The Urban Connected Communities Project, a key part of the Industrial Strategy and the next step in the government’s 5G Testbed and Trials Programme, will develop a large-scale, citywide testbed for wireless 5G infrastructure.

This will include testing how new technology can make urban communities inherently safer, greener, more efficient and more attractive places to live. It is expected the winning bid will be trialling a variety of initiatives, which could include:

• Doctors and other health care professionals using real-time video consultation and remote treatment for those less able to travel

• Making traffic jams and disjointed journeys a thing of the past through widespread use of sensors and real-time monitoring and management of traffic and public transport

• Revolutionising the way visitors experience tourist venues through the use of augmented and virtual reality technologies

• Maintenance of manufacturing assembly lines through use of robotics and augmented reality would enable millions of measurements per second to be taken to predict when parts need replacing or rerouting to improve productivity.

Digital Minister Margot James said:

This is a huge opportunity for an urban area to become the flagship of our ambitious programme to make Britain fit for the future and a world leader in 5G.

Trialling 5G at scale across an entire city is a chance to prove the economic benefits predicted from this new technology, test different methods of deployment and boost the connectivity of ordinary people working and living there.

Funding for the project will come from the £200 million assigned so far to develop 5G technologies as part of over £1bn investment in next-generation digital infrastructure, including through the £31bn National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF).

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is now seeking expressions of interest from local or combined authorities with a coverage area in the region of 500,000 people to be the public sector partner and lead the delivery of the project. Interest from large cities below 500,000 population but with very strong, clear digital leadership and vision will be considered.

As well as enhancing connectivity for residents and businesses the urban testbed will trial 5G applications across multiple sectors including public services, industry, transport, healthcare, media and entertainment, and allow different deployment models to be explored.

The project will specifically target ‘pinch-points’ of poor connectivity in cities, including areas of high demand such as mainline stations or city centres where heavy usage rather than a lack of signal leads to not-spots.

Robert Driver, CEO of Cambridge Wireless on behalf of UK5G said:

Following the successful launch just this week of UK5G, the new 5G innovation network for the country, we are delighted to see the government announcing such ambitious plans to fund a large scale 5G testbed within an urban environment.

This, along with the other projects being funded, will accelerate the development and adoption of 5G in the UK. We look forward to working with Government to make this a success.

The 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme forms part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, aimed at continually driving the UK’s connectivity, telecommunications and digital sectors, and investing in the skills, industries and infrastructure of the future.

The NPIF is designed to bolster UK productivity, which is crucial to raising living standards. Through the NPIF, the government is investing in the vital infrastructure needed to make it easier for people to connect with others, and work remotely and flexibly.

Following a competitive process, the government expects to select a location in summer 2018. The urban project will be followed in the summer by a large-scale Rural Connected Communities Project.

ENDS

Notes For Editors

1. Expressions of interest can be made from 30 March with a closing date for applications of 5 June. DCMS will then work with the selected local authority to choose delivery partners for infrastructure and network services, who can bring the 5G technology into service and operate them through the trial period.
2. Local authorities and industry will both have the opportunity to participate in workshops for the project commencing from the end of April 2018 and running until June 2018.
3. Earlier this month, the government announced six winning projects from across the UK to test 5G technology.
4. Also this month was the launch of UK5G, a new national innovation network dedicated to the promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of 5G in the UK. Interested parties can apply to join the network at www.UK5G.org.

Commenting on today’s decision by GKN shareholders to accept the terms of the bid by Melrose PLC., Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

As a competitive economy Britain has always had vigorous contests for the management of public companies. Competition for how a business should best be run drives efficiency and competitiveness, which is important for the economy and stakeholders.

During the bid, Melrose made commitments which they are bound to honour including investment in research and development and maintaining itself as a UK business.

Now that shareholders have made their decision the government has a statutory responsibility to consider whether the merger in its proposed final form gives rise to public interest concerns in the areas of media plurality, financial stability and national security. This assessment will be made by the appropriate authorities and the conclusion set out in due course.

This is the first major takeover to have taken place in the UK since new changes to the Takeover Code were introduced earlier this year. These give companies subject to a bid more time to prepare their response as well as requiring bidders to make earlier and fuller disclosures of their plans for target companies. Bidding companies who are successful in their takeovers now also have to publish reports on their compliance with the plans they announced during the course of an offer.

Commitments

The process of takeovers of listed companies is governed by the Takeover Code, overseen by the independent Takeover Panel, who are the independent body which issues and administers the Takeover Code, and supervises and regulates takeovers.

Following discussions with the Business Secretary as well as the Takeover Panel, Melrose agreed to legally enforceable commitments to be honoured should their bid be successful.

These include 5 year binding commitments to:

• maintain its UK listing
• maintain its UK headquarters
• maintaining a UK workforce
• ensure a majority of its directors are resident in the UK
• ensure the Aerospace and Driveline divisions retain the rights to the GKN name

Melrose has also crucially committed to maintaining GKN’s current level of research and development investment for the next five years.

