Category: 0 Reviewed

Reports of floating pennywort in our rivers and lakes have reached a record high with 50 tonnes of the invasive plant being removed from the River Thames by the Environment Agency in 2017.

Fast-growing plants like floating pennywort can spread into the wild if they are not properly disposed of when removed from garden ponds ponds. The Be Plant Wise campaign has handy tips for gardeners on how to prevent this from happening.

Lord Gardiner, the Biosecurity Minister, will see the effects of floating pennywort on Little Britain lake, Hillingdon, and hear about the work being carried out to prevent this plant from spreading further in the River Colne on Monday, 26 March 2018.

He will also see new signs being put up to encourage fishermen and boaters to Check, Clean, Dry their equipment and clothing to avoid spreading invasive species.

Biosecurity Minister, Lord Gardiner said:

Invasive species pose a real threat to our country’s native plants and animals and cost the economy at least £1.8 billion a year.

The Check, Clean, Dry campaign is playing a key role in raising awareness of these threats – helping to prevent new arrivals and stopping the spread of invasive species already here. It is great to see the whole community of river users supporting this programme to protect the future of our precious native species.

As well as following the Check, Clean, Dry advice, people can help by reporting sightings of invasive plants through the PlantTracker app.

Lord Gardiner’s visit comes as part of a wider push by government to promote Invasive Species Week. The week is an annual awareness-raising campaign organised by the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) and Defra to get members of the public thinking about simple steps they can take to stop the spread of invasive species which threaten Britain’s plants and animals.

Find out more on non-native species.

Below are the themes for Invasive Species Week, which runs until 29 March 2018.

• Monday 26 March – Ornamental plants. Be Plant Wise and raising awareness of invasive plants.
• Tuesday 27 March – Hitchhikers. Information on the ways that recreational water users, field workers and anyone out in the countryside can help to prevent the spread of INNS, in particular promoting Check Clean Dry.
• Wednesday 28 March – Exotic pets. Owners are asked to make sure they never release pets, or allow them to escape, into the wild.
• Thursday 29 March – #getINNSvolved – on the last day of Invasive Species Week tell us how you are getting #getINNSvolved.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox will launch the government’s new Cyber Security Export Strategy today (Monday 26 March) to promote the UK’s world-leading expertise and strengthen defence capabilities in the UK and allied countries.

With recent cyber attacks threatening NATO countries as well as large global and UK organisations, the government is urging businesses from both the UK and allied countries to ensure they have the best security possible.

Dr Fox said today’s strategy will help the UK’s 800 cyber security companies to win contracts that provide security for high profile international buyers and protect networks across the world.

UK cyber exports overall totalled £1.5bn in 2016, and global demand for software products to protect digital systems from vulnerabilities continues to grow, with total spend expected to exceed £759 billion by 2021.

This new cyber security export strategy supports the ongoing work of the 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy. The 2016 strategy provided £1.9 billion of transformative investment in cyber security, which is being used alongside more conventional land, maritime and air capabilities, to meet these threats head-on.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

Recent events show that the UK faces a diverse range of threats from hostile state actors. So in an increasingly digital world, it’s vital that we improve our cyber capabilities, which are crucial for national security and prosperity.

The strategy I am publishing today will support UK companies to export our world-leading cyber security expertise, which will help strengthen our capabilities, and protect our country and our allies from those who wish us harm.

This new strategy has been developed with industry and comes with robust export control regimes which will safeguard human rights.

The launch is backed by ADS, the UK trade association for the security sector, who say the export strategy is an important step to help the UK’s world-leading cyber security companies reach new markets and continue to grow.

ADS Chief Executive, Paul Everitt, said:

Public and private organisations in the UK and around the world are facing rapidly evolving cyber security threats. In the UK we have a diverse range of companies able to provide world-leading expertise and innovation to combat these threats.

The UK’s cyber security exports are already worth £1.5bn a year and we expect this area of activity to continue offering the strongest export growth in the security sector in the years ahead.

This new strategy announced today can help the sector continue to grow, make a greater contribution to national prosperity, and protect the UK and our allies from threats in cyberspace.

-ENDS-

Background

The strategy follows the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s investment in 2 world-class cyber innovation centres in Cheltenham and London. The ground-breaking partnership between government and tech start-ups will develop world-leading technologies to protect the UK and organisations overseas from cyber attacks.

The Cyber Security Export Strategy sets out 3 commitments from the Department for International Trade (DIT) to UK cyber companies:

1. Pursue: in priority markets DIT will act as a trusted advisor to support UK companies bidding for major opportunities, primarily selling to overseas governments and critical national infrastructure providers.
2. Enable: DIT will curate bespoke offers for the top buyers in these sectors worldwide, running trade missions and pitching UK companies to address identified capability gaps.
3. Respond: to showcase the best of UK cyber security updated branding and marketing will be developed and deployed around the globe alongside new cyber security content on great.gov.uk.

The Department for International Development encouraged businesses from across London and the South East to make the most of new opportunities to deliver UK aid, at the latest of its supplier engagement events yesterday (Thursday 22 March).

Addressing 100 representatives from over 85 organisations, the Minister of State for International Development Lord Bates demystified the application process and urged businesses to use their local expertise and skills to help the worlds’ poorest people.

By working with DFID, local companies across London can play their part in supporting Global Britain and in turn, grow their own business, create jobs and help to boost the local economy.

Yesterday was the third and largest of DFID’s regional events, which have been set up as a direct result of a review undertaken into DFID’s work with suppliers. Delivering on recommendations made, the department is proactively cutting red tape to boost competition and open up DFID’s market to new businesses, including small enterprises in the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Minister of State for International Development, Lord Bates said:

Today, I have met with business representatives from across London and the South East who want to help deliver UK aid and achieve the best results that UK taxpayers and the world’s poorest deserve.

If we are to successfully tackle the unprecedented humanitarian and development challenges of today, we need to use the very best of British expertise. By making it easier for new and smaller businesses to work with us, and by ensuring the bidding process is more competitive, we can increase our positive impact on the world’s poorest, while boosting the local and UK economy at the same time.

Aleeza Mitha, Strategic Partnerships Manager at London-based the Aga Khan Foundation, said:

The Aga Khan Foundation has been working with communities to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable populations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East for decades.

I came to DFID’s supplier event because I wanted to understand more about the procurement process. The event certainly delivered; it was a great opportunity to meet the procurement team face-to-face and to have many key questions answered.

The Aga Khan Foundation and DFID share core values. We are both working to empower the world’s most disadvantaged, especially women, and working together, we can achieve this goal.

Catherine Stevens, Head of International, Quality, Excellence and Development at London-based company Schole, said:

We run local curriculum schools in east Africa, and we develop these schools so that they reach a good or outstanding level. We are keen to expand what we do so that having access to a quality education is made available to all.

I was particular interested in coming to the event to find out how we could draw on support from DFID so that we can develop our aspirations to serve more lower income people. It has been welcoming to hear that SME’s like ours are a priority area and that DFID is actively encouraging us to consider ourselves a priority. I am looking forward to connecting with the procurement team and taking this forward.