Aug162017

Press release: HMS Queen Elizabeth makes debut in Portsmouth

MOD

Greeted by thousands of people lining the Portsmouth seafront, the 65,000-tonne carrier was met with the warmest of welcomes as she arrived in her home port this morning.

Sailors lined the flight deck of the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy as she passed Portsmouth’s Round Tower. HMS Queen Elizabeth was also greeted with a flypast from the Fleet Air Arm, including Wildcat and Merlin helicopters and Hawk jets.

Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon said:

Today we welcome our mighty new warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth to her home for the very first time. She is Britain’s statement to the world: a demonstration of British military power and our commitment to a bigger global role.

The thousands of people across the UK who have played a part in building her and her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, should be immensely proud as our future flagship enters Portsmouth. She has made good progress in sea trials and will now embark on the next phase of preparations that will see the return of Britain‘s carrier strike ability.

When she enters service she will help keep Britain safe at a time of increased threats, able to fill multiple roles from providing air power anywhere at any time to fight future campaigns, supporting allies or delivering humanitarian aid.

The Carrier programme has brought together the best of British industry, with construction taking place across six cities and involving more than 10,000 people. This includes 700 businesses and suppliers, 800 apprentices and nearly 8,000 jobs at shipyards around the UK.

The UK has 11 state-of-the-art F-35 Lightning II jets and 120 UK personnel training in the United States. By the end of this year that will be 14 jets, with trial flights from the carrier’s deck on track to begin next year.

Captain Jerry Kyd, the Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, said:

HMS Queen Elizabeth’s first entry into her home port of Portsmouth is an historic, proud and exciting occasion, not only for those of us serving in her, but also for the wider Royal Navy, the city of Portsmouth and the entire nation.

The UK’s future flagship, as well her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, will be powerful symbols of Britain’s outward facing global character and ambition. The Royal Navy has a very special relationship with Portsmouth dating back half a millennium and both carriers will ensure the Navy’s city remains the focal point of our great nation’s maritime power for generations to come.

The ship will berth at the newly-named and upgraded Princess Royal Jetty at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, which will be home to both of the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers. The second, HMS Prince of Wales, will be officially named in a ceremony at Rosyth next month.

The berth has been upgraded and strengthened to support the carriers as part of a £100 million raft of infrastructure upgrades which took place ahead of the arrival of the ship.

A total of 3.2 million cubic metres of sediment, equivalent to 1,280 Olympic swimming pools has been removed from the harbour and approach channel, making it wide and deep enough to accommodate the enormous 65,000 tonne ships.

Sir Peter Gershon, Chairman of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, said:

I am incredibly proud to witness HMS Queen Elizabeth arrive at her home port of Portsmouth Naval Base having successfully completed the first phase of her sea trials programme.

Over 10,000 people have come together to bring HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales to life, from early design to the magnificent ships they are today. It is thanks to their industrious endeavours and pride that we have achieved this historic moment in the programme to bring HMS Queen Elizabeth into service.

We’re excited to complete the remainder of her test and commissioning programme before delivering her to the Royal Navy by the end of the year.

Leading Airman Liam Forgeron, 28, from Portchester, is an aircraft handler on board HMS Queen Elizabeth. He said:

Being a local lad, I am extremely proud that Portsmouth will now be the base port for the nation’s future flagship.

The historic port has a long and proud association with the Royal Navy and the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth will cement this relationship for a further 50 years. As a Royal Navy aircraft handler, serving on board this mighty vessel is a real honour, as I too get to make history in my home town.

Both aircraft carriers are being delivered by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and industry.

