Politics

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News story: DIT DSO assists UK SMEs at Seawork 2017

The annual Seawork exhibition and conference took place at the Mayflower Park, Southampton between Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 June 2017.

Once again DIT DSO led on UK government help at the exhibition. They were able to offer UK companies a wide range of advice, information and support aimed at increasing overseas defence and security sales.

DIT DSO’s principal customers were UK SMEs, who received informal advice or attended pre-booked appointments to meet DIT DSO experts to discuss more specific export opportunities.

HM government zone stand

The stand was manned throughout by the DSO Small Business Unit and the Military Export Support Team. They were joined at the show over the 3 days by a number of DIT DSO colleagues from the regional directorates and high growth team.

The stand also had a senior Royal Naval presence on all 3 days to engage with:

  • visiting overseas naval officials
  • colleagues from the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
  • UK companies

Access to the stand was also extended to Department for International Trade (DIT) colleagues from the regional international trade and MoD business advisory teams.

Seawork

Seawork International is the largest and fastest growing commercial marine and workboat event to be held in a working port. This annual conference and exhibition is in its 20th year and is an important fixture on the DIT DSO exhibition programme.

The show itself largely focuses upon civil and commercial maritime sales. This provided DIT DSO with an excellent opportunity to engage with new potential customers and to showcase the possibilities and benefits of diversifying into the overseas military market.

Examples of the range of kit that military colleagues have helped to sell in the past provided an attractive draw to the stand. This helped potential exporters understand just how wide and diverse the overseas defence and security markets can be.

DIT DSO hope to have started a good number of UK companies on a new journey into international trade.

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HM Government

Green Party response to news of cyanide poisoning at Grenfell

22 June 2017

Responding to the news that residents of Grenfell may have been poisoned by hydrogen cyanide during the fire last Wednesday [1], Jennifer Nadel, the Green Party’s candidate for Kensington in the recent general election, said:

“If this is shown to be true it’s yet another example of how the people at Grenfell were treated like second class citizens. What upsets and infuriates me in equal measure about this is that immediately after the fire our party contacted the council to ask what they had done to monitor air pollution in and around the tower after the blaze had taken hold. We were assured that there was little or no risk from dangerous air pollution.

“We need the council and the government to start being straight with us. We need them to swiftly carry out a full inspection to establish what damage survivors and those living close to the tower may have suffered from toxic air from the fire and then issue advice on the health care people should be seeking if it is deemed necessary. And we need them to ensure that monitoring of air pollution around the tower is now taking place and action will be taking if that monitoring gives us cause for alarm.”

 

Ends

 

 

Notes:

 

2.       Green Party spokespeople are available for comment.

3.       The latest estimate suggests 79 people have died in the fire that engulfed Grenfell Tower on 14 June. The Green Party’s Sian Berry, Caroline Russell, Amelia Womack, and Jennifer Nadel have all visited the tower and helped residents with their concerns and queries.

 

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News story: CMA recommends release of BAES from long-standing undertakings

The undertakings – put in place in 1999 – require BAES as the prime contractor to, where possible, allow other contractors in the defence industry access to its resources for the purposes of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) programme.

A group of independent panel members at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now advised the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that changes of circumstances mean they are no longer appropriate. This follows a comprehensive review and consultation on the proposal they be removed.

The review looked at 4 defence sectors (warships, submarines, combat aircraft and munitions) and found that there have been relevant changes of circumstances. For example:

  • the MoD has moved away from a competitive procurement process and made better use of long-term exclusive agreements and alliances;
  • BAES has sold or closed its businesses in several sectors; and
  • the capabilities of other defence contractors have developed such that any potential reliance on BAES has diminished.

This has meant a smaller role for the prime contractor model where competing suppliers might need to use the undertakings to facilitate access to BAES’ resources. The group’s view is that there is also little prospect of this situation changing in the foreseeable future.

The CMA began reviewing these undertakings in July 2016 after a request by BAES. The undertakings were originally given by British Aerospace plc (now BAES), to the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following its merger with the Marconi Electronic Systems business of General Electric Company plc, in 1999. Following Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reviews, the Secretary of State released BAES from most of the undertakings by 2007.

The remaining undertakings were designed to allow other actual or potential prime contractors to compete for contracts where they might need to sub-contract BAES’ resources. BAES has also been obliged to appoint a compliance officer to ensure this requirement is met. The group has now advised that BAES should be released from these remaining undertakings.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will now consider this advice and is expected to make a decision shortly.

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HM Government

News story: Universities rated in Teaching Excellence Framework

UK university teaching quality recognised for the first time.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has today (22 June 2017) published the first set of ratings for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

It has revealed that the majority of UK universities are offering quality teaching to their students – 59 providers were rated ‘gold’, 116 rated ‘silver’ and 56 rated ‘bronze’.

The ratings will help students decide which university or college to apply to and encourage teaching and learning excellence across the UK.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said:

These results, highlighting the extraordinary strengths of our higher education system, will help students choose which university or college to study at.

The Teaching Excellence Framework is refocusing the sector’s attention on teaching – putting in place incentives that will raise standards across the sector and giving teaching the same status as research.

Students, parents, employers and taxpayers all have a shared interest in ensuring higher education equips the next generation of graduates for success.

Universities taking part have been assessed by an expert panel in 3 areas:

  • teaching quality
  • the learning environment
  • the educational and professional outcomes achieved by students

As set out in its white paper, Success as a knowledge economy (May 2016), the government will shortly begin a lessons learned exercise into this first trial year of the TEF. The findings of the lessons learned exercise will inform the operation of the TEF in 2018 and the intention to move to subject level assessments.

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HM Government

“NHS Wales performance stable, despite growing demand” – Vaughan Gething

The vast majority of people waiting for NHS treatment continue to be seen within access and treatment targets, despite increasing demand for services across Wales, new statistics published today show.

Thursday 22 June 2017

The latest statistics show: 

  • 79.4% of immediately life-threatening ambulance calls received a response within 8 minutes in May 2017, above the 65% target, which means the target performance has been met above 70% for 13 consecutive months. The median response time for this category of calls has remained less than 5 minutes since August 2016. Around 50% of amber calls were responded to in around 14 minutes
  • The target for non-urgent cancer performance in April 2017 was met for the first time since May 2016 – with 624 out of 635 people (98.3%) seen within 31 days, exceeding the 98% target. Urgent cancer performance remains at its highest since November 2014,  with 502 people out of 562 seen within 62 days
  • Referral to treatment performance has remained stable since early 2016. In April 2017, 86.7% of patient pathways had been waiting less than 26 weeks to start treatment, the best April performance since 2014
  • The number of people experiencing delayed transfers of care from hospital in May 2017 remains close to record lows, despite the increasing demand for health and social care services
  • The number of people waiting over 8 weeks for a diagnostic test in April 2017 is the second lowest since March 2011 and the lowest April figure since April 2010
  • In May 2017, fewer patients spent 12 hours or more in an emergency care facility, from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge compared to May 2016
  • Demand for NHS services is increasing across every single activity and performance measure monitored included in the monthly report. 

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: 

“Our health and social care services continue to experience increasing demand – but despite that, the statistics released today show the vast majority of people continue to be seen within access and treatment targets. 

“Recognising the ongoing growth in demand and costs of services, we’re investing more than ever before in health and social services.  

“I want to thank NHS and social care staff for the tireless work they do to deliver first class services across the country. Together, we will continue to do everything we can to drive up performance so that every patient receives timely, quality care.”

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Welsh Government •