The UK is at the heart of this European Space Agency (ESA) mission to uncover the secrets of our planet’s star. Solar Orbiter will provide close-up views of the Sun’s polar regions, tracking features such as solar storms and the solar wind which causes Earth’s atmosphere to light up as the Aurora or Northern Lights. The north and south poles of the Sun ‘flipped’ in 2013 and Solar Orbiter will also explore this phenomenon.

ESA selected Airbus Defence and Space in the UK as the prime contractor on the mission in 2012, to lead a team of companies and universities from all over Europe that supply various parts of the spacecraft.

The UK is a world-leader in solar physics research and its scientists are in high demand on solar missions. UK scientists were instrumental in proposing the Solar Orbiter mission to ESA and the UK Space Agency funded teams from University College London, Imperial College London and the RALSpace to design and build three out of the ten state-of-the-art scientific instruments on board the spacecraft, and to contribute to a fourth.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Our space sector is going from strength to strength with full backing from the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy and the UK Space Agency. We have world-class scientists and a strong track record of exporting to countries all over the world. From sending spacecraft to the Sun to supporting new technologies here on Earth, our commitment to the European Space Agency will continue to deliver ground-breaking discoveries, highly-skilled jobs and substantial economic returns to Britain.

Solar Orbiter will follow in the footsteps of NASA’s Solar Parker Probe which launched in August. The two missions will offer complementary perspectives of the Sun – Parker Solar Probe will travel through the Sun’s atmosphere, while Solar Orbiter will observe the surface. In fact, their close operation should allow Solar Orbiter to capture images of the NASA spacecraft.

UK Space Agency Head of Science Chris Lee said:

This is an exciting time for solar science. UK research and engineering teams are at the heart of this mission which will help us understand more about our star – the Sun – and its effects on us all here on Earth.

Engineers at Airbus have designed and built the spacecraft to withstand the scorching heat from the Sun that will hit one side, while the other is frozen as the orbit keeps it in shadow. The design is based on the BepiColombo mission which is due to launch next month and travel to the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury – another ESA mission with significant involvement from UK engineers and scientists.

The UK’s space sector is going from strength to strength, employing around 40,000 people and carrying our world-class science while growing the economy. In 2016 the UK committed €1.4 billion across a range of ESA space programmes, leading European space research in telecommunications and Earth Observation.

This is all supported by the Government’s Industrial Strategy, with major initiatives such as the National Satellite Test Facility at Harwell and the development of a commercial spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland, which could be the first in mainland Europe. The UK continues to be a leading member of ESA, which is independent of the EU.

UK companies have significant capabilities and expertise in satellite manufacturing. Yesterday (Sunday 16 September) a UK satellite called NovaSAR-1 which was built in Surrey by SSTL launched from India. SSTL already has 40% of the world’s small satellite export market, and this new satellite will offer low cost remote sensing capabilities and services to their global customers, with a recent deal agreed with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to provide Australia a 10% share of the satellite’s capabilities.

During his visit, he will co-host the UK-China Health Dialogue in Beijing and attend the World Economic Forum to champion the UK’s world-class life sciences sector.

The health and social care secretary will promote his vision for the UK to have the most advanced health-tech sector in the world.

In Beijing, he will meet China’s Health Minister Ma Xiaowei to discuss how the UK and China can work together to help patients live longer, healthier and happier lives by harnessing the potential of technology.

The Secretary of State will also attend the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, which he is co-chairing, to highlight the shared interest around innovation in health technology. He will discuss how patients can have access to the best and most cost-effective medicines when he meets with Minister Hu Jinglin from the National Healthcare Security Administration.

Matt Hancock said:

As global leaders, the UK and China must work closely together to tackle key emerging issues in healthcare like the increasing resistance to antibiotics, the issues of an ageing population, and how we can harness the power of technology to help patients live longer, healthier and happier lives.

I want the UK to have the most advanced healthcare system in the world, and this is a great opportunity to champion our world-class life sciences and health-tech sectors.

The first ever Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit will take place in London on 8 and 9 October.

Political figures, experts and policy-makers from around the world will come together at the summit with one common goal: better mental health for all.

The meeting will help countries work together to deal with stigma attached to mental health and address other issues to do with mental ill-health.

Leading voices in health and care are being asked sign a declaration committing to putting mental health on the same footing as physical health. Average global spend on mental health is just 2.8% of government health spending. In the UK that figure is around 9.5%.

Ahead of the summit, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has started a conversation about mental health. The social media campaign asks people what we need to change in how we see and treat mental health. People around the world are being invited to share their views on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TheWorldNeeds.

