• Grain shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to resume under the terms of new UN deal
• UK has been at the forefront of efforts to secure international agreement, which will get up to 5 million tonnes of grain exports a month to the world’s poorest people
• Foreign Secretary has stressed the need for the terms of the agreement to be respected by Russia

A United Nations-brokered agreement to resume grain exports from key Ukrainian Black Sea ports has the potential to help millions of people and must now be implemented, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said today.

The agreement, brokered in Istanbul by Ukraine, Turkey, the UN and Russia will allow up to 5 million tonnes of grain per month to be exported by commercial shipping companies through safe lanes in Ukrainian waters.

The resumption of maritime grain exports from Ukraine will be a positive step in addressing the global food security crisis, which has been severely exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, their destruction and theft of grain and the seizure and blockading of maritime ports.

The UK has pushed for the UN agreement, which will create a maritime corridor through which grain can be exported. Ministers and officials have provided advice to Ukraine and have consistently raised the issue with their counterparts, stressing the importance of Russian agreement to the UN proposal given their blockade of Ukrainian ports. Last month the Foreign and Defence Secretaries travelled to Turkey, whose work has been pivotal in securing this agreement. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and others have also put the grain security issue firmly on the agenda at the G7, NATO and G20 Summits this summer. The UK has also provided military equipment which helps to secure Ukrainian ports against attack from the sea.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine has meant some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world are at risk of having nothing to eat. It is vital that Ukrainian grain reaches international food markets, and we applaud Turkey and the UN Secretary General for their efforts to broker this agreement.

The UK and our allies have been pushing hard to reach this point. Now this agreement must be implemented, and we will be watching to ensure Russia’s actions match its words. To enable a lasting return to global security and economic stability, Putin must end the war and withdraw from Ukraine.

Until Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of grains and vegetable oils, exporting grain to meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In 2021 Ukraine provided 30.9% of Egypt’s grain and wheat consumption; 7.7% of Yemen’s; 7% of Bangladesh’s; 11.7% of Morocco’s. Previously 96% of Ukrainian grain was exported through the Black Sea.

Today’s agreement will entail joint controls for the checking of grain in ports and establish a co-ordination centre in Istanbul. There will now be an implementation period for the agreement before commercial ships start moving grain.

Notes to Editors:

Recognising the importance of predictable food supplies, the UK does not prohibit the export of Russian food and fertiliser to third countries. We have not offered any sanctions relief to reward Russia for allowing the legal and necessary export of Ukrainian grain.

In addition to efforts to open grain exports through the Black Sea, the UK has also been providing practical support including:

• Contributing up to £10 million in materials and equipment to Ukraine Railways to repair rail infrastructure and help get grain out of the country by rail.
• £1.5 million to develop a testing process to identify whether grain sold by Russia on the world market has been illegally taken from Ukraine.
• £372 million for countries most impacted by rising global food prices, which was announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in June.
• The UK and partners secured the largest ever World Bank financial commitment to low income countries around the world – $170 billion, supporting countries faced with economic hardship as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It is Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports and shelling of civilian infrastructure (including grain transhipment facilities) which is stopping exports (estimated to be 20+ million metric tonnes of grain). The blockade will also significantly impact the next harvest.

• Declassified US intelligence, and satellite imagery, confirm the Russian Navy were ordered to lay mines at the ports of Odesa and Ochakiv. US also has evidence that Russian mined the Dnipro River – all with the aim of causing the cessation of maritime trade.
• Russia has consistently targeted grain related infrastructure. On 4 June, Russia destroyed Ukraine’s second largest grain storage facility – decimating, possibly, millions of tonnes of food stuffs from wheat to soybeans in Mykolaiv.

The winner of the Northern Ireland’s Office Platinum Jubilee design competition, Emily McMullan age 11 from Dundonald Primary School, has visited Ulster Carpets to help turn her design into a special gift for Her Majesty the Queen.

Emily was invited to meet the designers at Ulster Carpets after she was announced as the winner of the competition by Northern Ireland Minister of State Conor Burns during a special ceremony at Hillsborough Castle last month.

