A world-first method for catching scallops which offers an alternative to damaging dredging activity has been developed using funding from the Government’s Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF).

This new low-impact method, pioneered by scientists at Devon-based company Fishtek Marine, uses illuminated pots dubbed ‘scallop discos’ to attract and catch scallops.

Due to having 200 eyes, scallops were found to be particularly receptive to the lights and naturally moved towards them, making the lights an effective means to catch large quantities without trawling the seabed. Findings indicate this could replace traditional dredging methods which can have a damaging effect on valuable marine habitats.

The Seafood Innovation Fund, a multi-million programme funded by Defra and delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), is supporting innovative projects across the fishing, aquaculture and seafood industries that use cutting edge technology or new techniques to limit the impact of fisheries on the marine environment.

The Seafood Innovation Fund sits under the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, set up by the Government to support the long term future and sustainability of the UK fisheries and seafood sector. It will ensure industry is able to process more fish landed in the UK, create more job opportunities across the supply chain and upskill the workforce and train new entrants, to level up coastal communities across the UK.

Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis, said:

It is great to see Fishtek Marine benefitting from our Seafood Innovation Fund, and developing a world-first method for catching scallops in an environmentally sustainable way.

The funding is supporting innovation, helping industry use cutting edge technology and protecting the marine environment. It is also an important part of levelling up coastal communities – and it is great to see Devon leading the way.

Suzanna Neville, Seafood Innovation Fund programme manager at Cefas, said:

This is an important project that has the potential to make a real difference to the sustainability of the scallop fishery. The opportunity to transform commercial scallop harvesting has been made possible by providing funding for the development of early stage ideas. This is exactly the sort of innovative project that the SIF was set up to support, helping the UK lead the way in developing a sustainable seafood sector.

Dr. Rob Enever of Fishtek Marine, and lead scientist on the study, said:

The support of the Seafood Innovation Fund was vital to this work. The research simply wouldn’t have happened without it. The discovery that scallops can be attracted into crab pots using light is a world first. Beyond the UK, the innovation of a new low-impact scallop fishery has application in scallop fisheries world-wide. With the continued support of Defra, we look forward to developing this exciting work and hope for “pot-caught scallops” to be a consumer choice of the future!

Fishtek Marine received around £245,000 of SIF funding to collect data and trial several designs for the pots, which confirmed the illuminated light ‘scallop discos’ technique consistently attracts significant numbers of scallops.

Following these promising results, the next steps involve optimising the trap design and developing and manufacturing a new, low-cost light specific to the operational needs of crustacean fishers. Further sea-trials will then be conducted with the new designs, focusing on crucial factors such as fishing region, light intensity, light colour, flashing rate and trap efficiency.

Sitting under the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, the Seafood Innovation Fund brings together industry, academia and the UK’s wealth of scientific expertise to help the sector become more sustainable at every level. Alongside this, the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme is a further boost for science and innovation in the industry, together totalling £24 million.

Bids for the next round of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships scheme and the Seafood Innovation Fund are due to open this summer. Businesses can find out more information and how to apply to the schemes on GOV UK.

Notes to editors:

Fishtek Marine: Based in Totnes Devon, UK, Fishtek Marine is a unique conservation engineering company. The Fishtek Marine team develop, engineer, test, manufacture, and distribute a range of innovative fishing technologies that facilitate sustainable fishing, reducing bycatch of cetaceans, turtles, seabirds and sharks.

Cefas: Cefas is the Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science. We are an agency of Defra (the Government’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and world leading experts in marine and freshwater science. We help keep our seas, oceans and rivers healthy and productive and our seafood safe and sustainable, by providing data and advice to Government and our overseas partners.  For more information visit www.cefas.co.uk or follow @CefasGovUK.  Media enquiries: communications@cefas.co.uk

Following an in-depth Phase 2 investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that the acquisition of TM Group by Dye & Durham substantially lessens competition in the supply of property search services.

