Month: October 2018

The Geospatial Commission will invest £5 million to help unlock the value of geospatial data held by its six expert Partner Bodies – the British Geological Survey, Coal Authority, HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, UK Hydrographic Office and the Valuation Office Agency.

Location information, or geospatial data, is changing the way we see the world and live our lives – from helping us to avoid traffic jams to easily finding local services or deciding where to buy a house: through cutting edge analysis of GPS, satellite photography and historical data.

David Lidington, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said:

Our modern Industrial Strategy will secure Britain’s position as a world-leader in digital innovation and this government is committed to providing more opportunities for tech businesses – including small firms – to thrive, as well as access public procurement opportunities.

Through emerging technologies, our Geospatial and GovTech funding will elevate British companies onto a global market and help to deliver new services to improve people’s lives.

The work of the Geospatial Commission, supported by £40 million of new funding in each of the next two years, will drive the move to use this data more productively – unlocking up to £11 billion of extra value for the economy every year.

Geospatial data is an increasingly valuable tool for businesses and public sector organisations, helping them to make better decisions. That could range from tackling crime hotspots or finding the quickest routes for emergency services to deciding where best to locate supply chains.

By improving the quality of key publicly held data and making it easier to access and use, the government will enable the private sector to develop new innovations and applications.

The announcement comes days before the launch on 9th October of the next round of the £20 million GovTech Catalyst programme, in which public sector organisations are invited to submit challenges they think might be solved by innovative use of emerging technologies. Both the government’s Geospatial and GovTech funding is aimed at driving forward Britain as a digital and data leader.

Foreign & Commonwealth Minister for Asia and The Pacific Mark Field makes his first official visit to Maldives today (7 October).

During his trip to Malé, he will meet with President-Elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to congratulate him on his victory in last month’s elections, and discuss ways in which we can work together in support of shared values and interests.

He will also hold talks with Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim and politicians from across the political spectrum.

The Minister will also meet with leading Maldivian lawyers and hear from civil society representatives how the UK has supported efforts to enhance democracy and human rights in Maldives.

Commenting on his visit, Minister Field said:

I am delighted to be making my first visit to Maldives, especially at such an important moment in the country’s history.

I am looking forward to discussing with a range of Maldivians, including President-Elect Solih, how the UK can support Maldives on its journey to consolidate and strengthen its democracy.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Mark Field @MarkFieldUK
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

We are concerned by the rejection of Mr Mallet’s visa renewal. We have asked the Hong Kong Government for an urgent explanation. Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and its press freedoms are central to its way of life, and must be fully respected.

Speaking after the announcement of Dr Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad as Nobel Prize winners, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

“I am delighted that the Nobel Committee has recognised the tireless campaigning work of Dr Denis Mukwege and the powerful advocacy of survivor Nadia Murad.

The scale of sexual violence in conflict is truly appalling, and tragically all too common, but the UK has been at the forefront of getting this issue on the global agenda. We’ve raised it one-to-one with our partners, most recently at the UN last month. We continue to challenge the stigma so often experienced by survivors of sexual violence and their children, and we are working to strengthen the legal infrastructure that means survivors of this appalling crime have recourse to justice.

Since launching the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012, we’ve spent over £44m to support projects worldwide that advocate, protect and support survivors. We have deployed our specialist team of experts more than 90 times to provide training on documenting crimes and rehabilitating survivors. As the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, this is a personal priority.

We know this work has made a real impact and is delivering change on the ground. Next year, the UK will host an international meeting seeking further commitments from governments to combat sexual violence in conflict, find more effective ways to bring perpetrators to justice, and develop new ways to prevent it.

I commend the Nobel Committee for shining a spotlight on this important issue, and congratulate Dr Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for helping to wake the world up to this appalling crime.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon @tariqahmadbt

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Gavin Williamson, alongside his German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen, signed a Joint Vision Statement today deepening the already strong UK-German relationship and increasing defence cooperation across a range of areas, from tackling violent extremism to building new military capabilities.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Although we are preparing to leave the EU, our commitment to European security is resolute.

The statement signed today strengthens UK-German ties and bolsters the defence of two key NATO partners. This is an alliance we both hold dear.

The Defence Secretary also attended a demonstration from UK and German personnel who form part of the combined river crossing capability in Minden – a capability vital to NATO operations. The visit comes after the announcement that the British Army will be permanently based in the country beyond 2020.

The events in Germany followed a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels, in which Mr. Williamson stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Allies in condemnation of reckless and indiscriminate Russian cyber-attacks.

At NATO HQ, he discussed the importance of the alliance being ready to respond not only to the threats from the East but also from the South. He announced that the British Army would be deepening cooperation with partners through linking 1 Div HQ, which leads overseas military capacity building, to NATO’s emerging Defence Capacity Building initiatives.

He also attended NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group (NPG), consulting with counterparts to ensure the alliance has the necessary tools and procedures in place to respond to a nuclear crisis.

Former MP Natascha Engel was today (5 October 2018) announced as the new independent Commissioner for Shale Gas.

The government understands the development of shale gas exploration and production sites is an issue which directly affects local communities and recognises the need to provide those communities with impartial, fact-based information.

Taking up her post this week, Natascha Engel will be a direct communication link between local communities, the shale gas industry and the industry regulators. The commissioner will be a contact point for residents, to listen to their concerns, refer them to relevant and factual research and help improve communication with regulators and industry.

