People who take prescribed or over-the-counter medicines containing opioids for non-cancer pain will now be given stronger warnings about the risk of dependence and addiction, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced today.

Healthcare professionals have been asked by the MHRA to discuss these warnings with any patient taking or planning to take an opioid-containing medicine. These discussions should also involve agreement of a treatment plan, including how long treatment should last, to minimize the risk of dependence.

Additional warnings are now to be added to the patient information leaflet to reinforce those warnings, making it clear that the medicine is an opioid, which can cause addiction, and that there can be withdrawal symptoms if people stop taking it suddenly. More information and warnings are provided throughout the leaflet.

Minister for Innovation Lord Bethell said:

Opioid addiction is a serious and life-threatening issue and people need to be aware of these risks before they take medicines with such a high rate of dependency.

It is vital that patients are given the right support and guidance on the dangers of long term use and the strengthening of these labels is a crucial step forwards in protecting patients and saving lives.

The MHRA Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, Sarah Branch said:

Patient safety is our highest priority and that is why we continually monitor the benefits and risks of opioid medicines.

Last year, we announced that opioid-containing medicine packaging must carry warnings. Now, we are strengthening those warnings to ensure that opioid medicines are supplied with consistent information on how to manage the risk of addiction.

This is a further step forward in helping to promote the safe use of these pain-relieving medicines.

Opioids have a serious risk of dependence and addiction, especially with long-term use. Following concerns raised about the prescribing rates of opioids in the UK, the Opioid Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) developed a set of recommendations to improve information for prescribers and patients and to protect public health. These recommendations were fully supported by CHM and formed the basis of the MHRA’s new warnings.

While the CHM continues to consider opioids as important and effective medicines in the treatment of short-term pain relief, they have advised against their long-term use in the treatment of non-cancer pain, due to the risk of dependence and addiction.

For more information on the risks of opioid addiction, please read our patient guidance.

Patients experiencing any suspected side effects from these medicines can report these via our Yellow Card scheme.

The UK’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Julian Braithwaite hosted a virtual side event today on Rights and Freedoms in Hong Kong during the 45th session of the Human Rights Council. He was joined by Professor Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (Professor, University of Pennsylvania and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), Dr Sophie Richardson (China Director for Human Rights Watch) and Professor Steve Tsang (Director of the SOAS China Institute).

The event was an important opportunity to:

• demonstrate the international community’s continued focus on Hong Kong;

• provide an update on how the Hong Kong National Security Law is a breach of China’s international obligations; and

• raise awareness of risks to watch in Hong Kong in relation to the National Security Law, and encourage ongoing attention at the UN (including through the Human Rights Council).

The imposition of the National Security Law by Beijing on Hong Kong constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates the high degree of autonomy of executive and legislative powers and independent judicial authority, provided for in the Joint Declaration.

During today’s event, Professor Steve Tsang, explaining the political and legal background, said, “It is one thing to say that the Chinese government has the right to introduce a National Security Law, it is a very different matter when it is being done clearly not in accord with the constitutional requirements in Hong Kong.”

Dr Sophie Richardson explained that there was a worrying trend in mainland China when it came to the protection of individuals’ rights – something that Human Rights Watch continuesd to monitor. She expressed concern that the National Security Law may have negative implications on Hong Kong’s legal system.

Professor Zeid Raad Al-Hussein, referring to the relationship between China and the Human Rights Council said, “China should not be treated in any exceptional way. All states needs to account for their actions. If they are comfortable that they are doing the right thing, then grant an invitation for Special Procedures to visit; allow unfettered access to all parts of China.”

As the UK Prime Minister has said, Hong Kong succeeded for so many years because its people have been free, living under the rule of law, able to debate and share new ideas, expressing themselves as they wish. However, over the past 16 months, the situation in Hong Kong has been of intense concern.

Ambassador Braithwaite stressed that the UK was particularly concerned by the potentially wide-ranging ability of the mainland authorities to take jurisdiction over certain cases, without any independent oversight, and to try those cases in the Chinese courts.