Property search reports are used to make sure that buyers and sellers have all the facts they need about a property – including title deeds, access rights, planning restrictions, water and sewerage services, flood risk and other important information – before a sale goes ahead. The reports are ordered from firms like Dye & Durham and TM Group by conveyancers, solicitors, estate agents, and mortgage brokers on behalf of people and businesses buying and selling properties. Charges for property search services arise in almost every property transaction and are typically included within the conveyancing fees paid by homebuyers.

Dye & Durham, an international provider of cloud-based software and technology solutions, announced the £91.5 million purchase of Swindon-based TM Group in July 2021. Both businesses offer property search services to clients in the UK under a variety of different brands.

The firms chose not to notify the CMA about the deal but, as part of its ongoing monitoring of mergers and acquisitions, the CMA identified potential concerns and began an initial investigation in October 2021. It was referred for an in-depth investigation, overseen by an independent inquiry group, in December 2021.

The CMA’s in-depth investigation has considered a wide range of evidence, including from the merging businesses’ own strategic documents and a survey of customers, as well as extensive information provided by customers, competitors and other industry players.

The CMA has provisionally found that this evidence shows that Dye & Durham and TM Group are 2 of the largest players in the supply of property search services in the UK and competed closely before the merger. It also shows that the combined business would be by far the largest player in the market and face only limited competition from other suppliers. On this basis, the CMA is concerned that the deal could result in higher prices for property search services (or lower quality services, including less innovation). This could result in higher fees or worse service standards for people and businesses buying or selling residential and commercial properties across the UK.

In light of this loss of competition, the CMA has also set out its initial view that the only effective way to address the issues it has identified would be for Dye & Durham to sell TM Group to a suitable buyer.

Richard Feasey, chair of the group conducting this inquiry, said:

Buying and selling property can be a challenging experience for many people and one of the most significant purchases most of us make.

We need to ensure that fees for search reports are competitive and that we continue to see innovation in digital services to make the process easier and faster.

By reducing competition in an already concentrated market, we have found that Dye & Durham’s purchase of TM Group could increase the costs and reduce quality in these services.

For more information, visit the Dye & Durham/TM Group merger inquiry page.

1. The CMA invites submissions on its provisional findings by 8 June 2022 and its notice of possible remedies, which sets out potential options for addressing its provisional concerns, by 1 June 2022. The CMA plans to issue its final decision by 16 August 2022.
2. The UK merger control regime is voluntary, which means that merging businesses are free to choose whether to notify a merger to the CMA. The fact that a merger has not been voluntarily notified to the CMA does not mean that the CMA will not review it. The CMA has a duty to track merger activity to determine whether any unnotified merger may give rise to a substantial lessening of competition. The CMA’s Mergers Intelligence Committee, which keeps merger activity under review, decided to call in the merger for review after Dye & Durham acquired TMG in July 2021.
3. There are 2 routes by which the CMA may come to review a merger (details of which can be found in the CMA’s quick mergers guidance, paragraph 2.5). Businesses can formally notify a merger to the CMA by completing a Merger Notice or the CMA’s Merger’s Intelligence Committee can investigate mergers that have not been notified to it.
4. Before the merger, the Parties were 2 of the 4 largest suppliers of property search reports, with the other 2 large competitors being ATI and Landmark.
5. The CMA has found that the limited entry and expansion of new suppliers into the market is unlikely to be sufficient to offset its concerns about the merger. Neither does the evidence show that smaller firms providing similar services offer a significant competitive threat to the merging firms.
6. Canadian-based Dye & Durham has expanded globally over the last few years, into territories such as Australia and Ireland, as well as the United Kingdom. Since 2016, it has acquired 11 firms based in England and Wales, including PIE, PSG Connect, Index, York Place, Terrafirma and Future Climate Info (FCI), and one in Northern Ireland.

Thank you for having me in your wonderful building this morning.

You are at the heart of the City and of course, London is one of the world’s greatest green financial centres.

The greatest city on earth, as the Prime Minister always says – and one, of course, that is built on trade.

The ancient temple below our feet, reminds us how the Romans sent goods to every part of their empire, from their warehouses along the Thames.

While today, millions of pounds of financial services are sold every minute, of every hour, of every day to the world from the skyscrapers around us and above us and the buildings that we walk past everday.

