I have today (21 March 2022) published as a draft the Merchant Shipping (Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers) Regulations 2022, along with an accompanying draft Explanatory Memorandum.
The draft regulations revoke and replace the Merchant Shipping (Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/1644) and the instruments that amend them and implement the most up to date requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (‘the Convention’), affecting bulk carriers.
The draft regulations are being published for 28 days. Following the conclusion of this period, and once any observations on the draft regulations have been taken into account, they will be laid for approval by each House of Parliament.
This procedure is required under paragraph 14 of Schedule 8 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 because these Regulations revoke an instrument that was amended under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. The amendments were made by the Merchant Shipping (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/1221).
Further details are contained in the Annex to the draft Explanatory Memorandum.
The draft regulations implement requirements for bulk carriers in Chapter XII of the Convention, including previously unimplemented requirements for bulk carriers of double-side skin construction constructed on or after 1 July 2006, standards and criteria for side structures of bulk carriers of single-side skin construction and standards for owner’s inspection and maintenance of bulk carrier hatch covers.
The updated measures in Chapter XII are in force internationally, but the measures must also be incorporated into our national legislation to enable them to be enforced effectively, most notably to discourage non-compliance by non-UK flagged ships in UK waters, which would be detrimental to the safety of shipping in UK coastal areas.
The proposed regulations will ensure that UK law includes increased safety standards for bulk carriers and seafarers on UK flagged bulk carriers and non-UK flagged bulk carriers operating in UK waters by implementing updates to improve vessel stability and strength.
The draft regulations also include an ambulatory reference provision to ensure that future amendments to the Convention referred to in the draft regulations will automatically become UK law when they enter into force internationally.
As required by these regulations, a ministerial statement will be provided to both Houses of Parliament ahead of any amendment to Chapter XII, or other provision, of the Convention referenced in the regulations, prior to it coming into force in UK law by way of the ambulatory reference provision.
On 3 March 2022, 72 Gurkhas from Recruit Intake 2022 took part in their Queen’s Gurkha Signals Attestation Parade at Altcar Training Camp in Merseyside. Colonel of the Regiment, Major General JJ Cole OBE was the inspecting officer at the parade.
In accordance with regimental tradition, six newly commissioned Gurkha Warrant officers were also attested and officially commissioned. Also on the parade square were pipers and drummers, providing musical entertainment for those present.
Commandant at Altcar Training Camp, Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Black (retired) commented,
It was humbling to have been invited to witness the Attestation Parade, the drill and turnout was immaculate. It has been an absolute delight to host the Queen’s Gurkha Signals at Altcar Training Camp for their training and we congratulate all the young soldiers on their success today. We wish them all the best for the future.
Published 21 March 2022
Defence sector supports thousands of UK jobs and businesses
New economic report reinforces value of defence sector to the UK
Thousands of organisations paid for defence work and 5,000 apprentices employed
Over a fifth of defence procurement spending is with SMEs
The report has been published by the Joint Economic Data Hub (JEDHub), a collaborative initiative to improve understanding of the defence sector’s contribution to the UK economy and an important deliverable of the 2021 Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS).
Key stats in the report include:
10,000 – Organisations paid directly by the MOD globally in 2020/21
5,000 – Estimated apprentices employed in the UK defence sector
$4.6 billion – Average of annual UK defence exports between 2016-2020
Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin said:
The defence sector is driving prosperity, strengthening the economy, supporting jobs and building skills right across the UK.
The first report from the JEDHub provides new insights on the value of the sector – beyond keeping us safe in times of trouble – and I am delighted to see industry and government working together to help us grow our understanding of that vital contribution.
I would particularly like to thank the companies in the Defence Growth Partnership and members of their supply chains for their support in this important initiative.
