Households and businesses installing new solar panels will be guaranteed payment for power provided back to the grid under government proposals set out today (Tuesday 8 January) to unlock the smart energy systems of the future- an important upgrade to the current Feed-in Tariffs scheme.

The proposed ‘Smart Export Guarantee’ (SEG) would replace the existing ‘Feed-in Tariff’ scheme (FIT), with electricity suppliers paying new small-scale energy producers for excess electricity from homes and businesses being put back into the energy grid. The new scheme could create a whole new market, encouraging suppliers to competitively bid for this electricity, giving exporters the best market price while providing the local grid with more clean, green energy, unlocking greater choice and control for solar households over buying and selling their electricity.

With the cost of solar falling by 80% since 2008, it’s the right time to review the way these payments are made- with the scheme currently costing consumers approximately £1.2 billion a year. The SEG would mean households and businesses installing new renewable energy generators would be paid transparently for the energy they produce- protecting consumers from cost burdens, by using established smart technology.

Currently under the FIT scheme, accredited households and businesses who install small scale electricity generation are assumed to export 50% of the electricity they produce and are paid for it-even when the electricity is not needed by the grid or they export less than 50%.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:

This new scheme could help us to build a bridge to the smart energy system of the future, with consumers firmly at its heart – not only buying electricity but being guaranteed payments for excess electricity they can supply to the grid.

It could also reduce strain on energy networks with a more decentralised and smarter local network delivering resilience much more cost effectively, unlocking innovative products for electric vehicles and home energy storage; a win-win for consumers and the environment and a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy.

The proposals, being consulted on from today, combined with existing technologies like smart meters and battery storage could also help build a bridge to smarter more efficient energy systems of the future, with the potential to work together with electric vehicle and standalone batteries to store and sell electricity to the grid when demand is high; in turn cutting consumer bills, reducing strain on energy networks, and giving consumers more control of their energy use.

Government investment in clean energy is at the heart of its world-leading modern industrial strategy, with the Clean Growth Strategy pledging more than £2.5 billion investment in low carbon innovation by 2021. The FIT scheme, which closes to new applicants on 31 March 2019, has overachieved on its original objectives, outstripping installation predictions by nearly 100,000 with over 830,000 solar installations producing enough power for two million homes.

Some 560,000 households and business are currently generating electricity under the FIT scheme through a range of measures including anaerobic digestion (generating energy from waste products), wind power, biomass and hydro-electricity- but with the majority (99%) using solar panels fitted to rooftops.

1. 99% of installations accredited under the FIT scheme are solar, or 80% capacity. By capacity: wind is 12%, hydro is 3%, AD is 5% and mCHP is 0.01%
2. The cost of solar cells has dropped by 80% since 2008
3. Home smart systems have already evolved to the point where consumers will now be able to use smart meters to know exactly how much electricity they are selling back to the grid.
4. A third of the UK’s electricity came from renewables in 2018 as overall power generation fell to its lowest levels since 1994, as energy efficiency improves.
5. Wind accounted for 17% of the total power generated last year, while solar contributed 4% and burning plant material or biomass for electricity produced 11%.
6. Respond to the consultation: The future for small-scale low-carbon generation.

Dhonsi was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment, Mirza to 18 months imprisonment, and Ali to 9 months imprisonment for their roles in the crimes.

Following a complex investigation, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized more than 300,000 tablets, worth in excess of £315,000. It is believed these tablets seized represent a fraction of the overall illegal operation.

The trio were convicted of conspiracy to supply unauthorised medicines, including diazepam, zolpidem and zopiclone which are also controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, together with other powerful prescription-only medicines.

The supply of medicines from sources outside the regulated supply chain represents a significant public health risk and the criminal group responsible showed a complete disregard for the public’s safety and well-being.

The medicines the group were supplying can have serious side effects; for example, finasteride, which is used to treat hair loss, can lead to foetal abnormalities and sibutramine, which is used as an appetite suppressant was banned in 2010 because of the health risks associated with its use which include cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

Alastair Jeffrey, MHRA Head of Enforcement said:

Medicines purchased outside the regulated supply chain cannot be guaranteed to meet standards of quality, safety and effectiveness and can present a real risk to public health. Some may contain dangerous ingredients which can have devastating consequences for patients who use them.

We work to identify those involved in illegal activities with medicines and will use our powers to investigate fully, confiscate assets and, where necessary, prosecute those putting profit before public health.

Criminals selling medicines illegally have a flagrant disregard for your health, and only care about making money. Contact a GP or a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about your health.

Visit http://www.gov.uk/fakemeds for tips on buying medicines safely online and how to avoid unscrupulous sites.

I should like to make a statement about the action the government are taking on our future policy on drones.

