Pulse.Assent

• government ministers out in force to support their local independent businesses this Small Business Saturday (2 December)
• the UK is home to a record 5.7 million small businesses

Government ministers are visiting independent businesses across the UK today in celebration of Small Business Saturday.

The annual campaign, now in its fifth year, champions and supports the UK’s small businesses. Last Small Business Saturday, £717 million was spent in small businesses on the day.

Small Business Minister, Margot James said:

This government is completely behind the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses – they are there, day in and day out, at the heart of our local communities.

They are the backbone of our economy, so I encourage everyone to think big by shopping small this Small Business Saturday.

At the start of 2017 there were a record 5.7 million small businesses in the UK – an increase of more than 1.2 million since the start of 2010. The latest business population estimates show that these businesses are responsible for 48% of private sector employment and contribute £1.4 trillion in turnover.

Since 2010, government support for smaller businesses includes:

• British Business Bank programmes supporting £3.4 billion of finance to over 59,000 smaller businesses
• over 50,000 Start-Up Loans worth more than £348 million
• increasing the amount central government spends with small business – central government contracts above £10,000 are openly advertised on the government’s procurement website, Contracts Finder
• a network of 38 local growth hubs which make it easier for start-ups and existing businesses to access the support they need
• appointing a Small Business Commissioner to champion the interests of small business and help drive a culture change in payment practises

Additional support in the Budget included a 10-year action plan to unlock £20 billion of investment in innovative firms, a £2.3 billion package to reduce business rates bills and further freezes to fuel duty worth £850 million a year.

For more information about government support available to small businesses, please contact the business helplines.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns and UK Government Minister Guto Bebb will visit independent businesses in their constituencies this weekend, in celebration of the annual Small Business Saturday campaign on 2 December.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will also visit small businesses in Newport who are making their mark on the local economy.

Now in its fifth year, the campaign encourages consumers to shop in small, local businesses. Last year, consumers spent £717m in small businesses on the Saturday – a 15% increase on 2015.

The UK Government recently unveiled its Industrial Strategy, which includes driving over £20bn of investment in innovative and high potential businesses, including establishing a new £2.5bn Investment Fund incubated in the British Business Bank.

In Wales, the British Business Bank has already guaranteed over 1,251 loans to support small businesses since its inception in 2014, with a cumulative value of £134.8 million. The Start-up Loans Company has also provided 2,086 loans to businesses in Wales, worth in excess of £17.1 million.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the hard work that business owners put in to make their firms a success.

SMEs represent a key part of the Welsh economy and are a crucial support network to our communities. I’m delighted to support my local high street businesses on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year.

The UK Government is determined to make sure Welsh businesses have the tools and support they need to be successful. The Industrial Strategy builds on conversations we have had with businesses and employees right across Wales, facilitating major investments in infrastructure and research and creating growth corridors to foster greater cross-border working.

This is a strategy which plays to our economic strengths and addresses some of the challenges Wales is facing, with the aim of driving productivity and generating prosperity across the country.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and Small Business Saturday provides the perfect opportunity to emphasise how they can grow through exporting.

Through websites like great.gov.uk, and now with the launch of our How to Sell Overseas Guide, my department is committed to helping businesses across Newport and the whole of Wales make the most of global demand for British goods and services, and take advantage of growing markets around the world.

UK Government Minister Guto Bebb said:

I look forward to supporting the business owners and entrepreneurs who provide so much to our communities this weekend. From the corner shops that have all life’s essential items, to the innovators who come up with inventive ways to change the world, we have so much to thank small businesses for.

The UK Government recognises the need to support these businesses to ensure economic growth and prosperity, and through the Industrial Strategy we are delivering that support.

I encourage small businesses across Wales to take advantage of the financial backing and informative advice available to them to unleash their potential.

For more information about government support available to small businesses, please visit finance and support for your business.

For more information on the Small Business Saturday campaign visit smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com or follow the conversation on social media via #SmallBizSatUK.

ENDS

Minister of State for the Overseas Territories Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon joined leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories this week for talks on hurricane recovery, Brexit, climate change, and tax transparency.

The annual Joint Ministerial Council, held between 28 and 29 November 2017 in London, was also attended by Ministers from across government, including the Department for Exiting the EU, the Department for International Development, Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department of Health and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The talks began with a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Theresa May, at Downing Street where she updated leaders on the progress of discussions with the European Union and discussed progress on reforming financial services in the Overseas Territories.

The first day of the meetings focused on hurricane relief and recovery and wider UK programme support for the Overseas Territories, including a new £70 million package of recovery and reconstruction support for those islands hit by devastating hurricanes in September. This package sits alongside up to £300 million of UK loan guarantees for territories that need support to access finance.

