The Defence Secretary has announced the fourth Dreadnought submarine as HMS King George VI ahead of a special service at Westminster Abbey today to recognise the Royal Navy’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) over the past 50 years.

Since April 1969, a Royal Navy ballistic missile submarine has patrolled every single day, without interruption, providing the nation’s deterrent and helping keep the UK and our allies safe. This is the UK’s longest sustained military operation ever undertaken and is known as Operation Relentless.

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

Operation Relentless has seen generations of submariners from HMS Resolution to HMS Vengeance on constant watch, for every minute of every day for the last five decades. This is the longest military operation we have ever undertaken and continues right this minute deep under the sea.

We pay tribute to those incredible crews, their supportive families, the Royal Navy and the thousands of industry experts who will continue to sustain this truly national endeavour for many years to come.

CASD50 provides a chance to not only remember the national endeavour of the past half century but to look to the next-generation of ballistic missile submarines, the Dreadnought class. This will consist of four boats helping to ensure the security of generations to come. The Dreadnought-class are expected to enter service in the early 2030s, helping to maintain Operation Relentless.

Prior to the service at Westminster Abbey, First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, announced that HMS King George VI will now join HMS Dreadnought, Valiant and Warspite as the fourth Dreadnought submarine. HMS King George VI makes history as it will become the first naval vessel to bear that royal title. King George VI had strong naval connections having spent time at the Royal Naval College, Osbourne followed by Dartmouth. He then went on to earn a mention in despatches for his service on HMS Collingwood during the Battle of Jutland.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones said:

For half a century, the Royal Navy has always had at least one ballistic missile submarine at sea on patrol, safeguarding the ultimate guarantor of our country’s security – and that of our NATO allies too. Today, as we pause to reflect on the significance of this 50-year milestone in our proud history of submarine operations, and the national endeavour that underpins it, we are also looking to our future.

Today’s announcement that the fourth of our future ballistic missile submarine fleet will be named HMS King George VI follows a long tradition of naming capital ships after our country’s monarchs; together with her sisters Dreadnought, Valiant and Warspite these submarines represent the cutting edge of underwater capability and will meet the awesome challenge of continuous at sea deterrence into the second half of the 21st century.

It is estimated that around 30,000 people are involved in building and supporting nuclear submarines across the UK. Maintaining this skilled workforce helps to invest millions of pounds into local communities and ensures the UK continues to boast a highly-skilled workforce in this sector.

Read more about CASD50

Congratulations to Clare Cameron, our newly appointed Director Defence Innovation. We caught up with her to find out a little more about what she is hoping to achieve in her new post.

What is the Director Defence Innovation responsible for?

I am responsible for enabling and embedding innovation across Defence. The job is fundamentally a Business Change role; changing current cultural behaviours across the MOD and enabling everyone to engage in innovation and to be open to great ideas and to follow through on them. As well as technological innovation, I will be looking at innovation in the way we manage and train our people and retain the right skill sets, and I will be working to break down the barriers to innovation. I have also been asked to collaborate across sectors, in particular Security, as there are many cross overs in the way technology can be exploited, and potential which we need to make the most of across government.

How do you think your background sets you up for this role?

My background working across Defence and in Cabinet Office gives me a good understanding for how to make things happen in MOD and across National Security. I have experience of business transformation in government – but not quite on this scale, so I will be learning fast. I deployed with the Armed Forces to Afghanistan so I have seen how important innovating the way we do things and the technology we have can be; we need to inject some of that urgency into the way we operate today.

Why is innovation in Defence so important?

Technology is moving at an exceptional pace and our adversaries are taking advantage of these opportunities at an alarming rate and often in an unpredictable manner. We need to move quicker to anticipate such technological advances and their potential uses, to stay one step ahead of those who threaten our safety. It’s also about being a responsible organisation, providing our Armed Forces with the best kit and processes we can. And, we want to be an agile department, one that is efficient and effective in government – being innovative is key to this too.

Who do you have helping you to assist Defence to become ‘innovative by instinct’?