So the story of trade has shaped this city and indeed the whole of our nation.

So this morning I want to discuss its latest chapter: our ambitions to become a green trade global leader.

I’m going to set out how we’re doing this, how we’ll achieve it and what we’re doing right now.

But first, if I may, I would like to say a few words about Ukraine.

Because as we are all too painfully aware, this illegal and unprovoked war by Putin has levied an immense cost on lives, on the economy and on individual freedoms of those living across Ukraine.

As the Prime Minister has said on many occasions, the UK stands firm with Ukraine and we will continue to do all in our power to support the Ukrainians to fight and win, and to rebuild their democratic nation.

That is why, with our allies, we have brought in the largest and most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced…

Measures that will degrade Putin’s ability to attack the people of this brave country.

And trade is an important element of that response.

We’ve supported Ukraine’s economy by cutting tariffs under the UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to zero.

Since the start of the invasion more than £4 billion of Russian products have been subjected to full or partial import and export sanctions.

Because this terrible conflict has underlined what can be achieved through a cohesive global approach.

And it has also reminded us that most urgently, we must de-Putinise the world’s economy…

Both through sanctions, and by cutting off access to the oil revenues that power his war machine. That’s why here in the UK, we have announced that we will phase out imports of Russian oil and gas.

More broadly, these past months have highlighted the need to accelerate our journey as a global community away from hydrocarbons.

To decisively turn our backs on the era of dependence on those polluting fuels, and to transition to a Net Zero future.

I don’t choose the word, journey, accidentally.

Because whilst we are unrelentingly focused on reaching net zero; this must be done by transitioning to a new clean energy world without economic damage, to new energy-efficient homes cost effectively, and to clean transportation as individuals and businesses invest in their next vehicles.

And it will only succeed if this is a genuine national endeavour.

In addition, if we are to together build a net zero world, we must share our ideas, our expertise and our innovations.

The UK has all of these in abundance and we therefore have a responsibility and an opportunity that we must not miss.

Indeed, there’s a real moral imperative on us to act. To borrow the Prime Minister’s words which he spoke at COP26 in November:

‘As we look at the green industrial revolution that is now needed – We in the developed world must recognise the special responsibility to help everybody else to do it.’

It won’t come as a surprise to you that I think that green trade is going to be a key tool that will allow us to address some of those imbalances.

International cooperation is going to be essential.

And at COP26 in Glasgow last November, we saw what we can achieve together.

197 countries demonstrated the power of collective and concerted international action…

By pledging to combat change and keep 1.5 degree target alive…

Pushing forwards to COP27 in Egypt later this year and COP28 in the UAE in 2023 to drive a steady drum beat of action.

And in Glasgow, the world also agreed that decisive action is needed now.

And that delivering net zero is not just in our environmental interest but, of course, in our economic interest too.

So, the financial case for green trade is very clear:

The global market for low-carbon exports is growing rapidly.

By 2030, it’s projected to be worth almost £2 trillion.

While a potent combination of ambitious entrepreneurs, high ambitions and steadfast and determined government backing, the UK is now in a leading position to take a first mover advantage.

This translates into some exciting opportunities for us:

Because quite simply green trade, spells green jobs.

In fact, by 2050, over 1.2 million people could be directly employed in low carbon goods and services sectors, a six-fold increase from today.

That’s a really extraordinary figure, and will be critical to achieving our domestic goals of levelling up across the whole of the UK too.

Our challenge now is to turn this potential into firm reality.

Unsurprisingly, our approach is rooted in our fundamental belief of the benefits of free trade.

Because it is only when trade is free and fair…

When markets accurately account for environmental costs…

And when business can properly compete…

That we can together succeed in generating real green growth for developed and developing countries alike.

Some have argued that pursuing a free trade agenda is somehow anti-environmental…

Or that protecting the climate, we must somehow turn our backs on the world.

This kind of thinking isn’t just patently wrong; I think it’s dangerous.

We need to be very clear about what life without free trade would entail from an environmental perspective.

