The Government has put in place new emergency support for those fleeing Ukraine with their pets. Using an emergency licence, people fleeing Ukraine can bring their pets to the UK with any quarantine costs met by the Government.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency is providing quick licence approvals and quarantine arrangements to avoid creating additional burdens or delays. The Government is also covering their vaccination, microchipping and quarantine costs, recognising that many individuals from Ukraine will not have been able to complete the full health preparations required for their pet on arrival.

The maximum stay in quarantine for a pet which has received no rabies vaccination is four months. Pets are considered on a case-by-case basis, with a shortened quarantine period for those that are vaccinated.

The Government has also introduced a new rabies blood test that will be able to detect existing rabies vaccinations faster. This will help in instances where refugees have travelled without vaccination paperwork.

Results can be turned around in a minimum of two days with some animals then moving to isolation if they are found to have rabies antibodies. This will help maintain our strict biosecurity measures and allow people to be reunited more quickly with their pets when possible.

We are working with vets and quarantine facilities to make sure that the arrival of Ukrainians in the UK is not delayed by the process to make arrangements for their pets.

Animal Welfare Minister Lord Goldsmith said:

People having to flee Ukraine are in an appalling situation. I’m pleased that Ukrainian refugees will be able to bring their pets to the UK with any quarantine costs paid for by the Government.

As part of our new streamlined process, any animals which have already received some treatment may also have their stay in quarantine facilities reduced and be returned back to their owner as soon as possible.

Before arrival, people fleeing Ukraine should use the online application service to apply to bring their pet to Great Britain. APHA will then be able to confirm approval for their emergency licence and organise any necessary stay in quarantine which is required to complete the rabies risk management process.

There is a limited amount of quarantine facilities in the UK and we will prioritise those fleeing Ukraine who wish to bring their pets with them.

The Chief Veterinary Officer previously urged rehoming charities to check online guidance and ensure rescue animals have the necessary vaccination paperwork after recent follow-up border checks by the APHA showed a shipment of 19 animals imported by a rescue charity travelled illegally on falsified rabies documentation.

Ukraine is an unlisted country regarding the movement of pets due to the confirmed presence of rabies. We have serious ongoing concerns around the onward commercial movement of animals between or from Ukraine and neighbouring countries and the health risk that presents. The UK has been rabies free for 100 years and the movement of large numbers of rescue animals who are entering Great Britain from high-risk rabies countries, without the correct health preparations, presents serious risks to biosecurity and public health. There has also been a number of serious instances of non-compliant imports, including those under falsified paperwork.

To ensure we continue to prioritise those fleeing Ukraine with their own pets, all commercial imports of dogs, cats and ferrets from Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Romania have been temporarily suspended for a further eight weeks until 29th October 2022.

• Stablecoins to be brought within regulation paving their way for use in the UK as a recognised form of payment.
• Announcement part of a series of measures to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment.
• Measures include legislating for a ‘financial market infrastructure sandbox’ to help firms innovate, an FCA-led ‘CryptoSprint’, working with the Royal Mint on an NFT, and an engagement group to work more closely with industry.

This is part of a package of measures to ensure the UK financial services sector remains at the cutting edge of technology, attracting investment and jobs and widening consumer choice. It includes:

• introducing a ‘financial market infrastructure sandbox’ to enable firms to experiment and innovate,
• establishing a Cryptoasset Engagement Group to work more closely with the industry,
• exploring ways of enhancing the competitiveness of the UK tax system to encourage further development of the cryptoasset market,
• and working with the Royal Mint on a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) this summer as an emblem of the forward-looking approach the UK is determined to take

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said:

It’s my ambition to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology, and the measures we’ve outlined today will help to ensure firms can invest, innovate and scale up in this country.

We want to see the businesses of tomorrow – and the jobs they create – here in the UK, and by regulating effectively we can give them the confidence they need to think and invest long-term.

This is part of our plan to ensure the UK financial services industry is always at the forefront of technology and innovation.

Stablecoins are a form of cryptoasset that are typically pegged to a fiat currency such as the dollar and are intended to maintain a stable value. With appropriate regulation, they could provide a more efficient means of payment and widen consumer choice.

The government intends to legislate to bring stablecoins – where used as a means of payment – within the payments regulatory perimeter, creating conditions for stablecoins issuers and service providers to operate and invest in the UK.

By recognising the potential of this technology and regulating it now, the government can ensure financial stability and high regulatory standards so that these new technologies can ultimately be used both reliably and safely.

The UK’s vision for being a global hub for cryptoasset technology was set out in a speech by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen at the Innovate Finance Global Summit today.

He also announced that the UK will proactively explore the potentially transformative benefits of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in UK financial markets, which enables data to be synchronized and shared in a decentralised way to potentially achieve greater efficiency, transparency and resilience.

The government will legislate to establish a financial market infrastructure (FMI) ’Sandbox’ that will enable firms to experiment and innovate in providing the infrastructure services that underpin markets, in particular by enabling Distributed Ledger Technology to be tested. The government further confirmed that it will initiate a research programme to explore the feasibility and potential benefits of using DLT for sovereign debt instruments.

John Glen also confirmed that the government will consult on wider regulation of the cryptoasset sector later this year.

