Change of UK Permanent Representative to the WTO, UN and other International Organisations in Geneva: Simon Manley

Press release

Mr Simon Manley CMG has been appointed the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation, United Nations and other International Organisations

Mr Simon Manley CMG has been appointed the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, United Nations and other International Organisations based in Geneva, in succession to Mr Julian Braithwaite CMG who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Manley will take up his appointment during Spring 2021.

Full name: Simon John Manley

Married to: Maria Isabel Fernandez Utges Manley

Children: Three Daughters

2020	FCO/FCDO, Director General, COVID-19
2013 to 2019	Spain and Andorra, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
2011 to 2013	FCO, Director Europe
2007 to 2011	FCO, Director Defence and Strategic Threats
2006 to 2007	FCO, Head, Counter-Terrorism Policy Department
2003 to 2006	FCO, Head, EU Economic, Ireland and Central Europe Team
2002 to 2003	FCO, Deputy Head, EU (Internal) Department
1998 to 2002	Seconded to the EU Council Secretariat’s Asia Unit
1993 to 1998	New York, Second, later First Secretary (Political), UK Mission to the United Nations
1993	Seconded to DG Competition, European Commission
1990 to 1993	FCO, United Nations Department
1990	Joined FCO

Published 16 December 2020

Army develops spray to kill coronavirus

News story

A novel disinfectant spray developed by the Army that can eliminate 99.99% of the Covid-19 virus will now be made available to the public and used by military personnel on the frontline as they support the battle against the virus.

Image depicts a soldier using the Virusend spray. — Virusend can kill 99.99% of the pandemic strain of Covid-19 in under a minute.

Virusend will complement the existing range of protective products available currently in the UK that help keep people safe, with bottles available for the public to purchase online and in stores, with talks ongoing to up-scale the commercial rollout of the product.

Co-developed by innovation experts in the British Army, the Virusend spray formula is proven to be highly lethal against SARS-CoV-2, the pandemic strain of the coronavirus. Extensive tests by the Centre of Excellence for Infectious Disease Research and the Liverpool School for Tropical Medicine proved that Virusend kills 99.99% of the virus in under 1 minute.

50,000 bottles of Virusend disinfectant are being deployed to personnel across the country who are working alongside the NHS at coronavirus testing stations as part of the military’s ongoing support to civil authorities. It is already being used at testing sites in Medway and Preston.

The spray’s quick kill-time makes it ideal for use on a variety of surfaces within high footfall areas such as the mass testing and vaccination sites. The disinfectant is also being tested for wider use in the NHS including within clinical environments.

The product was developed to provide the Army with enhanced protection in addition to a range of PPE and social distancing measures whilst operating Covid testing facilities

Lt Col James Cackett, CO 35 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) and commanding the Medway Resilience Unit said:

The troops who are now working in Medway have welcomed the deployment of this additional force protection measure. Virusend is proving easy to use and will help us keep our work areas safe for everyone.

Lt Col Christopher Warhurst, Virusend Project Manager, Manoeuvre Support Plans, said:

I am truly privileged to be at the centre of this amazing partnership and work with such talented and dedicated people. What started out as a good idea has developed into an amazing product that has the potential to have a real impact against the virus. The Army is proud to have been involved in this incredible project.

Virusend boasts a quick kill time and high lethality to the Covid-19 virus. Virusend is supplied through the ‘Anyway Spray’ bottle, a system developed by Pritchard Spray Technology Ltd.

The innovative bottle covers a wide surface area and can be used upside-down, eliminating any wastage. The bottle uses compressed air instead of flammable gasses and is also fully recyclable and re-useable.

Michael Pritchard MBE, CEO Pritchard Spray Technology Ltd. said:

This pioneering spray will change the way we combat this and all future pandemics. This has been a truly unique collaboration that showcases what we the United Kingdom can achieve. We want to give the UK the tools it needs to defeat coronavirus and get back on its feet as soon as possible.

Published 16 December 2020

UK and India to accelerate collaboration on vaccines to prevent future pandemics

Experts from India and the UK will join forces through a new virtual hub to deliver vaccines for coronavirus and other deadly viruses, the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced in India today (Wednesday 16 December).

The Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Modi to discuss the UK and India working together as a force for good and launching the pioneering new vaccines hub which will share best practice for regulation and clinical trials, and foster innovation. He also visited a Delhi health clinic where Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines will be administered.

India’s Serum Institute is poised to make over a billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Unlike other vaccines, it can be stored at normal fridge temperatures, making it easier and cheaper to produce and keep – and distribute around the world.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

This Serum Institute and Oxford University partnership demonstrates the UK-India relationship at its best: a vaccine developed in the UK and made in India, drawing our brightest minds together to save lives as a global force for good.

A global pandemic requires a global solution. Scientific cooperation has made breakthroughs on coronavirus vaccines at record-breaking pace and the UK-India Vaccine Hub will now build on these innovations, to bring this crisis to an end and protect us all against future pandemics.

Millions of the doses made by the Serum Institute will be distributed to the world’s poorest people via the global COVAX initiative, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the vaccine alliance.

