Category: Gov Press Releases

The UK-Southern African Economic Partnership Agreement is a key element of a package of measures to boost African growth outlined by the Prime Minister, who highlighted that Africa’s long-term success matters to the UK, so it is in the world’s interest to help secure African jobs and growth.

Trade Minister George Hollingbery, who is joining Theresa May for her Africa visit, met with his counterpart from Botswana, who represented the trade ministers from the five Southern African Customs Union countries (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini (Swaziland)) and Mozambique.

Today in Cape Town, Minister Hollingbery and Minister Kenewendo signed a joint statement confirming that our trade agreement will be ready to enter into force as soon as the EU deal no longer applies to the UK. This means that UK consumers will be able to continue to enjoy Southern African wine, tea and fruits, among other popular goods, helping to support Southern African producers and exporters.

Further, UK businesses will continue to be able export goods including cars, motor parts and pharmaceutical products into Southern African economies – the overall trading relationship between the UK and these countries is worth nearly £10 billion annually.

This is one part of a package of trade measures to bring the transformative power of private sector trade and investment from the UK to Africa, a continent that is home to 16% of the world’s people but just 3% foreign direct investment and 3% cent of global goods trade.

Other measures, which are all part of the UK’s new and distinctive offer to work alongside, invest in, and partner with African nations for our mutual benefit, include:

• The UK Government has made an extra £5.5 billion in support from UK Export Finance available to 8 markets across Africa, supporting UK-Africa trade. This includes Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritius, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
• This announcement follows substantial increases to UK Export Finance’s appetite for 10 African markets over the last 18 months, as well as the introduction of support in 16 African countries.
• A new Prosperity Fund programme of up to £8 million will support implementation of the new UK-Southern African Economic Partnership Agreement. The funding will increase trade with and within Southern Africa by helping to remove barriers to trade, and in doing so expand import and export opportunities for UK and African businesses.

Trade Minister George Hollingbery said:

This week’s visit with the Prime Minister has highlighted the importance of the UK increasing trade with our partners in Southern Africa, through transitioning existing trade arrangements, supporting exporters and reducing barriers to trade.

Our trade relationship with the region is already worth £10 billion, and trade is a key driver of economic growth for both Southern Africa and the UK and will support UK producers and value chains, as well opening up new markets for UK exporters.

Today’s announcement is the most advanced statement of progress to date with around 40 existing EU trade agreements that the UK is transitioning, and an important step in positioning the UK as a global champion of free trade and development.

Strengthening our partnerships with Southern African nations demonstrates that the UK is committed to deepening our relationships across the world as part of our Global Britain vision.

About UK Export Finance:

• UK Export Finance, the UK’s export credit agency, provides export finance support, to ensure no viable export fails due to lack of finance or insurance from the private sector.
• This support can take the form of loans, guarantees and insurance to help UK exporters win, fulfill and get paid for exports, and offer their overseas buyers attractive financing terms alongside high-quality goods and services.

Minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development Harriett Baldwin has announced a major new jobs creation and investment programme during a visit to Ghana on 28 August 2018. The UK’s £20 million Jobs and Economic Transformation (JET) Programme will help create over 15,000 jobs for Ghanaians and is expected to facilitate over £50 million of additional private sector investment.

No country can defeat poverty and leave aid dependency behind without sustainable economic growth, jobs, trade and investment. As part of their vision to move beyond aid, the Government of Ghana have welcomed this UK support which will trigger long-term economic growth which will allow them to provide vital services for their own people and become a key future business partner for the UK.

Minister Baldwin also announced a three-day UK-Ghana Investment Summit which will be held in Accra this October. More than fifty British companies and major investors will be brought together to explore new commercial opportunities in sectors such as financial and legal services, agriculture, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. The UK is already Ghana’s second largest trading partner and this Summit hopes to open up further opportunities between the two countries.

During her visit Minister Baldwin met President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shirley Botchway, discussing the UK’s continued support for the President’s ambition to move Ghana beyond aid and to a modern partnership with the UK.

She also met Minister for Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen to discuss diversification and industrialisation in the economy and how the UK and Ghana can best work together to deliver prosperity and long-term growth for both countries.

Minister Baldwin said:

The UK and Ghana have a long-standing friendship based on shared values, our Commonwealth ties, and strong links between our people.

Our new Jobs and Economic Transformation programme will attract millions of pounds of private sector investment, including exciting opportunities for UK businesses, as well as creating thousands of new jobs here in Ghana.

Under President Akufo-Addo, the country is making remarkable strides towards a Ghana beyond aid. This is why we are building a modern partnership which will deliver prosperity and growth for both of our countries, by unlocking new opportunities for UK and Ghanaian businesses and investment.

