For the first time, the Board of Trade will meet in Wales today (Thursday 15 November) to launch £240 million worth of Welsh energy and infrastructure projects to global investors.

The UK-wide Energy Investment Portfolio will be launched in Swansea. It aims to attract:

• £35 million of potential investment in Morlais Marine Energy Facility, also in Anglesey.
• An expected £100 million for a new CoGen Energy to Waste Plant in Cardiff; and
• Around, £105 million of expected investment at Penrhos Coastal Holiday Resort in Holy Island.

In addition, the UK Government will add two new projects from Wales to its multi-billion-pound High Potential Opportunities scheme, designed to fast-track investment into regions and sectors of the economy.

These are the nuclear sector in North Wales (where opportunities in decommissioning, advanced technology and Wylfa Newydd’s supply chain will be promoted) and Wales’ life sciences and wellness sector.

UK Government will promote these Welsh opportunities to investors in 108 countries to secure jobs, growth and prosperity.

Whilst in Wales, International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox MP and Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns MP will also present eight companies with Board of Trade Awards (BOFTAs) to celebrate to celebrate their success in exporting and driving investment. These firms, ranging from furniture makers in Wrexham to beer brewers in Newport, showcase the very best of the Welsh economy.

International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade, The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP said:

Wales is a nation built on industrial innovation and today’s launch of the Energy Investment Portfolio alongside the High Potential Opportunities scheme will deliver growth in new innovative sectors, encouraging creativity, creating jobs and driving prosperity here in Wales and across the UK.

My international economic department has established relationships with the world’s most influential investors to ensure that the UK continues to be the top destination in Europe for Foreign Direct Investment – and today’s announcement is further proof that there is huge demand for Welsh projects from investors.

Secretary of State for Wales, The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP said:

I am delighted to welcome the Board of Trade to Swansea today and look forward to a packed programme of activities tailored to supporting British businesses looking to achieve their global exporting ambitions.

From the eight Welsh Board of Trade Award winners to the high potential opportunities in the nuclear and life sciences sector, our announcements today show how the UK Government will continue to work on behalf of every hardworking business to drum up trade, encourage international investment and pave the way for growth generating jobs, security and a more prosperous Wales in the future.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• The Board of Trade brings together prominent business leaders from all across the UK to champion exports and investment opportunities to drive growth and prosperity across the whole of the UK.
• The board meets 4 times a year with meetings rotated around the UK.

Energy investment projects

1. Morlais Marine Energy Infrastructure project, Anglesey, North Wales, worth £35 million GDV. Menter Môn is offering an opportunity for investment into the development of a £35 million marine energy infrastructure facility. The project benefits from stable revenue streams and strong investment returns. The developers will consider a variety of investor involvement to include equity partners, co-investment or development funding. The project offers investment opportunities into a market-enabling project.
2. CoGen Waste to Energy Plant, Cardiff, South Wales, worth £100 million GDV. CoGen is offering an opportunity for investment into the development of a £100 million waste to energy facility in Cardiff, Wales. Using proven technology, the project benefits from a long-term contracted revenue stream and strong investment returns. CoGen will consider a variety of investor involvement to include equity investment, blended debt and equity, or co-investment. This project forms part of a strong development pipeline of waste to energy projects being developed by CoGen, leading to potential wider funding opportunities.
3. Penrhos Coastal Holiday Resort – Holy Island, Anglesey, North Wales, worth £105 million GDV. The project promoter will consider a variety of project and construction debt funding for this consented development of an 80-hectare holiday village development along the beautiful north east coastline of Holy Island, Anglesey. In addition, 29 hectares of publicly accessible open space and a coastal path will be provided and maintained for the benefit of residents and visitors.

High Potential Opportunity areas

1. Wales nuclear sector – Opportunities in the nuclear supply chain around in the short, medium and longer term. Decommissioning, Advanced Nuclear Technologies, Small Modular Reactors, and the proposed development of the Wylfa Newydd civil nuclear power plant by Horizon (Hitachi).

2. Llanelli Life Sciences Village – An opportunity for firms engaged in healthcare research and innovation. The Llanelli Wellness and Life Science Village along with the new Institute of Life Science and Innovation presents a commercial opportunity for firms to work alongside NHS, researchers, academics and other life sciences firms to develop new technologies.

