Tag Archives: HM Government

Innovate UK has up to £30 million to invest in a new network of advanced therapies treatment centres set up by businesses, NHS trusts and researchers working together.

Advanced therapies are new and emerging medicines based on genes, cells and tissues. They have potential uses in treating forms of blindness, cancer, heart failure, liver disease, neurological conditions and rare paediatric diseases.

The UK has 62 rapidly growing manufacturers of advanced therapy medicines generating an annual turnover of £156 million, and is in a strong position to take a global lead. New treatment centres would help to commercialise and scale up production of developing therapies.

This competition is part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. It announced that £146 million has been set aside over 4 years to develop first-of-a-kind technologies for the manufacture of medicines. These should speed up patient access to new drugs and treatments.

Increasing access to advanced therapies

Innovate UK is looking for proposals that:

• increase patient access to advanced therapies on a national level
• establish best practice for the safe and effective delivery of advanced therapies
• establish best practice for the manufacturing and final preparation of advanced therapies
• establish robust connected supply chains
• create systems to allow for traceability and tracking
• establish best practice for patient follow-up and data capture

The centres will form a network that will be co-ordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. Successful centres will be eligible for up to £6 million of additional funding in 2018 for projects and activities.

Competition information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 1 November 2017
• projects can be led by a business, an NHS trust, a hospital, an academic health science network or a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) biomedical research centre
• projects must involve at least one NHS trust or hospital with an intensive care unit and a track record of working with advanced therapies, one SME, one company developing commercial advanced therapy medicines and one supply chain company
• we expect total project costs to vary between £6 million and £9 million and for them to last up to 3 years
• businesses can attract up to 70% of their project costs

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The government today (2 October 2017) began an unprecedented repatriation effort to return 110,000 passengers affected by the failure of Monarch.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling commissioned the extraordinary operation to return passengers who would otherwise have been left stranded by a lack of capacity in the aviation market to deal with such a significant demand.

The response means the government has agreed that passengers will not be charged for repatriation flights. Work is underway to recoup costs from the ATOL scheme and card providers.

The government is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to build a temporary airline from scratch that would be one of the UK’s biggest carriers if operating permanently.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

This is a hugely distressing situation for British holidaymakers abroad – and my first priority is to help them get back to the UK.

That is why I have immediately ordered the country’s biggest ever peacetime repatriation to fly about 110,000 passengers who could otherwise have been left stranded abroad.

This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented situation. Together with the CAA, we will work around the clock to ensure Monarch passengers get the support they need.

Nobody should underestimate the size of the challenge, so I ask passengers to be patient and act on the advice given by the CAA.

Administrators were appointed to Monarch Airlines Ltd and Monarch Travel Group, ceased trading and went into administration on 2 October 2017. About 110,000 travellers are currently abroad on trips booked with the group – with no flight home.

Monarch passengers should visit monarch.caa.co.uk for information on new return flights to the UK.

Advice is being issued to passengers as follows:

• anyone affected should visit the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk – the quickest and best way to get information on your new flight – or call the helpline: 0300 303 2800 (UK) or +44 1753 330 330 (overseas)
• repatriation flights are for all passengers who purchased tickets with Monarch – irrespective of nationality
• details of all new flights will be available on the dedicated website or through the helpline – passengers should check for new flight details 48 hours before they are due to fly, and the site will be updated frequently
• passengers should expect to be flown home as close as possible to their planned departure dates and no earlier, and to prepare for disruption to their journeys
• some passengers may need to extend their stay abroad – and others may be flown back to different UK airports, with coaches available to take them to their destination airport
• nobody should travel to the airport unless they have a confirmed new flight booking
• nobody should arrive at the airport until 3 hours before their new flight as they will not be able to travel on an earlier flight
• Foreign Office consular staff will be at affected airports to assist vulnerable British citizens with specific needs, for example urgent medical issues

Passengers with ATOL protection will be entitled to reasonable accommodation and subsistence costs if they are delayed beyond their original departure date. Those without ATOL protection may be able to claim from card providers or insurers. Further information will be made available via the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk.

