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UK – Taiwan bilateral trade grew to £5.35 billion last year and Ministers want to continue strengthening trade links.
In today’s talks (1 December), held in London, Ministers agreed to set up new sector ‘dialogues’ on trade in agriculture and energy.

They also signed an agreement to make it easier for UK specialist medicines to be used in Taiwan, and agree to build on the UK’s £176 million of financial services exports to Taiwan last year.

The talks come on the same day that Taiwan’s China Airlines’ new London to Taipei flight begins, re-establishing a direct route between the UK and Taiwan for the first time in 5 years.

International Trade Minister Greg Hands said:

With its vibrant economy and thriving consumer base, Taiwan presents huge opportunities for British companies to strengthen our trade links. Exports to Taiwan grew 21% in the last 5 years, and there’s room for more growth as we satisfy Taiwan’s demand for quality British goods like Scotch Whisky.

Our new trade dialogues in agriculture and energy will offer UK expertise in leading industries and I look forward to continuing to work together closely further deepen our trade and investment links.

During the talks, an agreement was signed which will make it easier for UK and Taiwanese businesses in biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields to protect their intellectual property. This will support leading UK industries like pharmaceuticals, helping companies export products like cutting-edge genetic medicines to Taiwan knowing their rights will be protected.

The new dialogues on agriculture and energy will also bring big opportunities to UK companies. Taiwan plans to increase its renewable energy production from 4% to 20% of supply by 2025, much of it from offshore wind farms, and as the world’s leading offshore wind producer, the UK is poised to be a key partner in this.

The new agricultural dialogue is also a boost for UK farmers as Taiwan is the largest per-capita pork consumer in Asia. Both Ministers used the talks to underline their commitment to resolving the remaining steps that would see Taiwan lift its ban on British pork as soon as possible.

The ministers also agreed to deepen links between the UK and Taiwan’s leading financial sectors, building on the UK’s £176 million of financial services exports to Taiwan last year. In particular, the UK will offer its expertise in financing renewable energy projects and fintech development in Taiwan.

Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-Hua Wang said:

The UK and Taiwan have a very strong trade and investment relationship, and as the UK leaves the EU, Taiwan looks forward both to strengthening bilateral trade flows and to expanding mutual cooperation. We have confidence in the UK economy, the world’s fifth largest, and we consider it one of the priority destinations for Taiwanese investment in Europe.

We also hope more UK investors make use of Taiwan’s excellent investment environment in the Asia-Pacific region. I look forward to working further with Minister of State Greg Hands and I hope we can together unlock new business opportunities and resolve our trade issues, including the UK’s outstanding applications on agricultural exports to Taiwan.

Notes to editors

1. The first UK Taiwan trade talks took place in 1991 and have happened almost annually since.
2. UK-Taiwan bilateral trade grew to £5.35 billion in 2016, supported by a 60% growth in UK services exports to Taiwan in the last 5 years.
3. Taiwan is the third largest market for single malt whisky exports and the fourth largest overall worth £175 million in 2016.

Further information

Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on 020 7215 2000

Follow us: @tradegovuk, gov.uk/dit

Junction 10a will serve communities and businesses around Ashford, improving journeys by relieving pressure on the existing junction 10 and helping boost growth and jobs in the area.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced the decision in a letter to the Planning Inspectorate, who reviewed the plans last winter. Today’s news paves the way for construction work to begin early next year.

Chris Welby-Everard, Regional Delivery Director for Highways England in the South East said:

This major new motorway junction is the biggest boost for Ashford since the arrival of international rail services nearly 20 years ago. Junction 10a will unlock job-creating developments in the local area and will take pressure off the existing junction 10. It will bring jobs, better infrastructure for local services and help maintain the quality of life in and around Ashford.

Without Junction 10a in place, future economic growth would have been constrained. Today’s news will bring real confidence that we will have the road capacity needed to enable a major programme of economic and commercial development and house building.

I am grateful to all the local authorities and stakeholders in the area who have worked with us to gain this planning consent, including the 900 local people who took part in our consultation last year. We will continue to work closely with our partners going forward, especially people with homes and businesses nearest to the proposed new junction.

The new junction is part of the Government’s record £15 billion investment in major roads. Junction 10a will be constructed about half a mile south of the existing junction 10. It will use two bridges and connect to the existing A20 and a new dual carriageway link road built to the A2070 near Sevington.

Work on the improvements will begin early next year and the new junction is expected to open to traffic in 2019.

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.

Just in time for Christmas, the Department for International Trade (DIT) has partnered with marketplace giant Newegg to launch its first B2C advertising campaign, showcasing the best of British tech goods to US consumers.

Newegg, the leading tech-focused e-retailer in North America, garners millions of avid tech enthusiasts and e-commerce shoppers annually. Founded in 2001, the tech-giant has 32 million registered users globally.

On 1 December, in collaboration with Newegg, DIT is launching a pilot campaign which promotes UK tech products on the e-commerce site. The campaign will target US tech consumers to increase their propensity to explore UK goods on the site.