Natascha Engel, Commissioner for Shale Gas, said:

If extracted safely, shale gas has the potential to be a new, domestic source of energy for the UK. But there is a need for clear, impartial information to be provided to all parties and in particular those local communities most affected by shale gas development.

As the Commissioner for Shale Gas, I look forward to working closely with communities, regulators and industry to ensure facts are easily accessible as the process of shale exploration continues to develop.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said

It’s important we get the facts straight on shale gas and that communities can access the best scientific information when engaging with the developers and regulators.

This new role will provide a single point of contact for local residents to get the information they need and have their questions answered.

As the UK makes progress towards shale gas production, proving a streamlined way for developers to engage with our robust regulators will increase efficiency and help to continually improve our already world-leading regulations in this area.

The UK regulatory regime for shale gas is considered among the most robust and stringent in the world.
Regulators ensure the shale gas industry meets the relevant environmental criteria to operate responsibly in the UK and that these regulations keep pace with the development of shale gas exploration.

The commissioner will work closely with the shale gas regulators, although will be distinct from them, as it is not a regulatory role and has no powers of enforcement or investigation. To preserve the independence of the regulators, the commissioner will not comment on any specific regulatory decisions.

The appointment comes as the government announced the set up of a Shale Environmental Regulator Group, which will bring the regulators (Oil and Gas Authority, Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency) together as a virtual body. The Shale Environmental Regulator Group will act as one, coherent, single face for local authorities and industry, helping to resolve regulatory issues on sites and sharing best practice with local authorities considering shale gas applications.

Natascha Engel

Natascha Engel was Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire from 2005 to 2017.

She has first-hand experience of the local impact of shale gas developments and also has experience of working closely with industry, regulators and government on how to best engage local communities on this important topic.

An email address for the Shale Commissioner will be made available shortly.

Today (Friday 5 October) the UK Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin has visited the URVI Centre in Uganda (Uganda Virus Research Institute) hailing the historical and strong collaboration between the UK and Ugandan governments.

Established under an agreement between the Ugandan and the British Governments in 1988, it is currently at the forefront of cutting edge research on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases including Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers such as the Ebola virus.

Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:

I am delighted to visit the URVI Centre and see the successes of a 30 year partnership between the UK and Uganda on research into HIV and related diseases.

The new partnership between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Centre shows the very best of UK expertise helping to prevent deadly diseases in both the world’s poorest regions and at home.

While visiting the Centre the Minister announced, in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Health and channelled through four UN agencies, that the UK will support Uganda’s National Task Force with up to £5.1 million to support Ebola preparedness and prevention efforts in Uganda.

This funding will support surveillance in high-risk districts at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); risk reduction communication amongst communities; infection prevention and control measures as well as provide for improved case management. A significant proportion of the funding will also provide core relief items (basic household necessities) to allow newly arrived refugees to leave overcrowded and high-risk transit and reception centres, therefore reducing further the risk of spread of Ebola.

The UK government and WHO judge Uganda’s current preparedness efforts to be strong. However, the risk of the disease spreading beyond the border from DRC is high and the funding will support timely interventions to strengthen screening at points of entry including the Entebbe international airport.

Notes to editors

• Following the signing of strategic transfer agreements between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Medical Research Council UK (MRC UK), the Unit formerly joined LSHTM on 1 February 2018. The exciting new partnership will boost research capacity into current and emerging health issues in Africa and throughout the world.

• The Government of the Uganda supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are leading implementation of Uganda’s National Preparedness and Initial Response plan. There have been five outbreaks of Ebola in Uganda since 2000 and the country is familiar with managing outbreaks of the disease

• On the 1 August 2018, the Ministry of Health in the DRC declared an outbreak of Ebola in Eastern DRC. As of 1 October, the total number of confirmed and probable cases was 159, with 101 deaths. There are high population movements between the DRC and Uganda that mean the risk of transmission to Uganda is high. This includes normal trade plus an influx of refugees fleeing conflict in the DRC. Since January 2018, close to 100,000 refugees (98,103) have arrived in Uganda from the DRC. Insecurity in Eastern DRC continues to hamper the response to the outbreak as access is severely restricted in conflict-affected areas.

• The Government of the Uganda supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are leading implementation of Uganda’s National Preparedness and Initial Response plan. There have been five outbreaks of Ebola in Uganda since 2000 and the country is familiar with managing outbreaks of the disease.

• Recently, security incidents around the city of Beni have led to certain elements of the Ebola response being temporarily suspended. While Ebola treatment centres have remained open, vaccination, contact tracing, and community engagement activities had to be ceased temporarily from 23 to 25 September.

• We expect that this temporary suspension in contact tracing and community engagement may lead to an increase in case numbers in the coming days. However, now that the response is fully operational once again, we expect WHO, the DRC Government, and their implementing partners to be able to manage a potential increase in the caseload.

• In response to the increase in cases, the emergence of cases in new health zones, and the challenges faced in delivering the response, the WHO and the DRC Government are releasing a renewed response plan, which will extend the response by three months and request additional funds.

• The UK will provide further funding through WHO, which will enable: surveillance, vaccination of at-risk groups; establishing sanitary control points; community engagement; communications and awareness-raising; and coordination. We are also funding critical surge roles to UN agencies in the DRC and neighbouring countries.