Tag Archives: HM Government

At UKEF, Jem will act as a champion for digital technologies within UKEF, responsible for innovation and adoption of new technologies as the department further develops its digital support for exports.

Jem brings significant experience of digital innovation in the international finance industry, having previously worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as its Information Technology Managing Director.

Prior to this Jem has also held several Chief Information Officer posts, as well as undertaking various Non-Executive Director roles. He has experience in a number of geographic regions and industries, including financial services, mobile telecommunications, medical systems, industrial gases and pharmaceuticals.

Throughout his career, he has focused on the strategic evolution of IT functions, projects and roles, with a particular focus on improving integration with other departments.

Bhaskar Dasgupta, Chief Operating Officer at UKEF, said:

We’re delighted to welcome Jem to UKEF as Chief Technology Officer, with his extensive experience of delivering user-centred digital services. His pioneering approach to information technology teams and systems will ensure we in UKEF can continue to make exports happen by driving innovative technological solutions across the business.

Jem Eskenazi, Chief Technology Officer at UKEF, added:

UKEF provides competitive, innovative and flexible support for exports for firms of any size, in any sector. It therefore needs internal and external digital infrastructure that meets requirements as diverse and dynamic as the customers we support. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the organisation’s next phases in IT efficiency and innovation.

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Following the recent decision of the Israeli authorities (4 and 6 July) to advance plans for 1,600 new settlement units in the illegal settlements in Pisgat Ze’ev, Ramat Shlomo and Ramot in East Jerusalem, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt said:

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PHE announced today (7 July 2017) that it has bought the vacant GSK site at Harlow where it plans to build a £400 million world-leading home for public health science.

PHE will create a centre of excellence for research, health improvement and protection and bring together world-renowned scientists working to protect and improve the health of the nation.

PHE plans to create a campus where it will re-locate staff and facilities from Porton in Wiltshire and Colindale in north London as well as its headquarters functions from central London.

Richard Gleave, PHE Deputy Chief Executive said:

Our move to Harlow will create a world-class science campus for public health, of international significance and real benefits for the local community. The decision to buy the site now has been taken after careful consideration of the advantages and represents best value to the British taxpayer. This includes reduced running costs and the ability to carry out a number of further specialist additional surveys which will save us considerable time and money and provide invaluable information for the more detailed design work planned for later in the year.

We are also responding to the local community’s desire to see PHE move to Harlow as soon as possible. We hope today’s announcement will be a massive boost to the town and surrounding area.

The site and assets were purchased for £25 million which independent analysis has shown represents extremely good value for PHE’s particular needs and the taxpayer. This follows a significant period of close collaboration between PHE and GSK.

Councillor Jon Clempner, Leader of Harlow Council, said:

As the town celebrates its 70th birthday, and we look ahead to the next 70 years, this development will play a major part in Harlow’s bright future. New jobs and opportunities for local people and local businesses will be created and Harlow will be on the world map, leading the way as the place for protecting and improving lives. Securing Public Health England’s relocation to Harlow is all part of the jigsaw being put in place for Harlow’s future with new jobs, new investment and improving local people’s skills.

Today’s announcement comes just a few weeks before PHE expects to submit a planning application to refurbish a number of the current buildings and construct new ones on the Pinnacles Estate site. The plans include new and converted laboratories and a visitor centre.

It is anticipated that the first staff will move to Harlow in 2021 with the site fully operational by 2024. At that time up to 2,750 people could be based at the Science Hub with scope for further expansion to 3,250.

Visit www.gov.uk/phe/harlow for up to date information about the Science Hub.

Contact PHE for further information:

1. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.
2. PHE submitted an Outline Business Case to Government in July 2014. An interim decision was taken in September 2015 to move the majority of PHE functions from Porton to Harlow. In November, the government supported a further proposal to move PHE science facilities at Colindale to Harlow to create a single integrated campus.
3. PHE is now working to submit an outline planning application over summer 2017.
4. It is hoped the science campus will be fully operational by 2024 with the first construction work expected to start in 2019.

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As a result, ICE will now be required by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to end the commercial agreement and must also press ahead with selling the Trayport business.

Following its provisional decision in April, the CMA has found that the loss of competition identified in the original merger investigation (see below) would not be comprehensively remedied if the agreement remained in place.

In particular, the agreement, is a legacy effect of ICE’s control over Trayport and risks the ability of Trayport’s future owner to set its own commercial strategy towards ICE, while also potentially offering ICE beneficial terms as result of that control.

In view of these risks and the low costs arising, the CMA has concluded that termination of the agreement is necessary.

ICE acquired Trayport in December 2015. ICE is the largest operator of exchanges and clearinghouses in the trading of wholesale European utilities. Trayport’s software products form an integrated platform which underpins around 85% of European utilities trading.

The CMA’s investigation into the merger which concluded in October 2016 found that traders, and the brokers, exchanges and clearinghouses that compete with ICE in the trading and clearing of European utilities, depend on the Trayport platform. ICE could have used its ownership of Trayport’s platform to reduce competition between itself and its rivals which could have led to increased fees for execution and clearing, and worse terms offered to traders. In order to resolve this, the CMA directed ICE to sell the Trayport business.

In March 2017, following a challenge by ICE, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) upheld the CMA’s findings that the merger between the two companies was likely to result in a loss of competition and that in order to resolve this, ICE must sell the Trayport business.

However, the CMA was asked by the CAT to reconsider its additional requirement that the companies terminate an agreement entered into during the original investigation and which would significantly expand their commercial relationship.

The requirement for ICE to sell the Trayport business had been put on hold until the remittal investigation was concluded. With today’s decision by the CMA that the agreement should be terminated, the period within which the sale of the Trayport business must complete has commenced.

The final decision is available on the case page.

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The fund pays the travel costs for British former child migrants to be reunited with their families.

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