The legislation contains a number of other measures that directly threaten the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. The UK and others in the international community are watching implementation extremely closely, and the formal meetings of the Human Rights Council are an important venue for drawing attention to these concerns.

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. With your permission, I would like to make a statement on preparations for the end of the transition period.

There are now just 100 days to go until the United Kingdom leaves the Single Market and the Customs Union.

This will be a moment of great opportunity – but also of significant change and challenge. It’s vital that we all take the steps required to grasp those opportunities and to meet and master those challenges.

The Government is of course committed to negotiating a new Free Trade Agreement with the EU before the end of the transition period. And those talks are progressing.

But, whatever the outcome of those negotiations, things will change for businesses and individuals as they trade with and travel to the EU. It is important that we as Parliamentarians all understand that and that we all take action to prepare.

Whether we secure a good FTA before January or not, whether we get a Canada-style deal or exit on Australian terms, we will have left the Single Market and the Customs Union. That fact means adjustments for businesses trading with the EU, changes for citizens travelling to the EU and of course new responsibilities for Government in both scenarios.

The superb civil servants at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and their colleagues across government are working with business to ensure that exporters and importers are ready for new rules. Every business trading with Europe will need to thoroughly familiarise itself with new customs procedures: and whether they develop capacity in-house, or work with a customs intermediary, enhanced preparation is vital. The Government has invested in increasing customs agent capacity, supported growth in the sector and of course it stands ready to do more. And HMRC are also able to support businesses to secure the AEO or consignor and consignee status which eases the flow of goods.

Businesses which are fully ready for life outside the Customs Union will also of course be better prepared for the growing number of export opportunities outside Europe as the UK establishes new trade relationships with partners across the globe, following the highly successful conclusion of our new trade deal with Japan. And, because preparing for customs procedures will be required with or without a Free Trade Agreement, these adjustments can’t of course be left until the last minute. More and more businesses are becoming fully prepared but there are still many who have not quite taken the steps they need to. Our survey evidence indicates that while 78% of businesses have taken steps, just 24% believe that they are fully ready. Indeed, 43% of businesses actually believe the transition period will be extended, even though the deadline for any extension has now long passed and the date that we leave the Single Market and the Customs Union is fixed in law and supported across this House.

This Government is taking action to prepare for that date with the XO Committee; the Cabinet Committee charged with preparations for the end of the transition period, now meeting almost daily, taking decisions on trader and haulier readiness, border infrastructure and fisheries protection. The Committee has now met 136 times since it was established and it will continue to meet to make sure that we have taken all the necessary steps to prepare.

But we also need businesses to prepare. The consequences of a lack of business preparedness will be not just economic opportunities missed for those companies who don’t prepare but, potentially, much wider disruption.

That is why today we’re publishing our Reasonable Worst Case Scenario planning assumptions, indicating what could happen if we don’t all secure improved preparedness.

I should stress this is not a prediction or a forecast. It’s just a prudent exercise in setting out what could, in the worst circumstances, occur if we don’t improve preparedness. And, of course, if our neighbours decline to be pragmatic.

The scenario builds on an estimate that only 50-70% of large businesses, and just 20-40% of small- and medium-sized enterprises, would be ready for the strict application of new EU requirements.

In those circumstances, that could mean that only between 30 and 60% of laden HGVs would arrive at the border with the necessary formalities completed for the goods on board. They would therefore be turned back by the French border authorities, clogging the Dover to Calais crossing.

In that scenario, flows across the critical Short Strait crossings could be reduced by up to 60-80% compared to the normal rate, and in such circumstance, that could lead to queues of up to 7,000 HGVs in Kent.

These queues, and the associated disruption and delay, would, of course, subside as unready businesses who had their goods turned back at the French border would not want to repeat the experience. But it is clearly far better that everyone is aware now of what is needed to prepare rather than to face additional disruption next year.

