ACMD work programme 2020 to 2022: commissioning letter
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Home Secretary's commissioning letter to the chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) for the period 2020 to 2022.
UK Government announces multi million pound funding for Moray College Hub at RAF Lossiemouth
An aerospace centre of excellence will be established adjacent to RAF Lossiemouth, backed by £21 million funding, UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart announced today.
Following RAF Lossiemouth taking ownership of a strategic facility to house nine new submarine hunting Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the Moray Aerospace, Advanced Technology and Innovation Campus will work with both the RAF and private partners to support the fleet.
This will create hundreds of new student places to provide Moray residents with the skills for working in the aviation sector. This will turn Moray into a global centre for aviation engineering and attract further businesses to the region.
Today’s announcement means that the UK Government will invest £21 million in the project as part of the Moray Growth Deal, with a further £12.3 million from local partners.
UK Government minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, visited RAF Lossiemouth today [Wednesday 12 August]. Speaking after his tour, Mr Stewart said:
Since the Moray deal was announced we have been working to make progress, and I am delighted to confirm the UK Government will invest £21 million in this college hub which will help the region prosper from its aerospace sector.
There is a significant way to go to get our economy back on track after the coronavirus pandemic, but we know that the City and Region Growth Deals will be crucial to Scotland’s economic recovery.
The pandemic has called for extraordinary economic measures, and the UK Government has done everything we can to support jobs and businesses. We have supported 900,000 jobs in Scotland with our furlough and self-employed schemes, including 15,700 in Moray.
The UK Government is investing more than £1.5 billion in City Region and Growth Deals across every part of Scotland. This programme is creating thousands of jobs and opportunities and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to deliver these.
This announcement follows a visit to RAF Lossiemouth from the Prime Minister at the end of last month. Here, he saw the leading contribution made by the Armed Forces in Scotland, both to crises like the coronavirus response and the day-to-day defence of the UK.
Background
The full list of projects, all subject to business case approval, in the Moray Growth Deal are expected to be announced shortly. The ambitious deal is set to create opportunities for those who choose to live and work in Moray, and is jointly funded by the UK Government (£32.5 million), Scottish Government (£32.5 million), and regional partners (TBC).
The Moray Growth deal funding was announced in July 2019
Heads of terms on the deal are expected to be signed shortly.
Negotiations on the UK’s Future Trading Relationship with the US: Update
News story
The third UK-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiating round took place from 27 July to 7 August 2020.
The third UK-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiating round took place from 27 July to 7 August 2020.
There were 33 sessions held in the round, covering 21 different workstreams. Positive progress continues to be made in many of the areas covered by an agreement.
Most chapter areas are now moving into the advanced stages of talks, with particularly detailed, text-based discussions taking place on Intellectual Property. The UK and US also held their first text-based discussions on Rules of Origin.
In parallel to the negotiations, the International Trade Secretary held a series of key meetings with the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer.
In these meetings both sides reviewed progress in the negotiations. The International Trade Secretary reasserted the UK’s priorities in an FTA, and both sides reaffirmed their commitment to negotiating a comprehensive and ambitious agreement. In terms of the timeline of negotiations, it was agreed that they should continue at pace throughout the Autumn.
Further talks will be held between the third and fourth negotiating round, which is expected to take place in early September. The two sides are expected to exchange their first Market Access offers in this time-period.
In separate discussions the International Trade Secretary also set out the UK’s position on wider UK-US trade issues, in particular U.S. retaliatory tariffs on UK products including Scotch whisky. She was clear that the UK considers these tariffs to be unacceptable and continued to push for their immediate removal.
Due to considerations relating to Covid-19, the UK and US have taken a joint decision to postpone the SME Dialogue planned to take place in Boston later this year. We hope to rearrange in Spring 2021. Further details will be provided in due course.
Below is a summary list of those workstreams discussed in the round.
- Good Regulatory Practice (GRP)
- Technical Barriers To Trade
- Intellectual Property
- Investment
- Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)
- State Owned Enterprises
- Anti-Corruption
- Financial Services
- Competition
- Environment
- Services Sectors – Professional Business Services
- Balance of Payments
- Rules Of Origin
- Cross Cutting Services
- Legal Group – Core Text
- Market Access – Textiles
- Trade Remedies
- Market Access
- Customs and Trade Facilitation
- Sectoral Annexes
- Telecoms
Published 12 August 2020
Ofsted to visit nurseries and childminders this autumn
News story
Ofsted will start carrying out visits to some nurseries and childminders from September 2020.
From September, we will be visiting some nurseries and childminders to make sure that standards are being maintained and that there is well-run, safe and effective childcare available for all who need it.
Today we have published guidance on interim visits that sets out how the interim visits will work in practice and which providers we will be visiting.
The visits are part of a phased return to routine inspection. They are not inspections and will not result in an inspection grade, though inspectors will still be able to use regulatory or enforcement powers if necessary.
Our findings will be published in an outcome summary so that parents can be reassured that their children are safe while routine inspections are suspended. Routine inspections of early years settings will not start before January 2021.
Inspectors will be sensitive to the challenges presented by COVID-19 and will always take that context into account. We will prioritise the safety and welfare of everyone involved in the visits, including children, carers, staff and inspectors, following the most up-to-date guidance from Public Health England.
Published 12 August 2020
UKEF helps Cathodic reach new markets
| About the transaction: Cathodic Protection Co | |
|---|---|
| Region | Lincolnshire |
| Sector | Engineering |
| Export location | Multiple |
| UKEF support | Bond support |
Grantham-based engineering company, Cathodic Protection, provides equipment and engineering services that protect steel structures from corrosion. The company has been operating from the UK for over 70 years and three quarters of its sales are now from overseas exports.
UKEF introduced Cathodic Protection to General Electric (GE) and ENKA UK at one of its supplier fairs, events designed to provide opportunities for UK exporters to sell into overseas projects backed by UKEF financing.
As a result of the supplier fair, Cathodic Protection secured two contracts worth £400,000 to design and provide storage tank protection systems to two power plants in Iraq, which were delivered earlier this year.
UKEF has since helped the company secure two further orders in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. Its bond support scheme has helped free up cash, allowing them to fulfil the orders. The company is now exploring further expansion in the region.
Rob Holden Managing Director, Cathodic Protection said:
The UKEF Supplier Fairs are a great way to meet overseas customers who are actively looking for UK suppliers.
We have secured valuable business following our attendance, and I would encourage all existing and potential exporters to exploit this opportunity.
Andy Mannix AMIEx (CITA), Export Finance Manager Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire said:
I am delighted that, with UKEF support, a forward looking business like Cathodic Protection is able to fulfil important export contracts and as a result, look to realise its expansion plans.
Putting the right finance and insurance in place can give you the exporting edge, helping you to win contracts, fulfil orders and get paid.