During her visit, Emily was given a tour of the factory by Ulster Carpet designers Sarah Healy and Sinead Tumilty, discussing her design and learning how it is being turned into a special gift for Her Majesty the Queen.

Minister of State for Northern Ireland Conor Burns accompanied Emily on her visit at Ulster Carpets, seeing some of the quality work and expertise that has seen the manufacturing company granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty.

Primary schools across Northern Ireland were offered the opportunity to take part in a unique competition to design a “snapshot” of Northern Ireland as part of this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Emily’s design was chosen from over 2000 colourful and creative entries to the Northern Ireland Office competition, from children in schools from every county in Northern Ireland.

Once completed the specially designed jubilee rug will be delivered to Her Majesty the Queen as a gift from the children of Northern Ireland in her Jubilee year.

Speaking about her design and her visit, competition winner Emily McMullan said:

“I was very surprised to win the competition as there were so many other good entries. I did the design in my art class at school and I wanted to add as many places as possible that reminded me of home.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Ulster Carpets and learning how they design and make carpets. It has made me think about being a designer when I’m older.”

Discussing Emily’s design, Ulster Carpets designer Sinead Tumilty said:

“Emily’s design shows a snapshot of multiple recognisable landmarks and structures from across Northern Ireland.

“The composition has been confidently and creatively considered, demonstrating a strong but refined illustrative style with a thoughtful use of colour, line work and shading. This artwork has multiple elements which make it identifiable to Northern Ireland and Emily should be very proud.”

Speaking after the visit, Minister of State Conor Burns said:

“It is amazing to see Emily’s brilliant design beginning to come to life through the work of the talented designers at Ulster Carpets.

“Emily should be incredibly proud of her effort which showcases some of the very best of Northern Ireland’s beautiful and well known places.

“I look forward to seeing Emily and Ulster Carpets work being presented to the Royal Household later this year as a gift to mark the incredible and historic 70 years of service of the Queen.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister has met soldiers and sailors training in the UK during a visit to see first-hand Britain’s ongoing support for his country.

The UK has taken a leading role in supporting Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself from Russia’s illegal invasion, providing more military equipment than any country other than the US, and launching a scheme to train 10,000 Ukrainian personnel.

Volodymyr Havrylov met with UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey and visited parliamentarians to discuss what further support is required to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Both ministers then travelled to Scotland, where Ukrainian sailors are being trained by the Royal Navy to operate Sandown Class Minehunter vessels, ahead of the sale of two such vessels in a deal agreed last year under the Ukrainian Naval Capabilities Enhancement Programme (UNCEP).

Ministers Havrylov and Heappey spoke with trainees and the Royal Navy instructors, observing them practicing key skills at sea, such as weapon drills and damage control, whilst learning to operate the machinery on the vessels.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said:

The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. They work with the focus of troops who know they’ll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks’ time.

Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to make sure their new Ukrainian friends are sent into combat with the best chance of victory.

Deputy Defence Minister Volodymyr Havrylov said:

I saw the brotherhood of Ukrainian and British soldiers working together to achieve a common goal – strengthening the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

We are very grateful to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their invaluable contribution to Ukraine’s success in repelling the Russian aggressors.

The two ministers also visited one of the locations where Ukrainian soldiers are being trained in essential battle-winning skills in a major new UK-led military programme.

More than 1,000 UK service personnel are involved in the programme, which is taking place at military sites across the North West, South West and South East of the UK. Each course will last several weeks and will be conducted by elements from 11 Security Force Assistance Brigade.

The training will give volunteer recruits with limited military experience the skills to be effective in frontline combat. Based on the UK’s basic soldier training, the course covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict.

The visit of Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister came in the same week as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace revealed plans to supply scores of artillery guns, and hundreds of drones and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

The 10 students designed a satellite to analyse shorelines and coastal vegetation to help scientists and policymakers understand the impact of climate change on coastal regions, as part of the Nanosat Design Competition, run by the UK Space Agency and Department for Transport.

