Press release: Trade Minister visits New Zealand and Australia

  • Minister for Investment Graham Stuart visits New Zealand and Australia, the first Department for International Trade minister to do so since the opening of consultations on future trade relationships
  • Minister promoted opportunities for UK firms in NZ infrastructure and launches a joint UK-Australia investment report which shows UK is now second largest destination for Australian investment
  • He’ll also visit China to promote UK smart cities expertise as UK-China trade reaches all-time high of £66.5 billion

With consultations over future trade relationships with New Zealand and Australia now open, Trade Minister Graham Stuart has become the first government minister to visit the countries since the consultations began.

Earlier this week, Graham Stuart was promoting was promoting UK businesses at New Zealand’s biggest infrastructure event and today (Friday 17th August) launches a joint UK-Australian investment report alongside Steven Ciobo, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

The report shows that the investment relationship between the UK and Australia grew by 22 per cent from 2010 to 2017 to more than £50 billion, meaning that the UK is now the second-largest destination for Australian foreign direct investment (FDI).

Over 500 Australian companies operate in the UK, while more than 1,200 UK companies are in Australia, employing 95,000 people. This includes BAE Systems, which landed a £20 billion contract to build nine British-designed warships in Adelaide, creating 4,000 jobs.

Combined trade between the UK and both New Zealand and Australia was worth £18.8 billion in 2018 (£2.8 billion and £16 billion respectively).

Graham Stuart, UK Minister for Investment, said:

We’ve taken a major step towards building our bilateral trading relationships with Australia and New Zealand – 2 of our closest international partners – by opening consultations on our potential future agreements. Combined, their investment into the UK delivered 95 new projects last year, creating almost 2,500 British jobs. These consultations will examine new possibilities for British exporters in the region, especially in technology and infrastructure.

The Department for international Trade is determined to help UK businesses take advantage of opportunities these, and maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s top destination for FDI.

Steven Ciobo, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment said:

Across diverse industries ranging from defence to education, technology and infrastructure, Australia and the UK continue to invest in ways that increase prosperity and create jobs in both countries.

Both countries offer large, open and flexible economies as well as an ideal location from which to access other regional opportunities, be it in Europe or Asia.

Following his visits to New Zealand and Australia, the Minister will head to the Chinese city of Shenzhen next week, where he will promote the UK’s smart cities capability at the China Smart City Expo.

Non-EU countries make up the bulk of the UK’s services exports (60.6% as of May 2018), with demand for world-class British expertise in countries such as China expected to propel this proportion higher in the years to come.

He will also visit telecommunications giant Huawei, who recently committed £3 billion of investment to the UK over the next 5 years, with a UK workforce already of 1,500 people.

UK trade with China is now at an all-time high of £66.5 billion as of the first quarter of 2018.

More information

The visit comes after the fourth meeting of the UK-Australia trade working group in July, with Prime Ministers Theresa May and Malcolm Turnbull reiterating the shared goal of a free trade agreement once the UK leaves the EU.

The Department for International Trade offers a range of export and investment support including through its new global network of HM Trade Commissioners.




News story: Brigadier promotion for lifetime Reservist and Dstl employee

Andy’s time as a reservist has been in addition to a full-time career, beginning as an electronics engineering apprentice before his time in Bosnia prompted the move to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). In 16 years at Dstl, Andy has worked in a number of areas, beginning with the replacement of the ‘Wheelbarrow’ – a bomb disposal remote control vehicle (RCV), then focusing on electronic countermeasures and IEDs and, most recently, undertaking a Masters in International Security and Strategy while at the Royal College of Defence Studies, with a focus on artificial intelligence.

Working for a defence executive agency can have natural parallels with reservist duties and Dstl recognises the value of reservists, providing 15 days’ special paid leave for annual training commitments. Andy said:

Dstl’s strength lies in its people and their individual knowledge, skills and experience. As the UK’s leading government agency in applying science and technology to the defence and security of the UK, reservists are able to leverage their military experience to the benefit of Dstl. Quid pro quo, the Regular Armed Forces benefit from Dstl reservists, given their specific defence-related roles.

He also conveyed how operational service, both as reservists and as civil servants, highlights what a difference Dstl staff can make on the ground. Equally, as the first reserve officer to command a troop on live bomb disposal tasks, Andy brought back real insight to Dstl for what is needed on the front line in Bosnia, adding:

When I was deployed as a bomb disposal officer, I wasn’t dealing with IEDs (like those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan). My team and I were dealing with air dropped weapons (large unexploded bombs), unexploded mortars, booby-trapped grenades, rockets that had malfunctioned and thousands of mines, both anti-vehicular and anti-personnel left over from the War. Our biggest threat came from booby-trapped mines.

