he British High Commission encourages professionals from across Pakistan to apply for a Chevening Scholarship. The application window is between 5 August and 5 November 2019, and applications should be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply

Chevening Scholarships are awarded to individuals with demonstrable leadership potential who also have strong academic backgrounds. The scholarship offers full financial support for future leaders to study for a eligible master’s degree at any UK university whilst also giving them access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew CMG said:

I am delighted to be launching this call for applications for the UK Chevening’s Scholarship programme. The UK’s Chevening Programmes is one of the largest in the world. We are, this year, sending 58 scholars from across Pakistan to study at the UK’s top universities.

Chevening scholars come from a wide variety of fields. There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ scholar. If you have the ambition to become a future leader, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join nearly 2000 Chevening alumni who are serving at top positions in the government and private sector.

Our ambition is to have a diverse range of Chevening scholars from Pakistan in 2020 with an equal split between male and female scholars. This is a tremendous opportunity whatever your background to excel in your career and contribute to the great connections between UK and Pakistan.

Since the programme was created in 1983, over 50,000 outstanding professionals globally have had the opportunity to develop in the UK through Chevening. There are more than 1,500 scholarships on offer globally for the 2020/2021 academic year, demonstrating the UK’s ongoing commitment towards developing the leaders of tomorrow.

The call for new applicants follows the selection of 58 scholars from Pakistan, who won an award to study at a UK university this year. Successful applicants have been sharing their stories through the #ChosenForChevening hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

More information

Visit www.chevening.org/scholarships for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications.

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For updates on the British High Commission and the Chevening Programme, please follow our social media channels:

Notes to editor

Chevening Scholarships are the UK Government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The scholarships support study at UK universities – mostly one year taught master’s degrees – for individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers, and opinion formers.

Chevening began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international awards scheme. Chevening Scholars come from over 160 countries and territories worldwide, and almost 1,800 scholarships were awarded in 2019/2020. There are over 50,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.

The name ‘Chevening’ comes from Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent – currently the official residence of the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

More information is available at www.chevening.org

Newly appointed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has wished good luck to the thousands of young people who are set to receive their A level results this morning (15 August).

Many students up and down the country will also have their university offers confirmed, in a year where a record rate of 18-year-olds in England have applied to go onto higher education.

Provisional data published in May showed a total of 745,585 A level entries in England this academic year. That included rises in the number of entries to science courses, as well as rises in computing and history.

As well as wishing students good luck, the Education Secretary thanked teachers and schools for their hard work and highlighted the better quality choices available for further study.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Everyone receiving results today should feel proud of their achievements – as should the thousands of teachers that supported them in our brilliant schools and colleges. Today marks the culmination of years of hard work which it’s right to recognise at this time of year.

Of course, the minds of thousands of young people getting their results will soon turn to the next chapter in their lives, whether that’s a place at one of our world class universities, earning on an apprenticeship or entering the world of work – and I hope every one of them is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for them and I wish them the very best of luck for their results today.

This year also sees the continuation of the Government’s reforms to A levels in England, with almost all A level exams sat this summer being reformed qualifications. The new A levels have been updated to provide the best possible preparation for further study and the world of work, with all exams sat at the end of the course. This removes continual testing and enables students to gain a deeper understanding of the subject before they are assessed. The new A levels are designed to have the same level of challenge as the previous qualifications.

Thousands of the pupils getting their results today will go on to do an apprenticeship, offering students high-quality training and a wide range of career options. Apprenticeships now offer more off-the-job training than in previous years and are supported by some of the country’s leading employers, including Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Mail and Berkeley Group.

Many students will also go on to one of the UK’s world leading universities, and the latest cycle of applications show a record rate of disadvantaged 18-year-olds applying to go into higher education. This group were 52% more likely to go to university in 2018 than they were in 2009. This follows the Government’s efforts to improve access and successful participation for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups, ensuring higher education is open to everyone with the talent and potential to benefit from it.

200 dangerous drivers have been stopped by police and hundreds given safety tips at motorway services.

The number of incidents during the Highways England initiative fell from 90 collisions during the previous week to 64 during the week of action.

The M1 safety week, which took place between Monday 13 and Sunday 19 May, also recorded the fourth lowest number of collisions of 2019 and second lowest outside school holidays.

The week saw all three of Highways England’s unmarked HGV supercabs take to the M1 to capture dangerous driving, with nearly 200 vehicles being pulled over by police officers during the week.

Highways England’s traffic officers also joined forces with the emergency services to provide free tyre checks and safety tips to hundreds of drivers at motorway services along the M1.

And new footage was released showing a lorry driver using a credit card to make a payment on his mobile phone to raise awareness of the dangers of using mobiles at the wheel.

You Tube.

Similar safety initiatives are now being planned for other motorways across England following the success of the M1 week of action.

Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, said:

We’ve been really impressed with the results of our week of action on the M1 which shows how making little changes to the way you drive can make a big difference to safety on our motorways.

Our HGV supercabs helped the police identify almost 200 dangerous drivers who could have caused collisions if they hadn’t been pulled over, and our safety tips at motorway services and in the media also helped to make the M1 safer for everyone.

As part of our current motorway driving campaign, we’re encouraging drivers to remember the basics of motorway driving to help keep us all moving so that the number of accidents continue to fall in the weeks and months ahead.

The HGV supercabs, which are funded by Highways England, allow police officers to film evidence of unsafe driving behaviour by pulling up alongside vehicles, and drivers are then pulled over by police cars following a short distance behind.

They have derestricted speed limiters which mean they can travel at speeds up to the national speed limit, and flashing lights have been installed for use by police forces in an emergency.

