Day: October 4, 2018

Today, due to unanticipated changes in his personal and family circumstances, Paul Morton, who has been Tax Director of the OTS since March 2017, has announced his decision to step down from his role, once a successor is in place.

Paul Morton said:

It has been a great privilege to serve as Tax Director of the OTS, and to see so much energy and professionalism focused on improving the taxpayer experience. I am grateful to stakeholders for their unwavering support and to HM Treasury and HMRC colleagues for their outstanding spirit of collaboration.

I very much regret that unanticipated changes in my personal and family circumstances mean that I am no longer able to devote sufficient time to the OTS to fulfill this role. I look forward to following the progress of the important contribution made by the OTS.

Angela Knight CBE had decided over the summer break to step down due to other commitments, having chaired the OTS since January 2016. She will be continuing in the role until her successor and the new Tax Director are fully in place.

Angela Knight CBE said:

I would like to pay tribute to the fresh thinking Paul Morton has brought to the organisation. Paul will be missed and we all wish him well for the future.

Chairing the OTS for three years has been hugely enjoyable and it has been a privilege to work with its dedicated team. Other commitments mean that I will be handing over the role of Chair in due course, once the new Tax Director and my successor are in post. I do so in the knowledge that the OTS has been revitalised, its role strengthened and its impact increasing.

Teresa Graham, Senior Independent Director of the OTS, said:

I am very saddened that Angela and Paul are each having to step down. They have together provided energy and leadership which has made a noticeable difference to the work and reputation of the OTS, and they will be greatly missed.

The roles of OTS Chair and Tax Director are each Chancellor Appointments, as provided for in Schedule 25 to Finance Act 2016. Each of these roles will be advertised in the usual way.

Notes for editors

The OTS is the independent adviser to government on simplifying the UK tax system, to make it easier for the taxpayer; it does not implement changes – these are a matter for government and for Parliament.

The OTS works to improve the experience of all who interact with the tax system. It aims to reduce the administrative burden – which is what people encounter in practice – as well as looking to simplify the rules, as simplification of the technical and administrative aspects of tax are each important, both to taxpayers and to HMRC.

Press enquiries only please contact Graham Dickson, OTS Press Officer
Phone: 03000 585028

The huge 40-metre-wide structure, spanning the width of the motorway, will hold 10 large electronic signs and is the biggest single structure being installed by Highways England during a £274 million smart motorway project in Cheshire.

When the scheme is complete, a total of 258 electronic signs, 104 traffic sensors and 70 CCTV cameras will help keep traffic moving and provide better information for the 118,000 drivers who travel along the 20-mile route every day.

The upgrade between Crewe and Knutsford also involves converting the hard shoulder to a permanent extra lane to increase capacity by a third. It is one of four smart motorway schemes due to be completed on the M6 in the next few years to add extra lanes and better technology to 60 miles of the motorway between Coventry and Wigan.

The new timelapse footage shows the superspan gantry being lifted into place between junctions 18 and 19 during an overnight closure of the motorway in June. The 20-tonne gantry was constructed off-site and lowered by a crane onto two pillars on either side of the motorway.

View the timelapse footage:

M6 junction 16 to 19 gantry installation

Arun Sahni, Project Manager at Highways England, said:

The timelapse footage provides a glimpse of the technology transformation currently taking place on the M6 to significantly improve journeys on the vital route between the north and south of the country.

The smart motorway in Cheshire will provide much-needed extra capacity and improve journey times for all road users, reducing congestion and connecting families, friends and businesses more quickly.

We’re on schedule to complete the upgrade by spring next year, providing quicker and more reliable journeys for the tens of thousands of drivers who travel along the motorway every day.

Around 500 people are currently working on the project to upgrade the M6 to a smart motorway through Cheshire. The scheme will be completed in phases starting with the northern section between junctions 18 and 19, with all of the roadworks due to be removed by spring 2019.

When the smart motorway is complete, electronic signs will alert drivers to changes in the speed limit, lane closures and incidents ahead. New CCTV cameras will also provide 100% coverage of the route and allow Highways England’s traffic officers and the emergency services to respond quickly to incidents.

A total of 18 emergency areas will be created alongside the motorway to provide drivers with a safe place to stop if they break down.

