Tag Archives: HM Government

Organisations can apply for a share of £4 million to carry out feasibility studies into the development of nuclear advanced modular reactors.

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Our primary mission is to lead the commercial development of fusion power and related technology and position the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. Our scientists and engineers are working with partners around the globe to develop fusion… read more

As well as strengthening collaboration between the two countries on mutually important cultural issues, commercial deals between British and Chinese companies were signed at this week’s UK-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue (P2P).

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley met Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong at the Southbank Centre as part of a number of dialogues championing the relationship between the two nations across culture, the creative industries, sport, youth and tourism.

In the Royal Festival Hall, Minister for Creative Industries Matt Hancock and his Chinese counterpart, Vice-Minister Tong Gang, witnessed the signing of the eleven creative deals. Some of the exciting collaborations include:

• The Building Centre announced a partnership with Shanghai Creative City that will see investment in the UK to build a China-UK Innovation Centre in London, potentially creating 100 new jobs

• Popular Cbeebies show “Octonauts” will be expanded in China and the rest of the world through a partnership between Silvergate Media and Chinese firm Wanda

• Veteran Warwickshire-based video game specialists Codemasters teaming up with Chinese partners to launch video games into the Chinese market

• Soccer Manager will be co-developing their online football management games into China

China is one of the most important markets for UK creative export opportunities, with DIT aiming to double creative exports and the number of creative businesses exporting through the Creative Industries International Strategy by 2020.

Latest statistics suggest that British exports to China totalled £16.8 billion in 2016, an increase of 2.4% on the previous year, and announcements like todays show that growth is set to continue.

Last week DCMS announced the Creative Industries contributed almost £250bn to the UK economy in 2016 up 3.6 per cent year-on-year and up 29 per cent since 2010. Creative sectors now account for 14.2 per cent of the UK’s GVA.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said:

The UK’s creative industries, our culture and sport, play a vital role in shaping how we are seen around the world and boosting the economy.

And it is fantastic that in the first half of this year tourism from China increased by 47 percent, with visitors spending a record £231m.

China is a global cultural leader and I am delighted to develop future opportunities and deepen our relationship throughout this important week of events.

Minister for Investment, Mark Garnier, said:

UK exports to China are growing strongly, but it’s clear that there is still vast untapped demand for British goods and services in the Chinese market.

The opportunities for growth are there, and we will continue to cultivate relationships such as these, not only to build the UK culture of exporting, but also to help businesses of all sizes forge ties with potential buyers and investors.

Toby Evan-Jones, Business Development Director, Codemasters, said:

As the world’s largest gaming market, with a value of over $24 billion in 2016, the strategic importance of China for any video game business is clear. For a number of years, Codemasters has been actively exploring strategic alliances within China and we’ve been lucky enough to build some very strong relationships during this time, with multiple deals signed in recent months. This includes the release of two of our games on PC in China, DiRT 4 and F1 2017, in collaboration with Tencent.

This year’s P2P celebrates the opening of the V&A gallery at Design Society in Shekou, the first permanent presence of a British museum outside the UK. The event also looks forward to the display of the Terracotta Warriors for the first time in over a decade in the UK at Liverpool World Museum in 2018. Other key agreements and announcements as part of the P2P in other DCMS sectors include:

• A renewal of the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism (due to expire in September 2018) aiming to increase the number of visitors between UK and China

• Cooperation between the China Academy of Cultural Heritage and Historic England on the preservation and innovative management of the Great Wall of China and Hadrian’s Wall

• The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Fuzhou Culture and Tourism Investment Company signed an MoU to recreate Shakespeare’s birthplace and family home in China at a new centre celebrating three great literary figures – Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Tang Xianzu, the region’s own famous son who is regarded as the Shakespeare of the East.