The winning team from Glasgow, named OirthirSAT, beat more than 40 teams from across the UK, aged between 16 and 37, with the judges praising their entry for identifying a clear way to tackle climate change and test new technologies.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

With satellite launches due to start from home soil this year, there is no better time to support the next generation of space experts in developing satellites to support our mission against climate change.

My congratulations go to OirthirSAT and everyone shortlisted for their hard work throughout this competition, and I applaud the innovation all the teams have shown throughout.

The UK is set to become the first country in Europe to host small satellite launches in 2022, building on the UK’s leading small satellite industry and creating high skilled jobs across the country. This will also help UK scientists use space technology to help tackle global challenges, including climate change.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

Satellite technology plays a crucial role in monitoring our climate and it is fantastic to see so many innovative ideas to help tackle the most pressing issue facing our planet. My congratulations go to the winners from the University of Glasgow for their excellent design.

The countdown to the first satellite launch from UK soil is on and this will be a historic year for our space sector. Being the first country in Europe to offer launch will boost our satellite industry further, creating hundreds of new jobs across the UK.

The Nanosat Design Competition opened in November 2021, with aspiring space scientists invited to design a small satellite suitable for launch from the UK to help inform solutions to climate change.

Five teams were chosen from the initial entries to go through to the final stage, which included a four-month mentoring programme with space sector experts. The OirthirSAT team was announced as overall winners at a ceremony with UK Space Agency CEO Dr Paul Bate and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, during the Farnborough International Airshow today (Friday 22nd July 2022).

Freya Muir, a PhD student at the University of Glasgow on the OirthirSAT team, said:

We’re so proud to have won the competition and have all our hard work recognised by the sector. It’s not just a win for us and the university, but for coastal stakeholders and decision-makers who will get valuable use from our data.

This is an incredible opportunity, and it’s hugely exciting to be able to develop our winning design to help protect our coastal communities against climate change.

Joe Gibbs, a PhD student and OirthirSAT’s Programme Engineering Manager, said:

The last eight months have been a steep learning curve and we’re delighted that the hard work has culminated in the winning proposal. This project has really showcased the current potential in the UK space sector, and we hope to demonstrate further cooperation amongst companies in our proposal to study the effects of climate change on UK coastlines.

I’m excited to not only refine the OirthirSAT proposal in the next phase of the design process, but to also develop an expansive outreach programme to showcase the UK space sector to future engineers and scientists.

The four other finalists came from Reliance Precision Engineering, in Huddersfield, Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the University of Kent and the University of Southampton.

Glasgow’s OirthirSAT team will use the prize money to build their satellite with ongoing support from the competition’s mentors, to help develop their proposal from design to build, with a view to launching from the UK in the coming years.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

Congratulations to the University of Glasgow students behind this innovative satellite design. I look forward to seeing how this UK Government funding helps bring their fantastic ideas to life.

With satellites playing an ever-greater role in monitoring and helping combat climate change, it’s inspiring to see Scotland’s next generation of scientists exploring new ways that space technology can help us understand our environment.

Scotland’s space sector is booming, and now accounts for around one fifth (18%) of the UK space workforce, according to the latest figures. Scotland will also host the UK’s first vertical small satellite launches next year, from the SaxaVord and Sutherland spaceports.

Levelling up the space sector is a key priority for the UK Space Agency and there are now 1,293 space organisations located across the UK. Spaceports are set to increase jobs further in the coming years, alongside the growth of regional space clusters, international investment, and emerging technologies such as in-space manufacturing and debris removal.

