Category: Gov Press Releases

Environment Secretary Michael Gove will today set out plans to create more than 40 new Marine Conservation Zones across the UK – safeguarding almost 12,000 square kilometres of marine habitats and marking the most significant expansion of the UK’s ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas to date.

The proposed protections – announced on World Oceans Day – will cover an area almost eight times the size of Greater London.

The new sites will reach right the way across England’s coastline – from the South West to Berwick on the Scottish border, with two sites in Northern Irish offshore waters.

No new activities deemed damaging – such as dredging, or significant coastal or offshore development – will be allowed to take place in these areas. Existing harmful activities will be minimised or stopped to allow important habitats to be restored over time.

Rare or threatened marine habitats and species which will be protected include the short snouted seahorse, stalked jellyfish and peacock’s tail seaweed.

At the same time, the Prime Minister will be making a call for urgent global action to protect the world’s oceans from plastics and other harmful waste.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, she will implore other world leaders to follow the UK lead in working with business, industry and Non-Governmental Organisations to find innovative and effective solutions to this issue.

She will say that without joined-up, global action, we cannot effectively tackle this shared environmental challenge.

The Prime Minister is expected to say:

Marine plastics pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today.

The UK government is a world leader on this issue, with our 25 Year Environment Plan setting out a clear ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste to protect our rivers and seas.

There is an urgent need for greater global action and co-ordination on marine plastics pollution, including working with business, industry and Non-Governmental Organisations to find innovative and effective solutions.

This is a global problem, requiring global solutions.

The Environment Secretary is today announcing a total of 41 new Marine Conservation Zones.

Some 50 zones have already been designated around England as part of the UK’s ambitious Blue Belt programme, including the first tranche of 27 zones designated in 2013, followed by the second tranche of 23 sites in 2016.

This third and final tranche will be designated within 12 months of the consultation, which will last for a period of six weeks. It will cover approximately 11,700 square km, bringing the total area of protection to over 32,000 square km.

Marine Conservation Zones are just one type of the many Marine Protected Areas in place around the UK to conserve rare, threatened and nationally important habitats and species for future generations. Marine Protected Areas currently cover a total of 209,000 square km.

If approved, the new tranche will take the total figure to around 220, 000 square km – meaning two fifths of the UK coast would be protected.

Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, said:

The UK is surrounded by some of the richest and most diverse sea life in the world. We must protect these precious habitats for future generations.

Today marks an important step towards completing our Blue Belt. We are creating safe havens for our cherished wildlife and putting the UK at the forefront of marine protection.

With the full support of the Government of Libya, Ghermay Ermias, Abdelrazak Fitiwi, Oumar Ahmad, Abu Qarin Mus’ab, Kachlaf Mohammed, and Al-Rahman Abd al-Milad, will now be subject to asset freezes and international travel ban sanctions by all UN member states, effective immediately.

This is the first time the UN has used sanctions against people traffickers, and builds on the work initiated by the UK in December 2017, following reports of slave auctions in Libya.

Welcoming the news, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am pleased to announce that the UK – working closely with our partners – has secured United Nations Security Council agreement to impose sanctions against six major people traffickers operating in Libya. This is the first time the UN has used sanctions against people traffickers, and builds on the work initiated by the UK in December 2017 – following reports of slave auctions in Libya in December 2017 – to secure a strong Security Council condemnation of those involved in people trafficking.

These sanctions directly target six individuals who are complicit in committing serious human rights abuses against migrants, including women and children. They have harmed their own communities, and contributed to instability, lawlessness and insecurity more widely in Libya. As a result of our action at the UN, which has the full support of the Government of Libya, these traffickers will have their assets frozen and be banned from all international travel.

These sanctions demonstrate our resolve to tackle the people traffickers and organised criminal gangs that pay no heed either to the desperate human suffering caused by their despicable trade or to international borders. It complements other UK initiatives to tackle criminal activity and protect vulnerable individuals in Libya, including capacity-building work with the Libyan law enforcement authorities and judiciary, £5m for humanitarian support to migrants in-country, and a further 3 million Euros to the EU Trust Fund for North Africa, which includes funding in Libya.

