With an aim of enabling better sustainment of the Armed Forces, LOGNET sought to retain a continuous dialogue between industry and Defence by explaining the challenges which Defence is currently seeking to solve. It highlighted emerging themes where focussed effort was being placed, with the broad spectrum of attendees from across the logistic enterprise providing a useful forum for developing ideas and exploring a breadth of views.

Major General Angus Fay CB, the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Logistic Operations) opened the event with the strategic context for Defence Logistics:

Coming out of the campaigning era, logistics needed to be made fit for purpose and we have achieved that. But Defence is still transforming and we have big challenges. Currently we are supporting 32 named operations in five continents, enabling over 20 training teams, deploying a force out to Ex SAIF SAREEA in Oman later this year, and at the same time maintaining a physical Royal Navy presence in the Pacific.

From this, the question I’ve been asked is how do we make ourselves more deployable and how do we make ourselves more lethal at the far end? The answer is readiness and being materially ready. And this idea of being prepared and responsive to deploy to continental Europe, the Middle East and to the Pacific remains a major challenge for us. Trying to address these issues is why we need to continue to modernise Defence logistics.

The General’s introduction was followed by presentations from the j-Hub on how they are attempting to achieve faster procurement, an overview of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Sustainment Procurement Agency and the benefits it can provide to civilian companies, and briefs from the Concept and Force Development team on potential areas of technology to conduct research and development. The remainder of the conference focussed on two key technologies that Defence Logistic intends on advancing; additive manufacture and logistic information systems. The deep dives on these areas provided useful feedback from delegates on where they could be better developed, whilst drawing together the stakeholders from Defence to create a coherent view of how they will be driven forward in a productive and efficient manner.

LOGNET 18-1 was fortunate to have two further keynote speeches. The first from Charles Forte, Chief Information Officer for the Ministry of Defence, opened the second day by laying out the challenges for information in the modern age of Defence. Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Matt Wiles provided a different perspective with an industry view of working with Defence, outlining Team Leidos’ success on the Logistic Commodities and Service Transformation Programme.

The outcomes of LOGNET 18-1 will be included in a report to be distributed and fed into a follow-up event later in the year.

18-2 is currently scheduled to be held on 9 October 2018 in London, and those wishing to attend can register at https://lognet18-2.eventbrite.co.uk.

If you would like further information on LOGNET or any of the information briefed at the event, please get in touch with the LOGNET team on 0207 807 8598.

Over the course of the 2017/18 academic year, the Department for Education, through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), has piloted using School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs). We’ve run the pilot with support from the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL).

Since January, SRMAs have provided impartial, expert business advice to schools and academy trusts. This includes how to make best use of their revenue and capital resources to deliver educational outcomes and contribute to whole-school improvement.

ESFA prioritises those schools/trusts that will benefit the most from this support. SRMAs then work through their financial information to identify ways to improve how they deploy staff or make more effective use of non-staff resources.

SRMAs also consider whether the trust or school uses an integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP) approach and how they carry this out.

So far, the results have been encouraging and SRMAs have been well received by the schools and trusts in the pilot who can see the real value of this service.

We are now in a position where we want to roll this service out more widely. To do this, we will be tendering for:

1. Organisations to manage the supply of SRMAs.
2. An organisation to develop and deliver induction and an accreditation process.

Suppliers of the management and supply contract will undertake activities including:

• identify potential SRMAs to go through an induction and accreditation process
• manage deployment of SRMAs throughout the contract period
• maintain a record of accredited SRMAs throughout the contract period, informing ESFA of any changes
• match SRMAs to monthly ESFA deployment commissions
• manage the contracts and payments to SRMAs or their employers
• liaise with ESFA on progress of SRMAs and any issues that arise during the contract period

SRMAs must have at least 2 years’ experience of school business management or financial management. They must have a good understanding of how the school system works. Experience as an accountant, school business professional, or similar role is desirable as is specialist experience in the school sector including, but not limited to, estates management, HR and procurement.

The key activities under the accreditation contract will be to:

• develop and deliver induction sessions for potential SRMAs identified by the winners of the management and supply contract
• develop and deliver a robust accreditation process, testing the candidates’ understanding of strategic school finances and the integrated curriculum financial planning (ICFP) approach

ESFA will be tendering for these services over the summer and expects to release the documentation later in July. We will run the tender process through the Bravo e-Procurement tool.

We will only make the tender documentation available through Bravo at the launch of the procurement.

This is an exciting opportunity. If you are interested in bidding, you can register on the Bravo e-procurement system now in advance of the tender launch.

The UK Government will host Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne in the UK for the 10th Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) on Friday 20 July 2018.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson will join their counterparts for discussions of high level foreign policy, defence and security issues between the United Kingdom and Australia. This AUKMIN marks over a decade since the talks began and is a chance for both nations to reflect on the enormous progress made over that time.

