The announcement is in response to the 47th report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

The increases for 2019 to 2020 will be between:

• £1,940 and £2,630 for consultants
• £970 and £1,820 for specialty doctors
• £1,360 and £2,250 for associate specialists

This will be backdated to April 2019.

All pay awards are considered in light of wider pressures on public spending, ensuring that pay is fair for employees and taxpayers, while maintaining services that are affordable for the future.

The 2.5% pay rise for all consultants and dentists is part of the ambition to make the NHS the best place to work, as set out in the NHS Interim People Plan.

It is also intended to recognise their commitment to patients.

The government’s response to the DDRB’s report puts forward an approach for a potential multi-year deal with contract reform for specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors to improve recruitment, retention, morale and productivity for this group.

In 2018, the government announced the largest pay rise in nearly a decade for almost a million public sector workers.

The government recently settled multi-year pay deals with junior doctors and general practitioners.

The contract for all 39,000 junior doctors will see a minimum 8.2% pay rise over 4 years. It also ensures they are more fairly paid when working late into the night and at weekends, and puts new limits on working hours as part of wider improvements to their working conditions.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said:

Our NHS would be nothing without the hard work and commitment of its amazing staff.

So we are supporting tens of thousands of doctors and dentists with one of the biggest pay rises for over a decade ‒ in recognition of their 24/7 dedication and compassion towards patients.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• deploying to accident sites and leading investigations
• collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses
• conducting detailed analysis in order to identify safety issues and draft recommendations
• writing investigation reports and safety bulletins
• giving evidence at inquests and fatal accident inquiries

You must be prepared to travel throughout the UK (for which you will need a full UK driving licence) as well as overseas.

For further information about this position and how to apply see Civil Service Jobs, Inspector of Marine Accidents – Nautical, Ref: 1639540.

Closing date: 16 August 2019.

Tricky technical issues often hold back productivity and competitiveness for UK companies. Innovate UK’s Analysis for Innovators programme aims to help by bringing together businesses and the UK’s leading scientists and facilities to look at innovative ways of overcoming problems.

The partners, Innovate UK as part of UK Research and Innovation, the National Physical Laboratory, the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council have up to £4 million to invest in helping business to solve analysis and measurement issues affecting existing products and services.

Projects must improve productivity and competitiveness

The competition aims to help businesses look at analysis and measurement problems that are affecting existing products, processes or services and do not have an off-the-shelf solution. For example, this could be to analyse why a defect rate is happening and where UK experts and cutting-edge facilities could help. Applicants must explain the benefits of solving the problem, such as improved productivity or competitiveness.

Competition has 2 strands and 2 phases

There are 2 strands to the competition:

• up to £1 million is available for small projects that meet the European Union’s de minimis regulations on state aid
• up to £3 million is available for larger projects

Businesses are invited to express an interest in applying in the first phase of the competition. Successful applicants in the first phase will be invited to work with relevant partners on joint projects in a second phase.

Competition information

• both strands of the competition open on 29 July 2019, and the deadline for expressions of interest is at midday on 4 September 2019
• businesses of any size may apply
• up to £50,000 is available for small projects that meet the de minimis regulations
• we expect larger projects to have total costs of up to £300,000
• a briefing event will be held on 31 July 2019

• Government announces £80 million investment in next-generation electric cars and planes through Industrial Strategy

• Collaboration with industry and academia could accelerate development of electric and hybrid aircraft

• Investment comes from modern Industrial Strategy – keeping the UK at the forefront of new vehicle development and tackling climate change

Government today unveiled an £80 million investment to help develop the next generation of electric vehicles – and which could also help develop new hybrid aircraft.

The investment – through the modern Industrial Strategy – will help ensure the UK is able to supply products both in the UK and abroad, to help cut carbon emissions from a range of industries including transport, energy, agriculture and construction.

Development of these new technologies – known as Power Electronics, Electric Machines and Drives (PEMD) – will be led by industry and academia and supported by over 130 organisations, collectively offering global reserves of as much as £600 billion.

This collaboration will mean investment through four key strands to provide opportunities for industries in the UK to move away from fossil fuels, and new electric products. These four strands are:

• Fast Start Fill the Gaps/Proof of Concept Programmes – a project that aims to fill identified gaps in the supply chain for PEMD;

• Industrialisation Centres – aiming for the UK to develop the next generation of PEMD products such as electric vehicles and hybrid aircraft, as well as providing a focal point for the business community;

• High efficiency, high volume supply chains – investing in the UK’s capability to develop the necessary machining tools for new manufacturing techniques; and

• Low volume, high value supply chains – aiming to help just-in-time manufacturers to sustain long-term growth

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

Companies like Jaguar and Lotus are choosing the UK to develop their new electric vehicles, while Easy Jet and Rolls Royce have chosen the UK to develop their hybrid planes – all recognising and investing in the expertise and talents of the UK.

