Earlier this month, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) initial investigation identified competition concerns resulting from this merger as both companies are the only suppliers of detailed advertising intelligence across a broad range of UK media. While they face some competition from firms offering this service for digital advertising, no firm competes with Nielsen and Ebiquity for detailed intelligence across all UK media channels.

The CMA also found that the companies are each other’s closest competitor in the supply of intelligence on international advertising to UK customers, and that they face only limited competition from other suppliers for this service.

The CMA said it would refer the merger for an in-depth (phase 2) investigation unless both parties offered acceptable undertakings to address these concerns. Nielsen and Ebiquity have not offered any undertakings and the CMA will now refer the merger for an in-depth investigation by an independent group of panel members, supported by a team of CMA staff. The team has 24 weeks to complete the process.

Further information about the investigation will be published on the case page.

More than £8 million of government funding will create new woodlands and deliver safer roads on the route of Britain’s new railway, HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani announced today (25 June 2018).

Speaking at the launch of HS2’s ‘Green Corridor’ in Kenilworth, the minister backed HS2’s ambitious plan for connected wildlife habitats and native woodlands the length of the route, ensuring HS2 sets a new environmental standard for construction projects.

To support this vision, the minister announced an additional £2 million for the HS2 Woodland Fund, to help landowners along the route between Birmingham and Crewe plant new trees native to the area.

HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

As we deliver the new high speed railway our country needs, driving forward economic growth and better journeys for passengers, it is imperative we set a new standard for protecting and enhancing our diverse woodlands and wildlife.

HS2’s ‘Green Corridor’ is one of the most significant tree-planting and habitat creation projects ever undertaken in this country. That’s why the government is backing it with an additional £2 million for the Woodland Fund to support the creation of native woodland and restore existing ancient woodland sites between Birmingham and Crewe.

We are also committed to putting in place a positive legacy of road safety improvements. An extra £6.5 million of funding for local authorities on Birmingham to Crewe route will ensure communities in the region see and share in the extraordinary benefits of Britain’s new railway.

Committing £6.5 million to HS2 Road Safety Fund for the Birmingham to Crewe phase means that towns and villages on the route from London to Crewe will now share more than £35 million of cash to deliver improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

HS2’s ‘Green Corridor’ will include 7 million new trees and shrubs on Phase One of the railway alone, comprising native UK species such as oak, silver birch, wild cherry, hornbeam and holly.

This will result in over 9 square kilometres of new native woodlands, alongside tailor-made habitats for species including bats, badgers and great crested newts.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in Brussels today to meet Michel Barnier, the European Union’s Chief Negotiator. During her visit, she will reinforce her commitment to upholding Northern Ireland’s interests as the UK prepares to leave the EU, and to help secure a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom.

The Secretary of State will also use the opportunity to update MEPs on efforts to restore devolved Government in Northern Ireland; and to set out the Government’s steadfast commitment to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, while maintaining the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom.

Speaking ahead of her visit, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP said:

My visit to Brussels today comes as we look ahead to this week’s June European Council.

I am here to reiterate the UK Government’s commitment to securing a deal that delivers for all parts of the United Kingdom.

This includes the Government’s commitment to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and maintaining the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK as a whole.

We are confident that we will secure a good deal for the whole of the UK, and we are working towards finalising this with the EU in the autumn.

As we do, we will ensure that our departure from the EU does not do anything to set back the historic progress we have made in Northern Ireland over the past 20 years, and that the Belfast Agreement is protected in all its parts as set out in the December Joint Report. This is the message I will be reinforcing during my meetings today.

A search for hi-tech solutions to the major health and care challenges facing the NHS in its 70th anniversary year is underway with up to £4 million from the UK Space Agency.

In the joint initiative with NHS England, Innovators will bid for money to turn technology originally designed for space, from exploration to satellite communications, into medical applications that improve NHS treatment and care.

NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens outlined four challenges in his speech to the NHS Confederation conference earlier this month:

• Managing long term conditions including joining up health and care services
• Earlier diagnosis of cancer
• Transforming GP services and other primary care
• Meeting mental health needs.

Up to four applications will receive UK Space Agency funding to develop their ideas along with support and advice from NHS England and the European Space Agency.

Emily Gravestock, UK Space Agency head of applications, said:

Britain’s world-leading space sector continues to grow and support vital public services like the NHS with innovative applications.

We encourage all businesses and public bodies to consider the role that satellite data can play in tackling some of the biggest challenges we face, as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.

Previous examples of space tech being adapted for NHS use include a pill camera that can be swallowed by patients, dementia tracking slippers, breast screening vans that beam images back to assessment centres, wearable monitors to help prevent falls among the elderly, and apps that help prevent skin cancer.

Professor Tony Young, NHS England’s national clinical director for innovation, said:

Throughout its 70 year history the NHS has been at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

Through this competition we are seeking the latest greatest, ideas and technical solutions to help address the modern challenges facing our health and care services.

The UK’s space industry builds 40% of the world’s small satellites and 25% of the world’s telecommunications satellites. It supports 40,000 jobs and generates £14 billion in revenue across the country.

Space technology that has already been adapted for NHS use include:

• Dementia tracking slippers: GPS soles are being trialled in Dorset for people who are affected by dementia in order to help reduce hospital admissions. They are a discreet, non-invasive tracking tool that sits inside everyday footwear and can alert the carer if the person using them wanders outside given parameters or ‘geo-fence’. Alerts are received over an app which runs on any internet enabled device and give the location of the wearer so they can be found quickly – reducing the chance for them to come to any harm. The benefits to the wearer are increased independence, while carers receive additional peace of mind.

• A pill cam to diagnose gut problems: A video capsule endoscopy or pill cam is a device approximately 2cm long used to examine the lining of the small intestine. It helps investigate iron deficiency anaemia; unexplained bleeding; suspected coeliac disease, and abnormalities such as polyps. The capsule is equipped with a miniature video camera and light source. It travels painlessly capturing images and sends them to a recording device for analysis by a clinician.

• NHS breast cancer screening vans: Mobile breast screening vans typically store digital scan images on hard drives, which are then taken by courier, taxi or mammography staff themselves to a hospital. Technology funded by the UK Space Agency’s Space for Smarter Government Programme is behind 16 NHS breast screening vans across the country beaming scans of patients directly back to assessment centres to be double reviewed by radiologists. This reduces the time it takes to diagnose cancer or given the all-clear.

• NASA inspired tech helping to prevent falls: A wearable monitor is being used to help elderly and vulnerable people avoid falls by using microelectromechanical (MEMS) gyroscope equipment, partly based on technological breakthroughs made as part of America’s space programme to monitor how people walk. Following a short 10-minute assessment, physiotherapists can prescribe a personalised exercise programme to reduce the risk of a fall.

• Skin cancer app: One in 54 people will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma during their lifetime. Apps which use satellite technology to give personalised risk assessment of sun exposure, like the Happy Sun App, could form part of a patients package of care in the near future.

For more details of how to get involved in this initiative, please contact emily.gravestock@ukspaceagency.gov.uk