Carrier Key Facts

  • Each carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and is 280 metres in length.
  • Top speed is upwards of 25 knots.
  • The carriers will have a crew of around 700, increasing to1,600 when a full complement of F-35B aircraft and four Crowsnest helicopters are embarked.
  • The flight deck is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long – enough space for three football pitches
  • Each carrier keeps 45 days’ worth of food in its stores.
  • Each carrier is made up of 17 million parts.
  • There are 364,000 metres of pipes inside each of the Ships.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

  • Imagery is available at Defence Imagery
  • For more information contact the MOD News Desk on 0207 218 7907 or Royal Navy communications officer Sam Bannister on 023 9262 5256 or email sam.bannister@royalnavymail.mod.uk.
  • For the latest news follow us on Twitter at @DefenceHQ.
  • Keep up with news and updates from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines by following @RoyalNavy on Twitter.

Aug162017

Press release: Filipinos awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarships

HM Government

Twenty seven Filipino future leaders were awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarships by the British government to study a one-year postgraduate course in the UK.

Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and local partner organisations Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Unilever Philippines, Megaworld Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline Philippines and HSBC, the Chevening scholarships enable outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year master’s degrees in their field of expertise at any UK university. The programme provides leaders a unique opportunity to advance academically, develop professionally, build networks, and explore the UK and its culture through fully-funded scholarships.

Ambassador-designate to the Philippines Daniel Pruce said:

Home to some of the world’s best universities, the UK’s higher education sector promotes the exchange of information and ideas, as well as the building of networks. Chevening enables emerging leaders from the Philippines to deepen their knowledge, expand their networks while immersing themselves in the UK culture. I congratulate the Chevening scholars from the Philippines and wish them the very best of luck with their studies in the UK.

This is the most diverse group of Chevening scholars from the Philippines. The scholars will be pursuing a wide variety of fields ranging through Health Policy, Sustainability and Environmental Policy, Security and Peace studies, Islamic Finance, Finance, Data Analytics, Material Engineering, Transport, Gender studies, law, Film and Media Arts.

The Chevening scholars are: Stephanie Tan, Micheline Rama, Bai Baraguir, Christian Yap, Cristina Villaraza, Danilo Vidad, Kristal Gazmen, Mary Baylosis, Richard Bolisay, Ben Kalaw, Ira Zamudio, Julius Cesar Alejandre, Antoinette Ramos, Loraine Gallevo, Renee Karunungan, Carmela Maranan, Twyla Rubin, Chiara Zambrano, Jam Usman, Miguel Paala, Camille Aromas, Carla Nochesada, Gerry Alcantara, Zayra Abraham, Geisha Sanchez, Francis Tiopanco and Carolyn Bonquin.

For more information on Chevening scholarships, visit the official website Applications are open for 2018/19 until 7 November 2017.

Contact

Patricia.Chengliong@fco.gov.uk

Notes to the Editor:

Chevening began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international awards scheme. Chevening Scholars come from over 160 countries and territories worldwide (excluding the USA and the EU), and more than 1,500 scholarships were awarded in 2017/2018. There are over 48,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.

The name ‘Chevening’ comes from Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent – currently the joint official residence of the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

More information is available at the official website

Aug162017

Statement on Indulgence

Australia

PRIME MINISTER: Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on indulgence about the importance of celebrating our national day, Australia Day.

Mr Speaker, we celebrate on Australia Day the most successful multicultural society in the world.

We celebrate a nation that begins –

SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will resume his seat for a second. The Member for Isaacs is warned. This is not Question Time. I have not called for questions without notice. Indulgence is granted by the Speaker and I have granted it. I have not called for questions without notice. The Prime Minister on indulgence.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. On Australia Day, we celebrate this most remarkable nation of 24 million Australians, that has the oldest human civilisation in the world, of our First Australians, 65,000 years old, and our ceremonies and our celebrations on Australia Day begin with an acknowledgement to country or welcome to country and conclude with the newest Australians.

Every one of those Australians, our First Australians, and the youngest baby in the newest citizen’s arms, are all part of or our great multicultural nation.

We have so much to celebrate. So much of which to be proud, in a world riven by discord and violence.

We are united in our Australian values. We celebrate those on Australia Day.

We recognise that the history of European settlement in Australia has been complex and tragic for Indigenous Australians.

We recognise the complexities and the challenges of our history. But on Australia Day, we recognise the greatness of our achievement as Australians.

