The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, working through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and Innovate UK, has up to £4 million to develop world-leading civil aerospace technologies.

Organisations can submit their interest in one of 2 competitions for:

• fast-track collaborative research and development projects
• longer-term collaborative research and development projects

Projects must be in line with the UK aerospace technology strategy, Raising Ambition. This strategy is supported by an annual investment of £150 million by the UK government in research and technology development.

A further £4 million will be on offer for feasibility studies in 2019.

Fast-track collaborative research and development

Exploit technology within 3 to 5 years

Up to £2 million is available for fast-track projects that could be exploited within 3 to 5 years.

Projects could look at:

• sensing for harsh environments and integrated vehicle health monitoring
• coping with extreme conditions
• creating secure, smart, connected and efficient sub-systems
• technologies to improve factory efficiency

Fast-track competition information

• the competition opens on 24 September 2018, and the deadline for expressions of interest is midday on 5 December 2018
• projects that meet the quality threshold will be invited to make a full funding application
• an SME can lead a project, working with other businesses or research organisations
• we expect projects to range in size from £425,000 to £1 million and to last between 1 and 2 years
• businesses could attract up to 50% of their project costs
• you will need to sign up to the ATI framework agreement to be eligible to apply

Collaborative research and development

Longer-term returns

Up to £2 million is available for longer-term collaborations, the results of which could be exploited in 5 years or more.

Themes include:

• how to enable single crew operations
• machines and electronics that allow for more electric aircraft
• supporting the next generation of materials and processes
• preliminary design and trade tools for future aircraft and systems

Competition information

• the competition opens on 24 September 2018, and the deadline for expressions of interest is midday on 5 December 2018
• projects that meet the quality threshold will be invited to make a full funding application
• a business must lead the project, working with other businesses or research organisations
• we expect projects to range in size from £425,000 to £1.5 million and to last up to 3 years
• businesses could attract up to 50% of their project costs
• you will need to sign up to the ATI framework agreement to be eligible to apply

Published 20 September 2018

The NDG convened on Thursday 20 September to assess the present situation and review the action being taken to reduce the risk of drought in 2019.

A man who grew and sold cannabis from his bedroom has been jailed today after the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient.

During a police search of James Brooks’ Southend home, a false wall was discovered in the 24 year old’s bedroom. Inside this concealed room, police found 6 cannabis plants. Elsewhere in the room, they found large amounts of cannabis, cocaine, and paraphernalia relating to the sale of drugs. They also found weapons including a machete and pair of nun-chucks.

Brooks was originally sentenced at Basildon Crown Court in July, where he was given 18 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months. He was also made the subject of a 12 month drug rehabilitation requirement, and ordered to complete a rehabilitation activity and unpaid work. Today, after the Attorney General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 32 months immediate imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Attorney General said:

“Drug production and dealing has severe impacts on a community and on individuals. Brooks was making a living from harming the lives of others, and it is important that this is reflected in his sentence.”

More than 300 dry-weather environmental incidents in summer 2018

The first person to be convicted under the Modern Slavery Act for human trafficking outside the UK has today had her sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, personally argued that her sentence was too low in the Court of Appeal.

From her south London home, Josephine Iyamu, now 51, organised the travel of 5 women from Nigeria to Germany for exploitation through prostitution for her own financial gain.

The victims were all vulnerable young women who knew Iyamu could get them into Europe. In return for arranging their travel, Iyamu demanded they repay her up to £35,000 once they began working in Germany, and were told that breaking this promise would result in activation of a voodoo curse.

The victims travelled from Nigeria across the Sahara to Libya, where they boarded overcrowded inflatable boats to Italy, and finally entered Germany using false identification documents. The traumatic journey involved spending days or weeks in “transit houses”, the rape of one of the victims, and being rescued from the Mediterranean after their boat broke down.

After Iyamu’s arrest in 2017, she plotted to stop the case against her through intimidation of the victims’ families. This included arranging the unlawful arrest of one of the victim’s sisters remaining in Nigeria.

Iyamu was originally sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in July, where she was given 14 years imprisonment. Today, the Court of Appeal increased her sentence to 18 years imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General said:

“Modern slavery exists in all societies, and respects neither borders nor jurisdictions. It has no place in a civilised society and the UK government is committed to tackling this abhorrent crime wherever it originates, working with our partners across the globe.

The Court of Appeal’s decision today helps to show that crimes relating to human trafficking, such as Iyamu’s, will not be tolerated – regardless of where they are carried out.”