Speaking ahead of the talks Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

Australia is one of the UK’s closest allies and I am delighted to be co-hosting Foreign Minister Bishop and Defence Minister Payne so soon after being appointed as Foreign Secretary. Our relationship with Australia is based on shared history, interests and values, and we have a dynamic modern friendship including a significant exchange of people and goods. The recent commissioning of nine warships from BAE, to be manufactured in Australia, is a sterling example of this relationship in action.

I look forward to our continued work together on global challenges and opportunities – based on our shared respect for the rules-based international system. The fight against extremism and terror, eliminating modern slavery and encouraging global co-operation will be top of the agenda during this tenth AUKMIN. Talks with businesses and government on boosting trade between us when we leave the EU will also be a top priority.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

We are entering an exciting new era for Britain and Australia with our two nations having one of the strongest relationships in the world. With both our world class Armed Forces respected and present all over the globe, defence is one of the pillars of our deep and enduring relationship.

The £20bn Global Combat Ship deal between BAE Systems and the Australian Government demonstrates how defence and our Armed Forces are not just vital to keeping us safe but also crucial to delivering prosperity, jobs, and keeping our two countries at the height of innovation and advanced manufacturing. I look forward to strengthening our historic defence relationship further this week.

The United Kingdom has a strong and dynamic relationship with Australia underpinned by common values, shared heritage and a closely aligned strategic outlook. Military ties between the two nations are deep and long-standing, including a range of operational and intelligence activities such as joint-operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The recent awarding of a £20 billion contract from the Australian Government to BAE Systems to build nine British Type 26 Global Combat Ships is a demonstration of the relationship between the two countries creating a safer world.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @Jeremy_Hunt and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

BEC has submitted a formal planning application for permission to do the work, which will be the catalyst for wider development of North Shore.

The total Bus Station project cost is £4.1m, of which Sellafield Ltd is providing £2.6m.

It will create a hothouse for tech, digital, media, and creative start-ups.

Alongside units for fledgling firms, the plan includes:

• conference and meeting space for 75 people

• an artisan food and drink outlet, open to the public

• health and wellbeing facilities

The scheme is part of our Transformation Programme, which seeks to leverage public and private sector investment to help grow and diversify the West Cumbrian economy.

To comment on the plans, quoting ref: 4/18/2292/0F1 visit:

For further information, read the ‘Sellafield invests £2.6m to create Cumbria business hub’ article published in April 2018.

Good afternoon everyone,

A very warm welcome to the National Trade Academy Programme’s first ever International Trade Summer School.

It’s a pleasure to be hosting this special learning programme and I’m delighted to be here with you this afternoon.

You are here today because you are the next generation of global business leaders and policy makers. With that comes the responsibility of equipping yourselves with the knowledge and skills to succeed.

This summer school will allow you to do just that. It will broaden your horizons; deepen your knowledge; and help you prepare for the exciting opportunities available in the global economy.

It is fantastic to see the range of world class academic institutions; undergraduate and masters courses; as well as nationalities that we have represented in the room today.

What you will learn across the next few days will strengthen your understanding of international trade and investment and help you to make positive contributions to the global economy throughout your careers.

I know many you have travelled from across the UK, and even further afield to take part in the summer school, but you all share a common goal – to learn more about the benefits of international trade and investment.

This is an important discipline that underpins global prosperity.

Yet trade is also more important, and politically relevant, than it has been for decades. One only has to open a newspaper to see trade flows, free trade agreements and global commercial opportunities fervently discussed and debated over.

For more than a generation now, global trade had been on a trajectory of ever-increasing openness. It has never been easier to buy and sell into overseas markets or tap into a world of knowledge and expertise.

This has brought vastly exciting new opportunities. Globalisation and new technology have not only opened up international markets, but have led directly to entire industries that, only a decade or two ago, could never have been imagined, let alone shaped macroeconomic thinking.

There is now unprecedented opportunity to engage openly in international trade and investment.

Both the concept and the practice of free trade are critically important. There is, for example, a wealth of evidence to back up a strong positive correlation between economic openness and growth.

In the 1990s, per capita income grew three times faster in the developing countries that lowered trade barriers than in those that did not.

Similarly, the OECD Growth Project found that a 10% increase in trade exposure was linked to a 4% rise in income per capita. This shows that free trade works.

Free trade agreements lead to transformational changes for businesses, industries and economies, as well as individuals. The results can be extraordinary.

One example is the EU / Korea free trade agreement, which came into effect in July 2011. In that year, the UK exported £2.5 billion of goods and services to the country. Just 12 months later, this had almost doubled to £4.5 billion, as South Koreans discovered a taste for British food and drink, cars, and luxury goods.