• An MoU promoting cultural cooperation between Shanghai Municipal Administration and Festivals Edinburgh through a series of initiatives including the exploration of opportunities for artists, arts professionals and senior cultural influencers, knowledge transfer in aspects of festival management and the development of relationships aimed at an exchange of productions

• The Royal Opera House and the Shanghai Grand Theatre Arts Group signed an MoU setting out a framework of exchange and joint activities

The British Library and Shanghai Library to co-operate on the exhibition “Treasures from the Literary Archive”

Other UK-Chinese creative partnerships announced at the signing ceremony include:

• Chinese Company Beijing Yidiantong Productions Ltd to acquire the sole and exclusive license of TV shows “Alice’s Adventures Underground” and “Adventures in Wonderland” in China

• BYD, the sixth-largest car manufacturer in China, will launch a rally car in Codemaster’s DiRt 4 game

• A documentaries partnership between UK Company Clipper Media and Chinese Company Shuimu Xinxin Media on “Sherlock Holmes” and “The Porcelain City”

• A film co-production on “The Overseas Chinese”, a large-scale TV series themed on overseas immigration, between UK Company Propeller TV and Chinese Company Shanghai QianYi Zhicheng Culture and Media

• An MoU to collaborate on pre-recorded, live-stream, stage and live performance technology and intellectual property between the Royal Opera House and Chinese Company Tencent

• A music agreement between UK Company Really Useful Group Ltd and Chinese Company SMG Performing Arts Group

• A co-production of the film “Special Couple” between UK Company Zephyr Special Couple Ltd and Shanghai Dimension Film

Both the UK and Chinese governments acknowledged successful cooperation in culture, tourism and sport since last year, including:

• Increased exchange and partnership between public cultural institutions, including exhibitions such as “A History of the World in 100 Objects” co-presented by the National Museum of China, Shanghai Museum and the British Museum and cooperation between city art festivals, such as the cooperation agreement between Shanghai and Edinburgh

• The Royal Shakespeare Company’s programme of co-produced translations of Shakespeare’s work for Chinese audiences the Royal Opera House performing arts skills exchange programme with UK partners and the Shanghai Grand Theatre

• Opening of the Design Society in Shenzhen and its inaugural exhibition Values of Design, at the new V&A Gallery and the launch of the China-UK Arts Management Professional Development Programme

• The British Council and Beijing University jointly hosted China-UK Cultural Heritage High Level Dialogue in February 2017

• The UK-China Gaming Creative Skills Workshop to share policy and know-how in game development and marketing and implementation of the Film Co-Production Agreement and TV Co-Production Agreement.

• Cooperation between UK and Chinese publishing houses and publication of Chinese-themed books in the UK

• China carried out the “Beautiful China 2017 Year of Silk Road Tourism” campaign in the UK

• VisitBritain partnered with SuperSports, China’s official Premier League broadcaster, to launch a competition to find China’s biggest Premier League fan

• Chinese Wushi, Dragon Dance and Rouli Ball teams visited UK for exchange and training

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The celebration event took place today (Wednesday 6 December) and is part of the China and UK People to People event.

Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, and the programme delivered through secondary schools will equip young people with the knowledge and skills to compete in a global jobs market.

The Mandarin Excellence Programme, delivered by the UCL Institute of Education in partnership with the British Council, is on track to have 5,000 young people fluent in Mandarin by 2020 – helping to ensure Britain has the skills fit for the future.

The programme was introduced in September 2016 and the results from the first year show that more than 380 out of 400 pupils achieved over 80 percent in reading, writing, listening and speaking tests, which shows their quick progress and the advanced understanding of the language.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, so this programme plays a crucial role in helping these pupils achieve the fluency they need to succeed in an increasingly global economy.

The level of fluency in Mandarin achieved by these dedicated pupils after the first year demonstrates the commitment of the pupils and teachers involved in the programme. Young people fluent in Mandarin will be at a significant advantage when competing for jobs with their peers from around the world, and will help us to build a Britain that is fit for the future and ready to compete.

Pupils on the programme spend an average of eight hours per week studying the language, including four hours of classroom taught lessons.

