Today (Monday 19 October) the Government has opened a call for evidence to examine whether monitoring technology could be used more widely on fishing boats operating in English waters to help support the sector by preventing overfishing.

Now that the UK has left the EU, the Government is seeking to utilise the latest technology to better support the industry. These systems could help improve the management of our fisheries, prevent overfishing and ensure the UK has a thriving and environmentally sustainable fishing sector by improving the data that is available to the industry on fish stocks.

Remote Electronic Monitoring systems can consist of automatic cameras, GPS, sensors or other monitoring measures. Its uses can include gathering data on the amount of fish, their sizes and all the different species present and can help fishermen show they are fishing in line with their catch allowances, supporting the sector to become more sustainable.

Exploring this technology and its benefits for the fishing sector and our marine environment is one of many ways the Government is making use of new powers as an independent coastal state.

Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said:

As we take back control of our fisheries, we want to ensure a sustainable and thriving fishing industry.

Remote Electronic Monitoring technology could provide important information on the state of our fish stocks and help shape how we manage our fisheries in the future. We therefore want to hear from those who will be affected by its use and give them a say in how we manage our fisheries as an independent coastal state.

While the technology is already being used on a voluntary basis by some fishing vessels to show compliance with the landing obligation – which prohibits the discarding of fish – via the English Fully Documented Fisheries scheme, the call for evidence seeks views on expanding its use in English waters.

The call for evidence also explores whether it is better suited for certain fishing vessels, for example based on the size of the vessel or vessels that use different types of fishing gear, as well as whether there are other technologies which are more suitable.

Defra is also exploring other uses of this technology including capturing data on fish stocks. The ability to gather data more accurately will help the government better understand the most used fishing equipment and industry preferences, the health of our fish stocks as well as the health of our wider marine environment.

The call for evidence covers vessels operating in English waters. The Government will continue to work with all parts of the UK to deliver a coherent policy which reflects devolution settlements. This will be followed up by a formal consultation in 2021.

Summary

The Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) are undertaking a market assessment of the availability of cutting-edge solutions and innovative concepts in development that will transform UK policing and security over the next 10 to 20 year period.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are therefore exploring the technological landscape across a wide range of capabilities.

We are keen to explore these areas further and develop a better understanding of the different technological approaches from academia and industry against the full range of commercial sectors.

This information will provide us with knowledge on the maturity of novel solutions that are in development and areas that potentially require further government investment.

This request for information, however, is not a commitment to subsequently launch a formal DASA competition.

Background

The Home Office Science Commissioning Hub ensures the right science and technology (S&T) work is commissioned to meet the Home Office’s current and future challenges.

It identifies needs across the Home Office and its partners, builds a prioritised portfolio of requirements, tasks work and oversees delivery.

The NPCC enables Chief Constables and their forces to work together to improve policing for the public. It coordinates the operational response across the service to the threats faced in the UK, such as terrorism, organised crime and national emergencies. The NPCC is championing this market exploration.

The College of Policing (CoP) is the professional body for everyone who works for the police service in England and Wales. The CoP recently published the “Policing in England and Wales: Future Operating Environment 2040” report, which was used to help generate the themes in this market exploration.

This market exploration is part of a range of activity that the Home Office Science Commissioning Hub is conducting in order to understand how future innovations could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of police operations; improve confidence and public engagement; enhance the strategy of prevent, prepare, pursue and protect; and anticipate crimes and criminals of the future.

What we want

This market exploration asks all of industry and academia for a summary of their innovative solutions and/or ideas requiring further development to help in the following themes:

1. Data & Information

a. Access to dark/encrypted, poor quality, legacy, identity and unformatted data.

b. Seamless sharing of large volumes of data between individuals, teams, forces and national/international partners, while recognising classifications. We are interested in both real time and stored data.

c. Preventing human cognitive overload of data and revealing actionable insights.

d. Preserving evidential standards, preventing and recognising digital or physical tampering.

e. Joining data systems that have become siloed over time (e.g. CCTV systems that are proprietary for commercial reasons).

2. Automation

a. Reducing the administrative demand on officers, including the automation of repetitive tasks.

b. Ensuring public safety by influencing and utilising the design of novel products in a way that allows them to self-limit or terminate if they are used dangerously or unlawfully

c. Applying National College of Policing’s Code of Ethics to automated systems and procedures (including AI).