Based in the UK Defence Solutions Centre, the JEDHub is designed to provide better, consistent and impartial data to help inform decision-making processes. The JEDHub is supported by government, industry and academia. Fresh insights from the report include:
37% – Number of the surveyed jobs supported by overseas sales, showing the contribution of defence exports to sustaining jobs in the UK
4.6% – Increase in graduate and apprenticeships entrants into surveyed companies from 2019 to 2020
£45,000 – Average full-time salary for surveyed defence roles, over 16% higher than the UK mean average annual full-time salary in 2020
Chief Executive of ADS, Kevin Craven, said:
Through the collaboration between the Ministry of Defence, UK Defence Solutions Centre and industry, the JEDHub annual economic report published today shows the scale of our defence sector’s activity.
Employers in this industry are investing heavily in skills and supporting tens of thousands of high value jobs that are essential to the prosperity of communities in all parts of the UK.
Apprenticeships
The defence sector continues to invest in developing highly skilled careers for the future, with the report including an estimate from ADS of 5,000 apprentices in employment in the UK defence sector in 2020. The JEDHUB survey also covers recruitment of apprentices and graduate trainees and that figure shows growth of 4.6% from the previous year.
Small businesses
The report follows the recently refreshed SME Action Plan – designed to further improve engagement with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, focusing on procurement models that are easier to navigate, a recognition of the role the MOD and its major suppliers play in supporting the whole of the defence supply chain and understanding how best to support innovation and exports for UK suppliers.
The latest data shows the MOD spent £1.1 billion directly with SMEs in 2019/20 and a further £3.4 billion indirectly through the supply chain. This accounts for 21.3% of procurement spend that year and shows procurement spending with SMEs continues to grow, with the intention of procurement spending with SMEs reaching 25% by 2022.
Research & Development
Research and development (R&D) is central to our Armed Forces being able to stay ahead of our adversaries for combating future threats. The JEDHub report shows the MOD spent £1 billion on R&D in 2019/2020 noting that UK Research and Innovation estimates every £1 of public R&D investment generates around £7 of benefit to the UK. Over the past five years industry’s own private investment in UK R&D has also grown, by 8.9% across 2015-2019 to £464 million.
JEDHub next steps
The JEDHub’s report is an important deliverable of the 2021 Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, building on the Dunne Report which highlighted the crucial contribution of the defence sector to UK prosperity.
In the coming year, the JEDHub aims to provide more data about the economic contribution at a national, regional, and local level.
Ploughshare wins government funding for 2 defence technologies
Ploughshare, the company owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that finds new and inspiring uses for government inventions, has won more than £280,000 in grants to develop 2 technologies for the benefit of society.
Ploughshare facilitated successful bids by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to the government’s new Knowledge Assets Grant Fund. The funds will assist in the development of 2 new technologies – a predictive test for sepsis being developed by Presymptom Health, and a sensor that can detect and identify laser threats from Sentinel Photonics.
The grants, offered by the Knowledge Assets unit in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), are to support the repurposing, commercialisation or expanded use of public sector knowledge assets. This is part of the Government’s Knowledge Assets initiative which aims to unlock the value of Knowledge Assets for social, economic and financial benefit to the public with a targeted programme of work and support to organisations across Government.
David English, Dstl Chief Finance Officer, commented:
We’re delighted that these science and technology innovations developed by Dstl will be further advanced. These 2 examples are indicative of Dstl’s commitment to protect lives through superior technology and innovation, while also supporting UK industry.
In the case of Presymptom Health, Ploughshare supported Dstl in securing up to £100,000 from the fund which it will use to contract Presymptom Health to conduct research and development of AI machine learning software. This software could be used to analyse thousands of blood samples in Dstl’s biobank, accumulated over 10 years of research.
Initial trials of the technology, first developed for the MOD for use on the front line and now licensed by Ploughshare to Presymptom Health, suggest it can predict the onset of sepsis in patients up to three days before symptoms appear, enabling clinicians to treat them much sooner and manage them more effectively.
