Author: Pulse Assent

For the first time, the UK Government will command a near 20-metre space at the four-day showpiece event in Builth Wells, giving rural industries and members of the public the chance to speak to Ministers and staff about what is important to them and find out more about how the UK Government delivers for people in Wales.

The Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will host a ‘women in agriculture’ event at the UK Government stand on the showground, to celebrate the pivotal role women play as farmers & food producers in Wales.
Businesses will also be able to visit the Department for International Trade (DIT) Export Hub – a 32 tonne, 40ft long lorry with DIT’s regional International Trade Advisers on hand to set out the key steps that Welsh companies need to consider if they want to begin their exporting journey.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The Royal Welsh Show is Wales’ biggest agriculture event and the UK Government will be there in force – taking this excellent opportunity to engage with the industry, underline the importance of the rural economy to Wales and wider UK and show how determined we are to get a good deal for the sector in our EU exit negotiations.

We need to be bold and ambitious and maximise the opportunities Brexit brings. To achieve this it is vital that the UK and the Welsh Governments work together – as well as with businesses – to ensure our rural economy can continue to grow.

Attracting over 240,000 visitors every year, the show also provides an important platform for show-goers to find out how the UK Government is delivering for people in Wales– including on provisions for childcare, pensions, defence and business start-up support. I look forward to meeting businesses and members of the public over the course of the show, to hear about their priorities over the coming months and years.

The Welsh Secretary will be joined at the Show by Environment Secretary Michael Gove on Tuesday where they will host a reception at the UK Government stand to meet industry leaders, businesses and show-goers.

UK Government Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

The Royal Welsh Show is a real highlight of the summer calendar. From delicious Welsh lamb to Snowdonia Cheese, I am very much looking forward to celebrating the best of Welsh farming, food and rural life.

As we leave the EU there will be more freedom for Wales to support its farmers and enhance its beautiful landscapes. We are working hand-in-hand with the Welsh Government ahead of the Agriculture Bill, so we can deliver a Brexit that works for Welsh farmers and consumers.

UK Government departments attending the Show include:

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who will be promoting the GREAT campaign: Food is GREAT
• The DVLA who will launch their number plate eyesight campaign with interactive displays at the stand.
• The Department for International Trade (DIT) who will be on hand to provide exporting advice to industry at their export hub truck throughout the week
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who will provide ‘dream job’ interactive activities for younger and older children and provide advice on the Access to Work scheme
• The Department for International Development (DfID) will bring humanitarian situations that they support all around the world to life with interactive displays of life-saving equipment at the stand.
• The Home Office will be on hand to provide advice on the EU Settlement scheme that will protect the rights of workers in Wales post EU Exit.

UK Government Minister in Wales Stuart Andrew will attend the show on Wednesday. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Lidington MP, the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom MP and Minister without Portfolio, Brandon Lewis will also visit the Showground over the course of the week.

Visitors to the show are encouraged to visit the UK Government area on Avenue C, LC217 at the showground to find out how Westminster is delivering for Wales.

Sam Gyimah, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, today (Thursday 19 July) announced the appointment of Professor David Gann CBE as new Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). David will take up his post on 1 August 2018, taking over from Professor Roger Cashmore, who will complete his term as Chair at the end of July 2018.

UKAEA is responsible for leading the commercial development of fusion power and related technology. Nuclear fusion can play a big part in our carbon-free energy future. UKAEA manages the UK fusion programme at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), which is a global hub for scientific talent. In recent years UKAEA’s research has created emerging spin-out industries in areas such as robotics, material sciences and reactor design, reinforcing the UK’s position as a world-leader in fusion research and development.

The Chair of UKAEA is responsible for leading the Board’s strategy and ensuring that its objectives are achieved.

Minister for Research and Development Sam Gyimah said:

The UK is a world-leader in nuclear technology and innovation and I am delighted that Professor David Gann will be the new Chair of the UKAEA Board.

His extensive experience in growing businesses and academic institutions will be crucial to the continued success of our nuclear industry. I want to thank Professor Roger Cashmore for his outstanding service to UKAEA. His commitment and dedication to the mission since 2010 has been invaluable in our cutting-edge work towards commercial success in nuclear fusion.

Professor David Gann CBE said:

I look forward to working with the extraordinarily talented team at UKAEA, and with the wider science and technology community, with the UK positioned as a global leader in fusion technology, providing a future source of sustainable energy.

Coming from a highly collaborative academic institution, I am excited by the prospect of UKAEA enhancing its global ties with industry and academia. These are exciting times, with the UK’s expertise in atomic energy leading to innovation in a range of technologies in robotics and new materials, which also have a wider set of industrial uses.

Publication of UKAEA’s Annual Report

On Thursday 19 July UKAEA laid its 2017/2018 Annual Report before Parliament. This sets out UKAEA’s progress against its objectives.

UKAEA Annual Report and Accounts 2017/2018

More about Professor David Gann

David is Imperial College’s Vice President, leading on innovation, and is a member of Imperial’s President’s Board.

He has played a central role in substantial growth at Imperial College, notably in the new White City campus and new ventures such as ThinkSpace.

David is a chartered civil engineer with a PhD in industrial economics and was Deputy Principal at the Imperial College Business School. He retains roles as Professor of Innovation and Technology Management at Imperial College’s Business School. He is the author of 8 books on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology management, which have been published in 7 languages.

