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The Defence Secretary has today announced a £3.7 million deal to equip the Army’s next generation armoured vehicle with the latest in automated threat warning systems.

Thales UK has signed a contract with General Dynamics Land Systems–UK for the installation of its Acusonic sensor, a vehicle-mounted acoustic shot detection system, on the £4.5 billion Ajax family of armoured fighting vehicles.

The Ajax Shot Detection System will be manufactured at Thales in Templecombe in Somerset, which employs more than 700 people in highly-skilled manufacturing and technical roles.

Designed to accurately sense and report the direction of incoming enemy fire, the system will give the vehicle’s crew the critical situational awareness to react to the threat. Its innovative sensing system is based on Thales’s world-class sonar technology that provides the ‘ears’ for ships and submarines around the world.

Each Ajax will be fitted with three Acusonic sensors, giving the crew a 360-degree threat-detection capability.

Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said:
> I am pleased to announce today that we will be spending almost £4million with Thales and General Dynamics Land Systems-UK to deliver the Ajax Shot Detection System, which can sense enemy gunfire and protect troops using our next generation armoured vehicles.

Under the terms of the contract, 735 Acusonic systems are now on order for integration onto Ajax. Thales is already on contract to supply the primary and secondary sighting systems on the vehicle.

The six variants in the Ajax programme – Athena, Ajax, Ares, Apollo, Atlas and Argus – are due to come into service in 2020, providing a full suite of medium armoured vehicles and capabilities.

They will be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the British Army on the battlefields of the future.
The new vehicle will give the army enhanced intelligence, surveillance, protection, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities.

Major General Colin McLean, Director Land Equipment for Defence, Equipment and Support, the government’s procurement agency, said:

Ajax will deliver a step-change in versatility, agility and protection for our soldiers. Integrating this new sensor on to our family of Ajax vehicles, which will provide critical situational awareness, is another innovation we are investing in to ensure that British soldiers have the very best equipment to maintain their competitive advantage on the battlefields of today and the future.

Ends

Notes for editors

· General Dynamics Land Systems–UK, as the prime contractor for Ajax, was awarded the contract to provide the Ajax family of armoured vehicles in 2014.

· Thales UK has already been selected by General Dynamics Land Systems–UK to supply the primary sighting system for Ajax, and by Lockheed Martin UK, the sub-contractor responsible for the design and manufacture of Ajax turret, for the secondary sighting system.

· For more information contact the MOD News Desk on 0207 218 7907 or the Defence Equipment & Support Press Office on 01179130537.

· For the latest news follow us on Twitter at @DefenceES and @DefenceHQ.

Parents, caregivers and people with head lice are being reminded to always read product instructions before applying head lice removal products. Some of these products have the potential to ignite when in the presence of an open flame – such as when lighting cigarettes.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a Drug Safety Alert advising pharmacists to tell people about the risk of fires when they discuss options to treat head lice.

With some head lice removal products easily accessible at supermarkets and without a pharmacist’s guiding hand, users need to be aware of the importance of reading the instructions that come with all treatments to make sure they are used safely and correctly.

Speak with a pharmacist to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option. Alternatively see NHS Choices page on Head lice and nits and the Head lice Clinical Knowledge Summary from NICE for more information on options for eradication.

Dr Sarah Branch, Deputy Director of MHRA’s Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines (VRMM) Division said:

It’s important parents and carers know always to keep away from a naked flame, including cigarettes, when using these head lice treatments. People can continue to use these head lice removal products safely – like all medical products, a simple check of the instructions will ensure safe, easy and effective use.

Patient safety is our highest priority and we encourage people to report any incidents involving head lice removal products to MHRA using our Yellow Card Scheme.