The Minister visited the Blue Skies factory to see how UK investment through CDC, the UK’s Development Finance Institution, is creating jobs and spurring business in Ghana. Blue Skies is a British business founded in Ghana that works with small agricultural producers to export fruit and fruit products to the UK and elsewhere. The factory now employs over 3,500 Ghanaians and supports many small businesses through its supply chain.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin on Twitter @hbaldwin
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The UK Minister for the UN, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon will use a speech at the UN Security Council on Tuesday 28 August to call on the international community to increase financial support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The UK calls for international action on accountability and support for Rohingya refugees

The UK calls for international action on accountability and support for Rohingya refugees

Lord Ahmad will also argue that much more needs to be done in Burma, where significant changes, such as unfettered and effective access for the UN, are needed to end the current crisis. He will also call for the perpetrators of the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya to be brought to justice.

UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett will also address the Security Council on the anniversary of the escalation of the Rohingya crisis. She will meet Lord Ahmad and UK Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce to talk about how the UK and the UN can galvanise international action to end the crisis and help refugees return to their homes.

Minister for the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

The UK is playing a leading role in bringing an end to this crisis. We need an international political consensus to bring the appalling humanitarian situation to an end.

Bangladesh has done more than its fair share to help the refugees. Now it’s the turn of other countries to step up, and provide the money that will help support both refugees and the communities that support them, and for international partners to act together to ensure justice for the victims of the crisis.

The Security Council meeting comes at a crucial time, with the monsoon and cyclone season increasing the threat of landslides, contaminated water and disease.

The UK is one of the largest donors to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh. The UK has provided £129m to support the nearly 1m Rohingya people in Bangladesh, including the 700,000 who have fled Burma since August last year.

UK support for Rohingya crisis

UK support for Rohingya crisis

While in New York, Lord Ahmad will also chair a UN Security Council debate on mediation with briefings by the UN Secretary-General and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. The Council will discuss their support for mediation efforts and the role of mediation in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts.

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

Headquartered in Belfast, Devenish develops sustainable and innovative animal nutrition products and solutions for the feed industry, the food industry and for human health, trading in over 40 countries around the world.

29 senior business leaders from across the country will be representing the very best of British business in technology, infrastructure and financial and professional services.

Visiting South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya over the course of the trip, they will meet with leading businesses, policy makers and entrepreneurs in order to build new investment, trading and export ties between the UK and these emerging markets.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP said:

I’m delighted Devenish is joining the Prime Minister on her trade visit to Africa. It is vital that Northern Ireland industry is represented as the United Kingdom seeks to develop new trading links across the world.

Devenish, who have sold to over 40 countries worldwide and operate at the very cutting edge of food science and animal nutrition, is a fitting choice to showcase the innovation and expertise NI companies can offer future trading partners in Africa.

Richard Kennedy, Group CEO of Devenish said:

I am delighted to join the Prime Minister’s visit to Africa, a continent which represents significant opportunity for Devenish. We already have a presence in Africa which we are focused on growing, organically and through acquisition. It is important for us as both exporters and potential investors to build strong relations on the ground and this trade mission is a valuable opportunity to do so.

For Devenish, when moving into a new market, it is crucial that we have sustainable agricultural systems in place which are appropriate to the region from the very start. This trade mission will allow us to forge significant relations that will help us in our future endeavours.

With over 60 years of experience in the industry and more than 450 employees worldwide, Devenish’s strong focus on research and development has seen them remain at the cutting edge of innovation in animal nutrition and sustainable farming systems.

The visit will allow Devenish to build on its relationships with partners in Africa and explore further opportunities for growth, delivering sustainable solutions for farming businesses overseas.

Africa is developing fast; more than half of the anticipated growth in global population between now and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa, and according to the International Monetary Fund, African economies are amongst the fastest growing in the world, making it a significant trading and investment partner for the UK.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will set out how new partnerships between the UK and Africa can add value to the UK economy, create new market opportunities for British businesses, and boost jobs and prosperity for the benefit of all.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Devenish is an excellent example of the kind of forward-thinking company which is driving economic growth and prosperity both here in the UK and overseas.

I am pleased that they are joining me on this visit to Africa, where their strengths in innovation and technology are representative of the unique offer which the UK holds for growing markets across the continent.

Aid experts at the Department for International Development (DFID) have teamed up with the Met Office, NASA and US scientists to use for the first time a world-leading approach to accurately predict where and when cholera will spread.

Cholera Prevention in Yemen

US scientists, working with NASA satellite data, have developed a model to predict where cholera is most at risk of spreading with an impressive 92 per cent accuracy in Yemen. UK aid is turning this from theory to reality, using these predictions and Met Office forecasting to give aid workers on the ground in Yemen the information they need to respond to cholera outbreaks quicker than ever before.