A number of high-profile mental health campaigners, charities and celebrity ambassadors have already lent their support to the campaign and upcoming summit. Mental health charity Time to Change is set to launch a global film at the event, featuring a Hollywood A-lister.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

It is shocking that 1 in 4 people in the world will be affected by mental ill-health at some point in their lives and around 450 million people are currently living with a diagnosed mental ill-health condition.

For too long we have collectively failed to grasp the true magnitude of the problem. We owe it to everyone to put mental and physical health on an equal footing, to try and eradicate the apathy towards mental health once and for all. I urge policy-makers and leaders to put mental health at the front of their minds.

The Class 88 locomotive was described as a potential ‘game-changer’ in terms of electric freight train operation.

The Class 88, built by Stadler, is an electric locomotive that also boasts a powerful 750kW Caterpillar diesel engine which provides unrivalled flexibility allowing it to run on electrified and non-electrified parts of the rail network.

DRS, subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is using single Class 88 locomotives on its intermodal freight services which run daily between Daventry and Mossend.

Class 88s have also been used to operate DRS’s nuclear flask services nationwide, using electric power on the West and East Coast Mainlines and diesel power for long stretches of track that aren’t electrified.

The judges felt that the Class 88 has provided an excellent solution to efficient freight train operation into rail terminals. The ability to use metered electric power where available has also achieved considerable fuel cost savings.

This latest success comes hot on the heels of the Rail Freight Group Awards on Tuesday, where DRS received the ‘Business of the Year’ award. This accolade is presented to the company that the judges consider to be the overall best performing business in the rail freight sector.

Chris Connelly, Chief Operating Officer for DRS, said:

The DRS team is incredibly proud of the awards it has won over the past few days.

The recognition is testament to what can be achieved through effective teamwork together with huge support from our customers and suppliers. I would like to give my personal thanks to everyone involved as we look forward to many more exciting times ahead.

Judges said that DRS is a company that has shown excellence in several key areas this year and had “demonstrated a commitment to designing and implement exactly the right services for each customer, as well as introducing a very progressive staff development structure.” This had included giving office-based staff the chance to start a new career as train drivers.

Judges added:

Managing director, Debbie Francis, is at the forefront of championing the cause of rail freight in the wider business community and the role of women within the rail industry itself. The company shows an outstanding commitment to its customers, employees and the wider community.

This was not the only award on the night, DRS worked with Eddie Stobart Limited, to introduce a seasonal train in just two weeks in October 2017 to win the Customer Care Award.

DRS was also runner up in the ‘Community and Environmental Responsibility’ award for their efforts with the annual charity open day, sponsorship and donations fund and volunteer work in the community.

During August, there were five new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port, three vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of three vessels remain under detention at the end of August.

1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.

3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.

4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.

5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).

Notes on the list of detentions

• Full details of the ship.
  The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
• Company.
  The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
• Classification Society.
  The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship only.
• Recognised Organisation.
  Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag State
• White (WL), Grey (GL) and Black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag State.

SHIPS DETAINED IN August 2018

Vessel Name: LUZERN

GT: 27900

IMO: 9240794

Flag: Switzerland (White list)

Company: Massoel Shipping

Classification Society: NKK

Recognised Organisation: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV-GL

Date and Place of Detention: 7th August 2018 at Belfast

Summary: Six deficiencies with one ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
08416 – Ropes and wires	Damaged	No
10109 – Lights, shapes and sound signals	Damaged	No
06104 – Lashing material	Inadequate	No
07101 – Fire Protection and Structural integrity	Inadequate	No
07101 – Fire Protection and Structural integrity	Inadequate	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 10th August 2018

Vessel Name: VIKINGFJORD

GT: 526

IMO: 7382627

Flag: Norway (White list)

Company: Myklebushhaug Management AS

Classification Society: NA

Recognised Organisation: NA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Norway

Date and Place of Detention: 8th August 2018 at Grimsby

Summary: Fourteen deficiencies with Two grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01108 – Loadline (Including exemptions)	Invalid	Yes
01214 – Endorsement of flag state	Missing	No
10111 – Charts	Missing	No
01308 – Records of seafarers’ daily hours of work or rest	False	No
10111 – Charts	Missing	No
10105 – Magnetic compass	Missing	No
07199 – Other (Fire safety)	Other	No
08499 – Other (Health protection, medical care	Not as required	No
08499 – Other (Health protection, medical care	Not as required	No
07199 – Other (Fire safety)	Other	No
08199 – Alarms other	Other	No
07199 – Other (Fire safety)	Other	No
07199 – Other (Fire safety)	Other	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 9th August 2018

Vessel Name: SIEM COMMANDER

GT: 2807

IMO: 9420150

Flag: Norway (White list)