3. Augmentation

a. Processing, displaying and responding to real time information surrounding an officer.

b. Increasing officer safety and/or allowing remote police action/response.

c. Making it easier for the public to report concerns and offences.

d. Identifying the emergence, and responding to the use, of augmentation of the self or enabling technologies for unlawful purposes.

e. Safer temporary disabling of augmented and autonomous technology.

4. Behaviour

a. Effective professional development, upskilling and training.

b. Identifying new crime types and addressing subversive technologies (e.g. deep fakes).

c. Increasing confidence in police actions, ensuring authenticity and confidence in messaging to the public, and encouraging community engagement.

d. Influencing environmental, individual or collective behaviour to promote trust and deter crime.

e. Understanding your HR and procurement efficiencies in the commercial sector.

In this market exploration activity, we are aiming to understand the maturity of technologies (including associated components) in the external marketplace and their potential applications. This means that consideration should be given to the ease of adoption, deployment and use (including open standards and legal/ethical underpinning).

Although this market exploration is not a commitment to subsequently launch a formal DASA competition, this work will help to identify potential future investment.

In addition, your engagement and submissions will:

• Inform the Police and Home Office of the technological opportunities available now and for the decades ahead.
• Expose your innovative ideas to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
• Influence technology policy and future procurement planning for UK law enforcement.

What we don’t want

We are not interested in receiving ideas for literature reviews that respond to the requirements or sub-requirements of the solution.

• We are not interested in paper-based concepts.
• We are not interested in consultancy proposals.
• We are not interested in non-technical solutions or services which deviate from the described Data and Information, Automation, Augmentation or Behaviour themes.

This is a market engagement request for information exercise and we do not commit to subsequently launch a formal DASA competition.

How to submit a Capability Submission Form

Responses to this Market Exploration must be submitted via the DASA submission service, for which you will need to register.

You will be asked for a title and short summary of your innovation, followed by questions related to your organisation, capability and technology maturity. We are seeking to understand what and how much further development is required for a complete solution to meet requirements, or whether a combination of separate solutions is required. The information you provide will assist in developing a statement of requirements for potential future activities.

Submissions must be submitted by midday on 13 November 2020.

Please only provide details of one product/capability per submission. If you have a number of potential solutions, then please submit multiple forms. Please include the theme reference numbers that you are attempting to address in your title/s.

If you have any questions then please email accelerator@dstl.gov.uk with ”future policing” in the subject line.

How we use your information

Information you provide to us in a Capability Submission, that is not already available to us from other sources, will be handled in-confidence. By submitting a Capability Submission Form you are giving us permission to keep and use the information for our internal purposes, and to provide the information onwards, in-confidence, within UK Government. The Defence and Security Accelerator will not use or disclose the information for any other purpose, without first requesting permission to do so.

The Charity Commission is warning trustees and donors to strengthen their defences as it fears the pandemic has created environments that are enabling charity fraud.

As we enter Charity Fraud Awareness Week (19 – 23 October 2020), charities have reported being victims of fraud or cybercrime 645 times since the start of the pandemic in March, amounting to £3.6 million in total losses to charities. The true scale of fraud against charities is believed to be much higher, as fraud is known to be underreported.

The regulator is concerned that remote working and virtual activities and sign-off processes, combined with charities’ tendencies to place goodwill and trust in individuals, may make them especially vulnerable. It says that charities providing services and supporting local communities could be amongst those at risk after earlier reports of criminals using PPE as a lure in scams.

Analysis of frauds reported to the Commission has found that in some cases fraudsters have preyed on people’s fear and anxieties. In one case, the regulator saw a fraudster using a beneficiary’s story of personal struggle during the pandemic to pressure a charity into making a payment quickly. The regulator also considers that economic hardship may have increased perpetrators’ temptation to commit fraud, particularly in cases of insider fraud. It has seen cases of charity employees diverting funds into their personal bank accounts and even selling charity equipment for personal gain.

Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said:

We are seeing evidence that opportunists may be taking advantage of charities during the pandemic and I urge all charities to be extra vigilant against fraud.