Without free trade – the world would face an uphill struggle in developing the technologies we need to cut emissions.  By contrast, thanks to global competition, since the 1990s for instance, the price of lithium-ion batteries has fallen by 97%.

Without free trade – Some nations will be unable to access the green technology required to transition to a low carbon economy.

Because right now, 90% of the world’s lithium production is concentrated in just three countries.

And without free trade – the cost of clean technology won’t fall quickly enough. Conversely, with free trade, lower tariffs on electric vehicle batteries are helping to decrease production costs, making them more affordable for consumers.

Without free trade – global communities can’t benefit from specialisation, and the emissions reductions that it can deliver.

This might sound counterintuitive. But, in fact, apples shipped here from South America by sea create just half the carbon emissions of apples held in storage for 10 months.

The World Bank has also found that following tariff liberalisation, free trading countries receive a growth dividend of about 1.5 percent per year. Gains that can be channelled into future green growth.

Of course, the benefits of free trade are not only measured in pounds and pence.

They of course have those broader implications too:

Because when we shut our doors, we lose the mutual growth we get by human interactions.

Countries that trade together think, work, and grow together.

Closer trade ties mean stronger relationships with the academics, with scientists and engineers who will help us all to move to a low carbon economy.

So, the UK is an unabashed advocate of free and fair trade.  And we’re committed to working with our international partners to progress this agenda globally.

So how are we going to do it?

Well our work is focused around four key principles:

• Building our green industrial base
• Boosting green exports
• Liberalising green trade
• and greater alignment of our trade and environmental policies.

So let me turn to the first point – building a green industrial base.

UK businesses are already at the vanguard of green growth.

So now we want to tell that story to the world – so that we can drive greater investment in those high-tech industries that will boost productivity, increase exports, create jobs and cut emissions.

We’ve already taken some major steps:

The Global Investment Summit, which we hosted last year, secured £9.7 billion of foreign investment for UK offshore wind, hydrogen, and electric vehicles.

And since then, we’ve seen real action right across the country:

Fifty-five miles off the Yorkshire Coast, Danish energy firm Orsted is forging ahead with its £6 billion Hornsea2 offshore wind project. It’s one of the largest on the planet and it will directly create 521 long-term jobs.

In Hull, Siemens Gamesa has ploughed £186 million into expanding their offshore wind blade factory, taking its workforce to around 1,200 people.

While in North Wales, Turkish firm, Eren Paper, is investing £500 million into building a new corrugated cardboard factory, which will save millions of trees, through using paper waste and creating 500 new jobs.

Since the Global Investment Summit last autumn, leading Australian businesses have also announced they will commit £28.5 billion into clean energy, technology and infrastructure projects across the UK. Another clear statement of confidence in the UK as a world leader in green trade and investment.

So this is just some of all that’s happening.

This Autumn, my Department, along with BEIS, is going to be hosting a new Green Trade and Investment Expo in the North East…

I’m really excited about this – not least because I’m a Northumberland MP and it’s always good to bring the world to my little corner of the UK. The Expo is going to bring together UK businesses and global investors, joining forces so that we will be able to capitalise on the commercial opportunities from our drive to net zero.

We are also supporting the Port of Tyne in raising capital to create a centre for the North East’s growing renewables sector.

At COP26 in Glasgow, we were the lead signatory of the Clydebank Declaration – a coalition of 24 countries committed to establishing at least six zero-emission shipping corridors by 2025.

And our team at the Office for Investment is also pulling out the stops to encourage high value green investment.

One great example is their collaboration with BEIS to secure Britishvolt’s £2 billion injection into a Gigafactory in Northumberland that will create around 3,000 jobs.

But we want to do even more to encourage global businesses to consider what the UK, has to offer.

We want turbine, monopiles, electric vehicles and their components manufactured and assembled here – to create jobs, supply chains and growth in the UK.

That’s why last year we launched our Investment Atlas – showing the opportunities across the economy and across the country…

Whether that’s supporting Scotland to become a global pioneer for floating offshore wind… or helping the South West’s sustainable aviation industry to take off.

And our second priority is boosting exports.