Company: Siem Offshore AS

Classification Society: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV-GL

Date and Place of Detention: 10th August 2018 at Falmouth

Summary: Six deficiencies with three grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
04617– Sulphur content of fuel used	Not as required	No
10615 – Fuel change over procedure	Missing	No
07115 – Fire dampers	Inoperative	Yes
11113 – Launching arrangements for rescue boats	Not properly maintained	Yes
11131 – On board training and instructions	Not as required	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 12th August 2018

Vessel Name: TUNGOR

GT: 7138

IMO: 9570638

Flag: Liberia (White list)

Company: Fenco- West Ltd

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Liberia

Date and Place of Detention: 13th August 2018 at Ellesmere Port

Summary: Ten deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
09232 – Cleanliness of the engine room	Insufficient	Yes
14607 – Quality of fuel oil	Not as required	No
13103 – Gauges, Thermometers etc	Missing	No
07106 – Fire detection and alarm system	Not as required	No
10101 – Gyro compass	Inoperative	No
18409 – Dangerous areas	Not as required	No
11105 – Rescue boat inventory	Not as required	No
07120 – Means of escape	Not as required	No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire – resisting divisions	Not as required	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 23rd August 2018

Vessel Name: H&S PRUDENCE

GT: 1556

IMO: 9226188

Flag: Netherlands (White list)

Company: EEMS Werken

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: BV

Date and Place of Detention: 13th August 2018 at Immingham

Summary: Twelve deficiencies with one ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01315 – Oil record book	Not properly filled	No
08011 – General alarm	Malfunctioning	No
01336 – Certificate of documentary evidence of financial security for repatriation	Not as required	No
10101 – Pilot ladders hoist/pilot transfer	Missing	No
10118 – Speed and distance indicator	Missing	No
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Not as required	No
14109 – Fire drills	Lack of knowledge	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
01308 – Record of seafarers’ daily hours or rest	False	No
18426 – Exposure to harmful levels of ambient factors	Not as required	No
16105 – Acess control ship	Not as required	No
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA)	Invalid	No

This vessel was released on 23rd August 2018

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: POSEIDON

GT: 1412

IMO: 7363217

Flag: Iceland (White list)

Company: Neptune EHF

Classification Society: NA

Recognised Organisation: NA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV-GL

Date and Place of Detention: 19th July 2018 at Hull

Summary: Ten deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01199 – Other certificates	Other	No
01218 – Medical	Incorrect language	No
02106 – Hull damage impairing seaworthiness	Holed	Yes
07113 – Fire Pumps	Insufficient Pressure	Yes
07103 – Divisions – Decks, bulkheads and penetrations	Not as required	No
12107 – Ballast, fuel and other tanks	Not as required	Yes
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions	No
01101 – Cargo Ship Safety Equipment (including exemption)	Missing	No
01102 – Cargo Ship Safety Construction (including exemption)	Missing	No
01104 – Cargo Ship Safety Radio (including exemption)	Missing	No

This vessel was still detained on 31st August 2018

Vessel Name: TECOIL POLARIS

GT: 1814

IMO No: 8883290

Flag: Russian Federation (Grey list)

Company: Tecoil Shipping Ltd

Classification Society: RMRS

Recognised Organisation: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: RMRS

Date and Place of Detention: 6th June 2018 at Immingham

Summary: Twenty-Seven deficiencies with eight grounds for detentions

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01123 – Continuous synopsis record	Entries missing	No
01218 – Medical certificate	Missing	No
01320 – Garbage record book	Incorrect	No
01308 – Record of seafarers’ daily hours of work or rest	False	No
04110 – Abandon ship drill	Insufficient frequency	No
10105 – Magnetic compass	Inoperative	Yes
10128 – Navigation bridge visibility	Not as required	No
10104 – Gyro compass	Inoperative	Yes
11122 – Radio life-saving appliances	Inoperative	No
11129 – Operational readiness of lifesaving appliances	Not as required	Yes
04109 – Fire drills	Lack of communication	No
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Not as required	Yes
10123 – International code of signals – SOLAS	Missing	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
05110 – Facilities for reception of marine safety inform.	Not as required	No
05199 – Other (radiocommunication)	Other	No
11104 – Rescue boats	Not properly maintained	Yes
11101 – Lifeboats	Not ready for use	Yes
10101 – Pilot ladder and hoist/pilot transfer arrangements	Unsafe	No
06105 – Atmosphere testing instrument	Not properly maintained	No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions	Not as required	No
01117 – International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP)	Invalid	Yes
14604 – Bunker delivery note	Not as required	No
01315 – Oil record book	Not properly filled	No
02105 – Steering gear	Not properly maintained	No
02108 – Electrical installations in general	Not properly maintained	No
11134 – Operations of life saving appliances	Lack of familiarity	No

This vessel was still detained on 31st August 2018

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification Society: Unclassed.

Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 31st August 2018

Notes to Editors
• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:
+44 (0) 2380 329 401
Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.