The two-day conference supports the global effort to eliminate chemical weapons and fosters co-operation through the exchange of information and ideas relating to safe disposal.

The next CWD Conference will be held in May 2020, London. In addition to having the opportunity to hear from world experts in the field, the conference includes multiple networking opportunities, including a drinks reception and dinner on the first evening.

Each year the conference brings together representatives from 53 organisations from 13 countries and is the world’s largest international gathering of professionals involved in the demilitarisation of chemical weapons. Many delegates hold senior policy positions within government, the armed forces, industry, academia and research and development establishments.

The CWD Conference provides a unique opportunity to showcase the global progress in chemical weapons destruction and enables delegates to develop their knowledge and understanding with a common goal: working together to achieve a safer, cleaner world.

Oral and poster presentation for the CWD Conference 2020 will cover the following themes, and we welcome abstract submissions on these areas:

• Progress on global CW destruction
• Solutions to destruction challenges
• Emerging risks – strategic and operational
• Forensics, analysis and attribution
• Elimination research and development

For more information, and to register for CWD Conference 2020 please email: cwdconference@dstl.gov.uk

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Publishing the report, David Bolt said:

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports are respectively the sixth and eighth busiest airports in the UK for passenger traffic. This inspection looked at both, comparing and contrasting where relevant. In terms of the overall management of border security at the two airports, by means of the usual immigration and customs controls, the inspection found Border Force to be broadly efficient and effective. However, there were criticisms from the airport operators and from passengers about the immigration queues, not helped by the absence of a robust, standardised way of measuring queuing times.

A number of areas for improvement were identified at both airports. Some of these were beyond the local Border Force management to resolve, raising the question of how visible they were to Border Force regional and top management and who “owned” the risks. My recommendations were aimed at clarifying this.

The report makes just three recommendations, one related to queue measurement and the other two focused on ensuring that Border Force operational managers, not just at Glasgow and Edinburgh, understand and articulate their risks thoroughly and consistently. At Glasgow and Edinburgh this means engaging more effectively with the airport operators, ensuring that staff ‘rostering’ is efficient and seen as reasonable, maximising ePassport gate uptake, improving the recording and quality assurance of decisions, and ensuring that safeguarding strategies and actions test for new or changing threats as well as targeting known “high risk” flights.

Border Force has accepted all three of my recommendations. It has made some headway with each but is moving more slowly than I might have hoped (the report was sent to the Home Secretary on 13 June). I will therefore be keen to see how far it has been able to progress the work it is doing on risk management and queue measurement by the end of 2019.

Published 31 October 2019

The change in law comes into force on Monday 2 December, following legislation being laid in Parliament today (31 October).

From 2 December, everyone eligible for an NHS wheelchair and people who require aftercare services under section 117 of the Mental Health Act will have access to a personal health budget.

Personal health budgets are planned and agreed between individuals and clinicians, giving people greater choice, flexibility and control over their health and care support.

A personal health budget could be spent on:

• specially adapted wheelchairs designed to maximise independence
• a choice of personal care assistants who can be trained to meet the individual’s needs
• exercise classes to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, gain confidence and reduce stress

Over 70,000 people are already benefiting from personal health budgets, helping people with complex needs stay healthy and independent for longer.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, the health system will increase access so up to 200,000 people can receive one by 2024.

The NHS Long Term Plan aims to expand personalised care. This will be given to 2.5 million people by 2024 through measures including personal health budgets and social prescribing, where people are referred by their GPs to local community or voluntary activities. 

Last year DHSC and NHS England consulted on extending the right to a personal health budget. The consultation revealed strong support, with nearly 9 out of 10 respondents supporting the proposals.

The NHS will continue to explore further extension of legal rights to other groups covered in the consultation as appropriate, including people with ongoing mental health needs and those with learning disabilities.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said:

Everyone deserves the right to make decisions about their care, and health and care should be centred around each and every one of us, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Our NHS Long Term Plan has personalised care at its core. This important piece of legislation puts the power back in the hands of more people, transforming the wellbeing and quality of life for thousands while also reducing distressing and avoidable hospital trips.

Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said:

I’ve seen for myself how personal health budgets are giving people a new lease of life, opening up possibilities to let them live their lives fully.

This extension of legal rights will give many more people independence, a say in how they’re cared for, improving their experiences while ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

This is an important step in our NHS Long Term Plan’s ambition to see personalised care become the norm for thousands more across the country.

The United Kingdom aligns with the statement made by the European Union. I will now add some remarks in a national capacity.

Madam Chair

The UK welcomes the positive progress we have made in international conventional arms control, which is crucial in tackling threats to life and security as part of the rules based international system.

It is in our collective interest that all relevant instruments function. This can only happen when they are fully funded, implemented effectively and include all relevant stakeholders.

The UK remains strongly committed to the Arms Trade Treaty, and its aim of effectively regulating the international trade in conventional arms and preventing their illicit trade and diversion. It is essential to consolidate the provisions of the Treaty and implement them fully to achieve these objectives. It is also crucial that major exporting and importing states accede to the Treaty. In this regard, we welcome China’s announcement of its intention to begin the accession process. We welcome the outcome of the Fifth Conference of States Parties, and congratulate the outgoing Chair on his work.

Madam Chair

The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary, has delivered significant humanitarian impact. But we need to do more. November’s Review Conference in Oslo gives us the opportunity to review progress, reaffirm our commitment to our core obligations, and renew our determination to achieve a mine-free world by 2025. The UK continues to make steady progress in meeting our obligation to clear the Falkland Islands.

The UK also remains deeply concerned by reports of the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions. We encourage all States to accede to the Cluster Munitions Convention, and to support draft Resolution L.46 on the CCM.

Madam Chair

The UK considers the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to be a vital arms control instrument. We welcome the progress made this year by the CCW GGE on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems. We look forward to the formal endorsement of the Guiding Principles affirmed by the GGE at this year’s Meeting of High Contracting Parties, and welcome the continuation of the GGE’s mandate to the 2021 Review Conference.

Madam Chair

The UK has consistently been at the forefront of global efforts to counter the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. This is a transnational problem and we continue to work with individual states, regional organisations, industry and civil society to strengthen cooperation and reduce the supply of illicit weapons.

The UK looks forward to the GGE meetings on the ‘Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus’ and to supporting the recommendations of the Group.

Thank you Madam Chair.