Building on our Faraday Battery Challenge and Battery Industrialisation Centre this co-investment from Government and industry is a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy, building on our strengths and helping to create the next generation of net zero technologies that will transform entire industries.

The UK leads the world on combatting climate change and is the first major economy to legislate for net zero.

This investment is part of the Industrial Strategy Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, transforming the way people work and travel.

Key targets include:

• Eliminating diesel rolling stock from UK railways by 2040;

• Accelerating the delivery of electric and hybrid aircraft by 2040; and

• The delivery of zero carbon road transport by 2040

The challenge will deliver technologies that will enable the UK’s road, rail, maritime and aviation networks to dramatically reduce emissions.

The programme also supports clean growth by driving down costs and delivering a volume supply chain necessary to deliver low-carbon technologies – building partnerships between industries of all sizes.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport said:

Driving the Electric Revolution will strengthen the UK’s capability to deliver next generation electric vehicles, hybrid aircraft and smart grids. It will ensure these industries, both large and small, are rooted here in the UK attracting inward investment into our manufacturing base.

Dr Will Drury, Head of Electronics & Electric Machines Products, Ricardo Automotive & Industrial:

Underpinning the drive to reduce our carbon footprint and decrease global reliance on fossil fuels is electrification. This is occurring across every sector of society from energy generation for our homes to how we move about. Driving Electric Revolution challenge will underpin the growth of the UK supply chain critical to enlarge GDP and jobs in Power Electronics, Machines and Drives; an area in which the UK already has global recognition.

PEMD is a set of cross sectoral products used to change fossil fuel-based systems into electric systems, powered by battery or some other stable electrical source. Power electronics refers to components used to control and convert electrical power e.g. from direct to alternating current or from higher to lower voltages and vice versa. Electric machines are devices which convert electrical energy into mechanical work and vice versa, for example, electric motors and generators. Drives refers to the combined control electronics, software and power electronics used to integrate the systems.

A new project to develop a novel unmanned combat aircraft has been announced by the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

The Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) concept looks to offer additional capability, deployed alongside fighter jets like the F-35 and Typhoon – offering increased protection, survivability and information for the manned aircraft – and could even provide an unmanned combat air ‘fleet’ in the future.

Specifically, in a break with traditional approaches for combat air systems in the UK, the innovative LANCA concept aims to deliver dramatic reductions in traditional cost and development timeline.

Under LANCA, a technology demonstrator project known as ‘Mosquito’ has awarded contracts for Phase 1 of the work, which will produce a preliminary system design for an unmanned air vehicle and assessment of the key risk areas and cost-capability trade-offs for an operational concept. Initial flight test of the demonstrator air vehicle could take place as early as 2022.

Phase 1 will include the exploration of novel design, development, prototyping, manufacture, and support, to enable low-cost rapid development and evolution of a potential future unmanned combat air system. Dstl, which provides science and technology for the defence and security of the UK, is delivering the technical oversight, project management, and partnering for Project Mosquito.

For Phase 1, contracts were awarded to three teams led by Blue Bear Systems Research Ltd, Boeing Defence UK Ltd, and Callen-Lenz (Team BLACKDAWN partnered with Bombardier Belfast and Northrop Grumman UK Ltd).

LANCA originated in 2015 studies by Dstl to understand innovative Combat Air technologies and concepts that might offer radical reductions in cost and development time. Subsequently LANCA was brought into the RAF RCO as part of the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative (FCAS TI). LANCA aims to explore the utility and feasibility of unmanned capability adjuncts to existing and future Fast Jet aircraft, specifically those that offer substantial reductions in traditional cost and development timelines.

Project Mosquito has two planned phases. After the 12-month Phase 1, Phase 2 will select up to two of the Phase 1 solutions to further mature the designs, complete manufacturing of the technology demonstrator and conclude with a limited flight-test programme.

The RAF RCO, in partnership with Dstl, is adopting creative approaches to deliver this challenging project. For example, by conducting a competition to access ‘best of breed’, it has enabled non-traditional suppliers to propose their approach to meet the MOD’s ambitious aims. Additionally, subject matter experts within the MOD are assigned as technical partners to each team, supporting industry with technical and operational advice and decisions. This will enhance the opportunity of this game-changing concept in a coherent approach for future combat air systems.