Mark Field, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will travel to Nauru for the three-day (3-6 September) Pacific Islands Forum where climate change is top of the agenda.

The UK is leading global solidarity on action to tackle climate change, and Mark Field’s visit is the second successive year a UK Minister has attended the Pacific Islands Forum, where climate change is threatening the very existence of several island nations.

The Pacific Islands Forum comprises 14 countries, of which 11 are Commonwealth members. The UK will be stepping up its engagement in the region with three additional diplomatic missions in Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. This will enable greater joint working on climate change issues, as well as further regional work to promote the rules-based international system.

Minister Field said:

Britain has proudly led the way on tackling climate change around the world and, as a developed country, we have a moral imperative to help those around the globe who stand to lose most from the consequences of man-made climate change.

The message I am taking to this important Pacific Islands Forum is that unless we work together, with our Commonwealth friends and those who share our values in the region, we risk the very real tragedy of some of these islands literally disappearing off the map.

The UK is among the largest contributors of international climate finance and in the four years to 2020 will be giving developing countries over £5.5 billion to help them mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. This will build on commitments made at the Commonwealth Head of Governments Meeting in London earlier this year, including the Blue Charter and the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance.

Further information

Drivers will soon be able to plan their journeys better to avoid roadworks, thanks to an innovative new digital system funded by the government.

The Department for Transport is investing up to £10 million in Street Manager, a digital planning service due to launch next year, to replace a costly and ineffective system that will make more consistent, accurate data on street works available to motorists.

Unlike current data on roadworks which is often out of date and incomplete, Street Manager will generate real time data and will be free for technology companies and app developers to use. This will allow existing apps and providers, such as Waze and Google maps, to enhance their services making them even more accurate and allow other firms to create new products to help drivers avoid jams. It could see the latest data being shared via satnavs and app ‘push’ notifications to help motorists choose a new route.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said:

Roadworks can often be frustrating for motorists, especially when they cause hold-ups at busy times and delay journeys.

We want to reduce this disruption and delay, and Street Manager is just one of a number of actions we are taking so that local authorities and utility companies can better plan and manage their roadworks.

The data opened up by this new digital service should enable motorists to plan their journeys better, so they can avoid works and get to their destinations more easily.

Street Manager will replace an out-of-date and ineffective system currently in use by local authorities and utility companies, allowing them to accurately record and share data better on the 2.5 million roadworks that take place in England each year. It will support them to collaborate on joint works and better coordinate timings so that drivers don’t get caught up in multiple works.

It will also support local businesses across the country by helping stop delivery vehicles from getting stuck in traffic jams caused by roadworks.

Alongside this, the government is today (Sunday 2 September 2018) publishing new bidding guidance on lane rental schemes, which enable councils across England to charge utility companies up to £2,500 a day for carrying out roadworks on the busiest roads at peak times.

The guidance informs local authorities as to how they can develop a lane rental scheme, and includes a new calculator for assessing the costs and benefits of schemes.

It will also help utility companies to work with local authorities to avoid charges by co-ordinating works, or working at quieter times – benefitting all road users, especially those travelling at peak times. Pilot lane rental schemes in London and Kent saw congestion on the busiest roads drop by half, saving drivers time and boosting the economy.

It also comes after Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, called on companies to carry out works on pavements, where possible, instead of under roads to avoid disruption to motorists.

Street Manager is just one example of how technology is transforming transport. With the development of self-driving vehicles and other technological travel solutions, the government has published a ‘Future of mobility call for evidence’.

This kicked off the ‘Future of mobility grand challenge’, which aims to make the UK A world leader in the movement of goods, services and people. This work is part of the future of mobility in the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which is building a Britain fit for the future.