News story: Scottish companies win £1.7 million UK Government funding for healthcare innovation

Three Scottish companies are to receive funding for health tech research, part of the UK Government investment in developing technology to transform health and social care. They are

  • RoslinCT, Edinburgh. Awarded £887,000 to develop stem cell therapies for clinical use, working with ReproCELL.

  • Stormid, Edinburgh/Glasgow. Awarded £586,000 to develop digital services for patients with lung conditions.

  • Daysix, Edinburgh/Glasgow. Awarded £290,000 to develop a clinical decision support app with the potential to transform the delivery of trauma care globally.

The projects have been funded by the UK Government as part of its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, managed by UK Research and Innovation.

UK Government minister for Scotland, Lord Ian Duncan, will today [Thursday 4 October] visit all three of the Scottish projects. Speaking ahead of his visits Lord Duncan said:

This UK Government funding is about supporting breakthrough technologies to transform healthcare across the country for both patients and staff. Three Scottish companies will receive more than £1.7 million to develop cell-based therapeutics, digital self-management services for lung patients and systems to provide real-time decision support in the care of trauma patients. Scottish companies are at the forefront of life science developments, and this UK Government funding will help them develop their expertise even further.

Daysix

UK Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Technology is revolutionising industries across our economy, and new innovations play a key role in advancing our healthcare sector to make sure people are living longer, healthier and happier lives.

By pooling the expertise of the public and private sectors, as highlighted through the Life Sciences Sector Deal and the modern Industrial Strategy, we are making every opportunity to reach our full potential in finding new discoveries and technologies to diagnose illnesses earlier that could lead to more lives being saved.

Ian Campbell, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, for UK Research and Innovation said:

The projects we have funded today aim to make a real difference for patients and clinicians. They represent the very best of British innovation, focusing on improved patient outcomes and driving efficiency. The UK health sector is thriving, with SMEs playing a crucial role. By supporting this sector, as part of the government’s modern industrial strategy, we can ensure we remain global leaders in health innovation and create the jobs of tomorrow.



Press release: Flood risk management scheme for Worcestershire village opens

Today (Thursday 4 October) celebrates the official opening of a £4.1 million flood risk management scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding for 272 homes and businesses in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

Nigel Huddleston MP for Mid-Worcestershire, Worcestershire County Councillor Liz Eyre BEM, who represents Broadway, and Tony Jones, retired Chief Engineer from Wychavon District Council, will be unveiling a plaque and burying a time capsule at Badsey Brook in Broadway. Anthony Parry from the Environment Agency will be giving an outline of the scheme.

Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot were severely flooded in 2007 following record breaking rainfall across the area and the villages were again flooded in 2012. The new flood storage area, sited at an 18 acre field in Broadway, will be able to hold up to 135,000 cubic metres of water during times of flood and will only allow a set amount of water to flow downstream at times of intense and high rainfall. This will reduce flood risk to 57 properties in Broadway and 215 properties in Childswickham and Murcot.

The Badsey Brook flood risk management scheme has been delivered as part of the Environment Agency’s £2.6b capital investment programme to reduce flood risk to 300,000 homes by 2021.

The Environment Agency, Worcestershire County Council, Wychavon District Council, Broadway Parish Council and Childswickham Parish Council worked in partnership to secure over £2 million of Government Grant in Aid funding towards the scheme. The Environment Agency’s English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee also contributed £1.2million. Worcestershire County Council and Wychavon District Council and the local parishes contributed the remaining £900,000.

As a condition of the planning application, detailed archaeological investigations, part funded by Worcestershire County Council, were carried out at the site, unearthing evidence of settlements dating back around 8,500 years. Finds included a beaker dating from around 2,000 BC and skeletons of a mother and baby.

Daniel Wilkinson from the Environment Agency said:

Flooding has a devastating impact on the lives of people and communities that are affected. It’s brilliant that by working with our partners we have found a solution that is designed to greatly reduce the risk of flooding for residents living in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot.

Nigel Huddleston MP commented:

I am delighted that after so much hard work the Badsey Brook scheme is being officially opened. Broadway and Childswickham in my constituency suffered terrible flooding in 2007 and 2012, so it is a huge relief to see substantive action taken to avoid this happening again.

Flooding is personally, financially and environmentally devastating and as local MP I would like to thank the Environment Agency, Worcestershire County Council, Worcester Archaeology, English Severn and Wye Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, construction workers and local people for contributing to the completion of this vital scheme. May it protect people, businesses and properties for years to come.

Barrie Parmenter, Chair of Broadway Parish Council, added:

On behalf of Broadway Parish Council, I would like to thank the Environment Agency, Worcestershire County Council, Wychavon District Council and all other agencies for commissioning the flood scheme in Broadway. This now means that hundreds of families will no longer live in fear of flooding when severe weather reports are issued for the district.

Cllr. Emma Stokes, portfolio holder for environment and street scene for Wychavon District Council said:

We’re very pleased to be investing in this important flood alleviation work which will protect many homes in the local area. Flooding impacts not just on residents’ homes but is an incredibly stressful process to go through. This scheme will offer protection and peace of mind. We’re also really pleased to see former Wychavon employee Tony Jones supporting the official opening. This recognises his hard work and dedication to flood alleviation over the years.



Press release: Flood risk management scheme for Worcestershire village opens

New £4.1 million Badsey Brook flood risk management scheme to reduce the risk of flooding for nearly 300 properties in Worcestershire.



Press release: Government announces new generation of council housing

Today the government has announced borrowing restrictions will be removed enabling councils to play a key role in delivering the homes their communities need.

In the latest measure by the government to make the housing market work, the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap for council house building will be lifted.

This gives councils the tools they need to deliver a new generation of council housing – up to an estimated 10,000 additional homes a year.

Councils in areas of high affordability pressure have already been invited to bid for a share of £1 billion extra borrowing to build much needed homes.

Today’s move recognises that councils see the borrowing cap as the greatest barrier to building new homes.

The interest in bidding for a share of the £1bn borrowing increase also showed that they are ready and willing to deliver the homes their communities need.

Removing the borrowing cap entirely is also likely to diversify the house building market, with councils being better able to take on projects and sites that private developers would consider too small.

The cap will be lifted as soon as possible, with further details confirmed in the Budget.



Press release: Foreign Secretary congratulates Iraq on election of President and Prime Minister

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has welcomed the news of the election of the new Iraqi president and prime minister, and of the successful elections in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The Foreign Secretary said:

I congratulate President Barham Saleh on his election by the Iraqi Parliament, and his nomination of Adel Abdul Mahdi to form the next government as Prime Minister. On behalf of the British Government, I must also express my gratitude to Prime Minister Abadi and President Masum both for their service to Iraq and for the crucial and successful collaboration with the UK in our joint determination to defeat Daesh.

I would also like to congratulate the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on a successful parliamentary election. The formation of an effective Kurdistan Regional Government that delivers for all the people in the region will be a welcome step.

I look forward to working with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to deliver stability, security and prosperity for all Iraqis.

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