• £8.8 million distributed among 9 UK-based competition winners and an evaluation project
• ideas aimed at helping hospitality, retail and education sectors to take control of their energy use through the use of smart meters
• smart systems could save Great Britain up to £40 billion in the coming decades

Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the hospitality and retail sectors like high street cafés, restaurants and shops, as well as schools and colleges are set to benefit from new, innovative ideas aimed at reducing their energy use.

Together these sectors use the same amount of energy as 4.3 million homes, but through more efficient practice this number could be cut by more than 1 million. Funding of £8.8 million has been awarded to help develop and evaluate technologies that will help these sectors take control of their energy use through the use of smart meters, as part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

The innovative smart technologies of an upgraded energy grid, like electronic household devices and thermostats you can control from a mobile phone, can help the country save up to £40 billion on energy costs over decades to come and smart meters will be central to this revolution.

The UK based competition winners, ranging from small energy management companies to tech giants Samsung and Toshiba, have designed smart information systems that give businesses real-time, tailored data on their energy use, helping them save money by being more efficient.

The benefits range from highlighting spikes in energy use in real-time and recommending ways to cut use in the long-term, to identifying faulty equipment or inefficient ways of working.

Over 11 million smart meters are in operation in homes and small businesses around Great Britain, helping consumers take control of their energy use and bring down their bills. Despite this, there is currently a lack of products specifically aimed at small and medium-sized businesses to help them to use their smart meters to take control of their energy consumption. Competition winners have been granted funds to develop such products.

Minister for Energy and Clean Growth Claire Perry said:

The scale of the ambition displayed by the winning projects demonstrates that the UK is ready to lead the world when it comes to helping smaller businesses understand their energy use through smart systems.

Energy costs for businesses can be one of the hardest things to understand and control, but these projects can change that, as well as help educate the next generation in our schools on the importance of controlling our energy consumption.

Smart meters are an opportunity for us to rewrite the rules on how we engage with the energy market and these winners will ensure that the benefits can be felt by businesses and schools as well as homes.

Case studies

Case study 1

RAE2, an energy management system will acquire data from Smart / Advanced Meters and undertake complex analytics in order to create a visual representation of energy usage for the business or site. As a result of this analysis, the system will be able to:

• create energy strategies aligned to business needs
• set energy budgets for individual machines or individual operational activities
• monitor energy usage in near real-time and schedule workloads accordingly
• rectify operational and operator behavioural issues quickly
• identify potentially faulty machines or operational issues

Case study 2

Considerate Hoteliers is developing an energy management app for the SME hospitality market to drive savings in energy and thus cost and carbon emissions across the sector. The app will provide users with information they can act on immediately to minimise operational inefficiencies and reduce energy consumption and associated costs allowing them to see:

• daily energy performance trends correlated to room nights and/or food covers
• trends in utility costs
• quick wins – recommendations on how to save energy
• opportunity to record implemented actions and track impact
• alerts of spikes in consumption – allowing for real time action

Notes to editors

The 9 competition winners are:

• ANDtr (AND Technology Research)
• Considerate Hoteliers
• Element Energy
• Hildebrand
• Hoare Lea
• Pilio
• Samsung
• Toshiba
• Transition Bath

Ipsos MORI and the Carbon Trust will help evaluate the impact and effectiveness of competition projects as they develop, and provide support to participants.

This will generate a practical evidence based on what works best for businesses to engage with their smart meter data, and change their behaviour to reduce energy consumption.

One of the UK’s leading academics in regulation and a senior investment banker have been appointed by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, today as the new external members of the Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC).

Professor Julia Black is one of the country’s leading academics in regulation law based at the London School of Economics. Jill May is an experienced investment banker, having spent 24 years at S.G.Warburg & Co. Ltd and UBS. They will both serve three year terms on the Committee, which makes the most important decisions of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), one of the UK’s financial regulators.

The Chancellor also announced today the reappointment of Norval Bryson to the PRC for a further three-year term.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond said:

Julia’s extensive knowledge of financial regulation and Jill’s impressive career will be valuable assets to the vital work of the Committee.

I would like to thank Charles Randell and David Thorburn for their significant contributions to the PRC over their terms, and I want to wish them all the best for the future.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney said:

I am delighted to welcome Julia Black and Jill May to the Prudential Regulation Committee. Julia is already contributing to improve how markets operate, having joined the SONIA oversight committee. Her deep knowledge of financial markets regulation will now be a valuable addition to the PRC. Jill’s extensive expertise in banking and fund management, and experience with issues around competition in markets, will also strengthen the expertise of the PRC in these areas. I look forward to working with them.

