communications Archives - Page 1873 of 2319

The exercise is part of a completely fresh look at how traffic can be managed better when there is disruption to services across the English Channel, and builds on significant improvements already made by Highways England and its partners in Kent since the unprecedented deployment of Operation Stack in summer 2015.

The exercise starting today is inviting feedback on the development of a lorry holding area. The solution could be an on-or off holding area for lorries, at one site or a number of sites. No specific sites have been identified at this stage. Views are also welcomed on the possible provision of 24-hour lorry parking facilities for everyday use by lorry drivers, which could help with lorry parking problems in Kent.

Highways England project director John Kerner said:

The disruption that people in Kent experienced in the summer of 2015 underlined the need for improvements to how traffic is managed when services across the English Channel are interrupted. Around 11,500 lorries use the Kent corridor to access cross-Channel travel services every day. In 2016, the port of Dover and Eurotunnel handled a record number of lorries and this is expected to double over the next decade.

We now have an opportunity to take a completely fresh look at what a permanent solution to Operation Stack could be, and understanding people’s views will be vital in making sure we can identify the most appropriate outcome. I encourage anyone with an interest to get involved.

When disruption occurs, as a result of severe weather, industrial action or operational problems, lorries often queue on the roads leading to the port, leading to congestion of the strategic and local road network.

When extraordinary levels of disruption occur, Operation Stack is activated to queue lorries on the M20 until they can catch their ferry or train. In summer 2015, Operation Stack was in place for over 30 days. As a result, the Government asked Highways England to investigate options for management and handling of lorries caught up heading to Dover.

Without action, existing and likely future issues will continue to put pressure on the roads and motorways in Kent. With traffic levels due to increase, this would likely mean Operation Stack being activated more frequently.

The exercise starts today and runs until 22 July 2018.

Drop in sessions are being held across Kent, and information will be available at 30 locations countywide. For more information on the dates and venues, and to sign up to receive updates about the scheme, visit the project page on the Highways England website.

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.

Link: Press release: Operation Stack listening exercise starts today
Source: Gov Press Releases

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018

Press release: New merger and takeover rules come into force

new rules apply to businesses developing military and dual-use technology, computing hardware and quantum technology
changes to help continue to keep the country safe and maintain UK’s global reputation as an open, trading nation
the measures follow a review of the government’s approach to foreign investment and national security

Today (Monday 11 June 2018) the government made changes to the UK’s merger regime to recognise the growing importance of small British businesses in developing cutting edge technology products with national security applications.

In order to address changes in the market, the government amended the threshold tests for businesses in the military, dual-use, computing hardware and quantum technology sectors that are most likely to have implications for our security.

Today’s changes allow ministers to intervene on certain grounds when the target business’s UK turnover is more than £1 million, down from £70 million under the previous rules. They also remove the requirement that a merger or takeover in these sectors lead to an increase in the parties’ combined share of supply of relevant goods or services before the government is able to intervene.

Business Minister Richard Harrington said:

These new rules ensure mergers and takeovers in key areas of the economy cannot risk our national security, while maintaining the openness to trade and investment that is underpinned by our modern Industrial Strategy.

The changes follow a consultation launched last year to amend the Enterprise Act to reform and strengthen the government’s powers. Today’s new rules are the first step, with broader changes to be announced in a white paper later this year.

The government is publishing guidance today for businesses to support them in adapting to today’s changes.

Notes to editors

The National Security and Infrastructure Investment Review green paper, published on 17 October 2017, outlined the government’s plans to take a staged approach through short and long term measures to reform how it scrutinises national security implications of business transactions. Today’s measures are a response to this consultation on amending the Enterprise Act through secondary legislation. National security and infrastructure investment review with Part 1 government response and draft guidance.
The consultation on longer term proposals closed on 9 January. The government will publish a response to this consultation in due course.
Ministers can only intervene in mergers and takeovers (foreign or domestic) that give rise to specific public interest concerns of national security, financial stability or media plurality. However, for ministers to be able to intervene, the transaction had to meet certain thresholds. These were that the target company had a UK turnover of over £70 million, or that the merger took the merging parties’ combined share of supply to 25% or more (or increased an existing share of supply of 25% or more). There were limited exceptions to this related to some defence and media transactions.
The affirmative statutory instrument that comes into force today amends the share of supply test to allow the scrutiny of more mergers in 3 areas: (a) the military and dual-use sector, (b) 2 parts of the advanced technology sector, encompassing computing hardware and quantum technologies. For these areas alone, the instrument amended the share of supply test so that it is met where a merger or takeover involves a target with 25% or more share of supply in the UK, as well as where the deal leads to an increase in the share of supply to, or above, this threshold, which is the previous requirement.
The second, negative statutory instrument that comes into force today amends the turnover test to allow the scrutiny of more mergers in the same 3 areas of the economy. The second instrument lowers the level of UK turnover required of the target business from over £70 million to over £1 million. Both of these instruments have come into force at the same time.
The changes, while made for national security-related reasons, also amend the thresholds that allow the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to scrutinise mergers for competition concerns. However, neither the government or the CMA expect that the changes will bring about a material change in the CMA’s approach to the assessment of mergers on competition grounds. The CMA have today also published their technical guidance in relation to these changes ‘Guidance on changes to the jurisdictional thresholds for UK merger control’.