The costs associated with marine licence applications made to the Marine Management Organisation are planned to change from 1 September 2018.

This follows a consultation held by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on proposals to revise marine licensing application fees, held between December 2017 and February 2018. The consultation outlined changes needed in order to maintain marine licence applicant fee rates in-line with the costs incurred by the MMO in determining a marine licence application.

The fee rate for a marine licence has not been changed since 2014. Since that time, the cost of determining a marine licence application has increased. These changes will help to ensure that the cost of a marine licence is not subsidised by the UK tax payer.

Defra has now published its response to the consultation and laid a Statutory Instrument in Parliament to provide the legal basis for the changes to take place.

Marine licensing fees from 1 September

The planned implementation date for the changes to marine licence application fees is 1 September 2018. The impact of the changes depend on the band of marine licence applied for and when the application is received/determined.

The MMO will soon update its guidance to reflect the new proposed fees. The main change is a revision of the hourly fee rate from £94 to £122 for Band 2 and 3 applicants.

From 1 September onwards:

• New Band 2 and 3 applications received by the MMO will be charged the new hourly rate.
• Travel costs will be charged at the new hourly rate and will no longer be capped. Travel and subsistence costs will also be charged. MMO will publish details of their travel and subsistence policy shortly.

There will be a number of Band 2 applications ongoing at 1 September 2018 where the MMO has not yet made a determination. The MMO will introduce transitional arrangements for these and will provide bespoke advice and calculation of fees to applicants.

Band 2 applicants will continue to be charged under the old fee regime until they are determined. However the cap on total costs payable for the existing 2E category will be based on the new arrangements as this is set at a lower level than under the existing scheme.

There will be no transitional arrangements for Band 3 applications, ongoing cases will be charged at the new rate from 1 September.

Improvements to the marine licensing service

The consultation and Government response explain how the MMO has continued to improve marine licensing systems and processes and is committed to further enhancing these. Such changes, introduced since 2015 as part of a marine licensing improvement programme, are estimated to have collectively saved businesses around half a million pounds a year.

One such change was a self-service approach for some low-risk applications, which was included in the consultation.

In responding to the consultation the Government has made a number of commitments to further improve the marine licensing process and systems to make them more transparent and efficient. These commitments include:

• Ensuring service standards are published on the MMO website and the delivery against these standards is monitored and reported
• Ongoing monitoring of the marine licensing regime, with any opportunity to pass on efficiency savings to be considered under the next review of marine licensing application fees
• Reviewing and publishing guidance on travelling relating to marine licence applications, using comments received as part of the consultation to inform this
• Considering whether other specific activities could be added to the list of Band 1 activities when regulations are next reviewed.

The MMO welcomes feedback from marine licensing customers in order to further improve the system to meet their needs and continue to offer value for money.

Future generations unearthing a time capsule in 100 years’ time will get an exciting glimpse of what life was like back when work was taking place to build the North East’s first ever triple decker roundabout.

Highways England has joined forces with businesses and schools in North Tyneside to capture what it’s like living in 2018.

The time capsule has been buried on site of the A19 Coast Road scheme and to mark the burial, a special ceremony has been held today with an official plaque unveiled by Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn.

Highways England assistant project manager Steven Cox said:

We have been really pleased with the contributions we have received from the wider community who have been so enthusiastic about this project and I’m sure when it is dug up in a 100 years’ time it will give a fascinating insight into how things have changed.

There’s a wide range of items included from brochures and programmes to photographs and videos, so a big thank you to everyone. It was also a pleasure to invite the Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn down to the site to unveil the official plaque today and to show her how work to create the triple decker junction is progressing.

We not revealing the exact location of the time capsule to avoid it being dug up early and spoiling the surprise but this has been recorded by North Tyneside Council for when it is dug up in 2118.

Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Norma Redfearn CBE said:

This really is history in the making. It’s a landmark project unlike any other in the North East and I’m delighted that local people have been able to get involved with filling and burying the time capsule.

The work to provide the new triple decker roundabout will bring benefits not just for people living here and now but for many generations to come. It’s great to think that those same people will one day reopen this capsule and be able to appreciate what life was like as the project was taking shape.

Work on the scheme is progressing and efforts to remove 80,000 cubic metres of soil to create the third layer of the junction is almost complete, further work such as drainage is also taking place.

