David Antley, of Dovecot, Liverpool, was sentenced yesterday at Liverpool Crown Court for the importation and supply of substantial quantities of unauthorised medicines.

MHRA investigators raided Antley’s property and seized more than 13,900 doses of unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines worth more than £40,000.

Antley pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment (concurrent to all counts).

MHRA is currently running the #FakeMeds campaign to warn people against buying potentially dangerous or useless unlicensed medicines sold by illegal online suppliers.

MHRA Head of Enforcement, Alastair Jeffrey, said:

Selling unlicensed medicines is illegal and can pose a serious risk to health.

Unlicensed medicines can be dangerous as their contents are unknown and untested. Chances are they simply will not work, but they may contain dangerous ingredients. The consequences for your health can be devastating.

Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren’t interested in your health – they are only interested in your money.

MHRA will continue to track down and prosecute those who put the public’s health at risk.

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

Arts Minister John Glen has placed a temporary export bar on an extraordinary sculpture of Queen Victoria to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

The sculpture is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £1.2 million.

This remarkable depiction of the ageing monarch was created by master sculptor Alfred Gilbert, who transformed British sculpture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

His celebrated works include the Shaftesbury Memorial (better known as Eros) at Piccadilly Circus in London, and a magnificent tomb to Prince Edward, Duke of Clarence, in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

The sculpture was based on a full-length bronze statue of Queen Victoria, which Gilbert had produced in 1887. Gilbert rarely worked in marble; most of his sculptures are of bronze, making this piece even more exceptional.

Arts Minister John Glen said:

This captivating likeness of Queen Victoria showcases the extraordinary skills of celebrated sculptor Alfred Gilbert.

I would be delighted to see this unique piece on display in a UK institution where the public can enjoy and admire it.

The sculpture depicts Queen Victoria towards the end of her long life. The marble has been sensitively carved to reflect the texture of her skin and her meditative expression, as well as the soft swirls of cloth around her head and shoulders.

While the bust has the appearance of a highly realistic likeness, the sculptor did not work from life but from photographs, using his own mother as a model for the figure and drapery. He said at the time, “One was Queen of my country – the other Queen of my heart”.

The bust was commissioned in 1887 by the Army and Navy Club to celebrate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1837, as well as their own jubilee – the Club having been founded in 1837.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

RCEWA member Lowell Libson said:

Sir Alfred Gilbert, a leading but mercurial light in the British ‘New Sculpture’ movement, is now regarded as one of the greatest European sculptors of the period.

This monumental portrait bust of the Queen-Empress is not only an important icon made at the apogee of British power but a complex and hugely sympathetic image. It is also a tour de force of marble carving, a medium which Gilbert rarely employed.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the sculpture’s outstanding significance to the study of the work of Alfred Gilbert, the leading British sculptor of his generation. They also praised Gilbert’s imperious but compellingly naturalistic portrayal of the monarch.

The decision on the export licence application for the sculpture will be deferred until 7 December 2017. This may be extended until 7 April 2018 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £1,200,000 (plus VAT of £240,000).

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by John Glen. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the sculpture should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

A photo of the sculpture can be downloaded via our flickr site.

ENDS

For media information contact: Yasmin Kaye Communications Officer Department for Culture Media and Sport Tel: 0207 211 6489 Email: yasmin.kaye@culture.gov.uk

Notes to editors

• Details of the sculpture are as follows: A white marble bust portrait (h. 96 cm) of Queen Victoria, executed by Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934) from 1887 to 1889.
• The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
• The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.

‘A fair tax system is a key part of our plan to build a fairer society’, says Mel Stride, Financial Secretary.

Ian Kenyon, current Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of Cancer Research UK, will become the first CFO of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Science Minister Jo Johnson confirmed today (8 September 2017).

Ian will work closely with UKRI Chief Executive, Sir Mark Walport, its Board, and the Executive Chairs to establish UKRI and ensure it plays a central role in delivering the government’s Industrial Strategy.

As CFO, Ian will ensure the new organisation operates efficiently and effectively as a unified body, enabling UKRI to maximise opportunities for the UK’s world-class research and innovation base.

Ian will have oversight of UKRI’s £6 billion per annum portfolio of research and innovation funding which will grow over the course of this Spending Review, as part of the £4.7 billion R&D investment announced during last year’s Autumn statement.

Science Minister Jo Johnson said:

Ian’s extensive experience in both the private and charity sectors means he is the perfect choice to handle UKRI’s financial management and ensure we are supporting the continued success of the UK’s innovative research base in its efforts to address global challenges.