People with upcoming trips booked with Monarch should visit the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk. Those with ATOL protection will receive a full refund or alternative arrangements. Those without may be able to claim through card providers or insurers.

The Government’s immediate priority is to return passengers to the UK, but we will give full consideration to how this happened and what can be done to stop it happening again in the future – including through legislation if needed.

For more information, passengers should visit the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk or call the helpline on 0300 303 2800 (UK) or +44 1753 330 330 (overseas). Passengers who need consular support should visit www.gov.uk/world.

What has happened?

Administrators were appointed to Monarch Airlines Ltd and Monarch Travel Group Ltd went into administration on 2 October 2017. All Monarch flights have been cancelled with immediate effect, and the government has pledged to work with the CAA, who are leading the repatriation effort, to bring back all passengers currently overseas who were booked on a Monarch flight home to the UK. The government is organising special flights back for passengers who are affected, at no cost to them.

I’m an Monarch customer on holiday at the moment. What should I do?

Continue your holiday as planned. At least 48 hours before you are due to return home, visit the dedicated website at monarch.caa.co.uk or call the CAA helpline on 0300 303 2800 (UK) or +44 1753 330 330 (overseas) to confirm your new flight details. You may also need to speak to your accommodation provider about extending your stay. Do not travel to the airport until your confirmed flight as you will not be able to travel on an earlier flight. You should check in at the airport 3 hours before departure, there will be no online check in – you will not be able to check in with your old flight details, you will be issued with a new flight and new boarding card.

Once on board the plane, you will be asked to provide details of your original Monarch booking. If you are not ATOL protected, this will allow the government to claim the cost of your replacement flight directly from your credit or debit card company. You will not be asked to pay for your flight yourself.

What if I need to extend my hotel stay – will I need to pay for that?

Speak to your accommodation provider or travel agent to find out if they have rooms available.

If you are ATOL protected:

• you may be able to claim back reasonable costs for any additional accommodation, food or other expenses if you are delayed by more than 4 hours
• the CAA will process your refund as quickly as possible – check the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk for more information

If you are not ATOL protected:

• you may be able to claim back the cost of any additional expenses such as accommodation or food through your credit card provider or travel insurance

No passenger will have to pay for their replacement flight home during the flying programme.

Foreign Office consular staff will be at affected airports to assist vulnerable British people with specific needs, for example urgent medical issues.

How do I know if I’m ATOL protected?

Check if you have received an ATOL certificate, or check with your travel agent.

Why is the government paying to bring back passengers who don’t have ATOL protection?

With 110,000 Monarch passengers currently abroad this collapse would create unprecedented demand for flights and there is insufficient capacity in the aviation market to deal with it.

It’s right in these circumstances for the government to step in and take this unprecedented step to fly about 110,000 people back to the UK.

The government is working with credit and debit card companies, who would normally be liable for covering the cost of replacement flights for passengers who are not ATOL protected.

I’ve got a holiday booked with Monarch next month. What will happen next?

Check the dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk or contact your travel agent if you booked with one. They will be able to advise on whether you can change your holiday booking or are entitled to a refund or compensation. If you are not covered by the ATOL scheme, you should also contact your credit card company or travel insurer.

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]A collection of lessons learned from marine accidents. read more

Education Secretary Justine Greening has (1 October) announced a series of measures to place education at the heart of the government’s ambition to provide opportunity for all and ensure we are building the skills needed to secure the nation’s prosperity.

The announcements will build on the government’s record of driving up standards in education – with 1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, more rigorous qualifications and fairer funding for schools, backed by £1.3 billion of additional funding.

The measures announced include:

Help for students

To help more young people access the widest choice of high quality education or training, the government has outlined additional support for university students. The government has announced that it will raise the earning threshold for student loan repayments from £21,000 to £25,000 – which could mean up to an additional £360 a year for thousands of graduates early on in their career. The government is also freezing tuition fees for 2018/19 at their current rate.