The remainder of the project will include upgrading 1,175 metres of existing cycleway and adding a further 247 metres of cycleway to improve access round the junction. Work will also take place to install gantries which will display improved signage and surfacing of the new underpass and roundabout will be carried out. The scheme is due to be completed by the end of March 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

The International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, has today (Thursday 23 August) made a commitment to stand by and protect Britain’s world class aid organisations in the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal with the EU.

The European Commission (EC) currently requires UK aid organisations to prove at application stage that they are able to fund the delivery of humanitarian contracts should there be a no deal scenario. The vast majority of organisations are unable to make such a financial commitment up front, and so are being discouraged from applying.

British organisations play a leading role in life-saving aid programmes across the world.

To ensure this continues post March 2019, DFID will fund the cost of any new programme led by a UK aid organisation currently funded from the core budget of the EU’s humanitarian and civil protection agency (ECHO).

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt said:

“I am pleased to give our world class British NGOs a firm commitment that the UK Government will help them overcome the difficulties that they have been facing.

“Aid delivered well has the power to change lives; this is what the UK does best and I will do all that I can to ensure that British aid organisations continue to play a leading role in helping some of the world’s most disadvantaged people.

“It is in everyone’s best interests that we reach an agreement going forward on our future relationship with the EU on development. An effective partnership will enable the UK and EU to jointly help the poorest and most vulnerable people.”

Today’s commitment from DFID will provide reassurance to UK aid organisations that they can bid for EC funding without potentially incurring additional financial risk. Support will be provided from funding that would otherwise have been channelled through the EU.

Ms Mordaunt has written to UK NGOs to confirm her funding commitment.

The letter states: “I am pleased to announce the Government’s commitment to support UK aid organisations from additional financial liabilities as a result of “no deal’ planning currently being undertaken by ECHO. This contingency plan would apply in the event that ECHO terminates funding to UK organisations when we leave the EU.

“I understand the difficulties you and your colleagues have experienced over recent months in applying for EU funding – funding for which you remain legally entitled to bid – and the frustrations you have faced in delivering the high-quality programming for which British development organisations are renowned. It is in neither the EU’s nor the UK’s interest that organisations which are best-placed are prevented from delivering our programmes.

“The UK wants to be a good development partner to the EU, now and in the future. We share a common goal of delivering excellent development outcomes for the world’s poorest. I am clear in my personal commitment to support UK organisations – the best in the world – to deliver on this common goal.”

Last month, the UK separately received important reassurances from the EU that UK aid organisations would not be discriminated against when bidding for contracts to deliver aid to refugees in Turkey.

Ms Mordaunt said she was pleased at these “reassurances” which relate to funding from the Facility for Refugees in Turkey.

At last month’s International Development Committee Ms Mordaunt highlighted the unfair contracts saying: “We are clear that the European Commission must remove these disclaimers it is using to hinder British aid organisations from delivering the common goal of alleviating poverty which would hit the world’s poorest people hardest.”

Ziylo has been bought in a £623 million deal by Novo Nordisk, the biggest maker of diabetes drugs in the world.

Effective and safe management of diabetes

The company – which was spun out of the University of Bristol 4 years ago – has pioneered a synthetic molecule that binds glucose in the bloodstream more effectively in the treatment of diabetes. It comes out of 20 years of research at the university.

This module could eliminate the risk of hypoglycaemia, where blood sugar falls below normal levels. Hypoglycaemia is the main risk to those using insulin therapy and can be dangerous if not treated properly, leading to seizures or coma.

With the acquisition, Novo Nordisk hopes to use the module to develop a new kind of insulin so that people with diabetes can manage their condition more safely.

It could take 10 years before the new treatment comes to market, with the £623 million deal staged based on the potential success of the treatment.

Research supported by Innovate UK and EPSRC

Ziylo was founded by Professor Anthony Davis, PHD student Dr Harry Destecroix and businessman Tom Smart.

The team has received various research and innovation support over the years to help translate their academic thinking into commercial application.

They went through the Innovation and Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) programme, which helps university researchers explore the commercial potential of their idea, and were awarded £500,000 by Innovate UK to set up Ziylo.

Professor Davis – a supervisor at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Synthesis – has also been supported long-term by the council with 3 awards for his research.

Dr Harry Destecroix, Chief Executive and co-founder of Ziylo, said:

Novo Nordisk is the ideal company to maximise the potential of the Ziylo glucose binding molecules in glucose responsive insulins and diabetes applications. It brings hope of a truly groundbreaking treatment to diabetes patients.