Caribbean Hurricanes: Building Back Better

The second day of discussions covered a range of issues, including tax transparency and beneficial ownership; preparations for the 2018 Commonwealth Summit; child safeguarding; and climate change.

Minister for the Overseas Territories Lord Ahmad said:

It was wonderful to welcome the leaders of the Overseas Territories once again. The UK is clear that ongoing, close cooperation with the Overseas Territories is in our mutual interest.

We continue to be close partners on vital issues such as climate change and marine protection, and the UK is working closely with the governments of the Overseas Territories to deliver real change on health, corruption and child safeguarding.

The Prime Minister also announced new support for the Territories worst affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, with £70 million of grants and up to £300 million of loan guarantees to make sure essential recovery needs can be met.

Minister for Exiting the European Union Robin Walker led discussions on the progress of exit negotiations and the future Overseas Territories relationship with the EU.

Minister for Exiting the European Union Robin Walker said:

It was a pleasure to again meet with the leaders of the Overseas Territories and to continue our close engagement on shared priorities as we exit the EU.

The UK is responsible for representing the Overseas Territories’ priorities in exit negotiations and a clear objective of those negotiations is to achieve a deal that works for all parts of the UK family.
Leaders and representatives from the following Overseas Territories attended the two-day conference in London:

• Anguilla
• Ascension
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn
• St. Helena
• The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Tristan da Cunha
• Turks & Caicos Islands

Further information

Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook & Twitter.

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With England now preparing for matches against Tunisia, Panama and Belgium next summer following Friday’s World Cup draw, thousands of England fans will be travelling to the three host cities of Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been working with Russian authorities to help maximise the chances of a trouble-free tournament for fans, and the British Embassy in Moscow has visited all 11 of the host cities over the past year to discuss safety and security preparations.

The FCO’s ‘Be On The Ball’ campaign gives supporters simple advice and tips to help avoid preventable problems and boost their World Cup experience. This includes specific Russia 2018 travel advice, and a preparation checklist. The FCO offers a country-specific travel advice alert system and those travelling to Russia for the tournament are encouraged to sign-up to this.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said:

We’re all looking forward to the World Cup in Russia next summer – nobody more so than those planning to travel for the tournament. Russia is getting ready to host the World Cup, but fans need to be prepared too.

We hope our advice will help fans Be On The Ball by planning ahead with appropriate travel insurance, passport validity, emergency numbers and other essentials.

Start doing your trip research now. Signing up to Russia travel advice alerts is the easiest and quickest way to receive any updates to our advice, to help ensure you have a safe and trouble-free visit.

The UK and Russia have been cooperating closely to ensure the safety of British supporters at the tournament. This has included regular visits by the UK police to Russia and reciprocal visits from the Russian police to the UK.

The signs from Russia have been promising – after recent Liverpool and Manchester United matches in Moscow, the embassy has recorded zero consular cases.

We want this success to continue, and enhanced security measures during the tournament will help to ensure those travelling from the UK can safely enjoy the games.

Ticket holders should apply for a FAN ID, which will give them free travel on match day, enable those with tickets to access stadiums, and will even act as their visa for the tournament. There’s also advice for fans without tickets, who will need to apply for a visa to travel.

Last year, Britons made 150,000 visits to Russia, and we are expecting tens of thousands more to travel next summer.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Consent has been granted to construct the M20 Junction 10A; a new interchange on the M20 east of Junction 10 that will incorporate a new two-lane dual carriageway link road to the existing A2070 Southern orbital Road (Bad Munstereifel Road), together with other associated improvements. The consent also includes the option to construct an ‘Alternative Scheme’ which, in addition to the above, would include the provision of a new access in the form of a roundabout from the new A2070 link road to the proposed Stour Park Development site, located immediately south of the proposed A2070 link road.

The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by Highways England on 19 July 2016 and accepted for examination on 11 August 2016. Following a six month examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, a recommendation was made to the Secretary of State for Transport on 1 September 2017.

The Planning Inspectorate is committed to giving local communities the opportunity to be involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authorities and other interested parties were able to participate in the six month examination. The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to local views before making its recommendation.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Sarah Richards said:
“The Planning Inspectorate has again demonstrated its ability to examine Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) within the timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.”

“This provides developers and investors with the confidence to build and improve the infrastructure this country needs to secure future economic growth.”

The decision announced today supports the recommendation made by the Planning Inspectorate. It is the 69th NSIP application to be examined and decided, and the 20th transport project.

The Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation is publicly available on the National Infrastructure Planning website

Ends

Journalists wanting further information should contact the Planning
Inspectorate Press Office, on: 0303 444 5004 or 0303 444 5005 or email:
pressoffice@pins.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Programme of Projects details the proposals which are anticipated to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as applications in the coming months. It can be viewed at https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/

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.