Notes to Editor

• A range of products, which can include products like Hedrin, Full Marks, and Nyda, are used for the eradication of head lice infestations.
• 10 cases of serious burns associated with the use of head lice removal products have been reported to our Yellow Card Scheme since 2007.
• Some products for the removal of head lice can ignite when on the hair and cause serious harm in the presence of an open flame or other source of ignition such as when lighting cigarettes.
• Instructions for use should always be followed, including warnings to keep hair away from naked flame when using these products.
• Pharmacists are encouraged to help the person with head lice and/or their parents or caregivers to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option (see NHS Choices page on Head lice and nits and the Head lice Clinical Knowledge Summary from NICE for more information on options for eradication).

Measures to improve overcrowded and dangerous living conditions of private tenants in shared homes were laid before Parliament today (15 March 2018) by Housing Minister Heather Wheeler.

Councils are being given tough new powers to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords who rent out overcrowded properties and impose fines of up to £30,000 for those landlords who do not comply.

From October councils will be able to set minimum bedroom size standards and also introduce limits on how many people can live in each bedroom of a licenced multiple occupancy home. Councils will be able to use national minimum standards or apply even tougher requirements in order to address specific local needs.

This move will help ensure tenants have the space they need and deserve as well as reduce health and safety risks they face by sharing cooking and washing facilities with too many people.

The new standards will apply to all landlords seeking new licences. Landlords of existing properties will be given up to 18 months to make necessary changes when re-applying for a licence when it expires.

In a move to stop rubbish piling up outside some shared rented homes, often presenting health risks and blighting neighbourhoods, landlords will also be required to provide adequate waste storage facilities in line with their local authority’s rules. If they fail to do so they could face a fine.

These latest measures build on wider government action to drive up standards in the private rented sector by tackling bad landlords. This includes the launch of a new database of rogue landlords and introduction of banning orders for the worst offenders coming into force next month.

Minister Heather Wheeler said:

Everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live. But some tenants are being exploited by a minority of unscrupulous landlords who profit from renting out cramped and sometimes squalid or dangerous properties.

Today’s measures will mean landlords must provide adequate space for their tenants or face a hefty fine. It is part of a raft of new powers for councils to crack down on rogue landlords and comprehensive action we are taking to improve conditions for private tenants.

Last month new legislation was introduced requiring more landlords to obtain a licence from their council. Landlords of 1 and 2-storey multiple occupancy properties will be brought within scope of mandatory licensing requirements across England, affecting roughly 160,000 additional properties.

Further information

Minimum space requirements

• Rooms used for sleeping by 1 person over 10 will have to be no smaller than 6.51 square metres, and those slept in by 2 people over 10 will have to be no smaller than 10.22 square metres. Rooms slept in by children of 10 years and younger will have to be no smaller than 4.64 square metres.
• The licence must specify the maximum number of persons (if any) who may occupy any room and the total number across the different rooms must be the same as the number of persons for whom the property is suitable to live in.

Extended scope of mandatory house in multiple occupation licensing

• National mandatory licensing currently only applies to houses in multiple occupation that have 3 or more storeys and occupied by 5 or more people. It is being extended to cover one/two storey houses in multiple occupation which are occupied by 5 or more people.

Waste Storage

• The government has re-affirmed the need for councils to provide comprehensive and frequent household waste collections which are free at the point of use. Councils should not seek to impose backdoor waste charging of residential properties, including houses in multiple occupation.

Banning orders and landlord database

A small number of rogue or criminal landlords knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation.

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced a range of measures to tackle rogue landlords:

• civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution – came into force April 2017
• extension of Rent Repayment Orders to cover illegal eviction, breach of a banning order or failure to comply with a statutory notice – came into force April 2017
• banning orders for the most serious offenders – to be implemented in April 2018
• a database of rogue landlords/letting property agents convicted of certain offences – to be implemented in April 2018

Andrea Gomes da Silva becomes Executive Director – Markets & Mergers. Currently the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Senior Legal Director for Markets, Mergers & Regulatory Appeals, Andrea takes up her new post immediately. The role was made vacant by Andrea Coscelli’s promotion to Chief Executive. In her new position, Andrea will join the CMA’s Senior Executive Team and will sit on the CMA Board.