I am also glad that Norval Bryson has agreed to serve a further term on the PRC. His knowledge of the insurance industry has been immensely valuable to the Committee.

Professor Julia Black said:

I am honoured to have been appointed as an external member of the PRC. I look forward to working with the rest of the Committee and the executive team and to contributing to the essential role the Bank has supervising UK banks and insurance companies and protecting policy holders.

Jill May said:

It is a privilege to be joining the PRC and I am excited have the opportunity to bring my investment banking and competition regulation experience to the Committee. I look forward to contributing to its varied and vital work.

Further Information

• Professor Julia Black is also a Fellow of the British Academy and has held posts as a visiting fellow at All Souls, Oxford, and the University of Sydney. Julia will take up her position on the Committee from 30 November 2018

• Jill May recently served as a Non-Executive Director (NED) at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). She will take up her position on the Committee from 23 July 2018

• Norval Bryson is a qualified actuary and was a NED of Scottish Widows Group and latterly Deputy Chairman. He was also a NED of TSB Bank from June 2013 until June 2015

The current members of the PRC are:

• Andrew Bailey (Chief Executive Officer, Financial Conduct Authority)
• David Belsham (External Member)
• Sandra Boss (External Member)
• Ben Broadbent (Deputy Governor, Monetary Policy)
• Norval Bryson (External Member)
• Mark Carney (Governor, Bank of England)
• Sir John Cunliffe (Deputy Governor, Financial Stability)
• Sir Dave Ramsden (Deputy Governor, Markets & Banking)
• Sam Woods (Deputy Governor, Prudential Regulation and Chief Executive Officer, PRA)
• Mark Yallop (External Member)

Honourable Minister, Members of the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary, colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Queen’s Birthday Party celebrations for 2018. This has been a fabulous year for Her Majesty the Queen, with the arrival of a new grandson, Louis, who becomes fifth in line to the throne. And of course the beautiful wedding of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex to Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex.

Rock of stability

Her Majesty has just turned 92 years old and has served 65 years as The Queen. She remains an inspiration to and the figurehead of our nation. The Queen and her family are a rock of stability in the turbulent seas of economic and political change as Britain prepares for Brexit and a new role globally. Talking of change… of course, the last 12 months in Zimbabwe have not been entirely without incident! We do indeed live in interesting times. But I think they are hopeful times. You can feel it. Zimbabwe has a revitalised politics with new energy, new leaders and new ideas on all sides. There is an opening of political space, and the kind of vibrant public debate that we have not had for many years.

No room for complacency

There is no room for complacency however. Zimbabwe’s future rests on the legitimate victory of a government chosen by the people of Zimbabwe in a free and fair election. So much is riding on this now. It will be the key to unlocking the reengagement of international institutions, to debt restructuring, to infrastructure investment, to re-joining the Commonwealth and to all the support we can give.This election will be observed and scrutinised more intensely than any other in Zimbabwe’s history. I am delighted that European Union, US and Commonwealth observers will be joining SADC and AU and domestic observers to help make these elections as good as they can be.

Friend and partner

The British government wants to work with Zimbabwe as a friend and partner, and as equals on the basis of mutual respect. We want the economy to come back and will do everything we can to help the people of Zimbabwe to realise their full potential. We want Zimbabwe take up its rightful position in the international community, as a model of democracy, human rights and rule of law. We were absolutely delighted that the first steps have been taken to rejoin the Commonwealth. The events of November 2017, were truly momentous and much has changed. Since then, two UK Government Ministers have been to Zimbabwe, along with several high-level official and business delegations. And in London, we have welcomed government ministers including of course you, the Foreign and Trade Minister, as well as Opposition leaders.

Delegation of UK investors

Just this week, our largest delegation of investors came and met with both the Government and the Opposition leadership. I think it is fair to say the investors were encouraged by what they saw, but they still want assurances around policy, political risk and the rule of law. As I look back over my time here, I am delighted to see the strengthening of UK/Zimbabwe relations. The foundation is of course the people-to-people links. Let me touch on those briefly. We are delighted to have a vibrant British Council programme, ably led in recent years by Sam Harvey, who sadly leaves this summer. The British Council runs Arts and Culture initiatives for young artists across the country. Their programmes focus on storytelling, insight and connections. They support creative hubs in Mutare, Bulawayo and Harare to showcase Zimbabwean and UK creative talent. This is the sort of talent that will be so important in the future economic and cultural life of Zimbabwe.