Board of Trade Award winners

• AerFin (Caerphilly) specialises in aircraft and engine aftermarket solutions to the commercial airline industry, providing fully integrated, cost-saving aircraft component and engine supply-chain services into a global airline, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) customer base.

• Concrete Canvas (Pontypridd) manufactures 3 multi award-winning products, Concrete Canvas®, the all-in-one impermeable liner – CC Hydro™ and Concrete Canvas Shelters (CCS). All products are manufactured in the UK from where it exports to 80+ countries, through a network of over 40 international Sales Partners. This year, turnover is set to exceed £11m, of which over 80% is derived from export sales, with another year of strong growth forecast for 2019. The firm now employs over 50 people in six offices across the globe, the most recent of which to be opened being Milan and the UAE.

• Flamgard (Pontypool) design and manufacture specialist dampers for a wide variety of industries. Their main industry sectors are oil and gas, nuclear and transportation (tunnels). Currently around 50% of their products are exported and they are looking to increase their exports to meet their increased turnover target. They employ around 62 people F/T from their HQ in Pontypool.

• Laser Wire Solutions (Pontypridd) based in South Wales, is a pioneering tech company which designs and manufactures standard and bespoke laser wire-stripping machines to remove insulation from high quality wires and cables, no matter the size or complexity. The firm works in a range of sectors including medical, automotive, aerospace and data communications. The company were recipients of the 2018 Queen’s Award for International Trade.

• Lumishore (Swansea) is a vibrant small business which manufactures innovative, high quality, underwater LED lighting systems worldwide, for all sizes and types of vessels, from small tenders to the world’s largest Superyachts. Based in Swansea, the company’s products include the world’s first colour changing leisure marine underwater lights, the world’s smallest thru-hull interchangeable unit, and their super yacht weld-in lighting system.

• Markes International (Llantrisant) is a technology innovator that manufactures and sells scientific instrumentation for analytical chemists globally, in a wide range of business and research sectors for sampling organic chemicals from gases, liquids, and solids.

• Silverlining Furniture (Wrexham) is a luxury furniture maker who employs 71 people at Wrexham, North Wales. Started in 1985, by furniture maker and CEO Mark Boddington the company’s vision is to be the world’s most inspiring furniture maker of the 21st century. The company is known for combining creative design and innovative craftsmanship with advanced manufacturing and materials, creating bespoke furniture for yachts and houses. Since moving to Wales in 2014 the company has achieved astonishing growth, growing from £2.2 to £7.8 million and creating 58 jobs. This year the company has won the Queens Award for Export and was listed in The Sunday Times Fastrack 100 Fastest Growing SME for Export. This year they have started to open up two new geographic markets in the Middle and Asia.

• Tiny Rebel (Newport) is an independent brewery producing beer and related merchandise, based in Newport, Gwent. The company has recently confirmed an import agreement in New York, giving the company a foothold in the world’s most exciting beer market. A new customer in China has opened up one of the largest and fastest growing beer markets in the world.

Cefas and University of Exeter have launched a bluefin tuna tagging programme to try and find out more about the migration patterns of these enigmatic predators.

2018 represents the first year when the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the University of Exeter have run a sightings programme, asking members of the public to send in their records of Atlantic bluefin tuna. 2017 was a remarkable year for Atlantic bluefin tuna sightings and 2018 has been even more impressive.

Hannah and Duncan Jones of Marine Discovery Penzance, a local wildlife tour operator, said:

We’ve already seen bluefin tuna on 45 occasions this year and our season isn’t over yet. Most of those instances have been large shoals with a mix in the size of fish, but recently most fish seen at the surface have been large. We have certainly seen more this year than ever, which has been the case every year now since 2015!

This year, records have been sent in from the Scilly Isles, Scotland, Wales, England and even the Channel Islands and regularly detailing sightings of shoals of Atlantic bluefin tuna, hundreds of fish strong. During the beginning of the electronic tagging programme, observers have witnessed over 100 separate Atlantic bluefin tuna feeding events. Whilst seeing these predators back in waters of the British Isles is incredibly exciting, it’s clearer now more than ever how little is known about the local ecology of these animals.

