as the bearded tit and reed bunting thrive.

Users will also enjoy views of Woola Bank Site of Scientific Special Interest (SSSI) at very low tides – a submerged forest dating from the Neolithic Period – and access to the world’s first official cloud spotting area at the Anderby Creek Cloud Bar.

Natural England is currently establishing a 2,700-mile path around the entire English coastline, with today’s stretch the eleventh to open. When completed, it will be the longest continuous coastal walking route in the world. It will also become a National Trail – the nation’s finest and most popular long-distance paths.

Today’s launch comes during the government’s Year of Green Action, a commitment outlined in the 25-Year Environment Plan to inspire more people to engage with the natural world.

Colin Davie, Executive Councillor for economic development at Lincolnshire County Council, said:

I’m delighted that the England Coastal path now runs from Skegness to Mablethorpe, through our beautiful Coastal Country Park. We have such a spectacular coastline with amazing wildlife, Blue Flag beaches and ‘excellent’ bathing waters – perfect for people to explore.

Tourism is vital to our county’s economy and our coastal strip attracts millions of visitors each year. I’m sure the new coastal path will encourage many more people to visit Lincolnshire and explore our brilliant coastline.