From renewable energy and green finance to sustainable construction and precision agriculture – there is enormous potential here.

By 2030, low-carbon industries could generate up to £170 billion of UK exports.

If we succeed in super charging our green exports – we will create jobs, boost productivity and build that expertise that will benefit the world.

Clearly, we recognise that to play their part businesses will need finance.

UK Export Finance, our export credit agency, has an essential role to play here in supporting companies access finance as they seek to export.

Its Export Development Guarantee allows businesses to access high value loan facilities to finance sustainable production and to boost those important exports.

So today I’m thrilled to announce a £50 million UK Export Finance-backed loan guarantee for construction company Mace, a green construction pioneer, to bolster its growing export business.

The loan includes sustainability targets to incentivise the company’s transition to net zero and green growth. And it will enable Mace to continue supporting environmentally friendly infrastructure projects and to create new, green jobs.

I’m also delighted to announce that, Megger, an electrical testing solutions manufacturer, will be receiving a £138 million UKEF-backed guarantee.

This will help the firm to secure a new £50 million factory in Dover from where it can export to the world.

And of course, all this is a major shot in the arm for the town of Dover itself.

But we really are just getting started.

UKEF has £2 billion of direct lending standing ready to support overseas projects. And our teams of trade and export finance experts are focused on getting more businesses exporting and on showcasing our great innovators’ work to the world.

Our third priority – using the full reach of our independent trade policy to liberalise green trade – is a critical new tool in our armoury.

You might recall, one of our first steps after Brexit was to introduce the UK Global Tariff. This removed duties on more than 100 environmental goods – lowering prices and turbocharging our green economy.

The free trade agreements that we’ve struck, and demolishing barriers to green trade, reinforcing shared environmental commitments, are increasing international collaboration.

In fact, our Australia deal goes further on climate, than any previous trade deal signed by them before this one.

It removes tariffs on goods which benefit the low carbon economy, including eliminating tariffs on imports of Lithium batteries…

And the deal opens the door to new co-operation across green industries.

Our deal with New Zealand removes tariffs on the most comprehensive list of environmental goods in any FTA to date.

And we are now preparing for agreements with India, Mexico, Israel, Canada, Switzerland and the Gulf Co-operation Council.

Liberalisation should be consistent with our domestic and international commitments on trade and the environment.

We recognise that some of our partners will have different views on what’s included in these agreements, including on the environment.

But, of course, they are all on their own paths towards a green transition. So by developing closer ties, we believe we can help them speed up those journeys.

So, we’re working hard to ensure these deals deliver practical benefits, while allowing our partners and their businesses to fully harness the expertise of our renewable energy sector… including our world-leading services industry that will play a key role in enabling the journey to net zero.

For example, if we can remove barriers, a deal with India could support the rapid growth of its offshore wind industry…helping one of the world’s largest economies build a more sustainable future.

Of course, trade agreements are one part of our efforts to build a freer, fairer, and greener international trading system.

But alone, they won’t propel the world to net zero or indeed reverse biodiversity loss.

We can only make the large-scale change we need through multilateral co-operation.

And that’s why my department is putting green trade at the heart of our agenda at the WTO.

I’m very pleased to say that our ambassador – Simon Manley – was recently appointed chair of the WTO Committee on the Environment – which is going to be a really key role.

We are playing an integral part in establishing the WTO’s Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions. This very valuable forum, which is allowing policymakers and civil society to discuss the future of green trade, now counts 71 members – including the US and China.

And we want to go further, calling on WTO members to launch negotiations to liberalise green trade and push for substantive outcomes as soon as possible.

The growth of global trade has taken place against a backdrop of persistent market failures – like the under-pricing of carbon – and distortions – like harmful fossil fuels subsidies.  Such issues have incentivised wasteful consumption, damaged the environment, and warped trade flows.

These are global issues. And tackling them abroad will be essential to achieving our environmental ambitions here back home.

This leads me to our fourth and final priority: greater alignment of our trade and environmental policies.

Aside from some humanitarian exceptions, the UK has ended support for fossil fuels overseas, ceasing trade promotion for oil and gas companies…

…and stopped offering export credit guarantees for oil extraction or processing.

