Tag Archives: HM Government

• Science Minister Jo Johnson has today signed a UK-US Science and Technology Agreement
• First project under the agreement includes £65 million UK investment to increase our knowledge on the origin and structure of the universe

Science Minister Jo Johnson has today (Wednesday 20 September) signed a UK-US Science and Technology Agreement with US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith G Garber, marking the first umbrella agreement between the United States and United Kingdom.

The treaty outlines a commitment to collaborate on world-class science and innovation, building on existing successful research co-operation in recognition of the value of open data to further scientific research and strengthen our economies.

The government has been clear in its commitment to collaborate with countries around the world in science, research and innovation and is investing record levels of funding to maintain the UK’s strengths in these key areas through its Industrial Strategy.

On signing the agreement, Science Minister, Jo Johnson said:

The UK is known as a nation of science and technical progress, with research and development being at the core of our Industrial Strategy. By working with our key allies, we are maintaining our position as a global leader in research for years to come.

Our continued collaboration with the US on science and innovation benefits both nations and this agreement will enable us to share our expertise to enhance our understanding of many important topics that have the potential to be world changing.

The first major project of the UK-US Science and Technology Agreement is UK investment in the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), for which the government has confirmed £65 million funding.

Under construction in the United States, the major international LBNF/DUNE project aims to answer some of the most important questions in science and advance our understanding of the origin and structure of the universe. One aspect of study is the behaviour of particles called neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts, antineutrinos. This could provide insight as to why we live in a matter-dominated universe and inform the debate on why the universe survived the Big Bang.

The UK is a major scientific contributor to the DUNE collaboration, with 14 UK universities and two Science and Technology Facilities Council laboratories providing essential expertise and components to the experiment and facility. This £65 million investment makes the UK the largest country investor in the project outside of the United States. UK involvement in the project will also provide opportunities for UK industry to build capability in new and developing technologies, for example, in precision engineering, cryogenics and accelerator-based applications.

Building on the UK-US partnership, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Smithsonian Institution are extending a successful history of partnerships by developing a new collaboration based at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and focused on increasing the use of digital research skills in museums. Enhancing these skills will benefit areas such as data analysis, curating, accessibility of collections and also further audience engagement, all focused on achieving best practice in digital scholarship and the application of digital technologies at research led museums.

Accompanying Jo Johnson on the visit to the US, Chief Executive Designate at UK Research and Innovation, Sir Mark Walport said:

Research and innovation are global endeavours. Agreements like the one signed today by the United Kingdom and the United States set the framework for the great discoveries of the future, whether that be furthering our understanding of neutrinos or improving the accessibility of museum collections.

Agreements like this also send a clear signal that UK researchers are outward looking and ready to work with the best talent wherever that may be. UK Research and Innovation is looking forward to extending partnerships in science and innovation around the world.

The President of the United States and the Prime Minister agreed in January to deliver an ambitious agenda to strengthen UK-US cooperation. This agreement is an important step forward in fulfilling that ambition.

More than 820,000 Swedes visited the UK last year, contributing £458 million to the economy. Swedes are drawn to coming to watch Premier League game, going to British pubs, visiting our world-class heritage sites and vibrant cities.

Visitors from Sweden account for the third biggest overseas market for going to a British football match, after Ireland and Norway, with 58,000 people coming to see a match in 2014.

The Culture Secretary met tourism leaders from Scandinavian Airlines, Swedavia, Visit Britain in Sweden and Apollo to see how government can help strengthen this offer for Swedish tourists and encourage more visitors to travel beyond London to see more of the UK.

She heard how the UK is the first choice for a majority of Swedes travelling outside Scandinavia and it is also where young Swedes leaving the country for the first time like to go – thanks to strong cultural bonds.

Speaking as part of a visit to the Nordic countries to promote trade, she championed the UK’s diverse culture, top-class sport and international events – the year-long UK City of Culture 2017 celebrations in Hull, the Great Exhibition of the North in Newcastle and Gateshead in 2018, and the UCI World Cycling Championships heading to Yorkshire in 2019.

She pointed to Liverpool, where next year China’s terracotta warriors will be seen in the UK for the first time in 25 years, Northumberland’s stunning beaches and Durham’s cathedral, the shopping options in Bicester as well as the outdoor pursuits on offer in stunning national parks in Wales and Scotland.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said:

Tourism from Sweden and the Nordic countries is hugely valuable to the UK and we want to make sure that more of our country benefits from this important market.

We welcome hundreds of thousands of Swedish visitors every year and we are committed to ensuring the UK continues to be a major draw for tourists from across Europe.

The meeting today was about building on our success to date, strengthening ties and seeing what more we can do to encourage more people from Sweden to come and experience the very best of Britain.

In the first three months of 2017, there were 169,000 visits to the UK from Sweden, up from 167,000 in 2016. Spend is on the increase too, in the first quarter of 2017 Swedes holidaying in the UK spent £86 million, up 12% on the same period in 2016. The Nordic market – Sweden, Norway and Denmark – made 2.3 million visits to the UK in 2016 and spent £1.24 billion. The first three months of 2017 saw record numbers of Nordic visitors to the UK, 518,000, up from 507,000 in the same period on 2016.

VisitBritain Nordics Manager Gary Robson said:

Britain has so much to offer holiday-makers from Sweden, from our cool cities and stunning national parks, to our world class shopping, heritage sites and our high-energy sports matches.

By promoting the sheer diversity of incredible experiences on offer, we want to inspire more visitors from Sweden and the Nordic market to book a trip right now to come and discover more of Britain.

Some 54% of Swedish tourists only visit London and the government wants to encourage a greater number to see more of what the whole of the country has to offer.

As part of the government’s Tourism Action Plan, launched in 2016, £40 million of investment is going into supporting tourism outside of London, investing in local businesses and attractions across the country to help attract more overseas and domestic visitors.

The Minister spoke about the situation in Burma during a meeting hosted by Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday 19 September.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon the Lord Mance as Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the UK.

DfE offers schools the chance to save on tablets, laptops and desktop devices.