The disruption caused by drones to flights at Gatwick airport last month was deliberate, irresponsible and calculated, as well as illegal. It meant days of chaos and uncertainty for over 100,000 passengers at Christmas, one of the busiest times of the year. Carefully planned holidays were disrupted, long-expected reunions between friends and relatives missed. Families were forced to spend hours at an airport, not knowing if or when they would reach their destinations – completely unacceptable and utterly illegal. I pay tribute to all at Gatwick and other airports who worked very hard to make sure people did get away, albeit belatedly, for their Christmas breaks, and I thank all those in the defence world and the police who worked hard to get the airport back together again, and of course Sussex police are now leading the investigation into this criminal activity.

I am clear that, when caught, those responsible should face the maximum possible custodial sentence for this hugely irresponsible criminal act, and I want to assure the House that my department is working extremely closely with airports, the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Civil Aviation Authority and the police to make sure our national airports are fully prepared to manage any repeat of what was an unprecedented incident. I spoke personally to the heads of the major UK airports before Christmas, and later this week the aviation minister, Baroness Sugg, will meet them again for an update on progress. In the meantime the Ministry of Defence remains on standby to deal with any further problems at Gatwick or any other airport if required.

This incident was a stark example of why we must continue to ensure drones are used safely and securely in the UK. Today (7 January 2019) I am publishing the outcome of our recent consultation, “Taking flight: the future of drones in the UK.” We received over 5,000 responses to that consultation reflecting a broad range of views. Those responses underlined the importance of balancing the UK’s world-leading position in aviation safety and security with supporting the development of this emerging industry. The government are taking action to ensure that passengers can have confidence that their journeys will not be disrupted in future, aircraft can safely use our key transport hubs, and criminals misusing drones can be brought to justice.

The UK is where technology companies want to build their businesses, invest in innovation and use science and engineering to bring immense benefits to this country. Drones are at the forefront of these technological advances and are already being used in the UK to great effect. Our emergency search and rescue services use drones on a regular basis. Drones can also reduce risks for workers in hazardous sectors such as the oil and gas industries, and this technology is also driving more efficient ways of working in many other sectors, from delivering medicines to assisting with building work.

However, the Gatwick incident has reinforced the fact that it is crucial that our regulatory and enforcement regime keeps pace with rapid technological change. ​We have already taken some big steps towards building a regulatory system for this new sector. It is already an offence to endanger aircraft. Drones must not be flown near people or property and have to be kept within visual line of sight. Commercial users are able to operate drones outside of these rules, but only when granted CAA permission after meeting strict safety conditions.

Education is also vital to ensure everyone understands the rules about drone use. That is why the CAA has been running its long-standing Dronesafe campaign and Dronecode guide – work that is helping to highlight these rules to the public. And on 30 July last year (2018) we introduced new measures that barred drones from flying above 400 feet and within 1 km of protected airport boundaries. In addition, we have introduced and passed legislation that will mean that from November all drone operators must register and all drone pilots complete a competency test.

However, we now intend to go further. Today’s measures set out the next steps needed to ensure that drones are used in a safe and secure way and that the industry is accountable. At the same time these steps will ensure that we harness the benefits that drones can bring to the UK economy.

A common theme in those 5,000 consultation responses was the importance of the enforcement of safety regulations. The government share that view. The majority of drone users fly safely and responsibly, but we must ensure that the police have the right powers to deal with illegal use. We will therefore shortly be introducing new police powers. These include allowing the police to request evidence from drone users where there is reasonable suspicion of an offence being committed, as well as enabling the police to issue fixed penalty notices for minor drone offences. Those new powers will help to ensure effective enforcement of the rules. They will provide an immediate deterrent to those who might misuse drones or attempt to break the law.

My department has been working closely with the Home Office on the legislative clauses that will deliver these changes. It is of course crucial that our national infrastructure, including airports and other sites such as prisons and energy plants, are also adequately protected to prevent incidents such as that at Gatwick. We must also ensure that the most up-to-date technology is available to detect, track and potentially disrupt drones that are being used illegally, so we have also consulted on the further use of counter-drone technology. Those consultation responses will now be used by the Home Office to develop an appropriate means of using that technology in the UK.

Of course, aviation and passenger safety is at the heart of everything we do. While airlines and airports welcomed our recent airport drone restriction measures, they also asked for the current airport rules to be amended in order to better protect the landing and take-off paths of aircraft. We have listened to those concerns, and we have been working with the CAA and NATS to develop the optimum exclusion zone that will help to meet those requirements. It is important to stress that any restriction zone would not have prevented a deliberate incident such as that at Gatwick. However, it is right that proportionate measures should be in place at airports to protect aircraft and to avoid potential conflict with legitimate drone activity. We will therefore introduce additional protections around airports, with ​a particular focus on protected exclusion zones from runway ends, alongside increasing the current aerodrome traffic zone restrictions around airports. Drone pilots wishing to fly within these zones must do so only with permission from the aerodrome air traffic control. We will amend the Air Navigation Order 2016 to implement these changes.