On a day to day basis, you and households across the UK experience the benefits of liberal trade policy.

It is the reason that you can go to a supermarket and buy strawberries in December. It is the reason that you can buy a flat screen television today for a fraction of the price of decade ago.

Consumers now have more freedom of choice than ever before.

This summer school is being held at a moment of remarkable success for this country’s exporters.

The UK’s exports are now at a record high, with exports of goods and services rising to a record value of £620 billion in the year to May 2018.

Goods exports were up 10%, driven by demand for manufactured goods, while services exports rose 4.2% due to strong global interest in the UK’s prestigious financial and travel services.

From automobiles to education, financial services to aerospace the UK is world renowned for its high quality products.

Research from Barclays Corporate Banking found that 64% of consumers in India, 57% in China, and 48% in the UAE were prepared to pay more for goods made in the UK, because they perceive the quality as higher.

That is the advantage, and the reputation, that you are taking out into the world.

As Secretary of State for International Trade I am proud to lead a department that is focused on maximising opportunities for British businesses to grow and thrive internationally. The department secures both UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment and championing free trade.

The department was created in July 2016 and since then has grown rapidly. We have already achieved an enormous amount.

We have established a world class international economic department, building the capability the UK needs to deliver our own independent trade policy for first time in 40 years. This will enable us to strike new trade agreements and explore new partnerships with the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The department has 3,700 staff across 108 countries. We think globally and seek to maximise our trade opportunities around the world by establishing enduring partnerships and boosting our trade relationships.

I have appointed nine new HM Trade Commissioners – senior leaders with regional remits in key markets around the world. They will champion British trade and support our work overseas.

In May we established a new International Trade Profession, headed up by our Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser Crawford Falconer, to develop a world-class trade policy capability across government, opening career opportunities and cultivating new talent. You will hear more about this later in the programme.

I convened the Board of Trade in October 2017 to meet the modern needs of businesses, exporters and inward investors across the country. Its purpose is to ensure the benefits of trade and investment are spread across the whole of the UK.

One of the initiatives of the Board of Trade is the National Trade Academy Programme, which I launched in March this year and this brings us all here today.

The programme is already delivering this Government’s manifesto commitment to forge a new culture of exporting. It is successfully building skills and knowledge through a broad range of initiatives which we have been running across the UK. As well as the summer school these include:

• an exporting ‘Ideas Hack’ held at the University of Central Lancaster;
• a Global Trade and Investment Seminar in Stirling;
• the Future of Global Trade Expert Forum for academics and practitioners; and
• an Apprentice Exchange Industry & Trade day at Aston Martin’s Headquarters in Gaydon.

We’ve had fantastic feedback from these initiatives and, as I look around me at the quality of today’s attendees, I am confident that this summer school will be just as successful.

All this excellent work, and more, will continue to provide the support needed to ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the world’s leading trading nations.

The total value of our trade with the rest of the world is equivalent to over half of our gross domestic product.

In 2017 a record level of Foreign Direct Investment projects landed in the UK, which is a testament to the UK’s attractiveness. This is a ringing endorsement for the strength and potential of the future of the UK economy.

We remain the leading destination for inward investment in Europe.

Just last month our annual Foreign Direct Investment report showed that foreign investment created 76,000 jobs last year and safeguarded a further 15,000, amounting to nearly 1,500 jobs per week across the country.

Through our Outward Direct Investment strategy we are developing new ways to help British companies that invest and operate overseas to grow their global footprint.

Later today you will hear from the Chief Executive of UK Export Finance, Louis Taylor, who will explain how UKEF support this. They have already launched an enhanced overseas investment insurance scheme to protect UK firms investing abroad.

This is just a taste of some of the fascinating and transformative work that goes on across this department and how we are having a positive impact.

Over the course of the summer school you will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of senior officials from the department and explore these areas further.

You will hear from senior leaders from across business including Barclays, Santander and Morgan Stanley; from supporting organisations including the City of London Corporation and the Institute of Exports & Investments; as well as from companies who have achieved exporting success.

This really is an unparalleled opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding.

From your studies to date you will already know that the world’s economies are more interconnected than ever. I’m sure that many of you aspire to, and will, pursue fascinating careers in international trade and investment.

So I encourage you to embrace this opportunity. Listen to the expert speakers, ask questions, build your networks, and use the ‘export strategy challenge’ to apply what you learn across this week. There is an expert panel lined up for the final day to evaluate your export strategy pitches and provide valuable feedback to take away.

Finally, wherever your careers lead you in the future, whether you are based in your home towns across the UK, Italy, Cambodia or the Ivory Coast – one thing you all must remember is how important international trade is, not only to the UK economy, but to global prosperity.

Thank you. I have some time for questions.