Ploughshare also aided Dstl in its bid for £180,000 relating to its work with Sentinel Photonics, which is developing sophisticated technology to detect and protect against laser threats. The technology, licensed to Sentinel by Ploughshare, was developed for military use to detect and assess the threat levels of lasers deployed against personnel, aircraft and vehicles.
Dstl will use the grant funding to contract Sentinel to explore opportunities for civilian use – for example as a method of detection and threat level assessment when lasers are shone at commercial aircraft such as air ambulances, or at sporting events. The technology could potentially be installed in public areas to detect lasers, acting as a deterrent against their illegal use.
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, CEO of Ploughshare, said:
We are delighted to have facilitated Dstl’s successful applications so that Presymptom Health and Sentinel Photonics can be among the first to benefit from the Knowledge Assets Grant Fund. This fund was created specifically to test the potential of knowledge assets for expanded or alternative use – directly in line with our mission to enable the commercialisation of government defence research for the benefit of society.
These 2 technologies are at a very exciting stage of development, and the support of BEIS and Dstl will enable them to take the next step towards delivering positive societal impact.
Chris Burgess, Sentinel Photonics CEO, said:
We are grateful for the support of Ploughshare, Dstl and BEIS in securing these funds which will enable us to take a significant step in unlocking the potential for our technology to detect and protect against laser threats to civilians. This grant will give us space and time to hold conversations with relevant organisations while continuing to develop and refine our technology.
Iain Miller, CEO at Presymptom Health, said:
As we continue to explore the potential for our technology to provide early diagnosis of sepsis, which claims the lives of up to 11 million people each year around the world, we are grateful for this grant which could enable us to find new ways of detecting tell-tale markers which are an indication for the disease.
Our development of machine learning technology, with the support of Dstl and enabled by the Knowledge Assets Grant Fund, could greatly increase the rate at which we can analyse samples, enabling us to bring this potentially life-saving test into general use more quickly.
Ploughshare, wholly owned by Dstl, has unique access to a wide range of technologies developed by leading scientists and engineers at the MOD and wider government. Since it was founded in 2005 it has licensed more than 140 innovative technologies and created more than 400 jobs.
The Knowledge Assets Grant Fund, operated out of BEIS, offers grants of up to £250,000 to support the repurposing, commercialisation or expanded use of public sector knowledge assets. This aims to realise the potential of these assets for the benefit of the UK. Later this year, a new dedicated unit in BEIS will launch to support knowledge asset development, including a new funding round for the Knowledge Assets Grant Fund.
Footage shows driver making rude gesture to police after being filmed without a seatbelt and using mobile phone
But what he doesn’t realise is the vehicle alongside him is a National Highways unmarked ‘supercab’ – and there are two police officers inside. When he sees he’s being filmed, he makes a rude gesture.
The driver was using a mobile phone and wasn’t wearing a seatbelt as he drove along the A1(M).
The footage, taken on the A1(M) near Wetherby by North Yorkshire Police, captures one of over 26,000 offences recorded by officers in the Operation Tramline HGV cabs since the national safety initiative was launched by National Highways. The driver was issued with a fixed penalty notice for not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone. He was handed six penalty points and a £200 fine.
The cabs are now being used as part of a multi-agency campaign on the A1, running from Monday, 21 March to Friday, 1 April, which aims to reduce the number of incidents on the busy route and highlight the risks of dangerous driving.
Under the banner of Operation Mainline, the campaign takes place along the A1 from Northumberland down to North Yorkshire. Three police forces will be taking part – Northumbria, Durham and North Yorkshire.
In addition to the supercab patrols, vehicle checks will also be carried out at a number of locations by the DVSA and Health and Safety Executive. National Highways Traffic Officers will visit motorway service areas at Washington, Wetherby and Skelton Lake to offer advice to drivers such as how to carry out basic vehicle maintenance.
National Highways deals with incidents on the A1 every day with 9,675 reported in 2021 including 614 traffic collisions.