Getting great teachers in the schools that need them most

The government wants to ensure every young person can reach their potential – and great teachers are at the heart of this. There are already a record number of teachers in our schools – 15,500 more than in 2010. To support more schools to attract the best staff, the Education Secretary has set out a series of measures, including:

• Piloting a new student loan reimbursement programme for science and Modern Foreign Language (MFL) teachers in the early years of their career, targeted in the areas of the country that need them most. The pilot scheme will benefit around 800 MFL and 1,700 science teachers a year. A typical teacher in their fifth year of work would benefit by around £540 through reimbursement, and this would be more for teachers with additional responsibilities. This is in addition to the benefit that teachers will get from the newly-announced student loan repayment threshold rise.
• New style bursaries in maths will also be piloted, with generous upfront payments of £20,000 and early retention payments of £5,000 in the third and fifth year of a teacher’s career. Increased amounts of £7,500 will also be available to encourage the best maths teachers to teach in more challenging schools.
• £30 million investment in tailored support for schools that struggle the most with recruitment and retention, including investment in professional development training so that these schools can benefit from great teaching.
• Supporting our best teacher trainer providers, including top Multi Academy Trusts, with Northern Powerhouse funding to expand their reach in to challenging areas in the north that do not currently have enough provision so more areas benefit from excellent teacher training, and help increase the supply of great teachers to the schools that need them the most.

Tackling inequality and boosting opportunity across the country

Tackling the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is a crucial part of unlocking the potential of every child and, for many children, we know this gap is already in place before they even start primary school. In particular, research shows that five-year-old children who struggle with language are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11 then children who have has good language skills at five, and ten times less likely to achieve the expected level in maths.

To help tackle this, the Education Secretary has set out:

• A new national network of English hubs will be established across the country with a specific focus on improving early language and literacy – starting with £12m in the north.
• £6 million further investment to expand Maths Hubs to more challenging areas, spreading excellence in maths teaching.
• The latest round of the £140 million Strategic School Improvement Fund which will include a new focus on boosting literacy and numeracy skills in Reception year.
• £5 million investment to trial evidence-based home learning environment (HLE) support programmes in the north of England, which focus on early language and literacy.
• Plans to transform alternative provision so that no pupils outside of mainstream education are left behind – working with school leaders, parents and local authorities to ensure it is fit for purpose and ensures every child has access to good education, regardless of their background or their ability.

Building the next generation of skills our economy needs to thrive in a modern, post-Brexit economy

We want to deliver the skilled workforce our economy needs to stay competitive. Today’s announcement includes a number of steps to continue to diversify the training and quality of qualifications on offer and ensure we remain at the forefront of higher education:

• A boost for degree-apprenticeships – with 27 new projects tasked with promoting and increasing this high-quality route into employment – which allows apprentices to earn while they learn, while gaining a full degree that has been developed in partnership with employers and universities. Projects will be spread across the country and are part of a £10 million fund launched in 2016 that has already supported more than 2,000 people to begin a degree apprenticeship.

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In his first visit to the Midwest, Minister for the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan will travel to Illinois, Columbus and Indianapolis next week to meet key politicians from the States: the Governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, the Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, the Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb, and the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel. He will also meet UK businesses investing in the US and US companies investing in the UK. The Minister will deliver a keynote speech on Britain’s global role at the Chicago Council of Global Affairs and address students at the Ohio State University and the University of Notre Dame.

Sir Alan will end his visit to the US with a stop in Washington DC, where he will meet senior political figures in the Senate, House of Representatives and the Trump Administration.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Sir Alan said:

I look forward to my first visit to the heartland of America. All three States have significant cultural, political and economic ties to the United Kingdom. Chicago, Columbus and Indianapolis are three of the largest cities in the US and contribute hugely, not just to the lifeblood of their respective states, but to America as a whole.

The relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is one built around a common language, the common principles of freedom and democracy, and common interests. On security, defence, trade and investment, the United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of partners.

This visit is a chance for me to witness the ubiquity of the special relationship to the lives of all Americans, as well as to discuss ways to further enhance the special relationship as the UK leaves the EU.

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