We stand ready to work with partners to introduce additional sanctions against other individuals who threaten the peace, stability or security in Libya, or who undermine its peaceful political transition.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Every part of the UK has seen their goods exports increase thanks to increasing global opportunities, new data shows.

The positive analysis released by HMRC today (Thursday, 7 June) found the number of VAT-registered businesses exporting goods in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is at 109,000 – a rise of 4.1 per cent from the previous year.

The figures also reveal Welsh goods exports increased by 7.1% to £16.4bn.

In the first months of 2018, the average value of goods exported per exporter was £750,000.

Businesses were also taking advantage of global interest as the number exporting to non-EU countries rose to over 47,000. The most popular non-EU destinations include the USA, that 19.2% of exporters sold goods to, Australia (7.3%) and Switzerland (7.2%).

Comparing the year to the previous year, the growth in goods exports came from regions across the UK with the East Midlands seeing the greatest rise in the value of exports (up 15.2%) followed by Scotland (12.1%) and South West (8.8%).

The latest figures are a further boost to the country as global e-commerce giant Amazon announces it will create more than 2,500 jobs in the UK this year as it remains committed to expanding in a post-Brexit Britain.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

As we continue our path to Brexit, HMRC’s latest figures clearly show every part of the UK making the most of global opportunities as goods exports rise across the country. More than 100,000 businesses are expanding their horizons and making the most of the demand for quality British goods.

For some, this isn’t the end of the road but the start to their exporting journey. As they grow their networks and create jobs and prosperity across the UK, my international economic department is supporting them through our experienced international trade advisers and Exporting is GREAT campaign.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Today’s figures show that Welsh companies are going toe to toe with their international counterparts, seeking out customers with faster growth being demonstrated in markets outside of the European Union, because of the global demand that exists for their high quality goods and services.

But we need to continue being ambitious for Wales, and it’s my role to support businesses to grow and enter new markets overseas. The UK Government has a wide range of support available to help companies build their brand abroad, and through our ambitious Industrial Strategy we are ensuring the UK remains one of the best places in the world to do business.

As we leave the EU, our aim is to create a strong and vibrant economy in Wales, and it is encouraging that so many Welsh businesses are already demonstrating their confidence by forging new connections and trading right around the globe.

Separate figures released by the Department for International Trade today highlight British businesses feeling that UK exports are set to remain on an ever-growing upward curve as the UK leaves the European Union.

The National Survey of Registered Businesses (NSRB) 2017, published by the Department for International Trade (DIT) surveyed 3,000 businesses from across the UK.

It found:

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of businesses with an annual turnover of £500,000 or more said they believed that there is strong demand for British good and services from around the world (up from 68% in 2015)



• Almost half (47%) of all UK businesses believe hat the value of UK exports will continue to grow over the next five years, more than double the amount who thought the opposite
• Nearly two thirds (63%) of businesses with an annual turnover of £500,000 or more businesses agreed that significantly more businesses could export be exporting (up from 55% in 2016)
• As the Department prepares to launch its Export Strategy, as many as 130,000 companies have made use of DIT’s export support offer

The statistics showcase a change in attitude amongst some businesses to a position where they are increasingly interested in exporting and in the benefits that come with overseas sales.

DIT is looking to capitalise on this with its upcoming Export Strategy by setting out a clear offer to businesses of all sizes, no matter which stage of the export process they are currently operating at.

One business reaping the benefits of the global demand for UK goods is Cardiff-based studio Cloth Cat Animation.

Cloth Cat is the largest animation production studio in Wales, specialising in creative, inventive and design-rich projects with a strong technical grounding for all audiences via broadcast series, film, commercials, games and web content.

Cloth Cat Animation now export internationally and their work has been seen on networks across the globe, on channels including CBeebies, Disney, Cartoon Network, Sprout, Netflix, S4C and many more channels worldwide.

The UK Government has played a key part in helping Cloth Cat to achieve its global success, supporting Cloth Cat financially to attend media summits and trade shows including the Kidscreen children’s media summit in Miami, and the UK Government P2P trade show in Shanghai.