DFID is helping to prevent the deadly disease spreading any further by working with UNICEF to target the delivery of vital support to areas predicted to be at greatest risk. This includes:

• promoting good hygiene to prevent people falling ill in the first place;
• stock-piling hygiene kits, jerry cans and chlorine to clean water in advance of an outbreak;
• providing cholera treatment kits, rehydration salts, zinc supplements and intravenous fluid packs to treat people that have fallen ill; and
• providing medical equipment for hospitals and clinics, such as cholera beds.

DFID Chief Scientist Professor Charlotte Watts said:

The conflict in Yemen is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with millions of people at risk of deadly but preventable diseases such as cholera.

By connecting science and international expertise with the humanitarian response on the ground, we have for the very first time used sophisticated predictions of where the risk of cholera is highest to help aid workers save lives and prevent needless suffering for thousands of Yemenis before it’s too late.

This breakthrough means that we no longer need to wait for cases of cholera to be detected before medical staff can start taking life-saving actions.

Met Office Head of International Development Helen Bye said:

Through our collaboration with DFID we are able to be part of this ground breaking approach to take early action against cholera, a waterborne disease, contracted through consuming contaminated water.

Met Office meteorologists are able to translate our global modelling and scientific expertise to show where rain has fallen and where it will fall. We then provide weekly tailored guidance to DFID and humanitarian agencies including UNICEF to inform their life saving actions.

Aid experts at DFID began using this data to work with UNICEF to prevent the spread of the disease in March 2018, ahead of the rainy season. Last year, Yemen suffered the worst cholera outbreak in living memory with more than 1 million suspected cases.

There has not been a significant outbreak in cholera so far this year, with the number of suspected cholera cases significantly lower than last year. For example, during the last week of June this year there were 2,597 suspected cases and 3 deaths, down from 50,825 suspected cases and 179 deaths at the same time last year.

Despite the predicted risk of cholera in Ibb – a governorate on the frontline of the conflict – being just as high this year as last year, there were only 672 suspected cases of cholera in July 2018 compared to 13,659 in July 2017.

There are a number of other factors that could have contributed to a lower number of suspected cholera cases this year, including a later rainy season, greater immunity against cholera and a change in national guidance for the recording of suspected cholera cases. However, the new actions taken as a result of the predictions are helping to save lives and reduce suffering.

This new approach is all the more important as the new guidance for recording suspected cholera cases in Yemen may make it more difficult to detect early outbreaks of cholera. Acting early and being able to target high-risk areas is critical.

UNICEF Yemen Representative Meritxell Relaño said:

The information on rainfall assessments supports the early warning on high risk areas for cholera outbreak. This enables UNICEF and partners to refine and focus our efforts on preparedness and timely response to cholera which has affected the lives of many children in Yemen.

These rainfall predictions have helped ensure that crucial preventive and response measures are in place where they will be most needed, including agreements with implementing partners on the ground, prepositioning of essential supplies, disinfection of water sources and deployment of community volunteers to engage households and communities on preventive hygiene behaviours including, safe water storage. As a result of this support and our other preparedness and response work, we have been able to avoid a resurgence of cholera on the scale seen in 2017.

The Met Office’s supercomputer in Exeter makes 14 thousand trillion calculations per second allowing it to take in 215 billion weather observations from across the world every day, which are used as a starting point for UK and global weather forecasts. In Yemen, high-resolution models are used to forecast out to six days, providing UNICEF accurate and critical intelligence as they identify areas most at risk.

These forecasts have been used to improve a predictive model that was developed by scientists at two universities in the United States – West Virginia University and the University of Maryland.

The forecast produced by the Met Office and the predictions produced by the US scientists are then shared with UNICEF and other aid so they can see which neighbourhoods, schools and hospitals will be at greatest risk, helping them to target their response to where support is needed most.

This breakthrough of accurately predicting where and when the disease will spread has meant that aid workers can take action before an outbreak occurs.

It is DFID’s ambition to combine the NASA data and Met Office forecasts in order to predict outbreaks eight weeks in advance – twice the current capability. This would help aid agencies plan major vaccinations campaigns ahead of outbreaks, protecting hundreds of thousands of individuals.

In the dataset you can find the date of sale for each property, its full address and sale price, its category (residential or commercial) and type (detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat or maisonette and other), whether it is new build or not and whether it is freehold or leasehold.

The number of sales received for registration by property type and month

Property type	July 2018	June 2018	May 2018
Detached	21,568	18,518	18,060
Semi-detached	24,964	22,251	20,897
Terraced	25,554	23,243	22,363
Flat/maisonette	17,368	15,678	15,846
Other	6,267	5,803	6,263
Total	95,721	85,493	83,429

Of the 95,721 sales received for registration in July 2018:

• 72,275 were freehold, a 3.7% increase on July 2017
• 11,819 were newly built, a 43% fall on July 2017

There is a time difference between the sale of a property and its registration at HM Land Registry.