Further information:

More information about the OirthirSAT mission

The winning team members:

• Joe Gibbs, PhD, Aerospace Sciences
• Diego Hidalgo De Las Heras, MEng Aeronautical Engineering
• Georgios Tita, MEng Electronics and Electrical Engineering
• Freya Muir, PhD in Geographical and Earth Science (Coastal Modelling)
• Theodoros Serghiou, MEng Electronics and Electrical Engineering
• Ignacio Serrano Martín-Sacristán, BEng Aerospace Engineering
• Gregor MacAskill, MEng Aeronautical Engineering
• Civan Doǧan, Computing Science
• Nektarios Chari, MEng Mechanical Engineering
• Natalia Ibagón Sánchez, MSc Robotics and AI

The competition judges:

• Andrew Ratcliffe, Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency
• Dr Suzie Imber, Associate Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester
• Anita Bernie, Managing Director, MDA UK
• Liz Seward, Head of Space Strategy, BAE Systems
• Professor John Remedios, Director of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) hosted within the Earth Observation Science group at the University of Leicester
• Dr Merritt Moore, quantum physicist and professional ballerina
• Professor Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science, University College London

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted Michael Shilling. He was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay £6,779 costs, a £190 victims’ surcharge and £11,086 compensation to Iron Mountain (UK) PLC, at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court. A total of £22,555. The magistrate took into account his guilty plea during sentencing.

Mr Shilling, 61, of Raspberry Hill Park Farm, Iwade, Kent, pleaded guilty to controlling, or being in a position to control the use of, a Scania skip loader. He also pleaded guilty to knowingly causing waste to be unlawfully deposited at Gills Terrace, Otterham Quay Lane in Rainham Kent. The site owned by Iron Mountain (UK), on 14 December 2020.

Matt Higginson, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

This prosecution and the seizure and crushing of the vehicle shows that we will search out and prosecute anyone found to be dumping waste illegally.

Illegally depositing waste without regard for the environment and the law has the potential to harm our natural resources. It is also a blight on communities and undermine the legitimate businesses that follow the rules. You won’t get away with it.

We encourage everyone to check that their waste collector is registered as a waste carrier.

On 22 December 2020, an Environment Agency officer was made aware that waste had been deposited at the land at Otterham Quay Lane. On 8 January 2021, the officer received more information, including CCTV footage. The footage showed that Mr Shilling’s vehicle entered the site 3 times on the evening of 14 December.

The waste found on site was shredded material comprising plastics, paper, mattress fabric and fibre. An employee of Iron Mountain (UK) made a statement saying the waste was smouldering when he arrived at work at the site on 15 December 2020.

On 25 February 2021, an Environment Agency officer, accompanied by Kent Police, visited Raspberry Hill Park, near Iwade, Kent. They located the lorry used on 14 December to deposit the waste. The Environment Agency and Kent Police seized and crushed the vehicle for alleged waste offences.

Check a waste collector is registered as a waste carrier

Mr Shilling’s date of birth is 29 March 1961.

The Legislation – The Environmental Protection Act 1990

Section 33 Prohibition on unauthorised or harmful depositing, treatment or disposal, etc, of waste

(1) Subject to subsection (2) [, (2B)] and (3) below [subsections (1A), (1B), (2) and (3) below] and, in relation to Scotland, to section 54 below, a person shall not:

(a)  deposit controlled waste [or extractive waste], or knowingly cause or knowingly permit controlled waste [or extractive waste] to be deposited in or on any land unless a waste management licence [an environmental permit] authorising the deposit is in force and the deposit is in accordance with the licence [the permit];

Section (5) states that Where controlled waste is carried in and deposited from a motor vehicle, the person who controls or is in a position to control the use of the vehicle shall, for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) above, be treated as knowingly causing the waste to be deposited whether or not he gave any instructions for this to be done.

Waste crime is a major issue across the country, not only spoiling our environment and impacting on our health. It also effects the economy and undermines legitimate businesses. The Environmental Services Association have estimated that illegal waste activity costs over £1 billion annually in England.

Waste crime is much more than fly tipping. It also includes operating without the correct permits and authorisations. It is large scale illegal dumping, burning of waste, mis-description of waste, operating illegal waste sites and illegally exporting waste.

Waste criminals are becoming more sophisticated by working in a more organised manner and infiltrating legitimate industry. They operate across county boundaries and they are likely to be involved in a wide variety of other criminal activity. Such as drugs trafficking, modern slavery, firearms and fraud.