I want to address some of the rather ill-judged comments that have been made by Labour Members. Let me remind them of three things. First, the event at Gatwick airport was a deliberate criminal act that can carry a sentence of life imprisonment. We can pass new laws until the cows come home, but that does not stop people breaking them, and the law is as tough as is necessary to punish the perpetrators of an attack such as this. Secondly, this was an entirely new type of challenge. It is noteworthy that, since the events at Gatwick, we have been approached by airports around the world for our advice on how to handle something similar. Thirdly, the issue was solved only by the smart and innovative use of new technology. For security reasons, I am not going to give the House details of how this was achieved, but I want to extend my thanks to the Ministry of Defence for moving rapidly to put a new kind of response into the field.

There is no question but that lessons have to be learned from what happened at Gatwick. Passengers have to be able to travel without fear of their trips being disrupted by malicious drone use. Airports must be prepared to deal with incidents of this type, and the police need the proper powers to deal with drone offences. We must also be ready to harness the opportunities and benefits that the safe use of drones can bring. The measures I have announced today in response to the consultation will take us forward on that front, and I commend this statement to the House.

The Planning Inspectorate prides itself on supporting charities close to the heart of its staff and the local community. Staff members took part in a range of activities from long distance cycling, trekking, cake baking, moustache growing and a velothon with donations going to various charities including Cancer Research, Parkinson’s UK and Bloodwise.

Martin O’Brian, Head of Digital Services and a keen advocate for Bloodwise, who cycled with Planning Inspector Rebecca Philips from London to Paris said: > There have been previous Inspectorate fundraising initiatives for Bloodwise and I have a very personal connection to the charity and the great research they fund – indeed advancements in blood cancer treatments featured heavily in the press in 2018. I have great colleagues who are most generous in helping with fundraising for numerous charities and ensuring each campaign is a success – they are a true reflection of the kindness of everyone at the Planning Inspectorate. I’m sure the fundraising activities and events in 2019 will be just as impressive as 2018.

Among some of the charity fund raising initiatives: * ‘The Gentleman of PINS’ raised over £400 in the Movember challenge. * Planning Inspector, Rachel Walmsley cycled over 800 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats raising over £1000 for GRIT breakthrough programmes.
* Planning Inspector, Hayley Butcher raised £845 trekking in Iceland. * The ‘PINS Spins team’, braved the summer UK heat wave and entered the ‘Cardiff Velothon’ back in July, in which the cycling team managed to raise over £1018, alongside the £2000 they raised from the previous year for Cancer Research in memory of lost friends and colleagues.

Karen Curnock, PA to Director of Corporate Services, said: > I am proud that once again our staff have given up so much of their spare time throughout the year to raise thousands of pounds in support of charity. Our colleagues are committed to working together and constantly surpass themselves in going above and beyond for good causes. Equally, PlNS as an organisation prides itself in supporting staff who are affected by illness or disability. I am delighted that we were able to raise so much money over 2018 and long may it continue.

In his first international visit of the year, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP will lead the biggest ever UK delegation to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Over 100 British companies will showcase Britain’s world class technology sector and cutting-edge innovation to the world. They are expected to sign millions of pounds worth of deals during the week.

Providing a global stage for next-generation technological innovation, the event takes place over 11 locations with nearly 200,000 attendees and 4,400 exhibitors.

The UK Pavilion is at Eureka Park, CES’ start-up stage, and will host 15 companies whose attendance the Department for International Trade (DIT) is supporting through the Tradeshow Access Programme.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

The UK’s tech and automotive sectors are truly world-class – contributing billions to the British economy and employing millions of people – and this year we have brought the biggest ever British delegation in the history of the show.

This week will see our firms launch new products, sign major export deals and secure investment – all of which drives growth and job creation back in the UK.

We’ve always had a reputation as a nation of innovators and this year at CES we are reminding the rest of the world why.

For many British start-ups, attending CES for the first time offers them their first taste of the international market and an opportunity to begin their exporting journey.

James Griffith, Co-Founder of Mous, said:

DIT funded my first trip to CES 2 years ago and since that visit we have grown our exports to £12 million. We are proud to represent British innovation on the world stage and pleased to see that the UK government is ramping up the British presence at the world’s biggest show.

This year 8 UK companies were announced winners of the CES 2019 Innovation Awards, celebrating outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products.

They include:

• Cosmo Communicator – a reinvented palm-sized keyboard from Bromley-based Planet Computers that allows users to benefit from the productivity of a keyboard without needed to carry a secondary device.

• Elvie Pump – a wearable handsfree and cordless breast bump that fits under clothes, created in London. The company has just gained clearance to market its product in the United States.

• Hive Link – debuting at CES 2019, Hive Link from Centrica Hive is a new smart home service designed to allow caregivers to check their loved one is getting on with their day as usual, while providing reassurance someone is there if needed.

• Mymanu CLIK – the world’s smartest truly wireless earbuds with live voice translation, created in Manchester.

Notes to editors:

To find out more about CES, visit the CES website.

The full list of CES Innovation Awards, selecting the best examples of engineering, design and innovation for CES 2019, can be viewed here.

UK tech leads European success in 2018.