We recognise the remarkable nation we have become.

We recognise and honour our first Australians and our newest migrant citizens.

We bring all that together in a day that is uniquely and proudly Australian and that is why, Mr Speaker, my Government and every government before me, in this House, has urged Australians to celebrate Australia Day. To get behind it, to be proud of it, to be committed to it.

That is why Mr Speaker, the decision recently of the Yarra Council is utterly out of step with Australian values. They are seeking to take a day which unites Australia and turn it into one which divides us.

To change the date of Australia Day would be to turn our back on Australian values, on the great achievement of 24 million Australians here in the greatest, most successful multicultural society in the world.

Aug162017

Great Wall graffiti photos circulate online

East Asia

A range of photos picturing foreign language graffiti on the Great Wall, particularly at the Badaling section, are circulating online.

Korean words on a brick of the Great Wall on Aug 11. [Photo/Sina Weibo]

Korean words on a brick of the Great Wall on Aug 11. [Photo/Sina Weibo] 

The images have sparked conversation among internet users, along with public anger, and a few netizens have even proposed the installation of signs around the area to limit the behavior.

The photographs on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like service, show Korean and English words, as well as Chinese characters, scratched onto the bricks of Great Wall.

While scratchings on the Great Wall at the Badaling and Mutianyu sections are not new, particularly among Chinese visitors, the behavior has now attracted the eye of foreign tourists, including Bobby Brown, an NBA player, who cribbled his name and number on the Great Wall in October 2016.

Web users have criticized the behavior as “ill-mannered and uncivilized”, and “heavy penalties should be required.”

A worker of the Badaling scenic area, who declined to be named, said there were more than 100 patrollers on the Great Wall to prevent damaging behaviors; however, the patrollers had difficult in monitoring the behavior of every one as there were too many tourists in summer.

“Tourists could also report such behaviors to workers on the Great Wall or call police,” the worker said.

The country listed the Great Wall’s Badaling section in the first group of key national heritage conservation units in 1961, and the State Council, or China’s cabinet, approved the scenic area in 1982. It was inscribed on the world heritage list by UNESCO in 1987.

China has the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, but has not detailed the penalties on scratching behavior. The Beijing municipal government published a regulation on the protection of the Great Wall in 2003, and according to which, people who scratch the wall could face fines from 200 to 500 yuan ($29.9-$74.7).

Web users said that compared with the punishments on such behavior in other countries, the penalties in China are too light. In Egypt, people who damage cultural relics could face a maximum fine of $100,000 and life sentence, news website chinanews.com reported.

Aug162017

Fare rises and Network Rail’s derivative losses

John Redwood MP

Yesterday the RPI for July told us that rail fares will go up by 3.6% next year. As I reported yesterday on this site, costs have been mounting at the nationalised Network Rail which supplies the expensive track, stations and train slots. The railways will want this substantial fare rise, which always bears heaviest on commuters. Off peak and leisure travellers can benefit from highly discounted fares designed to try to fill the many empty seats outside peak hours.

Rail travellers paying those fares will not be amused to learn that the losses Network Rail have been making from their derivative dealing continue. According to the last accounts Network Rail lost another £116 m on “movement in the value of cash flow hedge derivatives”, compared to a £232 m loss the previous year. (Accounts page 95) The total fair value of derivatives they hold rose again last year, from £963 m to £1102 million. (Accounts p 97). The liabilities on derivatives rose from £1408 million to £1529 million. The notional amounts were of course much greater, rising from £17,094 m to £17,974 million. (Accounts pp 120-121 Note 19)

I am surprised Network Rail continues to run such large positions in derivative instruments now that its financing is all secured by the government. The present management have inherited both foreign currency borrowing and index linked borrowing. Their predecessors took out various derivative positions in interest rates and currencies with the results I have reported before by quoting their Accounts, now updated for the most recent year.

I continue to ask why do they do this. What benefit is this to taxpayers who supply 70% of the revenue and who own 100% of the shares of this business?