Minister for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Rona Fairhead said:

Online marketplaces are making it much easier for small businesses to sell their goods and services to customers overseas.

At the Department for International Trade, we are committed to supporting businesses by opening doors for exciting British tech innovators to sell their products on new platforms. This partnership with Newegg and other e-retailers forms an important part of our E-Exporting programme.

I’d encourage small businesses to take a look.

DIT’s E-Exporting Programme supports UK businesses by working with overseas marketplaces to deliver online promotions, raising awareness for British exporters selling their products on these platforms. The programme also provides access to the Selling Online Overseas Tool, a free-to-use, online service that allows businesses to click, connect, prepare and sell on global marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Tmall and Newegg. The tool provides access to discounts and benefits, including waived commissions and special marketing packages.

More than 20 British businesses have already registered to participate in DIT’s Newegg campaign, including innovative Hampshire-based company Blue Maestro.

Founded in 2013, Blue Maestro are pioneers in digital health and environment monitoring solutions. Specialising in the development and manufacture of Bluetooth sensor and time-stamping data logger technologies, the company has a range of products from baby monitors, consumer mini weather stations through to iBeacons and tracking devices.

Already exporting to a number of markets across the world, Blue Maestro has their sights firmly fixed on establishing themselves in the US. Joining DIT’s E-Exporting programme, the company have listed 3 of their products on the Newegg site, with the aim of increasing visibility and brand awareness to American consumers.

Kristin Hancock, Co-founder, Blue Maestro said:

Newegg is a platform which has been really easy to be involved with and we’re excited at the prospect of expanding into the US market.

The support from DIT has made the process easy and we’re already seeing more traction as a result of the advertising.

Last year, the company were the recipients of the Peer to Peer award at Innovate UK and were selected by Time magazine as a top 10 innovator at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015.

Another innovative tech company participating in the DIT’s Newegg campaign is London-based drone company Extreme Fliers.

Extreme Fliers specialises in the creation of small, advanced, personal Micro Drones which can be flown by anyone – not just experienced pilots. Their latest product, the Micro Drone 3.0 (that raised $3.5 million with crowdfunding on Indiegogo) includes a live streaming camera, giving the user an eye-in-sky perspective when combined with a virtual reality headset, for an immersive flying experience.

Vernon Kerswell founded the company in 2011 and now has a team of 10 inventors, designers and engineers. In 2016, Extreme Fliers were the recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and Innovation. Looking to break into the US market, Extreme Fliers registered with the Department for International Trade’s E-Exporting programme.

Vernon Kerswell, CEO, Extreme Fliers said:

Out of our small design studio in South London, we have built one of the UK’s leading Drone technology companies. By combining the best high tech engineering with global supply chains, we are able to develop products and scale very fast.

With DIT’s E-Exporting programme our products can quickly reach exciting new markets and customers around the world.

Sophia Tsao, Vice President, Global Marketplace Head at Newegg Inc., said:

We very much look forward to promoting innovative UK tech products to our customers as part of the campaign, launching this December.

We have worked very closely with DIT to onboard new UK companies to our platform and ensure they can benefit from this additional marketing opportunity, helping them tap into the US and global markets. We are delighted to partner with the UK government on this initiative.

The Department for International Trade has a network of experienced international trade advisers across the country as well as staff based in UK embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. They are ready to provide you with expert trade advice, market know-how and practical support to grow your business internationally.

If you’d like to apply to list your business on Newegg, or on another one of DIT’s partner sites, visit www.great.gov.uk and find out more about Selling Online Overseas. Arrange a free meeting through your local DIT office to get expert international trade advice and support, or email us at e-exporting@trade.gsi.gov.uk.

As Brits are looking ahead at travel plans for 2018, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is advising holidaymakers to make sure they are properly insured.

Travelling abroad uninsured can cost thousands of pounds if a trip goes wrong. The price can range from £4,000 for medical repatriation aftercare for a heart attack in France to £80,000 for an air ambulance due to a fractured hip in Thailand.

Yet according to new research from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, being sure to take out the appropriate travel insurance policy features at the bottom of travellers’ holiday priorities:

• getting to the airport (18%)
• going through airport security (20%) and
• waiting for luggage (11%)

are the biggest concerns for travellers going on holiday abroad. Only 2% worry about remembering to take out appropriate travel insurance.

72% of people aged over 55 plan to travel abroad in 2018 and with half of these identify themselves as having a pre-existing medical condition. The FCO is advising British holidaymakers to research the appropriate travel insurance options, understand the potential cost of not being adequately insured and to give a detailed and accurate medical history to insurers.

Research shows that:

• the price of travel insurance is the most important factor for the over 55s when considering whether or not to buy it (23%), and
• 1 in 20 have knowingly not declared their medical condition due to the increased cost of their travel insurance

The fact is that overseas emergency medical bills far outweigh the average cost of a policy.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has this week announced that it will recruit 2 new Directors General to oversee the department’s growing export and investment agendas.