There is a huge amount of excellent work going on across the Armed Forces to bring new technology into military capability. The teams that work for me are the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU). DASA helps find and fund new technology and develop it so it can be taken on by the Armed Forces. It is the kind of organisation we need at the forefront of innovation, providing a central service to government departments across the defence and security sectors, ensuring clarity of requirement and defined routes to the end user. The Outreach team, who are embedded experts in regional innovation ecosystems, are critical to providing reach back into the latest thinking and gauging the market potential.

DIU is the team in MOD Head Office that is developing the strategy, managing the Defence Innovation Fund (£800m over the next 10 years) and championing innovation. DIU, as well as providing funding, is working on spreading innovation into the way the MOD makes decisions about the future of the Armed Forces and into the work to transform the systems that support the Armed Forces. DIU is also looking at breaking down the barriers to innovation, particularly in our commercial processes and in acquisition so that we can be as accessible and as flexible as possible and so Defence can be an attractive organisation to work with.

Defence is a large organisation. How can you help to encourage the various innovation bodies in Defence to work together, avoiding duplication of effort?

I see the various innovation hubs and accelerators across Defence and other government departments as a real opportunity. It means that innovation is alive and moving to the forefront of our people’s thinking. What I want to do is create awareness of the different organisations, create links and identify opportunities for working together. We have a real opportunity to establish a vibrant, collaborative team that can maximise the potential of each innovation for both Defence and Security.

What impact have you seen from government engaging with industry in innovation?

The UK produces the most fascinating innovators, who are coming up with brilliant ideas from their garden shed. I have already come across such people in my new role and I am encouraged that Defence is making working together easier and that we have initiatives in place to proactively attract our nation’s SMEs and innovators. UK Primes are continuing to work at pace, engaging with Defence and accelerating our understanding of the latest technological advances, but we could still work closer. Working together with Primes, SMEs and Academia to build an even stronger innovation ecosystem is key to our future success.

At around 09:15 hrs on Tuesday 16 April 2019, a light diesel locomotive which was descending a 1 in 40 gradient towards Beddgelert station on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, was unable to slow down.

The locomotive was travelling at around 10 mph (16 km/h) for 1.25 miles (2 km) without the driver being able to reduce its speed. It passed over a number of open level crossings, through Beddgelert station, past a signal placed at danger and into a single line section without authorisation. The locomotive stopped when the gradient levelled out 0.6 miles (1 km) after the station. There were no injuries.

Our investigation will establish the sequence of events and consider:

• the factors that prevented the driver from stopping the locomotive
• the maintenance of the locomotive
• any underlying management factors

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

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Thousands of vulnerable people sleeping rough will get specialist support to recover from life on the streets, thanks to a £25 million funding boost announced today (3 May 2019) by Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP.

The money, to be shared with 108 local authorities across the country, will be used to fund innovative local schemes aimed at supporting people off the streets and into stable accommodation where they can receive the tailored care they need.

This will include:

• 20 new “Somewhere Safe to Stay” rough sleeping centres – where people on the streets can access professional help and guidance, including immediate shelter and mental health support

• Over 130 navigator posts – specialist support workers who direct people to the services they need, such as counselling, housing advice, mental health support or substance misuse services

• 61 supported lettings schemes – helping people to secure tenancies in properties that they may not otherwise be able to access

• 30 dedicated local letting agencies – specialist agencies that support vulnerable people into affordable and stable accommodation

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

We are taking steps to ensure people never have to face even one night on the streets.

These are vulnerable people, who may be dealing with complex mental health problems or addictions and require specialist support to tackle these issues and turn their lives around.

The funding confirmed today will ensure those sleeping on the streets have access to the professional help and guidance they need to get back on their feet – taking us one step closer to ending rough sleeping for good.

Today’s news forms part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy – backed by £100 million – which sets out detailed plans to support thousands of people off the street and end rough sleeping for good.

The 20 new rough sleeping centres builds upon 11 announced in December last year, bringing the total to 31 – exceeding the commitment made in the Strategy.

This also follows the confirmation of £46 million for councils over the next year – including the 83 areas with the highest number of rough sleepers –to support people in their area off the streets and into secure accommodation where they can get the help they need to rebuild their lives.

Councils will use this investment to create an estimated additional 2,600 beds and 750 support staff – meaning there are more people sleeping in warm beds tonight as a result of government funding.