George Lusty, currently a Project Director at the CMA, is appointed as Senior Director, Consumer Protection, replacing Nisha Arora who has joined the Financial Conduct Authority. He will oversee work on the CMA’s enforcement of consumer protection laws and coordinate relationships with the wider landscape of consumer organisations, joining the Enforcement Senior Leadership Team led by Executive Director, Michael Grenfell.

Welcoming the appointments, the CMA’s Chief Executive, Andrea Coscelli, said:

I am very pleased to be able to announce these two appointments to our senior team from within the CMA, from a strong field of candidates. Andrea and George both bring extensive experience from outside the CMA, combined with a proven track record within it. They strengthen our team as we prepare ourselves for a bigger role following EU Exit, and to ensure consumers are getting a fair deal from a rapidly evolving business world.

Mr Coscelli added:

I am also grateful to Rachel Merelie who has been Acting Executive Director during an important period for the CMA.

Andrea Gomes da Silva said:

I am delighted to be taking up this role at an important moment for the organisation. Ensuring the CMA is fit for purpose for Brexit and remains able to deliver good outcomes for UK consumers through its mergers and markets work matters greatly. I look forward to working with the many excellent colleagues in those areas, and with businesses, consumer groups and a wide range of others to rise to this challenge.

George Lusty said:

Having seen first-hand the difference that the CMA’s work can make, I am incredibly excited to be taking on this role. I look forward to working with my talented and dedicated colleagues, and partner consumer organisations, to tackle unfair terms and practices facing people across the UK.

The CMA will shortly be running an open recruitment for Andrea’s previous role.

Notes to editors

1. The CMA is the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law.

2. Andrea Gomes da Silva joined the CMA in 2015 from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where she started in 2001, becoming a partner in 2008. In 2013 she was seconded to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to work as part of the team producing the guidance on the CMA’s new powers under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. Her previous employment was at Slaughter and May where she worked in both the London and Brussels office. At the CMA she has led on legal advice and analysis across the whole range of markets, mergers and sector regulation activities, including ICE/Trayport, Fox/Sky, Tesco/Booker and the Energy Market Investigation.

3. George joined the CMA in 2014 as a Project Director, and has led a number of the CMA’s major consumer and antitrust investigations. He led the CMA’s response to its first ‘super-complaint’ from the consumer body Which?, concerning the pricing practices of UK supermarkets, and the CMA’s ongoing investigation into potentially misleading and unfair practices in the gambling sector. George has also led investigations into alleged abuse of dominance by pharmaceutical companies concerning the prices they offer to the NHS. Before joining the CMA, George worked for the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal as a Référendaire on a range of major competition and regulatory appeals and damages actions. A qualified solicitor, George began his career as an associate at international law firm Simmons & Simmons, specialising in civil and criminal antitrust investigations and utilities regulation.

4. The Executive Director – Markets & Mergers appointment was made in accordance with the requirements set down in the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Rt Hon Greg Clarke MP, has made the appointment of Andrea to the CMA’s Board. The SD consumer appointment was made in accordance with the requirements set down in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles.

5. Rachel Merelie, who has been Acting Executive Director, returns to her role as Senior Director, Delivery and Sector Regulation.

6. For more information on the CMA see our homepage or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

7. Enquiries should be directed to press@cma.gsi.gov.uk or 020 3738 6191.

We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, abhor the attack that took place against Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, UK, on 4 March 2018. A British police officer who was also exposed in the attack remains seriously ill, and the lives of many innocent British citizens have been threatened. We express our sympathies to them all, and our admiration for the UK police and emergency services for their courageous response.

This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War. It is an assault on UK sovereignty and any such use by a State party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all.

The United Kingdom briefed thoroughly its allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack. We share the UK assessment that there is no plausible alternative explanation, and note that Russia´s failure to address the legitimate request by the UK government further underlines its responsibility. We call on Russia to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury. Russia should in particular provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Our concerns are also heightened against the background of a pattern of earlier irresponsible Russian behaviour. We call on Russia to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP, launched the GREAT Innovation in Action Awards on 14 March 2018 to find the best partnerships between UK and Asia Pacific companies.