The UK has championed equitable access to any coronavirus vaccine for those who need it and has committed up to £619 million to COVAX to secure both the UK’s access to coronavirus vaccines and distribute Covid-19 vaccines across the world.

India supplies more than 50% of the world’s vaccines and 25% of the NHS’s generic drugs. Closer UK-India cooperation on medicines and vaccines approvals will ensure speedy access for the UK to Indian-produced pharmaceuticals and help safeguard future supplies to the NHS.

The new hub will enable British and Indian experts to share knowledge on clinical trials and regulatory approvals and get vaccines to people who need them most in a safe, secure and energy-efficient way.

It will protect the UK and India by enhancing cooperation on the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, better aligning the international regulation of vaccines and fostering partnerships to develop innovation ‘moonshots’ that can define vaccine delivery over the next decade and beyond.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Modi today, the Foreign Secretary signalled his ambition for a closer UK-India relationship as part of a wider UK focus on our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. They also spoke about the 10-year roadmap which heralds a new era for the UK and India with an ambitious plan for an Enhanced Trade Partnership.

The Foreign Secretary also met Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal and agreed to work together on mutual recognition of academic qualifications, starting with master’s degrees, over the next year.

The Foreign Secretary welcomed the signing of a new agreement between the University of Edinburgh and the Indian State of Gujarat to open a new biotechnology university in Gujarat in July 2021. This will be the first foreign university collaboration of its kind in India.

Notes to editors

The UK is one of the biggest global funders of the World Health Organization and the single biggest donor to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) and to Gavi.
Of the £619 million the UK has committed to COVAX, a global initiative designed to provide countries equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, up to £548 million will go towards helping developing countries get coronavirus vaccines to those who need them. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, CEPI and WHO.
The UK and India also announced today a new memorandum of understanding between India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UK MHRA) agreeing to more frequent discussions on UK-India vaccine and pharmaceutical regulations, improving standards and sharing information to control against the trade of unlicensed products.
In addition, the UK and India announced a new partnership to help UK and Indian scientists unlock the power of data, including the data within our genes, to deliver better diagnostics and enhanced life-saving treatments for cancer, diabetes, maternal health challenges and rare diseases.
Free-to-use photos from the Foreign Secretary’s visit to India are available to download here.

Improving contingent liability management

News story

GAD has been announced as a key partner to help establish the new Contingent Liability Central Capability function for government.

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has been selected as a key partner to establish a function to monitor and understand the evolving nature of the risks which can affect government.

Proposal and objectives

In March 2020 HM Treasury published proposals to improve the management of guarantees and insurance provided by government. GAD played a key role in developing the proposals, the objectives of which are to:

improve the expertise within government to quantify and price risk
improve compensation which government receives for risks it takes on
establish incentives to reduce the probability of the risk materialising and the cost when it does
clarify risk ownership to provide more certainty surrounding how the costs will be shared between government departments, the Exchequer and the private sector

Approval and funding

Central to these proposals is the establishment of the new Contingent Liability Central Capability (CLCC), which gained approval and funding in the Spending Review 2020.

The CLCC will support government departments in the evaluation, pricing, and management of guarantees and insurance. It will monitor and report on the government’s overall portfolio of risk from contingent liabilities.

Due to its risk management expertise, GAD was selected by HM Treasury to work with UK Government Investments to establish the CLCC in 2021.

GAD Actuarial Director Matt Gurden sits on the steering board guiding implementation of the CLCC. He said: “This is an important development, as this new function is designed to help government improve its understanding and management of risks. Our risk management experts will play a central part in the formation and ongoing capability of the CLCC.”

Published 16 December 2020

Movement Assistance Scheme to support agrifood traders

New support for traders and businesses goes live today with the launch of the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS), to help them meet new requirements for moving animals, plants and associated products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the transition period ends.

This includes advice to businesses through a dedicated helpline and means traders will not need to pay certification costs, which will be reimbursed by government to those certifying the products. Together, these measures will make it easier for traders to continue to move agri-food goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Farming, Fisheries and Food Minister Victoria Prentis said:

“As we implement the Northern Ireland Protocol, these arrangements ensure there is unfettered access for traders and minimises the impact of these new requirements.

“The Movement Assistance Scheme will help make it easier to move animals, plants and agri-food goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and will give practical help and support to businesses.”

This follows the publication of the Command Paper setting out details of an agreement in principle on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, including movement of agri-food goods.

From 1 January 2021, traders will need to meet new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements following the end of the transition period given that the island of Ireland is treated as a single epidemiological unit. These SPS requirements include Export Health Certificates and Phytosanitary certificates for specific agri-food goods.

The scheme removes the need for traders to pay certification costs and will reimburse the costs incurred by those certifying the products up to a set amount. We will monitor the performance of the scheme, and review it after three months to determine how to best provide ongoing support to traders.

In addition to the scheme launched today, the UK Government has agreed that authorised traders, such as supermarkets and their trusted suppliers, will benefit from a grace period from certification requirements for products of animal origin, composite products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants and plant products, through to 1 April 2021.

Guidance on the new scheme and moving agri-food goods to and from Northern Ireland is available.