The government has clarified building regulations fire safety guidance, following recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt, and is seeking views on the revisions in a consultation launched today (Thursday 19 July).

The Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has also said he will go further by conducting a full-scale review of the guidelines, known as ‘Approved Document B’, commencing in the autumn.

The technical review will assess, amongst other things, whether the underlying policy should be updated to reflect modern building practice, the latest understanding of fire risks and technical and scientific innovations.

Alongside the consultation and review of Approved Document B, the government has also announced a package of additional measures to strengthen safety:

• establishing a panel, made up of residents, to ensure proposed safety improvements are grounded in the experience of those who live in high-rise buildings
• Dame Judith Hackitt will chair a soon-to-be established Industry Safety Steering Group to drive the culture change needed to improve safety and hold industry to account
• working with a small group of organisations from industry to pilot safety improvements in line with Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations, demonstrating early leadership on building safety reform
• introducing a mandatory requirement on landlords in the private rented sector to ensure electrical installations in their property are inspected every 5 years

Secretary of State for Communities, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their own homes. That is why I am announcing a package of measures focused on improving building safety, having listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised.

Dame Judith’s report sets out the right framework to improve safety but I will not hesitate to go further than the recommendations where I deem it necessary. That is why I am going further than my original commitment to simply clarify the guidelines, by commencing an end-to-end technical review of the fire safety aspects of building regulations in the autumn.

Further information

During the summer, the government has:

Launched a consultation on banning the use of combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings which are 18 metres and above. The consultation closes on 14 August.

Consulted on banning or restricting the use of ‘desktop studies’ from being used to assess the fire performance of cladding systems, unless our separate consultation demonstrates that they can be safely used. The consultation has closed and the government is reviewing the responses.

Made available £400 million to fund the removal and replacement of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding in the social sector. Local authorities and housing associations can apply here.

Announced further action to support local authorities as they work with building owners to remove potentially unsafe cladding on private sector high-rise residential buildings.

Approved Document B

Approved Document B is a part of the building regulations guidance in England covering fire safety matters within and around buildings.

The government is consulting on clarified guidance and has launched a consultation today. The government also intends to carry out a wider technical review, in line with standard practice. A call for evidence will be published this autumn seeking views on the technical issues contained within the document.

Additional information

Consultation on banning the use of combustible materials on the external walls of high-rise residential buildings

Consultation on restricting or banning the use of ‘desktop studies’ as a way of assessing the fire performance of external cladding systems

Further information on the government’s action plan to accelerate the remediation of private high-rise residential buildings with ACM cladding

The government is fully funding the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding by councils and housing associations, estimated at £400 million

Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety was published in May 2018 and the government provided a response to her report on the same day.

The plans will protect around 8,000 personnel who would otherwise be negatively affected by the income tax hikes. Personnel will be compensated with an annual payment to make sure that all troops, regardless of where they are deployed or where their families are based, will pay the same income tax.

Following the announcement of Scottish Government’s tax changes, in March Mr Williamson ordered work to start on how the Ministry of Defence would mitigate the impact, following concerns that the changes could result in Scotland becoming a less attractive place for military personnel to be posted to.

The measures announced today will protect nearly three quarters of all armed forces personnel liable for Scottish Income Tax and will help with recruitment and retention, particularly as many of those affected are personnel with specialist skills, such as aircraft and submarine engineers.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

It is completely wrong for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces to be punished for serving in Scotland by unfair raids on their pay packets by the Scottish Government.

That’s why we have taken this urgent action to ensure that our troops are treated equally and fairly.

I’m proud that the UK Government recognises the sacrifices our Armed Forces make across the United Kingdom and the world, and that today we can reassure our service personnel that they will not be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket because of decisions taken by the Scottish Government.

The financial mitigation measures will:

• Be payable to all regular personnel who pay Scottish Income Tax, regardless of where in the world they are serving. Mitigation payments of between £12 and £1,500 will be paid.
• Cover personnel for tax year 2018/19 and will be a single payment made retrospectively
• The case for financial mitigation will be reviewed annually

The MOD will continue to review the situation each year and make decisions each tax year as to whether the difference between Scottish tax and tax elsewhere in the UK is sufficient to warrant financial mitigation. The annual cost to the MOD for Tax Year 2018/19 is expected to be £4 million.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said:

Scotland, and military personnel who have made Scotland their home, play a key role in our nation’s defence. Whether it’s working on our nuclear deterrent, protecting NATO airspace, or building local security expertise in the Middle East, Scotland-based troops are engaged right now in protecting the UK and its allies.

Scotland Secretary David Mundell said:

Our servicemen and women make a huge contribution to the communities and the economy of Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s decision to make Scotland the most highly taxed part of the UK means they would be unfairly penalised and it’s absolutely right that the UK Government has taken steps to address that.

Scotland plays an important role in UK Defence supporting over 10,000 industry jobs and is renowned for building the world’s finest warships including the UK’s new aircraft carriers and the Royal Navy’s state-of-art Type-26 frigates.

Scotland also benefits from £1.6 billion investment in local industry and an average of £290 expenditure per person each year. Some of the most important national defence capabilities including HM Naval Base Clyde, home to Britain’s nuclear deterrent and hunter-killer submarines and RAF Lossiemouth defending the UKs airspace with its three Typhoon combat aircraft squadrons and 51st Infantry Brigade.