Politics

Press release: British tech booms on global stage at Mobile World Congress

A record 167 UK tech companies are flying the flag for Britain this week at the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) in a bid to attract global business partners, helped by Government support.

They join firms from over 200 countries at the largest ever gathering of over 100,000 tech professionals, entrepreneurs and investors from global tech giants like Samsung and Huawei to new start-ups. With one of the largest national presences the UK, through DIT, is helping small firms across the country showcase their ideas abroad.

Of the bumper delegation travelling to Barcelona from across the UK, 58 companies who secured government financial support are representing regions such as Devon, Manchester and Staffordshire, with 17 from Scotland alone.

Speaking at the event, International Trade Minister Greg Hands said:

The world continues to see the UK as a leading technology destination of choice, with global tech companies such as Facebook, Apple and Google leading the charge to invest in Silicon UK.

We have some of the most innovative tech talent and entrepreneurs in the world, and I want to encourage other investors to take notice and take advantage of our expertise and ideas. Global industry shows, like Mobile World Congress, are a huge opportunity for small businesses, and my department is here helping more UK companies than ever build the connections they need to revolutionise the world and go global.

The UK’s tech sector attracts more international inward investment than the rest of Europe combined with 25% of all overseas inward investment into Europe coming to the UK. Over 348,000 people work in UK telecomms and related software development.

DIT is working with 75 UK firms at Mobile World Congress to showcase their products and ideas and match them with potential partners and investors through meetings at the conference. This follows the continued commitment of global brands to the UK, with Snapchat choosing the UK for its new international HQ, and Google and Facebook both increasing their staff here.

With worldwide mobile data traffic expected to increase a hundredfold in the next 5 years, as more people get online, the government is helping UK firms seize an increasing global market.

Companies DIT is supporting include What3Words which offers national postal services and aid agencies a pinpoint accurate global address system. Its revolutionary mapping system has also been nominated for 2 Global Mobile Awards being announced out at MWC.

Giles Rhys Jones, Director at What3Words said:

MWC is a fantastic platform to reach potential partners, investors and influencers, and the support we have received from the Department for International Trade to help us get here has been fantastic.

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HM Government • • •

Wales should continue reforms to boost quality and equity of school system

 

28/02/2017 – Wales should continue its efforts to reform the curriculum and raise the standards of teaching in order to improve the quality and equity of its school system, according to a new OECD report.

The Welsh Education Reform Journey analyses the reforms adopted since 2014 and notes a shift in the approach to school improvement away from a piecemeal and short-term policy orientation to one with a long-term vision involving key stakeholders.

The commitment to improving the teaching and learning in Wales’s schools is visible at all levels of the education system, says the report.

“Sustaining this commitment, deepening investments in key policy areas and strengthening the implementation process will be central to realising the country’s ambitions for education and society over the long term,” said Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, launching the report in Cardiff with Kirsty Williams, Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Education.

The focus of continuing reforms should be on developing a high-quality teaching profession, making leadership a key driver of education reform, ensuring equity in learning opportunities and student well-being, and moving towards a new system of assessment, evaluation and accountability that aligns with the new 21st century curriculum.

Among the report’s recommendations are that Wales should:

  • Continue developing a national approach to professional learning and build capacity for implementation of the new curriculum.
  • Move forward with the establishment of the National Academy of Educational Leadership and speed up development of leadership standards.
  • Consider moving towards a national needs-based school-funding formula that ensures the effective allocation of funds to schools.
  • Continue strengthening Wales’ school improvement infrastructure.
  • Ensure coherence across the various reform initiatives to prevent fragmentation. The government should clarify how different reforms and policies relate to each other as well as the roles and responsibilities of teachers, school leaders, local authorities and regional consortia.

The report is available at http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/thewelsheducationreformjourneyarapidpolicyassessment.htm

For more information, or to speak to the report’s author, journalists should contact Spencer Wilson of the OECD’s Media Division (tel. + 33 1 45 24 81 18).

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OECD.org – United Kingdom • • •

Cabinet Secretary to celebrate the best of Wales in Dubai

In addition to a number of engagements to promote Welsh culture and increase business links between Wales, Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates, the Cabinet Secretary will join a record twenty five of Wales’ finest food and drink producers at the Gulfood Trade Show, one of the world’s largest annual food and beverage exhibitions. 