Cloth Cat’s most recent collaboration with Chinese company Magic Mall on the Luo Bao Bei series was broadcast in China last year, was recently launched in Australia and will be making its way to British screens in the very near future.

For more information on how UK Government can help you to export, visit great.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

• The HMRC figures on number of exporters focus on Q1 2018 (Jan – March) and the comparison to Q1 2017 (Jan – March). HMRC figures on values of exports compare the year to Q1 2018 with the year to Q1 2017. The figures can be found here.

• In the UK in 2018, there were 20,963 businesses exporting goods to the USA, the most of any destination. The USA was the top destination in each region of England and in Wales and Scotland (it was 2nd in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland was 1st), in terms of number of goods exporters.

Top 5 ways the UK Government supports businesses to export:

• great.gov.uk – export platform which lists thousands of export opportunities worth millions of pounds. It also puts firms in touch with global buyers at the click of a mouse.

• UK Export Finance – the UK’s export credit agency provides financial support like capital loans, to ensure no viable export deal fails due to lack of finance and insurance. UKEF has recently partnered with 5 of the UK’s biggest banks, to help small businesses easily access government-backed financial support.

• Face-to-face support for exporters in England – delivered via a network of around 250 international trade advisers (ITAs). ITAs are managed by 9 delivery partners who operate in each of the 9 English regions.

• Trade shows – DIT supports trade shows across the world to showcase the best of UK companies from sectors including life sciences, automotive and food and drink.
• Board of Trade – with representatives from the business community to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of modern businesses. It meets 4 times a year rotated around the UK guaranteeing all parts of the union have a chance to raise the issues most important to them.

ENDS

The positive analysis released by HMRC today (Thursday, 7 June) found the number of VAT-registered businesses exporting goods in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is at 109,000 – a rise of 4.1% from the previous year.

The figures also reveal:

• exports of goods from England increased by 6.5% to £244.6 billion
• in Scotland, goods exports increased by 12.1% to £28.8 billion
• in Wales, goods exports increased by 7.1% to £16.4 billion
• in Northern Ireland, goods exports increased by 4.9% to £8.5 billion

In the first months of 2018, the average value of goods exported per exporter was £750,000.

Businesses were also taking advantage of global interest as the number exporting to non-EU countries rose to over 47,000. The most popular non-EU destinations include the USA, that 19.2% of exporters sold goods to, Australia (7.3%) and Switzerland (7.2%).

Comparing the year to the previous year, the growth in goods exports came from regions across the UK with the East Midlands seeing the greatest rise in the value of exports (up 15.2%) followed by Scotland (12.1%) and South West (8.8%).

The latest figures are a further boost to the country as global e-commerce giant Amazon announces it will create more than 2,500 jobs in the UK this year as it remains committed to expanding in a post-Brexit Britain.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

As we continue our path to Brexit, HMRC’s latest figures clearly show every part of the UK making the most of global opportunities as goods exports rise across the country. More than 100,000 businesses are expanding their horizons and making the most of the demand for quality British goods.

For some, this isn’t the end of the road but the start to their exporting journey. As they grow their networks and create jobs and prosperity across the UK, my international economic department is supporting them through our experienced international trade advisers and Exporting is GREAT campaign.

Separate figures released by the Department for International Trade today highlight British businesses feeling that UK exports are set to remain on an ever-growing upward curve as the UK leaves the European Union.

The National Survey of Registered Businesses (NSRB) 2017, published by the Department for International Trade (DIT) surveyed 3,000 businesses from across the UK.

It found:

• nearly three-quarters (73%) of businesses with an annual turnover of £500,000 or more said they believed that there is strong demand for British good and services from around the world (up from 68% in 2015)
• almost half (47%) of all UK businesses believe that the value of UK exports will continue to grow over the next 5 years, more than double the amount who thought the opposite
• nearly two thirds (63%) of businesses with an annual turnover of £500,000 or more businesses agreed that significantly more businesses could export be exporting (up from 55% in 2016)
• as the Department prepares to launch its Export Strategy, as many as 130,000 companies have made use of DIT’s export support offer

The statistics showcase a change in attitude amongst some businesses to a position where they are increasingly interested in exporting and in the benefits that come with overseas sales.