UKRI Chief Executive Designate Professor Sir Mark Walport said:

I am delighted to welcome Ian to the team and look forward to working closely with him on the establishment of UK Research and Innovation. Ian is a superb addition to the organisation. His experience at Cancer Research UK, knowledge of the sector and expertise in financial and corporate services, will be invaluable to the organisation.

Ian Kenyon said:

I am incredibly excited to be appointed as the first Chief Finance Officer of UK Research and Innovation and become part of the team delivering upon the terrific opportunities that UKRI presents for the UK’s research and innovation sectors. This role builds on my experience to date and is a natural move for me from Cancer Research UK.

UKRI represents a huge opportunity for the UK, building on the successes and world class science, arts and humanities that we already deliver, as well as to work more collaboratively and across research disciplines to benefit everyone in the UK and more widely. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to deliver on the vision.

Innovation grants from government have created an extra 150,000 jobs and stimulated growth worth £43 billion turnover for the UK companies involved, according to research from Enterprise Research Centre (ERC).

The study – called ‘Assessing the business performance effects of engagement with publicly-funded science’ – looked into research and development grants over a 13-year period. It tracked the impact of grants totaling £8 billion, which went to nearly 15,000 firms. Included in this number were grants from Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Main findings show that across all grant recipients:

• employment grew by 6% in the short-term and 23% in the longer-term (after 6 years)
• turnover grew by 6% in the short term, and 28% in the longer term
• an estimated 150,000 new jobs were created, many in highly-skilled sectors such as biotechnology, medical equipment, engineering, life sciences and high-tech manufacturing
• productivity grew by 6% in the longer term

Strong, positive impact

Speaking at the ERC Annual State of Small Business Britain Conference, Innovate UK Deputy Chief Executive, Kevin Baughan said:

Innovate UK welcomes this latest research, which highlights the strong, positive impact that public research and innovation grants are having on UK businesses, and on the wider UK economy.

This provides a strong foundation from which to build on our ambitions for the future. For example, enabling businesses to build more effectively on the world-class research base through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund; transforming existing industries and creating completely new ones; and accelerating the deployment of patient capital by bringing venture capital match funding alongside Innovate UK grant funding.

Government has committed an extra £2 billion a year for research and development by the end of the current parliament, taking the total spend to £4.7 billion.

This will be partly funnelled through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which aims to tackle the biggest societal challenges facing the UK and support high-growth sectors. This includes:

• medicines
• robotics and artificial intelligence (AI)
• electrification of batteries for vehicles

Science Minister, Jo Johnson said:

As the report by the Enterprise Research Centre shows, Innovate UK and our Research Councils are taking a leading role in delivering research and development funding that has real impact.

Through our Industrial Strategy and additional investment of £4.7 billion, we are ensuring that businesses in every corner of the country have the support they need to continue our global leadership in science and innovation.

Sector and regional differences

Other trends observed in the study include that the biggest growth in both employment and turnover was with manufacturing firms. These grew by 24% and 33% respectively.

There were also variations in the types of firms to benefit regionally. Although businesses across all parts of the UK have received funding, the biggest investments occurred in the ‘golden triangle’ of London, Cambridge and Oxford. In addition, the South East, West Midlands and Eastern Scotland were major beneficiaries.

Job creation was strongest in London at 31%, followed by the South East (25%) and the North West (25%). Turnover of grant-receiving firms was boosted most in Scotland (29%), Yorkshire (31%) and London (35%).

Kevin continued:

While the ERC research shows that, over 13 years, the biggest investments occurred in the golden triangle, if we jump ahead to the last year of Innovate UK’s grant funding, we find that the highest level of investment per number of businesses was in the North East, followed by the West Midlands.

Business-led innovation is alive and well right across the UK.

More on the ERC

The ERC is a network of university researchers. Its core team is based at Warwick Business School and Aston Business School, Birmingham. It is the UK’s leading independent research institute in the drivers behind private sector firm growth.

Professor Stephen Roper, Director of the Enterprise Research Centre, said:

This is the largest and most detailed study yet of the impact public funding for science and innovation has on growth at the firm level.

It shows very clearly that grants to support R&D have a positive impact, creating jobs and fueling growth in the high-tech, high value-added sectors that the UK must encourage to remain competitive on the world stage.

It’s well established that innovation grants can help with commercialising new technology by providing firms with additional financial slack to undertake riskier research activity which might take time to deliver products or services that are market-ready.