The Trade Show is an opportunity to promote Wales’ food and drink sector on the international stage and help Welsh producers’ efforts to establish new business relationships and expand their sales into potentially lucrative new markets.

 During the visit, the Cabinet Secretary will announce she is making £2.4million available to ensure Wales remains well-represented at high profile food and drink trade events and visits around the world over the next two years, providing further opportunities to showcase Wales and world class Welsh produce. 

The Cabinet Secretary said: 

“St David’s Day presents us with a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our people, our history, our culture, and, of course, our high quality larder of food and drink produce. 

“Wales’ food and drinks sector is a success story. We are already more than half way towards achieving our target of 30% growth in the sector by 2020, generating over £260 million from exports.  Almost 90% of these are going to the EU, which is why we strongly advocate, on behalf of Welsh businesses, continued full and unfettered access to the European Single Market. 

“It is important we remain an outward focused and welcoming nation. The challenges presented by a “Hard Brexit” are obvious but I am encouraged by the fact Wales’ food and drink sector is well placed to tackle the challenges we now face and grasp new opportunities. 

“International exhibitions are vital in raising Wales’ international profile as they present the opportunity for Welsh businesses to prosper by entering new overseas markets. I am delighted, therefore, to confirm we are investing £2.4m over the next two years to have a strong presence at a series of important food and drink exhibitions and trade visits both in the UK and overseas including a continuation of our ongoing presence at Gulfood.”

Lesley Griffiths will also support an additional Welsh Government-led trade delegation involving twelve small and medium sized enterprises from Wales aiming to grow their business in Dubai and the wider region. The delegation will visit the site of the next World Expo, taking place in Dubai in 2020.  Expo 2020 offers significant commercial opportunities for Welsh businesses of all sizes and in many sectors.   

 Wales’ cultural excellence will be showcased in Dubai by the presence of the Welsh National Opera who will be performing Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and La boheme over the first two weeks of March. In addition, during the evening of St David’s Day itself, Lesley Griffiths will attend a special performance by a trio of Welsh National Opera performers at a ‘Wales – Business and Culture’ reception at the British Embassy in Dubai. The event will also provide a high profile opportunity to show Wales’ strengths as a place to visit, study and do business.     

To end her visit, the Cabinet Secretary will speak at a celebratory St. David’s Day Ball organised by the local Welsh Club.  

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Welsh Government • •

News story: Worm bait returns for trial period at Exmoor fishery

The Environment Agency is continuing conservation measures on its Watersmeet and Glenthorne Fishery for the coming season.

Restrictions have been in place on this popular Exmoor fishery since 2014 in response to disease problems affecting adult salmon and sea trout returning to the East Lyn to spawn. Recent monitoring also revealed reduced numbers of young salmon.

Anglers have been allowed to continue fishing for salmon and sea trout on a ‘catch and release’ basis throughout the season and have been limited to fishing with a fly or spinner only. The use of worms was traditionally allowed from 16 June. However, this method of fishing can be very effective and has been prohibited in recent years to limit the number of fish caught while stocks have been under pressure.

Following discussions with the Lyn Riparian Owners Association and local interest groups, worming is being allowed again on a trial basis this year from 16 June, subject to strict conditions.

Worms will only be allowed when fished on a single circle-patterned hook, no larger than Size 4. A circle hook increases the likelihood a fish is hooked in the jaw where it can be safely removed. This type of hook reduces the risk of ‘deep hooking’ which can sometimes occur when worming. It also reduces the chances of accidentally catching trout and salmon parr on this method.

All salmon and sea trout must still be released throughout the 2017 season, irrespective of the method used to catch them. As a further conservation measure, anglers will not be allowed to fish with worm at any time in Long Pool.

Mike Holland of the Environment Agency said:

We want fishermen to continue to enjoy their sport on the Watersmeet and Glenthorne Fishery, but at the same time ensure suitable measures are in place to safeguard migratory fish returning to the river to spawn.

By allowing only circle hooks to be used for worming we hope to maximise the survival chances of any salmon and sea trout caught and released by this method. We’ll review the success of this trial at the end of the season.

The brown trout fishery regulations remain unchanged. The full list of fishery regulations can be found printed on the reverse of the permits, purchasable from local agents.

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HM Government • • •