Day: September 24, 2018

• Trade Policy Minister George Hollingbery is in Taipei for 21st meeting of annual trade talks
• Recent meeting saw Taiwan allow its first imports of quality British pork
• Minister Hollingbery agrees joint commitment to further fintech sectors

While in Taipei, the Minister will meet with President Tsai Ing-Wen, the Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-Chin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu to discuss UK-Taiwan trade relations and opportunities for growth, including financial services.

The annual UK-Taiwan trade talks, chaired by Minister Hollingbery and Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Economic Affairs, Wang Mei-Hua, will focus on building stronger trade and investment links and resolving market access issues, and celebrating the recent introduction of British pork products to the Taiwanese market.

The visit will be marked by further development of the already close co-operation between the UK and Taiwan finance sectors, as Minister Hollingbery witnesses the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the British Office in Taipei and the Taiwan Financial Services Roundtable committing to close co-operation and promotion of our fintech sectors.

The Minister will also meet UK businesses in Taiwan including the offshore wind, financial services and pharmaceutical sectors.

Trade Policy Minister, George Hollingbery, said:

“I am delighted to be in Taipei at the 21st annual trade talks with Taiwan, building ever closer links in the world’s fastest growing region. Our trade with Taiwan is worth £5.5 billion, supporting jobs and prosperity in both our economies, so it is vital that we ease barriers to trade wherever we can, even before we leave the EU.

“It is my pleasure to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding committing to even closer co-operation in our finance sectors, building on an already productive trading relationship.”

Trade with Taiwan

UK-Taiwan bilateral trade rose to £5.5 billion in 2017, making Taiwan the UK’s 8th largest trading partner in the Asia Pacific region. The UK is the most popular destination for Taiwanese investors in Europe accounting for 21% of Taiwan’s Foreign Direct Investment in the region in 2017. Around 300 UK firms are present in Taiwan and there are over 180 Taiwanese firms in the UK.

The minister is joined by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, Natalie Black, who leads DIT across the region to coordinate the UK government’s trade and investment promotion and policy works closely with the wider diplomatic network.

The UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer has urged farmers to remain vigilant for bluetongue virus after the disease was successfully picked up in two cattle imported from France through our routine post-import testing regime.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Pirbright Institute identified the disease in the animals when they were brought to North Yorkshire in England from an assembly centre in Central France, where bluetongue continues to slowly spread.

Bluetongue does not affect people or food safety. The virus is transmitted by midge bites and affects cows, goats, sheep and other camelids such as llamas. It can reduce milk yield and cause infertility and in the most severe cases is fatal for infected animals. The midges are most active between May and October and not all susceptible animals show immediate signs of contracting the virus.

Action is being taken to ensure the risk of spread of the disease is reduced, with movement restrictions at the affected premises. The two cattle were isolated and have been humanely culled.

Strict rules on the movement of livestock from regions affected by bluetongue are already in place and farmers are reminded that animals imported from these regions must be accompanied by the relevant paperwork to clearly show they meet certain conditions designed to reduce disease risk, such as correct vaccination.

Following the successful interception of the infected animals, the UK remains officially bluetongue-free, the risk of the disease remains low and exports are not affected.

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for the UK, Graeme Cooke, said:

Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but the disease impacts farming, causing reduced milk yield in cows and infertility in sheep.

This detection is an example of our robust disease surveillance procedures in action but must highlight to farmers the risks which come with bringing animals from disease-affected areas into their herds. Regulations and systems are in place for the benefit of our UK livestock industry.

It is also a clear reminder for farmers that the disease remains a threat, despite coming towards the end of the season when midges are active.

Farmers must remain vigilant and report any suspicions to APHA. Farmers should work with their importer to make sure effective vaccination needs are complied with, source animals responsibly and consider the health status of their own herd if they are not protected

Movement restrictions will remain in place on the premises for at least several weeks until testing rules out spread via local midges.

Farmers have the option to send animals without fully compliant paperwork back to France or to cull them as a measure to reduce the risk of disease spreading to susceptible UK livestock.

The UK Government has worked closely with a number of groups to raise awareness of the threat of bluetongue through the Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB). The most recent case of the disease in the UK came in 2007. The UK has been officially free from the disease since July 2011.

More information about bluetongue is available here.

Traffic officers have been patrolling the A30 in the county during the holiday season as part of a trial this year, and they extended their patrols to visit three primary schools situated not far from the busy A30 route.

The crews ran two highways awareness days, and presented to a total of 11 classes at Blackwater Community Primary School and Chacewater Community Primary School near Truro and Goonhavern Primary School, near Perranporth.

During the visits, pupils got the chance to chat to traffic officers Angela and Greg Fenne about their jobs and enjoyed being able to see first-hand their patrol vehicle and the equipment used every day as they patrol England’s major A roads and motorways.

The schools were also presented with hi-vis clothing for the youngsters, and Chris Gould, Chacewater School headteacher, said:

It was wonderful to have the traffic officers from Highways England with us.

At Chacewater we are passionate about the children’s learning being enhanced by real-life experiences. The children were able to understand this was a job they could do when they are older but also the vital role that the traffic officers provide about keeping us safe.

Staying safe in the world is an important part of the curriculum and the visit really supported the children in their understanding of safety.

Highways England’s trial initiative saw traffic officers patrol the A30 in Cornwall for the first time during the bank holiday weekends and summer holiday season, and during the latter period the traffic officers attended a total of 134 incidents, including live lane breakdowns, road traffic collisions and debris clearance.

The aim of the initiative is to provide further assistance to motorists on the South West network, and extend the traffic officer service further south into Cornwall to continue an already close working partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council.

The traffic officers have been patrolling the A30 between Carland Cross and Liftondown and, based at Bodmin police station and Cornwall Council’s Castle Canyke depot during the peak holiday months, they have been much closer at hand to provide assistance along both the A30 and A38.

Rob Penney, South West Service Delivery Manager for Highways England, said:

The patrols have been really well received by both holiday makers and local residents.

And the school visits offered a nice opportunity to continue our engagement with communities close to the A30, explain our work and raise the issue of road safety with a young and receptive audience.

The highways awareness days launched a longer-term STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) initiative run by Highways England’s A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross project team.

The schools’ outreach programme, which will run from October, is designed to engage children from four to 18 in fun, hands-on activities which will teach them more about the interesting work taking place as part of the dualling scheme.

Josh Hodder, project manager of the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme, said:

The traffic officers have had a great reception and we’re also looking forward to working with local schools to teach them more about the STEAM project and our work on the scheme.

For any schools interested in receiving a STEAM visit, or learning more about Highways England’s work in the area, email A30ChivertontoCarlandCross@highwaysengland.co.uk

Get more information on the roles and responsibilities of a Highways England traffic officer

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