In addition to improving students’ fluency in the language, the UCL Institute of Education, aims to have trained at least 100 new qualified Chinese teachers by the end of the programme.

Katharine Carruthers, Director of the UCL Institute Of Education (IOE), said:

The pupils who took part in the programme of events at the Foreign Office today had the opportunity to participate in what must surely have been the country’s largest ever Chinese lesson. They met government ministers from both the UK and China and talked enthusiastically about their progress in the language, their enjoyment of lessons and the forthcoming visit to China in July 2018. They all felt this was a great opportunity to see the Foreign Office, to meet pupils from other schools and to realise that they are participating in a prestigious national DfE programme which is considered of significant importance to both the UK and China.

Mark Herbert, Head of Schools Programmes at the British Council said:

Mandarin Chinese is one of the languages that matters most to the UK’s future – and its importance is only likely to increase as the country repositions itself on the world stage. Not only is learning Mandarin a fascinating process which creates a connection to the rich and varied Chinese culture but is also a language spoken by over a billion people worldwide. If the UK is to remain globally competitive in the years ahead, we need many more young people being given the chance to master Mandarin.

The celebration event, which took place today, was held at the Foreign Office and was attended by over 140 pupils from 14 schools who are part of the scheme. The event formed part of the People to People week to celebrate the cultural, educational and social links with China.

The pupils took part in a number of activities today that were designed to showcase their skills and help them continue their learning. This included a game of Chinese whispers, where the pupils were split into groups and had to communicate a message in Mandarin to help them practise their Mandarin speaking. The pupils were also invited to contribute to scrolls which included the words and characters they had learnt through their time on the programme.

This programme and associated funding is available to state-funded secondary schools with good or outstanding Ofsted ratings.

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The inquiry will look at lessons that can be learned from the case, and how these can improve care by the independent healthcare sector across the country. It will be chaired by the Right Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich.

Paterson was a consultant breast surgeon employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) and had practising privileges in the independent sector at Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston.

He was found guilty in April this year of 17 counts of wounding patients with intent. He was sentenced to jail for 20 years.

The scope of the investigation has been widened to include the independent sector, including any further action needed to strengthen CQC’s inspection regime.

Philip Dunne, Health Minister, said:

Ian Paterson’s malpractice sent shockwaves across the health system due to the seriousness and extent of his crimes, and I am determined to make sure lessons are learnt from this so that it never happens again in the independent sector or the NHS.

I believe an independent, non-statutory inquiry, overseen by Bishop Graham James, is the right way forward to ensure that all aspects of this case are brought to light and lessons learned so we can better protect patients in the future.

The inquiry will also draw on issues raised in previous reviews about Ian Paterson’s conduct, particularly Sir Ian Kennedy’s review on behalf of HEFT and Verita’s investigation into the governance arrangements at two Spire Healthcare hospitals.

The Right Revd Graham James, Lord Bishop of Norwich, said:

The actions of Ian Paterson and the grievous harm he inflicted on patients are deeply concerning, and they have given rise to some serious questions which remain unanswered.

It is vital that the inquiry be informed by the concerns of former patients of Ian Paterson and their representatives. The interests of all patients, whether they seek treatment in the NHS or the private sector, should be at the heart of this inquiry and I will do my very best in the interest of those affected and the public.

The inquiry will be informed by the victims of Paterson and their families, and is likely to consider:

• the responsibility for the quality of care in the independent sector
• appraisal and ensuring validation of staff in the independent sector
• the safety of multi-disciplinary working
• information sharing, reporting of activity and raising concerns between the independent sector and the NHS
• the role of insurers of independent sector healthcare providers (including how data it holds about the scope and volume of work carried out by doctors is shared with the sector)
• arrangements for medical indemnity cover for clinicians in the independent sector

The Inquiry will be formally established from January 2018 and is expected to report in summer 2019. The terms of reference and other arrangements relating to how the Inquiry will be conducted – including the exact scope it will cover and how it will work within the system – will be announced at a future date.

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