Press release: UK security and defence collaboration with Japan steps up a level

In light of serious challenges to the rules-based international order – most recently the unprecedented threat posed by North Korea – the Prime Minister Theresa May is set to announce a significant step up in cooperation.

Japan is already the UK’s closest security partner in Asia, and the Prime Minister will say that even closer cooperation will ensure we can continue to stand alongside our Japanese friends and allies to further our shared interests and meet our shared challenges in an uncertain world.

The Prime Minister is expected to say that Japan is a natural partner for the UK on defence and security issues, as two outward-looking countries both firmly committed to supporting the rules-based international system and the promotion of democratic values.

As responsible members of the United Nations and through our cooperation on the Security Council, we work together in pursuit of important common foreign policy goals, including finding a peaceful solution to the North Korean problem and ensuring the rigorous implementation of sanctions against the North Korean regime. Our military personnel also work alongside one another in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, and we are jointly leading pioneering de-mining and peacekeeping work across Africa.

Highlighting the importance both sides are placing on working more closely together than ever before, the Prime Minister will today attend a meeting of the Japanese National Security Council in Tokyo – becoming only the second ever foreign leader to do so and the first European leader ever to be granted such privileged access.

The two leaders are expected to agree a new “Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation” with the UK, which will include.

  • Defence:

    While recognising that our work together on defence is already particularly strong, with our Typhoon fighter jets exercising in Japan last year for example, the Prime Minister will announce that we are now taking this even further with the deployment of HMS Argyll to the region in December 2018, and UK troops exercising jointly with their Japanese counterparts next year. This will be a first for non-US troops on Japanese soil.

  • Cyber Security:

    Following PM Abe’s visit to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre earlier this year, the UK and Japan will agree to cooperate on cyber security ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics and share best practice and expertise, including through an exchange of expert visits. The UK’s support, built on decades of expertise in managing cyber crime and other malicious cyber activity, will help enhance Games security.

  • Counter Terrorism:

    The two countries will agree much improved information-sharing and will strengthen cooperation on aviation security and tackling violent extremism. We will also offer practical support to Japan’s Olympics counter-terrorism preparation, sharing best practice on mass event safety and security through expert exchanges.

The Prime Minister will visit the headquarters of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) at Yokosuka outside Tokyo today, where she will receive a briefing from Japanese and UK military personnel on-board IZUMO, the largest vessel in the JMSDF. The briefing will focus on the strength of the UK-Japan defence relationship, including joint mine countermeasures work in the region.

Speaking at the National Security Council today, the Prime Minister will say:

It is a great honour to be invited to attend this meeting of Japan’s National Security Council.

As two outward-facing countries with many shared priorities and shared challenges, Japan remains a natural partner for us on defence and security issues.

I am determined that our defence and security cooperation will continue to go from strength to strength, enhancing our collective response to threats to the international order and to global peace and security, through increased cooperation on defence, cyber security, and counter-terrorism.

And that must include confronting the threat that North Korea poses and ensuring the regime stops its aggressive acts.



News story: Ofsted launches new point-in-time questionnaires

The questionnaires are for children and young people as well as parents, carers and staff.

Ofsted has today (Thursday 31 August) issued its annual point-in-time questionnaires about the residential provision of boarding schools, residential special schools, and further education colleges.

Ofsted inspectors want to hear what children and young people, their parents and carers, and staff have to say about the boarding or residential provision of these schools and further education colleges. Their responses will help inform future inspections.

Questions for children and young people include:

  • do staff look after you well?
  • do you feel safe inside your school or college accommodation?
  • can you talk to staff about what you think?

Ofsted is asking for responses by Thursday 12 October.

Schools and colleges should provide children and young people, their parents and carers, and staff with a link to the questionnaire. Alternatively, anyone wishing to offer their views can contact Ofsted on 0300 123 1231 (select option 5 and then option 2) or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.



Notice: Westerham Golf Club Limited: application made to abstract water

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for the abstraction and impoundment of water.

These notices explain:

  • what the application is about
  • which Environment Agency offices you can visit to see the application documents on the public register
  • when you need to comment by


News story: Inspiring new products and services: apply for business funding

Innovate UK has up to £25 million to invest in emerging and enabling technologies that could support UK economic growth in the future.

Projects can be carried out in a range of areas including:

  • emerging technologies such as biofilms, energy harvesting, graphene and imaging
  • digital technologies
  • electronics sensors and photonics
  • robotics and autonomous systems
  • creative economy and design
  • space applications

The aim is to support technologies that have the potential to transform commercial markets or that could make a difference to UK economic growth across many different sectors.

Up to £15 million of the funding has been set aside for research and development projects. A further £10 million is for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

  • the competition opens on 4 September 2017, and the deadline for applications is midday on 8 November 2017
  • research and development projects:
    • must involve at least one SME, working alone or in collaboration
    • must involve at least 2 partners working together if project costs are more than £100,000
    • can vary in size between £35,000 and £2 million and last between 3 months and 3 years
  • businesses can attract up to 70% of their total project costs
  • funding is available for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, which link a business with an academic or research organisation and a qualified graduate
  • briefing events take place across the UK during September


Press release: Farming groups given £1.7 million to boost the environment

The third round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund is open for applications from 1 September to 14 November 2017. The fund encourages landowners to think beyond their own fields, meadows and woodlands and consider how environmental benefits can be achieved over a wider landscape by working on projects together.

Since the scheme began, it has supported 61 groups and 1,350 land managers to improve more than 273,000 hectares of land. Improvements include enhancing wildlife habitats, planting trees and restoring rivers to their natural meanders.

To apply, groups must submit new plans for working together and sharing knowledge to improve their land and benefit their communities.

An example of a group already benefitting from funding is the Bourn Brook Facilitation Fund, which joined the scheme in 2015. Since then, 20 farms covering more than 6,500 hectares have worked together to connect local ancient woodland, improve river quality and encourage other farmers to get involved in the environmental work.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

The benefits of action to develop habitats and protect the environment can be magnified if applied on a landscape scale with groups of farmers working together. This facilitation fund will support partnership working to maximise the benefits of our Countryside Stewardship schemes to our farmed environment.

Leaving the EU creates a great opportunity to design a new agriculture policy that delivers environmental outcomes more effectively and testing partnership working in this way will help provide us with experience to inform future policy.

Chief Executive of Natural England James Cross said:

This scheme is about helping more farmers and land managers make the most of Countryside Stewardship and bring benefits for nature and people on a landscape scale. This is really exciting, a real win-win for farmers, land managers, rural communities and of course, our wildlife.

We are proud to be using the Fund to help support rural areas. By working with groups of land managers, facilitators can scale up what we can achieve and help deliver long-term outcomes for the environment.

Across England a total of £7.2 million has been committed through the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund. Groups of land managers are improving their local environment at a landscape-scale. This builds on the principles of partnership working to deliver ambitious, evidence-based actions that will deliver for the environment, business and local communities.

See the main Facilitation Fund page for more information and how to apply.