Of the 95,721 sales received for registration, 24,719 took place in July 2018 of which:

• 526 were of residential properties in England and Wales for £1 million and over
• 300 were of residential properties in Greater London for £1 million and over
• 4 were of residential properties in West Midlands for more than £1 million
• 2 were of residential properties in Greater Manchester for more than £1 million

The most expensive residential sale taking place in July 2018 was of a terraced property in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London for £18,500,000. The cheapest residential sale in July 2018 was a terraced property in Henllys, Cwmbran for £6,120.

The most expensive commercial sale taking place in July 2018 was in the City of Westminster for £117,450,000. The cheapest commercial sales in July 2018 were in Haringey, Greater London and Stanford-Le-Hope, Thurrock for £100.

Access the full dataset

Notes to editors

1. Price Paid Data is published at 11am on the 20th working day of each month. The next dataset will be published on Friday 28 September 2018.
2. Price Paid Data is property price data for all residential and commercial property sales in England and Wales that are lodged with HM Land Registry for registration in that month, subject to exclusions.
3. The amount of time between the sale of a property and the registration of this information with HM Land Registry varies. It typically ranges between two weeks and two months. Data for the two most recent months is therefore incomplete and does not give an indication of final monthly volumes. Occasionally the interval between sale and registration is longer than two months. The small number of sales affected cannot be updated for publication until the sales are lodged for registration.
4. Price Paid Data categories are either Category A (Standard entries), which includes single residential properties sold for full market value, or Category B (Additional entries), such as sales to a company, buy-to-lets where they can be identified by a mortgage and repossessions.
5. HM Land Registry has been collecting information on Category A sales from January 1995 and on Category B sales from October 2013.
6. Price Paid Data can be downloaded in text, CSV format and in a machine readable format as linked data and is released under Open Government Licence (OGL). Under the OGL, HM Land Registry permits the use of Price Paid Data for commercial or non-commercial purposes. However, the OGL does not cover the use of third party rights, which HM Land Registry is not authorised to license.
7. The Price Paid Data report builder allows users to build bespoke reports using the data. Reports can be based on location, estate type, price paid or property type over a defined period of time.
8. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.
9. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
10. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.
11. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry.
12. Follow us on Twitter @HMLandRegistry ourblog and LinkedIn and Facebook.

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The time has come to take our trade and investment relationship to a whole new level as we leave the EU, Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will say today when he addresses an international business audience in Cape Town (28 August).

The Welsh Secretary has joined the Prime Minister on a visit to South Africa to meet with a range of businesses to discuss trade and investment opportunities with Wales and the UK.

The Cabinet minister has been invited on the trade mission by the Prime Minister and will work with her and the travelling business delegation to explore how new partnerships between the UK and South Africa can add value to the UK economy and create new market opportunities for British businesses.

While in the country, Alun Cairns will deliver a speech to an audience of over 120 international business representatives and have a bilateral meeting with the newly appointed HM Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith OBE on the potential for stronger trading links between the UK and South Africa.

He will also host a roundtable meeting with WESGRO – the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. WESGRO is the first point of contact for foreign buyers, local exporters and investors wishing to take advantage of the unlimited business potential in the region.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

South Africa is a key trading partner to the UK – a long-standing, strong and strategic ally for the United Kingdom in Africa and internationally.

I’m looking forward to exploring trading opportunities for Welsh businesses here, to build on this important relationship and help to create more investment and exporting opportunities for companies from both territories.

Joining Alun Cairns and the Prime Minister on the trade mission as part of a 29-strong business delegation are two Welsh companies – Llangennech based Hydro Industries and Cardiff company Sure Chill.

Opportunities for the companies to exploit the burgeoning green technology market in Africa will be discussed by the Welsh Secretary in meetings with Green Cape and South South North – organisation that works with businesses, investors, academia and government to help unlock the investment and employment potential of green technologies and services.

Alun Cairns added:

Hydro and Sure Chill are just two examples of innovative Welsh companies making a significant contribution to the global value of Welsh exports which totalled £16.4 billion last year – an increase of 12.3% on the previous year.

This trade mission underlines the UK Government’s commitment to continuing that growth, and I hope that we will help open the doors for Welsh businesses looking to seek out opportunities to expand and thrive in international markets.

During his trip, the Welsh Secretary will also take the opportunity to meet members of the Welsh Diaspora, from the Cape Welsh Society to discuss the strength of cultural ties between Wales and South Africa.