Since the launch of Operation Tramline in 2015, more than 26,200 offences have been recorded across England. The most common offences have included:
not wearing a seatbelt – 7,727
using a mobile phone – 6,804
not in proper control of vehicle – 1,927
speeding – 1,378
In total, 23,971 vehicles were stopped during Operation Tramline between July 2015 and January 2022.
National Highways Regional Director Simon Boyle said:
Safety is our highest priority at National Highways. The Operation Tramline cabs are an important part of our commitment to tackling dangerous driving and those who take unnecessary risks with their own safety and that of others on the road.
The number of people found not wearing their seatbelt, or using their mobile phone while driving is quite alarming. Through this fortnight of action on the A1 we want to make all of our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to consider their driving behaviour.
It’s great to be collaborating with our partners in the police on this important campaign.
Superintendent Emma Aldred, Head of Specialist Operations at North Yorkshire Police, said:
As police officers, we see too many people taking serious risks on our roads – and those risks can, and often do, cost lives.
We are pleased to join Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary in working with National Highways to create a really robust team, in order to target those who break the law on our road network.
This operation has shown remarkable results previously and we know this time will be no different. Officers will be covering the stretch of the A1 24/7 and will not let up in their efforts to target those who have no regards for others on our roads.
Inspector Kevin Salter from Durham and Cleveland Specialist Operations Unit said:
It is important for us to work with neighbouring forces to keep our road networks safe for everyone to use especially as drivers regularly cross force borders. By carrying out these operations together, we are able to engage and educate drivers on a larger scale about the importance of driving safely, and not becoming another statistic. We would much rather engage with road users to prevent incidents that have to deal with the aftermath of a tragic incident.
Sgt Glen Robson, of Northumbria Police’s Motor Patrols Department, said:
This operation is a fantastic example of the holistic approach Forces and partners are committed to taking to keep our roads safe for all.
If you are driving whilst on your mobile phone, or distracted by something else in the car, you are more likely to miss potential hazards and cause an accident – and these accidents can cost someone their loved one.
We urge drivers to think before they act, anyone found to breaking the rules of the road will see swift action and face the consequences of their choices.
From their elevated viewpoint in the unmarked HGV cabs, police officers are able to spot people driving dangerously – whatever vehicle they may be in.
Among the incidents witnessed during Operation Tramline have been a driver steering a lorry with his knees while eating lunch on his lap and also using his phone in the East Midlands. While in West Mercia, officers saw a driver eating lasagne with a knife and fork while driving along a motorway.
Surrey Police spotted a HGV driver boiling a kettle on the dashboard and another eating pickled gherkins from a jar with his elbows on the steering wheel.
One driver was caught twice in one day – in the morning and afternoon – using their mobile phone while driving along the A38 in Derbyshire.
Consequences for the drivers range from warnings to fixed penalty notices, court summons or even arrest.
Police forces across the country have been using the supercabs since 2015
DVSA’s Head of Enforcement Delivery, Ian Bain said:
DVSA’s priority is protecting everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles.
Partnership operations play a vital role in clamping down on drivers and operators breaking the rules and endangering everyday road users in the North East.
DVSA examiners’ knowledge and expertise play a central role in identifying and preventing dangerous vehicles from operating on our roads.
We hope this joint action will remind operators of their responsibility to maintain road safety.
Nina Day from HSE’s Transport Sector, said:
Employers must ensure that drivers, other workers, and members of the public are kept safe when vehicles are used for work. There are legal requirements for employers to have robust procedures in place to manage vehicle safety, including ensuring suitable procedures are in place, providing workers with appropriate training and equipment, maintaining equipment and vehicles, and supporting drivers when they raise concerns.
HSE works closely with our partner agencies to help vehicle operators and load consignors understand their legal responsibilities and effectively manage risk.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the National Highways customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the National Highways press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.