Twelve shortlisted trade projects all demonstrate how new ideas can transform the way we work, live, play or learn – the 4 themes of the GREAT Festival of Innovation that begins in Hong Kong on 21 March.

The awards, which provide a snapshot of international trade at its most ambitious and innovative, will celebrate a variety of brilliant partnerships between UK and Asia Pacific companies of every kind, from large corporates to new start-ups.

Shortlisted projects range from cutting-edge UK robotics making construction work safer for engineers in Hong Kong, to Chinese automotive technology cleaning the air we breathe in the UK’s cities.

The Great Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong will showcase some of the best British businesses to the Asian market. The festival, which has been organised by the Department of International Trade, will take place from 21 to 24 March and bring together business leaders, government ministers and the latest ground-breaking technologies from the UK and across Asia.

Other projects up for an award include:

• Go Ahead London and Build Your Dreams of Shenzhen developing Europe’s first all-electric bus garage in London, which will cut 700 tonnes of C02 emissions
• UK architects Foster & Partners and Hong Kong-based Harbour City Estates extending the Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong, to create a new green, gateway to the city for its millions of visitors
• the Met Office and the China Meteorological Administration finding ways to provide industry and citizens with the intelligence they need to make better judgements on coping with extreme weather

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

I am delighted to launch the GREAT Innovation in Action Awards, which showcase cutting edge collaborations between UK and Asian companies that will change the way work, live, play or learn in the future.

The IMF predict 90% of growth will come from outside the EU in the coming years, so it’s vital that more UK companies develop these business partnerships across the Asia Pacific region.

That’s why, as an international economic department, we are helping UK companies forge new business ties that will boost exports and investment and bring more jobs and prosperity to every part of the country.

The awards are being launched as further good news arrives for related sectors in today’s ONS trade statistics, exports of British electrical equipment rose by 13.3% in 2017, with machinery exports also up by 12.8%. UK exports rose 11.5% (£64.5 billion) to £625.9 billion in total with the overall trade deficit narrowing by £12.8 billion in the process.

Members of the international business community can vote for shortlisted projects, and winners will be announced on Wednesday 28 March. The full list of nominations and votes for the most innovative collaborations can be cast at www.greatinnovationawards.com.

Other projects nominated include:

• coffee roasting UK company IKAWA and Japanese tech giant Panasonic partnered to help the firm expand its home coffee roasting service with the latest in digital coffee roasting technology
• the Busan-Sheffield Inter-City Arts Project is an urban regeneration project that connects Busan and Sheffield, 2 cities that are both undergoing significant change. Made possible by Arts Council England, Arts Council Korea and the British Council in Korea, the initiative seeks to explore the identities of both cities
• Malaysia’s Ministry of Education has been working with UK tech company Frog since 2012. In that time, they have succeeded in making Malaysia the first country in the world to connect all of its schools to a single learning platform, supporting 5,000,000 students and 500,000 teachers in the country

Background

About the GREAT Innovation in Action Awards

Shortlisted projects were selected on the basis of:

• being a trade relationship, joint venture or other form of commercial collaboration between a company headquartered in the UK (or its subsidiaries) and a company headquartered in Asia (or its subsidiaries), requiring significant co-operation
• showing evidence or serious and ambitious intent of changing the way things have traditionally done in their sector
• using advanced technology and/or innovative thinking to achieve that objective

About Department for International Trade

The UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) has overall responsibility for promoting UK trade across the world and attracting foreign investment to our economy. We are a specialised government body with responsibility for negotiating international trade policy, supporting business, as well as delivering an outward-looking trade diplomacy strategy.

About the GREAT international trade campaign

The GREAT international trade campaign works to promote the strength of UK industries to overseas buyers, forging new business partnerships through DIT Trade experts across the globe. Whether its celebrating close UK-US ties in the creative industries, or the use of UK technology across the world, the campaign creates an online presence through which exceptional UK companies are promoted on a global stage.