The creation of the Director General Investment and the Chief Exports Officer positions will build significant new senior capability in the department as it pursues an ambitious, targeted and strategic approach to promoting exports, and supporting greater inward and outward investment.

The Directors General will work with businesses from across the UK to generate wealth and prosperity, and ensure that companies of all sizes can take full advantage of global investment opportunities and the growing appetite for British goods and services abroad.

The Director General Investment will lead a global DIT team, co-ordinating government departments and working in partnership with the private sector to attract and retain high quality overseas investment.

The Chief Exports Officer will lead the implementation of a new export strategy to ensure that new and existing exporters can access the right financial, practical and promotional support to sell overseas. Export promotion is an essential element of the recently published government Industrial Strategy, with details of a new export strategy review unveiled in the Autumn Budget.

Find candidate information packs for:

• Director General – Chief Exports Officer
• Director General Investment

Applications close on the 3rd January 2018 with the view to appoint in the new year.

Notes to editors

Building on the Autumn Budget, Minister for Trade and Exports, Baroness Rona Fairhead today (1 December 2017) announced a new Export Strategy Review to consider how the UK can encourage and support British businesses to take advantage of the huge potential to grow our exports.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a new statutory inquiry into Island Health Trust (1127466). The investigation was opened on 20 November 2017.

The charity operates in the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham and promotes the provision of primary healthcare.

The Commission has been monitoring the charity’s governance and financial administration since February 2017 after concerns were raised regarding the use of the charity’s funds and potential private benefit to one or more trustees.

The Commission’s enquiries confirmed that a consultancy company, solely owned by a trustee of the charity, received significant benefits from the charity relating to a strategic development project.

Based on the information provided to date, the Commission has regulatory concerns whether the:

• expenditure of these funds upon strategy development falls wholly within the charity’s objects
• trustees have managed the charity’s resources responsibly and acted in the best interest of the charity. These concerns include whether the decision to enter into the contract with the consultancy company was properly taken in the best interests of the charity and whether the charity exercised sufficient oversight and adequately monitored its performance.

The inquiry will examine the following regulatory issues:

• the administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees with specific regard to the extent to which the trustees have:
  • prudently managed the charity’s financial resources since 1 April 2012
  • expended funds on activities which fall wholly within the charity’s purposes
  • ensured the decision to enter into contracts/pay trustees or connected parties (resulting in significant expenditure) were properly taken and adequately supervised
• whether and to what extent any issues or weaknesses in the administration of the charity during the period under review:
  • were as a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
  • require rectification by the trustees or the Commission

The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail, investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct; establish the extent of any risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work and decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

PR 77/17

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.
3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the Commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.

The new appointees are:

• David Chrimes
• Philip Jones

Existing committee member, Seyi Obakin, has also been appointed for a second term.

The appointments were made following open competition. The new members will start their 5-year terms on 1 February 2018.

Lady Buscombe said:

I am delighted to welcome David and Philip to the Social Security Advisory Committee, and to welcome Seyi back for a second term. They each have considerable knowledge and experience which will be of great value to the Committee, and I look forward to working with them.

Paul Gray, SSAC Chair, said:

These appointments bring a wide-range of expertise and skills to the committee. In particular, they will strengthen the committee’s insight to how the benefit system impacts some of the most vulnerable people in our society. As Universal Credit full service continues to roll out to more complex cases, their understanding of issues affecting employers and workers will be especially valuable.

At the same time we will be losing 2 valued and highly-respected colleagues as their terms expire early next year. I would like to place on record my thanks to Rachael Badger and our vice Chair Colin Godbold for their excellent contributions to our work over recent years, and wish them well for the future.

David Chrimes said:

I am delighted and honoured to be invited to join SSAC. I hope that my experience of disability, welfare and workforce representation will add to the considerable breadth and depth of knowledge and skill held by the committee, with whom I look forward to working.

Philip Jones said:

I am thrilled to have been appointed to SSAC. I look forward to working with the committee, government, employers and others in my area of focus in Wales to ensure we give the most vulnerable in our society, and especially disadvantaged young people, a real opportunity to show their true potential and make a positive contribution to society.

About the committee

The Social Security Advisory Committee is an independent statutory body established in 1980. It provides advice to the Secretary of State on proposals for the amendment of secondary legislation and on general social security matters.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates all appointments made by the Secretary of State to SSAC. All such appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments published by the government.

SSAC members receive a daily fee of £256.80, for a time commitment of 2 to 3 days a month. The appointments are for a period of 5 years.

About the appointees

David Chrimes

Crown Advocate, Crown Prosecution Service and member of the FDA Trade Union Executive Committee. David will be the committee’s representative of workers, a reserved post by statute.

Philip Jones

Director, Prince’s Trust Cymru. Philip will be the committee’s representative of employers, and will represent the interests of Wales. Both are reserved posts, the former by statute.

Seyi Obakin

Chief Executive Officer, Centrepoint. Seyi will represent the interests of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, a reserved post.

Contact the committee