The ‘Check for barriers to trading and investing abroad’ digital service will allow users to search for information on trade barriers imposed by other countries, which could restrict businesses in trading and investing there.

Whilst not all barriers are necessarily resolvable, businesses will be able to see where barriers have been removed and the new service will highlight potential areas of growth and opportunity for their products or services.

This service is the latest tool made available by DIT in supporting British businesses with market access issues. It sits alongside the existing ‘Report a trade barrier’ and ‘Check how to export goods’ as a suite of services. It has been specifically created to help make it easier for British businesses to seize new opportunities.

Tackling trade barriers is one of the Department’s key priorities. It is integral to Britain’s independent trade policy and could add billions into the British economy through increased trade flows.

“I have spent much of the past year speaking to British businesses of all sizes – hearing of their determination to bounce back bigger, better and bolder out of COVID-19.

“This new service will help businesses across Britain to identify potential new markets and seize the new opportunities that come with becoming an independent trading nation, boosting jobs and growth in every corner of the country.

“I am committed to doubling down on tackling trade barriers, so that we can add to the 175 barriers across 61 countries we have already removed and make it easier for our great British businesses to trade globally.”

The new database will be regularly updated to reflect the latest information on trade barriers.

A company in South Wales will play an integral part in delivering the British Army’s next-generation armoured fighting vehicle, the UK Government has announced.

MilDef, which isbased in Cardiff, will provide electronics such as Crewstation PCs, servers and ethernet switches for the Boxer armoured fighting vehicles under a £20m subcontract awarded to them by RBSL and Rheinmetall.

The contract is expected to sustain and create around a dozen Welsh jobs and will secure further development of MilDef’s manufacturing facilities in the city over the next 10 years.

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said:

Thousands of jobs in Wales are supported by UK defence expenditure and this latest £20m investment shows our continued commitment to invest in Welsh suppliers – cementing Wales’ place as a defence industry hub.

I welcome this investment which comes at a time when the UK’s armed forces are providing crucial support to the NHS, Ambulance Service and Covid-19 testing effort across Wales.

Director Land Equipment for Defence Equipment and Support, Major General Darren Crook, said:

The British Boxer programme has continued at pace this year despite the significant challenges that 2020 has set us. I am delighted that we are now beginning to see real term benefits to the UK from the investment in the programme and proud that we will be delivering a state-of-the art future capability to our British Armed Forces.

Duncan Skinner, Chief Sales Officer at MilDef Group, said:

We are delighted to supply high-performance products together with RBSL into one of the UK MoD’s strategic vehicle programmes. MilDef Ltd continues its expansion in the UK defence industry and this contract is an example of the exciting times ahead for the company.

The UK decided to re-join the Boxer programme in 2018 and since then has committed £2.8bn to deliver over 500 vehicles to the British Army. They will be made up of four variants: an Infantry Carrier; a Specialist Carrier; a Command Vehicle; and an Ambulance.

Much of the fleet is planned to be built in Telford and Stockport by main contractors RBSL and WFEL, supported by a nationwide supply chain that will secure around 1000 jobs nationwide and create an ambitious UK apprenticeship scheme. The aim is to have the first vehicles in service in 2023.

ENDS

The Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack, today announced the appointment of Dr Susan Walker OBE as a member of the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The appointment will commence in January 2021 for a period of four years.

Dr Walker, who has been a member of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland since 2013, will replace Paula Sharp, who has served her maximum term.

Since 2015, Dr Walker has been a board member of Food Standards Scotland, and a member of the Water Industry Customer Forum since 2011.

Dr Walker studied Geography at the University of Durham, then a PhD in Water Resources Management at the University of Manchester.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

It’s great news Dr Susan Walker OBE has accepted the post as a member of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Dr Walker brings vast experience and invaluable specialist knowledge, particularly from her background as a member of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, which is responsible for reviewing constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament. She will be an important part of the team and no doubt will make a positive impact and add significant strength to the work of the Commission.

I thank Paula Sharp who will leave her post at the end of the year after serving for ten years.

The Boundary Commission for Scotland is an advisory non-departmental public body wholly funded by the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. It is independent and non-political, constituted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, and in Schedule 1 to the Scotland Act 1998.

The Commission is responsible for reviews of constituencies in Scotland for the Westminster Parliament. It is required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended) to review UK Parliament constituencies every five years. The reviews ensure that each constituency has roughly the same number of electors. The next review will be in 2023.

Following an open competition, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has awarded a contract to Eville & Jones, to run veterinary field trials of CattleBCG vaccine and the companion DIVA (Detecting Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals) skin test.

Eville & Jones have brought together an experienced team to deliver the project.

APHA will now start to work with Eville & Jones and the project team to confirm timelines and identify suitable herds for the field trials scheduled to start next year.

The field trials will be conducted on behalf of Defra, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government, following more than 20 years of ground-breaking research into bovine TB vaccines and diagnostic tests.

Further information about the next stages of the field trials will be communicated in due course.

Read about the bovine TB cattle vaccination programme in the APHA Science Blog and on the TB Hub.