Other measures include:

• The UK government will explore ways of enhancing the competitiveness of the UK tax system to encourage further development of the cryptoasset market in the UK. It will review how DeFi loans – where holders of cryptoassets lend them out for a return – are treated for tax purposes. The government will also consult on extending the scope of the Investment Manager Exemption to include cryptoassets.
• The Chancellor has commissioned the Royal Mint to create a Non-Fungible Token this summer.
• The Financial Conduct Authority will hold a two day ‘CryptoSprint’ in May with industry participants, seeking views directly from industry on key issues relating to the development of a future cryptoasset regime.
• The Economic Secretary will establish and chair a Cryptoasset Engagement Group, convening key figures from the regulatory authorities and industry to advise the government on issues facing the cryptoasset sector.

In his Mansion House speech in July 2021, the Chancellor set out his vision for the future of the financial services sector, which included a plan to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of technology and innovation. This was one of four key components of that vision, with the ultimate aim of building a financial services sector that continues to be one the rest of the world looks towards.

The government launched a consultation on cryptoassets and stablecoins last year and has today published its response setting out the next steps.

Further information

• Exhibition will cover history of the estuary and LORP project
• Lord Clinton to open the exhibition
• It will be on for 2 years

Funded by the Environment Agency, the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Communities Project Fund and Lord Clinton’s Charitable Trust, the exhibition will be opened by Lord Clinton at 7pm on Thursday 14 April.

The exhibition features a specially commissioned video which will play out on a large screen, plus information boards on the project covering the history, flooding, wildlife and archaeology of the estuary, the aims of the project, its funding, climate change and looks at objections to the scheme.

Chair of the Fairlynch Museum, Trevor Waddington OBE, said:

Without doubt the Lower Otter Restoration Project is the most significant event in the River Otter estuary for over 200 years.

The work is planned to complete in 2023 and Budleigh Salterton’s Fairlynch Museum exhibition for the next 2 years will present the many aspects of the project in an imaginative way.  Education is a primary purpose of the museum and we are delighted that a programme of visits by children from local schools has already been planned.

Mike Williams of the Environment Agency, who has been working on the project for a number of years, said:

Everyone working on the project is very proud of the fact that it is to be highlighted in the town’s museum in this way. It will provide a record of the work for future generations.

Manager of the East Devon AONB Partnership, Chris Woodruff, added:

Landscapes never stand still. They are constantly evolving and from time to time, mankind occasionally accelerates that process.

The landscape changes happening as a result of the mitigation works in the Lower Otter Restoration Project are significant and far reaching and have not been without their challenges.

This exhibition will help to explain the history of landscape change through the ages in the lower Otter and the modern-day influences which are driving the current changes. It has brought together a wide range of audio-visual and archive materials to help to explain global warming, rising sea levels and how these impact on people in east Devon, reaching out to new audiences.

We are pleased to be able to support this exhibition with our Communities Project Fund.

The Fairlynch Museum, a thatched, early 19th Century marine cottage orné in Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton, opens from Tuesdays to Sundays, plus Bank Holiday Mondays, from Easter until the end of October.

• Vicky Ford has launched a major new education initiative that will improve the quality and access to education for over 4 million children in Tanzania.
• The £89 million programme – Shule Bora – will improve learning outcomes for all children, with special emphasis to be given to girls, children living with disabilities, and those living in deprived areas.
• In her first visit to the country, the Minister has also met President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The UK Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford, has launched a major new education initiative that will improve the quality and access to education for over 4 million children in Tanzania.

The education programme Shule Bora (meaning ‘quality education’) will improve learning outcomes for all children. Special emphasis will be given to girls, children living with disabilities, and those living in deprived areas.

Thanks to UK funding, 15.6 million children across the world have been supported to gain an education between 2015-20, including 8.1 million girls.

Minister Vicky Ford MP, said:

The UK is a global leader in Education and we strongly believe that education is crucial to levelling up across the globe. We remain committed to improving access to high-quality education across Africa. That’s why we are launching the Shule Bora programme here in Tanzania, to give the most vulnerable children a chance to learn.

That includes prioritising girls’ education, who are all too often denied their right to learn. Sadly, it is often girls that are left behind and that is why our top priority is educating girls, which makes the world a safer, more prosperous place for us all.

I was pleased to meet again with President Samia Suluhu Hassan. I welcomed the President’s commitment to strengthen education across the country and thanked her for her support in the launch of our major education initiative, which will be truly transformative for millions of schoolchildren here.

The Shule Bora programme is directly funded by UK Official Development Assistance. It will improve learning outcomes for all children, particularly girls, children living with disabilities, and those living in deprived areas. The programme will strengthen Tanzania’s teaching workforce, and support the Government of Tanzania in strengthening the value for money of education provision at school.

In her first visit to Tanzania, the Minister held high-level talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula, where they were also able to discuss mutual priorities including the Ukraine crisis, the business environment and climate change.

British High Commissioner to Tanzania, David Concar said:

The visit of Minister Ford to Tanzania to launch our flagship education programme and meet with the President are important indications of the rich and ever-expanding relationship between the UK and Tanzania.

The Minister also saw first-hand how UK expertise and assistance are helping Tanzanian authorities in the fields of security and justice. In a meeting with the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Trade later today, Minister Ford will discuss recent developments in the improvement of Tanzania’s business environment, and explore the potential for increased UK business access to Tanzania.