Andrew Wood - Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Commander alongside the Cluster Bomb Aimable Container.
Andrew Wood – Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Commander alongside the Cluster Bomb Aimable Container.

As a reservist, Andy received the same training as his regular counterparts and when commanding troops the same high standards are necessary for safety and mutual trust:

Needless to say the sense of ‘belonging’ and team work in the Army is very strong, and arguably more so within explosive ordnance disposal.

He is still proudly representing the Army Reserve Force and he recently found himself at a 10 Downing Street breakfast reception with the Secretary of State for Defence, Gavin Williamson, to mark Reserves Day. After an impressive 36 years as a reservist, Andy takes up a new role next year as Deputy Director of Land Warfare Centre in Warminster.




News story: New fees for permission to enter or disturb mining interests

The changes to fees will take effect from 1 October 2018 and all fees will be inclusive of VAT.

Fees are determined by:

  • the area of application
  • the number of boreholes
  • the number of mine entries to be investigated or treated

The minimum fee for any application will be £111.00.

Area of application

For the area of application, the cost will be £111.00 per 0.1 hectare, up to a maximum of £2775.00 for 2.5 hectares or above.

Any number of shafts or adits within this area are included within the area fee.

Number of boreholes

Where boreholes are planned for initial investigation purposes only, these will be charged at £55.50 per borehole.

Should treatment then prove necessary, then a further application would be required to cover the whole treatment area at £111.00 per 0.1 hectare, but the initial application fee will be deducted from this.

Mine entries to be investigated or treated

Shaft and adit investigation or treatment will be charged at £111.00 each, when not included within the above applications.

Further information about fees

For further information regarding fees in connection with applications for permission to enter or disturb coal mining interests, please contact:

Coal Authority licensing and permissions team

Coal Authority
200 Lichfield Lane
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 4RG

Monday to Thursday: 8:45am to 5:00pm
Friday: 8:45am to 4:30pm




News story: Tune in to Companies House

People like to access news and find out information in different ways. Some like to read long articles online. Others prefer to watch short videos or view infographics on social media.

We produce content in lots of different formats to cater for everybody. As well as our website and blog, we’re on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Following us on these channels will help you stay up to date with our latest news.

Recently we’ve created several new podcasts. Podcasts give people more flexibility on how and when they listen. They can also provide detailed information in an engaging way.

You can listen to our podcasts on our Soundcloud channel. They cover topics such as how to use our services and filing information. They also feature personal and engaging conversations with staff and business owners.

In our latest podcast we speak to Nicola Reed, owner and manager of Lullabyz Nursery. Nicola talks about setting up her business, and how it’s grown since opening in 2011.

The podcast forms part of a series of case studies where we speak to small business owners. We find out about the challenges and advantages of owning your own business, and what advice they’d give to others.

Our next podcast will be published on 20 August. It’s about corporate social responsibility (CSR) – what it is, why it’s so important, and our responsibility as a government organisation to help the local community.




News story: Degree-level Apprenticeship in Economics

The Institute for Apprenticeships has now approved the Professional Economist Integrated Degree Apprenticeship for delivery.

A diverse range of employers from across the industry helped to design and develop the new standard, as part of the Professional Economist Apprenticeship trailblazer group, led by the Government Economic Service (GES).

Open to those with 3 A-Levels and an aptitude for maths, this 4-year integrated degree apprenticeship will create a new career route to becoming a professional economist. Once complete, apprentices will have a level 6 apprenticeship, an economics degree, along with the experience of 4 years on-the-job training.

For the GES, this is a new recruitment route into the profession. Apprentices will be provided with all the training to meet the high standards required of a government economist, through both formal and on the job learning, whilst earning.

This Standard is now open and available to all employers. For public sector organisations, the GES are leading on the procurement of a training provider partner, to be in place by mid-September 2018. Around 75 economist apprentices will be appointed across the Civil Service and wider public sector by August 2019, with training starting September 2019.

This new apprenticeship model is a key step in broadening the range of entry routes into the economics profession, and providing the opportunity for those from diverse backgrounds to embark upon a career in economics.

To find out more about this great opportunity, visit: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/professional-economist-degree/