Improving food security

We are also proud that British people provide support to the people of Zimbabwe through the Department for International Development, led by Annabel Gerry. A few examples of what that means in practice: We have supported 2.3 million rural Zimbabweans gain access to clean water. We have helped 96, 000 children to have a decent basic education. We have trained over 150,000 farming households, increasing incomes and improving food security for more than 600,000 people. And through the whole British Mission we support Zimbabwe’s civil society organisations so that all Zimbabwean voices are heard, whether they are the voices of women, young people, the vulnerable or those who identify as LGBTI.

Mentoring programme for cooks

I have particularly appreciated engaging with the women of Zimbabwe – from working with the brave female politicians standing up for a better, more equal future, to participating in a mentoring programme for aspiring, talented young cooks from disadvantaged backgrounds – and they are here with us today. I hope the new Zimbabwe will give a greater voice to the women – to the 52% of the population who need to be heard. Without this, Zimbabwe will never truly shine. Turning now to the theme of this year’s QBP: Zimbabwe is wonderful and special place for nature and wildlife. But to protect these magnificent species we need to focus on the threat of wildlife crime and illegal trade.

British embassy wildlife initiatives

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has identified clamping down on the illegal wildlife trade as one of his two highest priorities, and he is mobilising a British government initiative to defeat the trade in ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales and other illegally traded items. The British Embassy has supported a number of initiatives over the last year in this area. My team, raised the money, and support to renovate a Landrover used by the Akashinga all-female counter-poaching unit in the Mana Pools area. We funded the construction of a stock dam and fishponds for rural communities surrounding parks areas who need good access to water and alternative protein sources.

IWT conference

Over the next year we aim to do much more. And London will host a major international conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in October this year. Whoever is President in October will be invited to attend that conference. I am delighted to introduce to you today Rumbi Magwiro from the African Lion Environmental Research Trust, Ronnie Chirumuta from Birdlife Zimbabwe and Prisca Daka and Moses Mutemiri from Speak Out for Animals. Prisca and Moses work on spreading knowledge of wildlife law in Zimbabwe. I am sure that you, like me will agree that these four young Zimbabweans demonstrate exactly why the future of this country can be so bright.

A multi-million pound fund to help tackle the construction skills shortage has been launched by the Skills Minister Anne Milton today (18 June).

With 158,000 new construction jobs expected to be created in the UK over the next five years, the £22million Construction Skills Fund will bring training to construction sites – allowing learners to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment.

This will help meet the needs of employers and tackle the construction skills shortage, while also supporting those who want to join the industry, particularly adult learners.

The 18-month scheme is funded by the Department for Education and will be administered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Skills Minister Anne Milton said:

For our economy to thrive we need everyone, regardless of their age or background, to be able to get the training and the skills they need to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

The Government has committed to building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s and we want to make sure that we are investing in the UK skills base to deliver this.

A career in construction offers the chance for many people to establish and grow their own business.

On-site training will be hugely beneficial for employers and trainees, as it will help bridge the gap between training and working in the industry, meaning trainees are site-ready sooner.

Minister of State for Housing Dominic Raab said:

A construction workforce with new and innovative skills is essential to building a housing market fit for the future.

We have already invested £1bn to develop modern approaches in the industry and the Construction Skills Fund will teach builders the skills they need to deliver 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s.

The fund forms a vital part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy – a long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future by helping businesses create jobs in every part of the UK.

It underlines the Government’s commitment to improving education standards for everyone, so they can gain the skills they need to succeed and can secure good jobs.

The fund aims to support:

• 20 on-site training hubs
• Work experience and placements for people working to join the industry
• Entry pathways for those currently unemployed
• Pathways for career switchers.

CITB is now calling on employers, housing associations and other interested bodies such as LEPs and local authorities to submit expressions of interest. These can be from both existing and prospective on-site learning hubs.

The funding will only support on-site training provision, and access to live construction projects is essential to qualify.

Steve Radley, Policy Director at CITB, said:

The Construction Skills Fund is a milestone scheme for the sector and provides a significant investment in skills and training. It will help attract new talent and bridge the gap between training and working in the industry.

Having training on or near to major projects will reveal what an exciting sector this can be, while also putting new talent in the shop window.

We want all interested organisations to submit Expressions of Interest that are innovative, collaborative and with training at their heart. We will support applicants through the process and provide expert guidance to apply to the fund.

We are pleased to help deliver this major new project and we are confident that, with industry support, it can help meet construction’s skills needs now and in the future.