A similar smart motorway scheme on a stretch of the M62 in West Yorkshire has resulted in commuters saving an average 30 minutes each week, despite an increase in the number of vehicles using the route.

More details on the Cheshire scheme are available on the scheme web page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Communities Secretary Rt, Hon James Brokenshire MP, begins a 3-day visit to India today (4 October 2018) to promote business and technology ties between the Midlands and the growing Asian economic powerhouse.

The Secretary of State, who is also the government’s Midlands Engine Champion, will bring together senior British and Indian officials and businesses to re-affirm a commitment to the Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership.

The Partnership is a regional element of the UK-India Technology Partnership announced by Prime Minister Theresa May and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April.

Together the UK and Indian governments commit to increasing partnerships in technology through the industry, government, science and research, and by fostering trade and investment opportunities in both directions.

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, said:

The Midlands and Maharashtra are thriving tech hubs in their own right, and by bringing these two great regions together we are strengthening our technological and economic ties to the benefit of our people and businesses.

Whether it’s manufacturing the latest car model or sharing ground-breaking research, there is a lot to be gained and I’m determined we make the most of the opportunities, particularly as prepare to leave the European Union.

The Secretary of State will begin engagements in New Delhi to hold talks with Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India and Shri Anant G Geete, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

When in Maharashtra – the most industrialised state in India – the Secretary of State will hold talks with advanced manufacturing giant Bharat Forge.

He will be joined by the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and Chair of the Midlands Engine partnership Sir John Peace.

In December, Delhi will play host to the India-UK FutureTech Festival. The Festival is a thought-leadership summit which will bring together business, policy makers, venture capital, scientists and entrepreneurs.

It will drive trade, investment and partnerships across key sectors, and promote and celebrate the UK and India as major technology innovators and trading partners.

UK businesses are invited to take part.

The UK is exiting the EU on 29 March 2019. The UK and EU negotiating teams have reached agreement on the terms of an Implementation Period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. With talks ongoing, we remain committed to reaching agreement on the Withdrawal Agreement and Future Framework in the Autumn.

However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached and that is exactly what we are doing, with this consultation forming part of these preparations.

As part of this contingency planning it is necessary to make sure the UK’s regulatory processes for medicines, clinical trials and medical devices are legally coherent on exit day.

This consultation covers changes to four different Statutory Instruments (SIs): the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 and the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs) and the Medicines (Products for Human Use) (Fees) Regulations 2016. The changes to the latter two instruments are combined in a single SI.

The overall approach in the unlikely event of a no-deal scenario is for the MHRA to be a stand-alone medicines and medical devices regulator, taking any decisions and carrying out any functions which are currently taken or carried out at EU-level.

Many of the changes to these SIs are of a technical nature which will remove relevant references to the EU, insert references to the UK and other similar changes. The legislation is still being drafted and we are not consulting on the exact legal texts. Rather, this consultation gives narrative on any amendments being considered, with the following principles having been applied:

• a pragmatic and proportionate approach in establishing UK regulatory requirements
• the UK regulator’s ability to take regulatory action to protect public safety
• minimum disruption and burden on companies as the UK exits the EU

Dr Ian Hudson, Chief Executive Officer at the MHRA said:

Our position on medicines and medical devices regulation remains clear. We want to retain a close working partnership with the EU to make sure patients continue to have timely access to safe medicines and medical devices. However, it is important for the UK to prepare for all scenarios and this consultation is a key part of that.

I therefore strongly encourage anyone that has an interest to share their comments.

The MHRA’s vision for the future of medicines and medical devices regulations is underpinned by three clear principles, that patients should not be disadvantaged, that innovators should be able to get products to the UK market as quickly and simply as possible, and that the UK continues to play a leading role promoting public health.

In the unlikely event of a no-deal scenario, the UK will strive to be at the forefront of regulatory innovation and processes. For example, looking at ways to reduce the length of time required to approve new medicines.

The consultation, available online, will close at 23:45 on 1 November 2019 and its outcomes will be communicated.

Ends

Notes to Editor

1. Statutory Instruments (SIs) are a form of legislation which allow the provisions of an Act of Parliament to be subsequently brought into force or altered without Parliament having to pass a new Act.
2. Further information about the UK government’s preparations for a no deal scenario can be found here.