Powers under the Enterprise Act

Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State has powers to intervene in mergers that raise public interest concerns.

The government can still intervene. These powers apply both to mergers that have already taken place (subject to time limits) and to those that are proposed or in contemplation.

Changes to the Takeover Code

Recent changes to the Takeover Code introduced earlier this year require:

1. Bidders to be more specific in their plans for a target company. This would include making statements of intention regarding: the company’s research and development, the balance of skills and functions of the company’s employees, and the location of the company’s headquarters.
2. Statements of intention to be made at the time of a bidder’s announcement of its firm intention to make an offer.
3. Bidders to not publish an offer document for 14 days from the announcement of their intention to make an offer without the consent of the board of the target company.
4. Companies to publish reports on their compliance with the plans they announced during the course of an offer.

On the adult education budget, we continue to maintain levels of investment. Grant provider block grant allocations are rolling-forward from 2017 to 2018 and contract for service provider allocations are being increased from 9-month to 12-month values. Where applicable, we are also consolidating run-down funding into contract for service baselines too. In all cases, allocations will include any growth awarded so far this year. To ensure providers can deliver adult education budget provision with confidence, we are committing to fund 3% over-delivery at the end of the 2018 to 2019 funding year for all providers.

For advanced learner loan facilities providers, baselines have been calculated using full-year delivery in 2016 to 2017 and increasing it by 3%. We have then applied rules reflecting decisions made at performance-management points this year.

To ensure advanced learner loan bursary funding is targeted effectively at the providers that need it most, for the first time, we have linked advanced learner loan bursary allocations to full year 2016 to 2017 delivery and applied an increase of 3%.

For 16 to 18 traineeships, we have used 12-months of delivery (6 months from 2016 to 2017 and 6 months from 2017 to 2018) to calculate allocations. We have then applied a 3% increase and applied rules reflecting decisions made at performance-management points this year.

For apprenticeship providers who have apprentices that will still be in learning on 31 July 2018, carry-in allocations will be calculated using R10 data submissions. This allocation will be worked out by using our standard carry-in methodology and will be issued in July 2018. We encourage colleges and providers to submit full and timely data at R10 as this will improve the accuracy of the carry-in allocation we work out for colleges and providers.

Skills and adult education allocations for 2018 to 2019

The Prime Minister met with businesses in Barry today to hear their views on what Brexit meant to them and to outline her determination to secure a deal that would benefit the whole of the UK.

On a day-long tour marking exactly one year from the UK’s historic departure from the European Union, prominent Wales-based business leaders gathered at the Aston Martin factory in St Athan to talk to Theresa May about what they considered to be clear avenues for the country’s economic growth, the potential for new jobs, and striking new trade deals across the world following Brexit.

The factory, which produces Aston Martin’s new luxury car, DBX, has created 750 highly-skilled jobs and is expected to create a further 1,000 jobs with suppliers and local businesses by 2019.

Those attending the round table included Andy Sellars from CS Catapult; Anne Jessop from Royal Mint; Wayne Preece from Hydro Industries; Matthew Crummack from GoCompare; and Andy Palmer from Aston Martin.

The Prime Minister also set out how the action she was taking to benefit the whole UK would benefit Wales, from delivering a modern industrial strategy to deliver jobs and economic growth in every community, to pursuing an international trade policy which will open up new opportunities for goods exports – which have increased in Wales by 12.3% to £16.4 billion.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

In exactly one year’s time, the UK will leave the EU and begin to chart its new course in the world.

My aim today, as I visit all four nations of the Union, is to hear from people across our country about what Brexit means to them – and to reaffirm my commitment to strengthening the bonds which unite us.

I was privileged to hear the optimism from Wales’ business community today as they discussed the many possibilities Brexit will bring – from growth and job opportunities to the freedom to strike new trade deals – and as we leave the EU, we should be optimistic and ambitious about what we can achieve together.

Wales, with its pioneering technology, construction and creative industries – which will further benefit from our £600 million investment in City Deals for Cardiff and Swansea as well as the abolishing of the Severn Crossing Tolls – is an integral part of our union, and I am committed to ensuring that it continues to prosper.

The Infected Blood Inquiry is a priority for this Government. The infected blood tragedy of the 1970s and 80s should never have happened. We are committed to making sure all those that have suffered so terribly can get the answers they have spent decades waiting for, and lessons can be learned so that a tragedy of this scale can never happen again.

We want to make sure that all those who need to contribute to the Inquiry can do so.

The Inquiry Chair will be able to make awards for legal representation once the Inquiry is formally established and he intends to make early provision for core participant designation and legal expenses awards.

Ministers have also decided that reasonable expenses for legal representation to respond to the consultation of the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry, will be met. Any claims will be handled by the solicitor to the Inquiry.

The Chair of the Inquiry has been actively consulting with those who have been affected about how to ensure the Inquiry delivers the answers they deserve, and the consultation on Terms of Reference has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible.