The Dealer’s Notice, which must be displayed by all dealers supplying precious metal items, is being updated to add two new marks, in a version that will be compulsory from 1 May 2020.

The updated version incorporates:

• a new differentiated hallmark for articles hallmarked outside of the UK by Birmingham Assay Office
• a new type 2 standardised CCM mark.

Legal requirement

One of the requirements of the Hallmarking Act 1973 is that all dealers supplying precious metal jewellery (or other items made of precious metal) shall display a notice explaining the approved hallmarks.

This must be the notice produced by the British Hallmarking Council (BHC).

New version

The Dealer’s Notice has been updated to incorporate the following.

A new differentiated hallmark for articles hallmarked outside of the UK by Birmingham Assay Office: the new differentiated Birmingham hallmark is now the only assay office mark being used on articles marked in Birmingham Assay Office’s sub-office in Mumbai. The new mark consists of a vertical anchor and a compass with a cut cornered rectangular outline. The decision to invoke a differentiated mark to be used by UK offices hallmarking outside of the UK was made by the British Hallmarking Council in March 2018. The use of this mark has been compulsory since 1 April 2019.

A new type 2 standardised Common Control Mark (CCM) mark: The type 1 or traditional CCM conformity mark uses a different shield shape for each precious metal. It also always contains the millesimal fineness of the alloy. The new type 2 or standardised CCM mark is a single generic conformity mark used for all precious metals and finenesses. It must be accompanied by a mark specifying the millesimal fineness of the alloy and a unique mark for each precious metal or the chemical symbol for the precious metal. These accompanying fineness and metal identifying marks can be separate or combined.

Online retailers

The BHC’s view is that, although the Hallmarking Act makes no express reference to the internet, it applies to sales of, and other dealings with, articles made of precious metal conducted over the internet and accordingly dealers supplying precious metal articles online should display the Dealer’s Notice on their websites. A suitable format for this is available.

Dealer’s Notice from 1 May 2020

Following a 6 month period of grace this will become the only acceptable version as of 1 May 2020. This therefore replaces the previous version, last amended in 2015.

Published 23 July 2019
Last updated 23 September 2019 + show all updates

Good evening everyone

It’s a pleasure to join you at this dinner to celebrate London International Shipping Week 2019.

And what a brilliant few days.

Since Monday (9 September 2019) we’ve held over 200 events.

We’ve hosted royalty, shipowners, and apprentice seamen and women.

We’ve welcomed over 20,000 guests.

And gained new perspectives on almost every aspect of global maritime.

From improving gender diversity, to the latest advances in maritime technology and even how it feels to row solo across the Atlantic from trail-blazer Debra Seale.

Now, this was my first London International Shipping Week.

And I had a few personal highlights.

There was the Ministerial Roundtable discussion, focusing on how we support the future success of the UK Maritime industry.

And there was the fantastic reception at the Banqueting House where we welcomed the Princess Royal, along with over 500 representatives of the maritime industry.

But the real standout moments were getting to meet you.

I’ve been left inspired by the imagination and dynamism of maritime innovators.

I’ve been deeply impressed by the professionalism of the Royal Navy personnel who keep our ships safe around the world.

And I’ve spoken to members of the Merchant Navy – in its centenary year – hearing about its incredible job at keeping trade flowing.

It really has been a pleasure to meet you all.

Importance of shipping and vision

I’m hugely excited to represent the maritime sector as Transport Secretary.

And I’d like to speak briefly about my vision for shipping and UK maritime.

This is a job for which I fought.

My goal is simple.

I want to build a country that is better connected.

Not just within the United Kingdom.

But between the UK and every other nation.

Enjoying warm friendships with our close neighbours – but embracing the rest of the world too.

Changing world

As part of this, I’d like to assure you that this is a government that fully recognises maritime’s significance.

Only today the Prime Minister’s announced a £1.25 billion contract for the Rosyth shipyard to build 5 new frigates.

And earlier this year we launched our Maritime 2050 strategy.

It set out our shared vision to prepare the industry for the challenges of the next 3 decades and beyond.

Because while it’s vital that we celebrate UK maritime’s extraordinary past, recall our ‘island story’ and rightly honour our proud seafaring tradition, we also have a responsibility to invest in its future.

Because as this week’s theme reminds us – the world is changing.

People

And as our best asset, people must always be our focus – and helped to adapt to change.

The future maritime worker may need to understand algorithms and programming.

We must also ensure that the best and brightest people – no matter their background – see maritime as a career for them: whether at sea, in professional maritime services or at one of our many thriving ports.

That is why, this week we launched our People route map.

Setting out how we will ensure the sector has the skills to meet the demands of the coming decades.

And we must draw on all of our country’s talent, vecause, like other transport sectors, maritime does not make full use of the talent spread across our nation, we may be offshore Islanders but the people of our towns and cities away from the coast have played a crucial part in our maritime past. We must ensure they are equally a part of our future.

We must inspire boys and girls from all backgrounds.

And this week has highlighted the really exciting work happening on this front.

At the maritime careers fair onboard NLV Pharos, we heard from those, including the 1851 Trust and the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, who work to create a broader, deeper pool of talent.

And we announced extra funding for the Maritime and Me Campaign, to encourage the recruitment of women, as well as more girls into the STEM subjects that maritime will urgently require.

My excellent Maritime Minister, Nus Ghani, is an inspiration in her work in promoting maritime careers.

I want to thank her for her hard work – including her efforts in making this week such a success.

Environment

Now one area to have benefitted from British leadership is environmental protection.

We were the first advanced economy to make a legal commitment to net zero carbon emissions by the middle of this century.

And earlier this year we set out how we will reduce maritime emissions, with our Clean maritime plan.

But such is the enormity of the challenge that we must be imaginative.

And ready to incentivise and inspire.

That’s why this week we launched the Clean Maritime Awards, which will highlight best practice across the industry.

We must also harness the power of the financial sector to bring about a greener future.

The UK is already a trailblazer in the development of green financial products.

Providing capital to projects that tackle climate change.

It offers huge opportunities for maritime.

So this week we announced the launch of the Green Finance in Maritime Conference.

This will enable industry and government to unleash the power of financial markets to secure sustainable growth.

Technology

Another fundamental change is the way we use technology.

Self-driving vessels are in operation.

In May, Essex-built Sea Kit became the first autonomous vessel to cross the North Sea.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is exploring the use of drones to save lives.

And this week at our technology showcase we saw many other exciting innovations.

From established companies to dynamic start-ups, these advances could mean more efficient ports, safer seas and a cleaner environment.

Not to mention the huge economic benefits from design and manufacturing.

But to take full advantage of these opportunities of tomorrow, we need to nurture the start-ups of today…

We have a proud tradition of invention and innovation – from the screw propeller to the first ‘SONAR’.

But we must ensure we stay ahead of the pack.

So this week we announced a £1 million competition for maritime technology and innovation.

Money that will get more projects off the ground, bringing long-term gains.

This is added to £1 million we have already announced for environmental maritime research.

Now, I am a believer in the free market.

As a former International Development Minister, I know it is the best poverty-fighting tool yet discovered and sea-borne global trade is the embodiment of this.

But I believe government also has a role to play in helping to catalyse human endeavour.

The story of the invention of the chronometer by John Harrison is an excellent illustration of this.

Back in the 1700s the inability to calculate accurately the longitude of a ship, led to countless shipwrecks and lives lost.

So acute was the problem – that in 1714 Parliament passed the Longitude Act – offering a £20,000 award to anyone who could solve it.

Harrison, a self-taught clockmaker, came up with a number of solutions.

And his work saved thousands of lives and aided the growth of the global maritime trade.

We need the John and Jane Harrisons of the modern age to tackle maritime challenges of today, from the environment and migration; to the sustainability of our fish stocks and security of our sea lanes.

We cannot afford not to act.

That £20,000 award in 1714 amounts to about £3 million today.

Now I have already mentioned the £2 million we’ve made available for grant-funding of research.

I am convinced that we must show the same determination of those that came before.

From our men and women of science, our captains of industry and our politicians.

We must act to ensure a prosperous future for our country.

And so, 305 years on from the Longitude Act, I am tonight announcing a further £1 million to fund ground-breaking research for maritime challenges.

This takes our total commitment up to £3 million – the equivalent of that 1714 figure, but this is only the beginning.

I have also this week challenged my brilliant officials to harness and develop the best thinking out there, including on maritime.

In years’ time, I hope to have some progress to report and not only because it means I’m still in the job.

Brexit

Finally, I want to talk about the most immediate major change facing this industry and the country.

I know that preparing for Brexit has meant hard work and the UK maritime sector has responded brilliantly.

I believe it offers us many opportunities too.

The data is clear – the world is changing and has been long before the referendum.

In the decade to 2015, UK goods exported to the EU increased by 8.5%, while those to non-EU countries went up nearly 70% – 8 times faster.

So, we must seize this chance.

For Britain has been and always will be globally minded.

I was reminded of this on Monday when we announced plans for a new vessel to maintain the 400 light houses that provide such an invaluable service to shipping.

For centuries those lights have provided the first glimpse of this country to people arriving here from around the globe, guiding seafarers’ vessels through perilous shallows, helping them reach the shore and showing that Britain is ready to welcome the world.

That’s the message I want you to take home from this London International Shipping Week.

For as this week has illustrated, the future of maritime is based on shared ambitions, shared knowledge and shared endeavour.

So, thank you for making the last few days such an enormous success.

Let’s continue to work together, continue to be ambitious and through maritime build a better world.

Thank you.

This week, I will join the Prime Minister in New York, where he is leading the UK delegation to the United Nations’ annual General Assembly. As we make progress in our Brexit negotiations, we are also taking our vision of a truly Global Britain to the UN – leading by example as a force for good in the world.

The Government is making progress on Brexit negotiations, with the European Commission President, Jean‑Claude Juncker, stating plainly “I think we can have a deal”. Meanwhile, Liz Truss, the Trade Secretary, has been in Tokyo, paving the way for a free-trade deal with Japan and the wider Asia‑Pacific region.

We want to be good European neighbours and buccaneering global free traders. But Global Britain is about more than Brexit or even free trade, important though they are. Under Boris Johnson, we intend to reinforce Britain’s role in the world as a good global citizen – and the UN is a great place to start.

Next year, we will host the UN Climate Change Summit, bringing the world together in Glasgow to demonstrate our leadership on climate change. We’ve got an impressive story to tell. After all, Britain was the first country to legislate to end our contribution to global warming, so that we leave the environment in a better state for the next generation. And our innovative approach to green technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy will help lead the way. We want to bring that experience to bear with our international partners – from Brazil to Indonesia – because we know this is a global challenge that demands international action.

In New York, I will speak alongside human rights lawyer and UK Special Envoy, Amal Clooney, about the new Media Freedom Coalition we’ve set up with Canada. The first wave of 26 countries has signed up, committing to protecting media freedoms in their own countries, speaking out against abuses, and standing up for oppressed journalists around the world.

Amal Clooney is convening a high-level panel of legal experts to advise countries on how to strengthen their legal protections for journalists. This international team will turn these lofty ideals into national laws that will protect journalists on the ground.

And when journalists come under assault, we’ll be there to defend them – with a Global Media Defence Fund backed by £3 million of UK funding. Working with Unesco, the fund will train journalists, help keep them safe, and provide legal assistance in some of the most dangerous places journalists work – whether it’s reporting on the Taliban from Afghanistan or tracking cartel violence in Mexico.

When we leave the EU, we will also reinforce our sanctions legislation to hold those who commit serious abuses of human rights to account – by barring them from entering the UK and freezing their assets such as bank accounts. That will provide a layer of UK accountability against those who target journalists, whistle-blowers and human rights campaigners with impunity in their own countries.

As well as championing these causes, the UN General Assembly is also an opportunity for the international community to come together to defend the international rule of law, by calling on all its members to play by the rules.

We will shine a spotlight on Iran’s violations of international law, including its destabilising actions in the region. And we will be condemning that country’s cruel practice of arbitrarily detaining dual nationals on spurious charges, often in appalling conditions, and in a flagrant disregard for international law.

We want to be a constructive voice on Hong Kong, supporting its people’s right to peaceful protest and encouraging political dialogue on all sides – within the framework of “one country, two systems” that China has consistently advocated since 1984.

When we leave the EU, there will be enormous opportunities across the world. And Britain will be a force for good. We will trade more liberally, including with the poorest countries held back by Western protectionism. We will lead on climate change. We will be a champion of the basic freedoms enshrined in the UN Charter, and a doughty defender of the rules-based international system – the world’s best bet when it comes to tackling the challenges we all share.

Further information

• A new package of UK aid to the Rohingya crisis has been announced by International Development Secretary Alok Sharma [Friday 20 September]

• New funding will ensure thousands of Rohingya refugees have access to food, clean water and healthcare, as well as providing increased support for women and girls

• After more than two years since crisis began, a solution is needed for the Rohingya to voluntarily return to their homes in Myanmar in safety and dignity

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma has announced a new package of UK aid support to the Rohingya crisis.

The new UK aid funding underlines a long-term commitment to the Rohingya people, who remain stateless since they were forced to flee their homes in the face of violence in Myanmar in August 2017.

The UK has been supporting the Rohingya since 2012 and this further £87 million package will help provide food, healthcare, water, sanitation, care and counselling for sexual violence survivors, as well as protection for vulnerable groups including women and girls.

This new commitment comes after more than two years since the crisis began, with the UK’s overarching aim to find a solution that means the Rohingya can voluntarily return to Myanmar in safety and dignity.

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said:

It is hard to truly grasp the size of the humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya people. More than 700,000 were forced to flee their home in the face of horrific brutality.

The UK has worked with the Government of Bangladesh to provide lifesaving aid, including food, water and shelter, as well education and counselling as they rebuild their lives.

Women and girls represent over half of the camp population in Bangladesh, and this new funding will provide vital support for them, such as critical reproductive health care, and a new emergency shelter for survivors of severe gender-based violence and trafficking.

This support announced today demonstrates our continued commitment to the Rohingya people.

The new package of UK aid announced today will provide:

• medical consultations for thousands of refugees including through mobile health clinics
• continued support for an early warning system to detect diseases before they spread
• food, clean water and basic sanitation such as toilets for thousands of people
• cooking gas to prevent further damage to local forests
• increased support for women and girls, who will get access to women-only safe spaces, an emergency shelter for survivors of severe-gender based violence and trafficking and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care
• support to thousands of vulnerable Bangladeshi families, who now have nearly a million refugees living in their neighbourhood.

Notes to editors:

The UK has today announced an additional £87 million for sustaining the Rohingya refugee operation in Cox’s Bazar, lifting our contribution since the start of the crisis in August 2017 to a total of £226 million.

UK aid has provided support to the Rohingya since 2012 before this crisis began.