This comes at a time when charities are a lifeline for many people suffering from Covid-19, and the wider impacts of the pandemic – charities have been at the forefront of responding to the crisis, and many have also been placed under severe financial strain. As our country faces another challenging point in the crisis, we cannot afford for charitable work to be disrupted by criminals. When fraud hits charities, its impact is felt far beyond the balance sheet – it is people that are let down, often hard-working volunteers or people in desperate need. That’s why I’m urging all trustees to take action now, to protect their charity’s valuable funds and assets.

Charity brings immense value to society, not just through the good work charities do directly, but also in its power to promote cohesion, well-being, and pride in our society. This is more important than ever, so the fact that there are those who wish to exploit public generosity and charitable endeavour for selfish, criminal purposes is appalling. Combating fraud is vital to giving people confidence that their money is safe and will go to the causes they care so deeply about.

Research by the Commission has found that nearly three quarters (73%) of charities affected by fraud go on to change their procedures or enhance internal controls to avoid future frauds. The same survey also found that two thirds of frauds are picked up by financial controls or audit, so the regulator says that some simple checks and controls, together with a strong counter-fraud culture, can be key to disarming fraudsters.

Charities can find free tools and advice via an online hub as part of Charity Fraud Awareness Week, and are urged to follow the regulator’s 3 top tips in the fight against fraud:

1. Be fraud aware

• All organisations are at risk from fraud – being a charity is no defence
• Be vigilant – in order to fight fraud, you need to find fraud
• Be sure your trustees, staff and volunteers know how to spot and report fraud

2. Take time to check

• Ensure your charity has robust financial controls in place and knows how to enforce them
• Is there a counter-fraud policy that staff and volunteers are signed up to?
• Trust is exploited by fraudsters – be willing to challenge unusual activity and behaviour, whoever is involved

3. Keep your charity safe

• Prevention really is better than cure – taking simple steps now will help protect your charity from harm
• Building a strong counter-fraud culture is vital and will boost your charity’s defences
• Help is available – seek professional advice if you need to
• Some charities may not even know they have been defrauded

Helen Stephenson added:

Sadly the figures we’re seeing are likely to just be the tip of the iceberg. We know that fraud is under-reported and I worry that the pandemic may have intensified that. Charities working remotely may be slower to discover fraud in their new environments. We cannot fight fraud if we cannot find it, so I’d urge anyone involved in charities to speak out if they see anything suspicious.

“Check before you give”

The regulator also fears that the public’s generosity could be abused before cash reaches charities. Action Fraud has received reports of a scam email purporting to be from HM Government asking for donations to the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Anyone wanting to support NHS charities can search for charities via the new register of charities and should always check for a registered charity number before giving.

The Commission has published advice for the public on how to ensure they are giving safely to registered charities.

Helen Stephenson warned:

The fundraising efforts we’ve seen over the past 6 months have shown the British tradition of charitable giving at its best. We must not allow that generous spirit to be knocked by criminals. My message to everyone is to give with your head as well as your heart: always check you are donating to a genuine registered charity before giving.

Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, said:

It’s a sad reality but unfortunately criminals will try to abuse the generosity of others for their own gain. This can have a huge financial impact on charities and the good causes they support.

Recently, criminals have been taking advantage of the increase in charitable donations being made during the coronavirus pandemic, setting up fake charities or impersonating well-known ones. We would encourage people not to be put off donating to charities, but instead to be vigilant and make sure you do your research to ensure you are giving your money to a legitimate organisation. Don’t let your donation end up in a criminal’s pocket.

Remember, if you think you’ve been the victim of a fraud, you should report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

1. Figures on reports of fraud and total fraud losses to charity are based on reports made to Action Fraud between March and September 2020.

2. Charity Fraud Awareness Week runs from 19 – 23 October 2020. More information is available at www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-fraud-awareness-week-2020

3. The regulator recently issued an alert to charities warning of the risks of fraud and cyber-crime during the pandemic.

4. Last year, the Commission conducted the largest-ever survey of charities’ attitude towards fraud and cybercrime, the findings of which are published on GOV.UK.

5. The Charity Commission is the registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society. The Commission is an independent, non-ministerial government department.