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the University of Exeter are conducting a two-year scientific study, supported by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, to deploy state of the art animal tracking devices to find out where Atlantic bluefin tuna in UK waters go. Scientists will work with stakeholders including commercial fishers, recreational anglers, wildlife watchers, and NGOs, to share knowledge, and to deploy around 40 state-of-the-art satellite tracking devices. Tagging started in October, and the programme has been designed with the input and help of fishers.

The work will help scientists to understand:

• where and when Atlantic bluefin tuna are found in British waters;
• long-distance migrations, and where Atlantic bluefin tuna go when they are not in UK coastal waters;
• where Atlantic bluefin tuna found in UK waters go to breed; and
• interactions between Atlantic bluefin tuna and both commercial and recreational fisheries.

The information will improve knowledge on Atlantic bluefin tuna, ultimately aiding in the conservation of these remarkable animals into the future.

Following a summer in which sightings of bluefin were once again common, Dr David Righton, lead scientist on the project for Cefas said:

This exciting collaboration will enable us to gather and share knowledge of this incredible species and uncover the role they play in UK waters. Cefas has a long history of investigating the behaviours and migrations of many species of fish, and we’re looking forward to using our expertise to address some of the fundamentally important questions that need answering about bluefin tuna.

Dr Matthew Witt, lead scientist on the project for the University of Exeter said:

This a ground-breaking project for the UK and another important step towards the use of evidence-based approaches for conservation in our coastal seas. These are huge, exciting, top predators, yet with an uncertain future. We’ve already learned a huge amount about bluefin from talking to wildlife spotters and fishers who are out on the water every day. Our tagging programme will help build an even more detailed understanding at the level of individual fish. The next few years will be challenging, exciting, yet hugely revealing regards their movements and biology.

Background:

Atlantic bluefin tuna are known for being amongst the biggest, fastest and most valuable fish in the sea. They were once a common sight in UK waters, ranging throughout the Celtic and North Sea. However, they largely disappeared from British waters in the 1990s, possibly due to overfishing, and are now recognised as an endangered species. In recent years they have been observed more frequently in our coastal waters, particularly during the late summer, autumn and winter as they move into coastal areas to feed on energy rich fish, such as sprats and herring, in waters off the south west of the UK.

Atlantic bluefin tuna can migrate over huge distances, moving over the entire Atlantic Ocean to North America and back again in a single year, crossing both coastal waters and the deep offshore. They are top predators of the seas and are fast, energetic and powerful fish with considerable commercial and conservation interest. However, despite historic evidence, we know little about their movements, for example how long they stay in British waters and where they go once they leave our coastal environment. Improving knowledge on the species is an important first step for securing a positive future for Atlantic bluefin tuna around the UK.

More information on the project can be found at https://www.thunnusuk.org/. A blog on the project has also been published today at: https://marinescience.blog.gov.uk/.

A new tagging programme is exploring the behaviour and migration of Atlantic bluefin tunas, to better understand recent sightings around the UK.

Thank you very much Mr President and thank you to the SRSG for your briefing and for all the good work you and your team continue to do in Kosovo and in the region. And welcome to his Excellency the Foreign Minister and also to her Excellency the Kosovo Ambassador to Washington.

We fully support UNMIK Mr President and we recognize the important role UNMIK has played in post-conflict stabilization and reconciliation. The situation in Kosovo has indeed changed dramatically since the mission’s inception two decades ago. We believe that the Security Council needs to use its resources effectively and it needs to refocus UNMIK’s efforts so that the means deployed by the United Nations are tailored fully to the situation on the ground.

To this end Mr President, the United Kingdom supports and looks forward to a strategic review of the mission. I would recall for members that the European Union and other regional organizations are also very closely involved in Kosovo and in the region and the EU’s role is vital, I think, to enabling true peace, security and stability on the ground.

With the efficiency and priorities of this Council in mind, we actually welcome the reduction in frequency of UNMIK discussions. The Foreign Minister singled out my country so I will take a few brief minutes to respond, if I may. It’s important that the cycle of discussion in the Council reflects reality on the ground and we all agreed this at the point at which we took the decision. And it’s also important that the reporting cycles of the Secretary-General reflect the frequency of Council discussion.

But on the Foreign Minister’s specific points, let me say Sir that we offered four options to reach agreement with your country and all four were rejected. We also made it very clear that we would hold a meeting on Kosovo in the Security Council if there were progress on normalization. Sadly, there wasn’t progress on normalization. Instead I am sorry to say that the Serbian government orchestrated a protest outside our embassy in Belgrade which is simply not an acceptable way of conducting diplomatic relations.

