Mr Martin Shearman CVO has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium in succession to Ms Alison Rose. Mr Shearman will take up his appointment in summer 2019.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Full name: Martin Shearman

Married to: Miriam Shearman

Children: Two

2018	Full-time language training
2013 to 2017	UK Mission to the UN in New York, Head, Development and Human Rights
2008 to 2012	Uganda, British High Commissioner
2006 to 2008	FCO, European Correspondent, and Head, EU External Department, Europe Directorate
2003 to 2006	Nigeria, Deputy High Commissioner
2000 to 2002	FCO, Deputy European Correspondent, Europe Directorate
1997 to 1999	FCO, Head, NATO Section, Security Policy Department, including a secondment to the NATO International Secretariat
1997	Secondment to Cabinet Office, Review of Government Trade Promotion
1996 to 1997	Secondment to Department of Trade and Industry
1993 to 1996	Japan, Second later First Secretary
1991 to 1993	Japanese Language Training
1989 to 1991	European Community Department (External)

Further information

Published 10 January 2019

UK exporters are set to benefit from a multimillion pound boost as Japan today opened its market to imports of UK lamb and beef.

The agreement, signed during Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the UK, is estimated to be worth a total of nearly £130 million over the first five years of access – approximately £75 million for beef and £52 million for lamb.

Japan, a major importer of beef with a growing demand for high quality lamb, lifted its two-decade long ban on imports of these products with immediate effect.

The deal follows a year of global successes for UK exporters, which included China lifting its ban on UK beef, Taiwan opening its market to pork and India preparing to import UK sheep meat.

The market opening for lamb will also be good news for farmers in Wales, where the meat accounts for a third of total food and drink exports – worth £110 million.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Welsh lamb has a great reputation across the globe and is a symbol for quality.

Today’s announcement brings even greater opportunities for Welsh farmers to market their produce around the world, demonstrating the UK Government’s commitment to forging important global partnerships to support our vital industries in Wales.

Food Minister George Eustice said:

The opening of the Japanese market is an excellent result for beef and lamb producers across the UK and demonstrates confidence in our high standards of food and drink.

As we enter a new era as a global exporter, unlocking this market marks a major step for future trading relationships and signals our commitment to supporting our food and drink industry to export more British food.

The lifting of the ban follows a series of visits and negotiations between UK and Japanese officials, which culminated in an inspection of UK beef and lamb production systems in 2018, successfully hosted by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, DAERA, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the UK Export Certification Partnership.

Japan is renowned for its stringent food safety and import controls regime and opening this market is expected to send a positive signals to other countries, particularly in Asia, regarding the safety of UK exports.

Wyn Evans, NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman said:

I am delighted that a potential new premium market is opening up for our world leading PGI Welsh Beef and Lamb. Securing new and maintaining current export markets are crucial to our ambition within NFU Cymru, so that we can continue to grow the £6.9 billion Welsh food and drink sector and secure the long term viability of the Welsh red meat industry. We look forward to working with supply chain partners to ensure that Japanese consumers have the chance to enjoy the finest beef and lamb in the world, produced in Wales.

AHDB International Market Development Director Dr Phil Hadley said:

Today’s announcement is fantastic news for our farmers and producers and it follows years of hard work by government, AHDB and key industry stakeholders.

Access to this lucrative new market is a testament to the high quality produce and world-renowned standards we have here in the UK. We are confident this new deal to export beef and lamb to Japan, alongside our existing pork trade, will create some exciting opportunities for our beef and sheep producers.

Farmers and food producers can begin exporting as soon as the administrative listing process is completed.

At around 23:25 hrs on 2 December 2018, a track worker moved out of the way of an approaching passenger train less than two seconds before the train passed him travelling at 51 mph (82 km/h). He did not suffer any injuries.

The track worker was removing cables (short circuiting straps) which had been temporarily attached to rails near Gatwick Airport station in connection with engineering work on the railway.

Our investigation will establish the sequence of events and consider:

• factors influencing the actions of the track worker and other staff involved in the work
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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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Published 10 January 2019

The SatelLife Competition, now in its third year, is looking for innovative proposals that have the potential to use data collected from space to benefit our economy, health or the environment.

Ideas from last year’s competition included a wristband that uses satellite location data and communications services to identify the locations of swimmers and surfers in the sea and a tool that would map change in urban areas using satellites and algorithms, identifying where building is taking place and potential sites for development.

Satellites support the economy and everyday life, and this competition gives young people the chance to test their ideas with industry experts and perhaps one day become part of the fastest growing sector of the UK economy. The UK space industry is a success story – it supports 38,000 jobs and generates just under £14 billion in revenue across the country.

Science minister Chris Skidmore said:

Young people are bursting with ingenious ideas and this competition offers a great opportunity for their suggestions about how best to use data collected from satellites.

I would urge young people to get involved and hopefully their ideas will become a reality in the near future, benefiting us all. The competition is a great example of how the government’s modern Industrial Strategy can inspire and engage young people in the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Last year’s individual winner was Ieuan Higgs, a student from Chippenham in Wiltshire. The group winners were four school friends – Ellie Jones, Jessica Knight, Summer Jeffery and Emily Haddrell – from Truro in Cornwall. The overall winner in 2017 was 13-year-old James Pearson from Lincolnshire, who came up with an app to provide information on coastal flood risks.