And that is why we are publishing our Reasonable Worst Case Scenario today. Not just because any prudent government always prepares contingency plans for the worst. But also to illustrate the costs of a lack of preparedness while there is still plenty of time to prepare.

This Government is committed to doing whatever it takes to help business and we have brought in a comprehensive series of measures to help businesses and individuals adapt to the changes ahead.

We are helping businesses which import by introducing new border controls on imports in stages, and full controls will only be imposed from July of next year.

We have produced a comprehensive ‘Border Operating Model’, which provides a simplified guide, complemented by the work of GOV.UK for business and will be publishing an updated version with more granular detail in coming weeks.

We have invested £705 million in new technology, infrastructure and jobs at the border. And we are ensuring extra personnel: Border Force have recruited more than 1000 additional staff, with hundreds more being recruited now.

And we have also made available more than £80 million in grants for organisations to recruit and train new customs agents, to support an expanded customs intermediary sector.

And, of course, a new network of information and advice sites will help ensure that hauliers are up to speed with their new requirements and the correct paperwork, and of course they will be able to check their documentation is export-ready using the new Smart Freight web portal.

And of course, we’ve complemented all this activity with a public information campaign to help businesses prepare. The campaign communicates the actions that all businesses need to take before the end of the transition period. There is a user-friendly checker tool on the gov.uk/transition page which details exactly what businesses need to do.

Now the Government is taking all these steps to help business prepare because change requires preparation – but change is what the British people voted for.

Because, Madam Deputy Speaker, outside the Single Market and the Customs Union, the UK can exercise all the freedoms and flexibilities of a truly sovereign state.

Outside the Common Agricultural Policy we can support our farmers better and enhance our natural environment.

Outside the Common Fisheries Policy we can revive our coastal communities and improve our marine environment.

We can strike new trade deals, which help developing nations grow faster and lower prices for consumers. We can develop tailored policies to better support new technologies and to level up our economy. We can invest the money that we currently send to Brussels in the NHS, in our science base and in improving productivity in all the nations of the United Kingdom. We can develop freeports which bring investment to overlooked communities. We can regulate more smartly, legislate more accountably and strengthen our democracy.

These are great prizes – and the British people voted in the 2016 referendum and the 2019 general election to make sure they were delivered.

This Government is committed to honouring those democratic choices and I commend this statement to the House.

Hello, I’m Matt Warman, the Minister for Digital Infrastructure, and I am delighted to be joining you all virtually at this exciting event.

The theme this year is the future of UK connectivity. But before I talk about that, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the industry for their tireless efforts at keeping us all connected through an unprecedented period of disruption.

You have kept school children connected with their teachers, allowed isolated grandparents to speak to their grandchildren, and enabled great British businesses to power the economy through these difficult times. Without a good connection, I would not be able to join you all at Connected Britain. Thank you.

In my speech, I am going to touch upon the exciting work that the Government is doing on broadband and 5G, and also the efforts that we are taking to make these networks more secure for the long term.

But, first, I thought that I would reflect on the changed times that we are living in. COVID has altered the way we live, work and, most importantly, stay connected with our family and friends. The digital infrastructure that keeps us all connected was essential to our daily way of life under lockdown – and is now more important than ever as we head into recovery. Many of these changes – such as increased working from home – will stay with us for the foreseeable future.

People in this sector have long referred to the internet as “the fourth utility” – and it’s true. For countless people across the country, having fast and reliable broadband and a good mobile connection is as essential and vital to our daily lives as gas, water and electricity.

That’s why I’m committed to working with you all to ensure the entire nation has access to world-class, next generation gigabit connectivity that is secure and resilient enough to deal with all sorts of future challenges.

This government is ambitious for the UK’s digital infrastructure.

We want to deliver nationwide gigabit capable broadband connectivity as soon as possible.

In addition, thanks to our landmark Shared Rural Network agreement with the MNOs – the first of its kind in the world – 95% of the UK will have 4G coverage by the end of 2025.

And because we know that more citizens are increasingly living their lives online, we will be one of the earliest adopters of 5G coverage, with the majority of the population able to access 5G by 2027.