I was really proud that at COP26, more than 30 countries and institutions followed our lead and pledged to end export finance support for fossil fuels by the end of this year.

Last year, under our presidency, the G7 collectively recognised the risk of carbon leakage – where businesses shift production to countries with lower emissions regulations.

This a global problem, and it will require a global solution.

The UK believes we should design a framework that properly addresses the issue alongside our international partners and avoid a complex patchwork of regulations that stifle business.

This would prevent UK emissions from being simply offshored, which of course harms global efforts to reach net zero.

And it would enhance incentives for overseas producers to “go green” and break into new markets.

It goes without saying that any solution must account for the needs of developing countries, who are often worst equipped to mitigate climate threats and indeed hardest hit by inaction.

We know tackling carbon leakage won’t be easy. But it really is integral to building a truly global green economy.  And we are entirely committed to this challenge.

So, I hope this morning I’ve given you a sense of the scope of our green trade agenda and indeed the importance that Government places upon it.

Trade has shaped countless civilisations.

That principle hasn’t changed.

Today the power of free and fair trade, along with British expertise, ideas and leadership, is accelerating our progress to net zero.

Cutting emissions to tackle the climate crisis;

Generating jobs across every part of our great country;

Creating prosperity in every town and city based on clean energy;

And building a better future both for the UK and for our friends and partners around the world.

Thank you.

Adults are being encouraged to take a new online quiz designed to get them thinking about their maths skills as part of the government’s commitment to help more people get a good job and grow the economy to tackle the cost of living.

Launched to mark National Numeracy Day, the short quiz asks 6 questions of varying difficulty to get adults to think about whether they need help and signposts to where people can access support to improve maths and numeracy skills, including fully funded maths courses up to GCSE) level and equivalent.

Having a good grasp of numbers is vital for everyday life. From managing personal finances to DIY, cooking, or helping children with their homework. People with good numeracy skills are also more likely to be in employment, have higher wages, and better wellbeing: improving skills will support more people to secure good jobs and helping the economy to grow to tackle the cost of living.

Maths and English are vital building blocks to a successful future, which is why the Schools White Paper, sets an ambitious target for 90% of young people to leave primary school at the expected standard in reading and maths by 2030. The Education Secretary has also pledged to every parent in the country that any child who falls behind in maths or English will receive targeted support to get them back on track. A second ambition for secondary schools aims to see the national average GCSE grade in both English language and maths increase from 4.5 in 2019 to 5 by 2030.

Around 17 million adults in England – half of the working-age population – have the numeracy skills of primary school children. Poor numeracy skills can hold people back from having the confidence to get on in life and into work.

The online tool is being launched ahead of the wider rollout of the government’s flagship Multiply programme this autumn. Backed by almost £560 million multiply will build on the support already on offer, providing a range of free training options helping people to grow their confidence with maths in their everyday and working lives. Courses will be available in person or online, at work or at home, and either on a part time or intensive basis.

Minister for Skills Alex Burghart said:

Our new online quiz is quick and easy and designed to get adults thinking about their numeracy and signpost them to where they can access support.

As the son of a maths teacher, I know that, with the right support, everyone can do maths. Our new tool is a first step ahead of the wider roll out of our £559 million Multiply programme later this year, which will provide people with the support they need to boost their maths skills and their earning power.

Multiply is just one of the targeted measures the government is taking help make sure more people gain the maths skills they need to succeed. As well as the Schools White Paper parent pledge, the government has also announced it will provide maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers working in disadvantaged schools across England a tax-free payment of up to £3,000 per year over the next three school years. This investment through Levelling Up Premium, expected to be worth £60 million over the three years, forms part of the government’s commitment to level up education for all ensuring everyone has access to the highest standard of teaching no matter where in the country they live.

Multiply will offer adults who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in Maths or equivalent, and need to improve their numeracy, free flexible courses that fit around their lives. Local courses and additional support are expected to be available later this year. These courses will equip adults across the UK with the numeracy skills they need to fulfil their potential.