British businesses will be able to continue bidding for public sector contracts around the world worth more than £1.3 trillion a year after we leave the European Union.

World Trade Organization (WTO) members have today (Wednesday 27 February) confirmed that the UK will join the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) as an independent member if we leave the EU without an agreement.

This is a significant step in the UK establishing its independent trade policy for the first time in more than 40 years. The UK has already submitted its own tariff schedules to the WTO and will take up its independent seat in Geneva after exit day.

The UK will join the GPA as an independent member as soon as possible if we leave the EU without an agreement, or will remain a member under EU schedules if we have an Implementation Period.

The GPA is an agreement within the WTO framework between its 19 members, including major economies such as the United States, Canada, the EU and Japan. The UK’s independent membership gives British businesses the certainty that they will be able to continue bidding for public sector contracts overseas on almost the same terms as they do now.

Overseas businesses will be able to bid for £67 billion worth of public sector contracts in the UK every year. In return, British suppliers will be able to bid for £1.3 trillion worth of government contracts overseas in a wide range of sectors from large infrastructure to professional and business services.

It will also ensure that British taxpayers and public sector organisations, including government departments, continue to benefit from increased choice and value for money on contracts which are open to international competition. The agreement will continue to protect vital public services such as the NHS.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

I’m delighted to have confirmation from the GPA Committee today that the UK will be an independent member of the agreement as we leave the EU. This is a hugely successful global agreement which will give British businesses certainty that they can continue bidding for £1.3 trillion worth of government procurement contracts overseas.

This is an important win for British diplomacy as we take our place on the world stage, and we are looking forward to continuing to play a committed and active role in the GPA Committee and the WTO as a whole. I’d like to thank our colleagues in the GPA for working with us to achieve this excellent result.

While there may be a short period of less than a month before the GPA takes legal effect in a no deal scenario, disruption to businesses is likely to be minimal.

This follows the companies’ decision to abandon the transaction.

Experian and ClearScore provide credit-score checking and financial product comparison services in the UK. These services allow people to understand their finances and choose loans and credit cards online.

In November 2018, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published provisional findings as part of its in-depth, Phase 2, merger inquiry. These set out concerns that the merger of 2 of the largest credit-score checking firms in the UK could result in less intense competition in the sector.

The CMA provisionally found that the merger could stifle product development, by substantially reducing the pressure to continue to develop innovative offers and to make other improvements in services, and so negatively impact consumers.

Experian and ClearScore have now decided not to continue with the deal.

Published 27 February 2019

Virginijus Narutis, 50, of Foden Road, Birmingham, and 51-year-old Jevgenijs Rumjaceus, of Dora Street, Walsall, were both charged with fishing without a rod licence and taking, destroying or attempting to destroy or take fish from a private fishing pool or place with private fishing rights.

The case against Narutis was proved in his absence and he was fined £345 in total, while Rumjaceus pleaded guilty and was fined £500. They were both ordered to pay costs and victim surcharge totalling £157.47.

Mihails Rumjaceus, 44, of Talke Road, Walsall, pleaded guilty to wilful obstruction of a fisheries bailiff, fishing without a licence and failing to give his name and address to the bailiff. He was fined £375 and ordered to pay costs and victim surcharge totalling £280.

Cheltenham magistrates heard on Monday (25 February 2019) that the 3 men were out fishing together at Mythe Pool, Tewkesbury on 28 July last year when they were caught. Magistrates granted an order for all the angling equipment the 3 men had to be forfeited.

Dexter Dalwood is a British artist whose work has been exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States. He studied at St Martins and the RCA and had a mid-career retrospective at Tate St Ives in 2010 for which he was nominated for the Turner Prize. His works are in numerous collections: Hamburger Bahnhof-Museum für Gegenwart (Germany), Tate Gallery (UK), The British Council Collection (UK) Kunsthaus Centre d’art Centre PasquArt, Biel, (Switzerland). He was the Tate Liaison Trustee between 2017 and 2019 and is a Professor of Fine Art and Design at Bath Spa University. He has an exhibition of his latest work at the Simon Lee gallery in London this March.

This role is not remunerated. This extension has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Government’s Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Dexter has made no such declaration.

Published 27 February 2019

Emma Boggis

Emma Boggis has spent over twenty years working in the public and not for profit sector. Her early career started in the British Army where she had operational tours in Northern Ireland and Kosovo. After a brief spell in Management Consultancy she joined the Civil Service and worked at the Office for Standards in Education and had two spells in the Cabinet Office including as head of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Unit, set up after London 2012 to support Lord Coe as the Prime Minister’s Legacy Ambassador.

Prior to that she was also seconded to the Foreign Office as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Madrid and served as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. Most recently Emma has moved into sports administration and is currently Chief Executive of the Sport and Recreation Alliance which is the umbrella organisation for the governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation and represents 320 members.

Emma is also the Senior Independent Director on the Board of the British Paralympic Association and a Trustee of the National Paralympic Heritage Trust, as well as a member of the NCVO’s Advisory Council. Emma is a keen sportswoman – with a number of marathons and triathlons under her belt along and she also enjoys cooking, reading and travelling often under pedal power.

Danielle Palmour

Danielle has been Director of Friends Provident Foundation since November 2004. Friends Provident Foundation is an independent charity, endowed by Friends Provident plc after the de-mutalisation of Friends Provident Life Office. The Foundation has an international reputation to innovative funding and investment practice and has been at the forefront of rethinking the role of philanthropic resources in the UK. Danielle has previously occupied senior policy and research roles throughout the non-governmental sector such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Law Society of England and Wales. She was previously a member of the Treasury’s Financial Inclusion Taskforce, the Civil Society Advisory Body of the Cabinet Office and the Financial Services Authority Financial Capability Steering Group. She is currently a board member of Big Society Capital, Civil Society Media, the Court of the University of York and a trustee of local York charities.

These roles are remunerated at a rate of £7,848 per annum. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Government’s Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Emma Boggis and Danielle Palmour have made no such declarations.