Mr President as we reflect on the progress Kosovo has made since UNMIK’s installation in 1999, there is an example of how far Kosovo has moved forward that I’d like to raise. This concerns the Kosovo Police. The Kosovo Police is a professional organisation that, since its inception in 1999, has taken responsibility for ensuring the maintenance of rule of law in the long term. Its officers are well-trained and they are keen to cooperate internationally in our joint efforts to combat serious and organized crime and terrorism. So the United Kingdom hopes Mr President, that the Kosovo police is voted into Interpol at the General Assembly next week and we urge other members to support their bid. This is not about political point scoring. This is about our collective security and our collective fight against organized crime. Kosovo’s inclusion would facilitate information sharing among law enforcement in the Western Balkans and beyond. And this would enhance all of our stability, including Serbia’s. It is time that we stopped transnational organized criminals cooperating better than our own police services.

If I may Mr President, I would just like to add at this point that I knew Oliver Ivanović and considered him a friend. We too hope that the perpetrators of his murder will be brought to justice. Oliver worked tirelessly to try to normalize the state of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. I think the greatest tribute that both countries could pay to Oliver would be to continue his work without conditions.

Mr President, we continue to encourage Serbia and Kosovo to make progress towards a sustainable solution through the EU-facilitated Dialogue. We agree with both speakers that progress on the Dialogue is vital for stability, security and prosperity in the two countries and the region, but I am sorry to say Mr President that this is not always the way in which the Dialogue is approached and we would like to see much more progress. We would like to see faster progress and we would like always the two sides to keep in mind that any proposals they put forward really do enhance stability on the ground and enhance the safety and security of all their citizens.

We have had a number of rounds of dialogue in the past Mr President. In this century alone there was an attempt in 2006 under UN auspices to resolve the status issue that recommended Kosovo be independent. That was blocked. There was an attempt in 2007 between the EU, the United States and Russia to the same end, and that too was blocked. Now we have the EU-facilitated Dialogue. I cannot stress too strongly Mr President how important it is that that dialogue makes real progress if the region – and Kosovo in Serbia in particular – are to realize prosperity, security and stability.

Mr President, the people of Kosovo and Serbia have elected their leaders to best represent their interests. We urge these leaders to do so. Provocative acts and rhetoric from both sides are deeply unhelpful, antagonistic and should be stopped. They’re contrary to the spirit of normalization and they simply make finding common ground more difficult. We believe Mr President that both countries need now to focus on a deliverable and sustainable normalization agreement through the EU-facilitated Dialogue which enhances security and benefits the ordinary people of both countries. The United Kingdom stands ready to support such an agreement.

Thank you Mr President.

The Cabinet has just had a long, detailed and impassioned debate on the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the Outline Political Declaration on our future relationship with the European Union.

These documents were the result of thousands of hours of hard negotiation by UK officials, and many, many meetings, which I and other ministers held with our EU counterparts.

I firmly believe that the draft Withdrawal Agreement was the best that could be negotiated, and it was for the Cabinet to decide whether to move on in the talks.

The choices before us were difficult, particularly in relation to the Northern Ireland backstop.

But the collective decision of Cabinet was that the Government should agree the draft Withdrawal Agreement and the Outline Political Declaration – this is a decisive step which enables us to move on and finalise the deal in the days ahead.

These decisions were not taken lightly – but I believe it is a decision that is firmly in the national interest.

When you strip away the detail, the choice before us is clear. This deal which delivers on the vote of the referendum, which brings back control of our money, laws and borders; ends free movement; protects jobs, security and our union; or leave with no deal; or no Brexit at all.

I know that there will be difficult days ahead. This is a decision which will come under intense scrutiny and that is entirely as it should be and entirely understandable.

But the choice was this deal, which enables us to take back control and to build a brighter future for our country, or going back to square one with more division, more uncertainty and a failure to deliver on the referendum.

It is my job as Prime Minister to explain the decisions that the Government has taken and I stand ready to do that beginning tomorrow with a statement in Parliament.

If I may end by just saying this. I believe that what I owe to this country is to take decisions that are in the national interest, and I firmly believe with my head and my heart that this is a decision which is in the best interests of our entire United Kingdom.