DIT is looking to capitalise on this with its upcoming Export Strategy by setting out a clear offer to businesses of all sizes, no matter which stage of the export process they are currently operating at.

Further information

• The HMRC figures on number of exporters focus on Q1 2018 (January to March) and the comparison to Q1 2017 (January to March). HMRC figures on values of exports compare the year to Q1 2018 with the year to Q1 2017.

• In the UK in 2018, there were 20,963 businesses exporting goods to the USA, the most of any destination. The USA was the top destination in each region of England and in Wales and Scotland (it was 2nd in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland was 1st), in terms of number of goods exporters.

The top 5 for Midlands Engine were:

1. USA (3,309)
2. Ireland (2,446)
3. Germany (2,370)
4. France (2,158)
5. Netherlands (2,063)

The top 5 for the Northern Powerhouse were:

1. USA (3,621)
2. Ireland (2,834)
3. Germany (2,627)
4. France (2,490)
5. Netherlands (2,401)

View the National Survey of Registered Businesses (NSRB) 2017.

• new international safeguards agreements signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency
• moves provide certainty to the civil nuclear industry and international partners as the UK prepares for Euratom exit

The Nuclear Safeguards Bill has become one of the first pieces of legislation addressing the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union to complete its passage through Parliament.

The Bill, which will shortly become an Act, addresses the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), an international organisation that governs the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the EU. This essential legislation enables the government to establish a domestic nuclear safeguards regime following departure from Euratom and provides a clear signal to the public, industry and international partners that the UK is on track to meet its obligations from day one of exit.

Nuclear safeguards are important processes through which the UK demonstrates to the international community that civil nuclear material is not diverted into military or weapons programmes.

The UK’s commitment to international safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation was reaffirmed in Vienna today, with the signing of 2 new safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

These key agreements with the IAEA – of which the UK is a founding member – are a major milestone in Euratom exit preparations and provide the basis for civil nuclear trading arrangements. This step will be welcomed by the industry in the UK and trading partners around the world.

Minister for Business and Industry, Richard Harrington said:

This major step in our work to prepare for Euratom exit ensures that we will continue in our role as a responsible nuclear state after leaving the EU and Euratom.

These new agreements emphasise our continued commitment to the IAEA and to international safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation, ensuring continuity for our civil nuclear industry from day one of exit.

Suella Braverman, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union, said:

These agreements are a positive step and will help ensure our cooperation with third countries in the field of nuclear energy will continue. This positive progress gives the UK nuclear industry the confidence that there will be no disruption to these arrangements as we leave the EU.

These developments come just weeks after the UK signed a new Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) with the United States of America, which will allow the UK and US to continue their mutually beneficial civil nuclear cooperation when the current Euratom arrangements cease to apply to the UK.

This US-UK NCA is expected to be the first in a series of new international agreements ensuring uninterrupted cooperation and trade following the UK’s exit from Euratom.

Notes to Editors

1. The Nuclear Safeguards Bill will amend the Energy Act 2013 to:

   a. Provide the Office for Nuclear Regulation with a new safeguards function
   
   b. Create new powers for the Secretary of State to put in place regulations setting out the detail of the domestic safeguards regime

2. The Bill will also create a limited power for the Secretary of State to amend 3 existing pieces of legislation to update references to the new IAEA agreements.

3. The UK’s Voluntary Offer Agreement and Additional Protocol were signed in Vienna on 7 June.

4. The UK has been a member of the IAEA since its formation in 1957.

5. The signing of new bilateral agreements with the IAEA, a Voluntary Offer Agreement and Additional Protocol, will replace existing trilateral arrangements between the IAEA, Euratom and the UK.

6. The new agreements ensure that the IAEA retains its right to inspect all civil nuclear facilities, and continues to receive current safeguards reporting, thereby ensuring that international verification of our safeguards activity continues to be robust. Such agreements have been put in place on a voluntary basis by the 5 nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

7. The new safeguards regime to be established in the UK will be operated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The ONR already regulates nuclear safety and security in the UK and has been making preparation to replace Euratom as the regulator of safeguards.