The supercabs were used by six police forces during the M1 week of action to record nearly 200 offences. They included 57 drivers on mobile phones, 37 not wearing seatbelts and 26 who were driving carelessly or not in proper control of their vehicles.

Police officers filed 133 traffic offence reports – usually requiring drivers to attend a driver education course – and there were also five prosecutions for more serious offences.

Northamptonshire Police was one of the forces involved in the week of action. PC Dave Lee from the Safer Roads Team said:

It is always disappointing to catch drivers breaking the law. However, with a high number of motorists observed throughout the operation, these figures show it’s a small minority who continue to commit these types of offences.

Our main priority is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by clamping down on the fatal four offences, which are speeding, drink/drug driving, seatbelt and mobile phone use. Working with our partners on such operations enables us to take a strong and robust approach to identify road traffic offences.

Tom Cotton, Road Haulage Association’s head of licensing and infrastructure policy, said:

A minority of drivers think it’s okay to endanger other road users by taking unnecessary risks behind the wheel – it’s not. No phone call or text is so urgent that it can’t wait until the driver is safely parked.

We’re pleased to see police and Highways England working together on initiatives to improve road safety.

A new Highways England safety campaign is currently taking place highlighting the basics of motorway driving, including what to do if you break down, keeping left except when overtaking, and obeying red X and variable speed limit signs.

Red Xs are displayed on overhead electronic signs to close lanes for several reasons, including an accident or breakdown, debris in the carriageway, or because of a person or animal on the road. Lanes are also closed to help emergency services get through or to provide a safe space for road workers.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The Department of Health and Social Care is strengthening its Brexit preparations with a £25 million contract to set up an express freight service to deliver medicines and medical products into the country.

The department is leading a procurement exercise for an express freight service as part of the government’s plans to support continuity of supply when the UK leaves the EU on 31 October.

The service is intended to deliver small parcels of medicines or medical products on a 24-hour basis, with additional provision to move larger pallet quantities on a 2- to 4-day basis. The service will be available to the whole of the UK.

While the majority of goods will be standard medicines and medical products, the express freight service can also deliver temperature-controlled products if needed.

The contract will run for 12 months, with a possible further 12-month extension.

The contract notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and potential bidders have until 21 August to submit proposals. The successful provider(s) are expected to be announced in September.

The taxpayer will only be liable for up to around £4 million of the total value of the contract, but it is expected to be much less than this.

The service will provide an additional level of contingency as part of necessary preparations to leave the EU on 31 October whatever the circumstances, supported by an additional £2 billion from the Treasury across government.

This money includes £434 million to help ensure continuity of vital medicines and medical products through freight capacity, warehousing and stockpiling.

The new service will support existing plans already in place, including:

• building buffer stocks of medicines and medical products
• changing or clarifying regulatory requirements so that companies can continue to sell their products in the UK if we have no deal
• strengthening the process and resources used to deal with shortages
• procuring additional warehouse capacity
• supporting companies to improve the readiness of their logistics and supply chains to meet the new customs and border requirements for both import and export

Health Minister Chris Skidmore said:

I want to ensure that when we leave the EU at the end of October, all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure frontline services are fully prepared.

That’s why we are stepping up preparations and strengthening our already extremely resilient contingency plans.

This express freight service sends a clear message to the public that our plans should ensure supply of medical goods remains uninterrupted as we leave the EU.

Today (14 August), Education Secretary Gavin Williamson met with young people from Team UK who will battle it out against 65 other nations in their specialist skill at the 2019 WorldSkills Olympics in Kazan, Russia next week.

The bi-annual WorldSkills event – which runs from 22 –27 August – is the largest international skills competition of its kind, bringing together apprentices and young people from around the world to compete for medals in their chosen skill.

Team UK is sending 37 young people from across the UK to compete in 32 skills categories ranging from joinery, cyber security and restaurant services. Mr Williamson met some of Team UK at Westminster Kingsway College, London where they were taking part in a warm-up event before heading out to Russia. On the visit he met with Tonicha Roberts, 22, whose specialist skill is Chemical Laboratory Technology, Jack Goodrum, 21, who will be competing in Carpentry, Collette Gorvette, 20, who will be showcasing her Restaurant Service skills, Ross Megahy who will be competing in Mechanical Engineering CAD and Owen Aldous, 20, who will be representing the UK in Cabinet Making.

While he was there, Mr Williamson also got the chance to try his hand at some of the skills himself including hospitality cocktail making and carpentry.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

It was fantastic to meet members of Team UK and see them all in action. There is no greater honour than representing your country on a global platform like this, and I wish them all the very best of luck as they head out to Kazan next week.

These young people are an inspiration to the next generation, and a reminder of the importance we must place on building a skilled workforce that will help make sure we have a productive economy as we prepare for Brexit.

That is why we are pressing ahead with our vital reforms to technical education including introducing new T Levels from September 2020 and working with employers to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.

WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE said:

The members of Team UK are the high flyers of their generation. At WorldSkills Kazan, in front of a global audience, they will champion UK skills, demonstrating that the UK is a world-class place to do business and create jobs.

We know they have put in the hours of training and are ready to take on the rest of the world. Good Luck Team UK.

Mr Williamson’s visit coincided with thousands of students getting their vocational and technical qualification results today in a range of subjects including Science, Technology and Engineering. He added:

I’d also like to say a huge congratulations to the thousands of students who are today collecting their results and thank you to all of the FE staff whose expertise has guided them along the way.

Technical education can open the door to so many exciting careers and I’m sure you all have bright futures ahead of you, whichever path you choose.