Ieuan Higgs, 21, a student at the University of Reading, who has been offered a job in the space sector when he graduates since winning last year, said:

Entering the SatelLife Competition allowed me to develop my critical thinking and problem-solving skills in an interesting, challenging way.

This has certainly helped me to push forwards on my way towards finishing university and provided me with the confidence to pursue my interests as I prepare to launch an exciting career.

The competition, which is open to those aged 11 to 22 and split into three age groups, aims to support the development of science, data handling and technological skills. There are two overall prizes of £7,500 for the best individual and best team. A further seven entries from across the age categories will win £5,000, making a total prize fund of £50,000.

Previous winners are making progress on turning their ideas into reality. Medical students Christopher Law, 20, Thomas Franchi and Hammad Jeilani, both 21, from London came up with an idea to use satellites and drones to help people in isolated areas who cannot access basic health care such as vaccines, birth control or medicine. They have now formed a company, called MEDeus Ltd, and are working with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield, whose engineers have produced early-stage drone designs. They have also been invited to join the Westcott Business Incubation Centre.

Elliot Vale, from Stourport-On-Severn, was a winner in 2017 and is developing his GeoRescue app focused at people who live in or travel to high-risk natural disaster areas. Elliott has started a business and is planning to enter a business incubator this year. While Sam Frampton, another winner from 2017, used his experience to pursue a career in the space industry and is now working for Thales Alenia Space.

The judging panel will be made up of experts including representatives from the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Satellite Applications Catapult in Harwell and industry.

Gemma Wilson, Knowledge Exchange Manager at the Satellite Applications Catapult and one of the expert judges, said:

The SatelLife Competition is a fantastic opportunity for future space entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas.

This competition could be your first step to an exciting career in the space sector as you identify how satellites can provide unique solutions to the everyday challenges we face here on Earth.

Entries can be as teams or individuals and all prize winners will be able to pitch their idea to a panel of ‘dragons’ from the space sector who will offer more prizes. Over the last two years the competition winners have been offered further funding, patent advice and invitations to discuss job opportunities as well as introductions to the other relevant experts for further help.

The competition closes on 3 March 2019. Visit the SatelLife Competition entry page for more information and to apply.

The UK and Japan will announce an ambitious programme – and £30m of initial funding – for cutting-edge technology to boost innovation, create high-skilled jobs and improve people’s quality of life.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will today (Thu 10 Jan) meet Prime Minister Theresa May for their first talks in Downing Street, following her successful visit to Tokyo and Kyoto last year.

For the first time British and Japanese researchers and industry experts will work side by side on projects to tackle the Grand Challenges identified by the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy and Japan’s Society 5.0.

These include designing robotic systems to allow our ageing populations to live independently in their home for longer, finding new treatments for chronic conditions like dementia and heart failure, and new forms of greener transport and energy storing to ensure a cleaner world for future generations.

Figures show wider adoption of such technology could create 175,000 new jobs and boost the UK manufacturing sector by £455bn over the next decade.

The UK and Japan will also explore how businesses and innovators can use big data legally, ethically and safely in the future.

In their talks, the leaders will discuss the economic opportunities that exist for both nations as the UK leaves the European Union.

Following positive discussions at the G20 in Buenos Aires, Prime Minister Abe will reiterate Japan’s commitment to an ambitious bilateral arrangement with the UK, building on the agreement between Japan and the EU. This will give businesses stability, support jobs, and ensure greater choice and lower prices for consumers.

Japan will also scrap the existing export ban on British beef and lamb, in place since 1996, worth £127 million to British farmers over five years.

Ahead of today’s visit, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

The UK and Japan are natural partners. We face many of the same challenges. But also the same immense opportunities. By agreeing to forge a new, dynamic partnership, we not only back some of the most cutting-edge sectors in our economy, but will also improve people’s lives and shape the 21st Century for the better. This is our modern Industrial Strategy in action.

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, we raise our horizons towards the rest of the world. Our relationship with Japan is stronger than ever, and this visit will enhance co-operation in a wide range of areas. From trade and investment, to science and innovation, and our unwavering commitment to defence and security – the close bond between our nations will help us achieve our shared goals.

Prime Minister Abe will receive a military Guard of Honour for the first time ahead of bilateral talks in Downing Street. The two leaders will also attend a briefing chaired by Security Minister Ben Wallace where senior representatives from emergency services will share the UK’s experience of hosting large international events ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics in Japan.

The UK and Japan will also agree to:

• Build on last year’s Joint Declaration that stepped up our defence and security partnership. The UK will increase the number of combined exercises between our defence forces and strengthen maritime co-operation.
• Deploy HMS Montrose to Japan in early 2019, to enforce sanctions against the DPRK as part of our joint determination to a peaceful resolution to tension in the region and the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.
• Collaborate on new defence technologies, including co-operation on future combat aircraft, missile development and autonomous systems that will ensure our forces remain an effective deterrent, as well as supporting high-skilled jobs.

Strengthen cultural ties, with the National Gallery sending a major exhibition of its masterpieces to Japan – including the famous ‘Sunflowers’ by Vincent Van Gogh – as part of a year-long UK-Japan Season of Culture starting next September.