Case studies

In Gloucester, a Somewhere Safe to Stay hub opened earlier this year. In February, a man was referred to the hub and was confused, exhausted and suffering from memory loss. During his time at the hub, he was able to recuperate and was accompanied by a navigator to the health and homelessness team for assessment. His treatment helped him to remember details about his family and he was supported to reach out and reconnect with his family. He has since moved back to London to live with his relatives.

Elsewhere, Cornwall council will receive funding this year to trial a ‘roving hub’ across the county. This will allow services to rotate around three locations and engage with more rough sleepers, or people at risk. People will receive specialist, personalised support at the hub locations, linking them up with health and housing services so that, with the support they need, they can move on into settled and sustainable accommodation.

Further information

• In August 2018, the government unveiled its Rough Sleeping Strategy, which sets out the next steps towards achieving the aim of supporting everyone off the streets and into a home and to end rough sleeping for good, backed by £100 million of funding.

• The government has provided £46 million for the Rough Sleeping Initiative fund in the 2019 to 2020 year, consisting of £34 million for the initial 83 areas who had the highest number of rough sleepers and a further £12 million set aside for spending on other areas and projects.

• The Rapid Rehousing Pathway brings together 4 policy interventions – Somewhere Safe to Stay, Supported Lettings, Navigators and Local Lettings Agencies – to help rough sleepers, and those at risk of sleeping rough, to access the support and settled housing they need to leave the streets for good.

• Bidding for 2019 to 2020 opened on 1 March and closed on 29 March 2019.

In a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) today (3 May 2019), the Education Secretary will launch a Call for Evidence on the funding arrangements for pupils with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and praise the work of schools, teachers and support workers for enabling those pupils to achieve great outcomes.

Over a quarter of a million pupils with the most complex needs have benefited from personalised Education, Health and Care Plans since 2014, giving them the tailored support they need to thrive. Alongside this the High Needs Budget, money set aside for pupils with SEND and those in alternative provision, has risen from £5 billion in 2013 to over £6 billion today.

But as we approach the Spending Review, Education Secretary Damian Hinds will ask schools and colleges for their views on how to make funding arrangements for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities more effective.

As the needs of children are changing, the support that schools are providing reflects this additional complexity.

There are now almost 120,000 pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans who are continuing their education in mainstream schools, while the number of pupils whose needs are being met in special schools has risen to over 112,000 in the last five years.

The Secretary of State will say:

Teachers change lives, we all know this, and nowhere more so than in the incredible work they do to support children with special educational needs and disabilities. They have my huge admiration and thanks for that work.

We introduced Education, Health and Care Plans to help that work and thousands of children with the most complex needs are now receiving more tailored support to help their learning. That support needs investment and while we have already hugely increased spending in this area, I recognise that providing for additional complexities can put additional pressures on schools.

Following this huge reform, I want to make sure we have the best understanding of how our system for funding children with high needs is operating on the ground – and whether there are improvements we can make so every pound of public money we spend is building opportunities for young people.

I’ve made clear that I will back head teachers to have the resources they need to provide the best education possible for every child – that ambition is no different for children with SEND, nor should it be. So I hope teachers and leaders will work with me to lead a system that unlocks every child’s potential.

Since bringing in Education, Health and Care plans, the department has continued to invest in provision for children and young people with SEND. In December 2018 the Education Secretary announced that he would provide an extra £250 million up to 2020 to help local authorities manage high needs cost pressures, as well as £100 million funding to create more SEND places in mainstream schools, colleges and special schools.

An additional £31.6 million has also been invested to train more than 600 new Educational Psychologists, who are critical in identifying special educational needs and carrying out assessments.

These changes have increased the amount of tailored support children and young people with SEND are receiving but it has increased demands on the education sector.

The department will now work with all those involved in the SEND system to hear directly about how it can work better to improve outcomes for young people and whether funding could be distributed more effectively.

The call for evidence launches today and will run until 31st July.

Further information:

• We introduced Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans so that support can be tailored to each individual to better prepare young people for adulthood and improve their outcomes.
• In March, we confirmed funding of over £30 million to train more Educational Psychologists to help meet increasing demand for their services. We are launching three new training rounds from 2020 which will see over 600 new Educational Psychologists trained to make sure there is a sufficient supply to be able to help to carry out the EHC plan process.