Turning to gigabit broadband rollout, we are already making great progress. Two years ago, only around 1.4 million homes could access full fibre broadband.

I am pleased to say that nearly five million premises can now access full fibre broadband. Gigabit capable coverage is even higher and around eight million premises can now access these speeds – a significant increase from 2018.

We remain committed to delivering gigabit broadband, the 2025 ambition still stands but we know it’s going to be tough and that’s why we need to work together to maximise the opportunity.

We know that there is plenty that we can do to make it easier and cheaper for the industry to deploy digital infrastructure commercially and we are committed to doing so through our Barrier Busting taskforce.

We are taking forward legislative reforms to make it easier for you to deploy broadband in blocks of flats and to deploy or upgrade mobile phone masts. We have also committed to legislate to mandate gigabit connectivity in new builds.

We are continuing to work with the Department for Transport on reforms to Streetworks, following the introduction of Street Manager.

We know how important local authorities are to the delivery of digital infrastructure, which is why I have written to them, together with the Local Government Minister, to outline how they can work more effectively with the industry.

And, we are actively looking at the more radical ideas that you have brought to us recently and will be coming back on what the future implementation of those might look like shortly.

In advance of that, I did, however, want to acknowledge the points that you have all made about the domestic Electronic Communications Code and highlight our intention to consult on further reforms in due course.

Alongside our Barrier Busting work, we are continuing to invest billions in supporting you to deliver better connectivity to the least commercial areas of the UK.

I would like to highlight our Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme in particular. It is targeted at rural, hard to reach areas that are not likely to be connected through the commercial rollout of gigabit networks in the immediate future.

The Scheme is open until March next year and there is £70 million worth of vouchers on offer.

But as part of this programme, we have been looking into how we can support communities to demonstrate their demand for faster, more reliable broadband in their areas, whilst, at the same time, encouraging suppliers to build to these harder-to-reach areas.

That’s why we have been conducting a pilot in Cornwall, West Wales, Cumbria and Northumberland through an initiative called the Broadband Upgrade Fund. If we can show suppliers where the demand for gigabit-capable broadband is strongest, they can then use the voucher funding that we provide through our Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to offset build and installation costs to these rural communities.

In that pilot, in less than two months, over 10,000 people and businesses have used the scheme to register their interest in upgrading their broadband.

We are pleased with the number of registrations to date and are going to work closely with local stakeholders and the industry to develop projects and to develop that fund.

In addition to our existing schemes, we have committed a record £5 billion of public funding for our new UK Gigabit Programme to close the digital divide and ensure hard-to-reach areas are not left behind.

I know that Building Digital UK has been engaging with you on the design of that programme, and that Raj Kalia, the Chief Executive, and his team are speaking to you on Thursday. So please make the most of that opportunity and continue to work with us to support the most successful launch we possibly can, as soon as we possibly can.

But it is not enough just to provide the infrastructure. We need people to take advantage of it. In August, I launched a new taskforce to drive consumer take-up of gigabit speed internet connections. This taskforce is being led by consumer and business groups such as Which?, the Federation of Small Businesses and Confederation of Small Businesses. I look forward to hearing the interim recommendations of the taskforce before the end of the year.

Turning to 5G, while the commercial rollout of 5G continues at pace, we’re pushing ahead with plans to make sure all sorts of industries benefit from this game-changing technology.

Since the start of the 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, we’ve now funded 24 5G testbeds across the UK. Between them, those testbeds have trialled almost 70 different 5G technologies, products and applications. And more importantly than ever, we are investing in a range of sectors to foster, build and grow 5G across wider industry.

In February, we announced a £30 million open competition: 5G Create. This new package harnesses our Great British talent for creativity to discover innovative new uses for 5G – ones that will bring tangible benefits for consumers and businesses across the country.

We recently announced the first six winners of this competition – in Sunderland, Preston, Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton and Suffolk.

In Liverpool, for example, a team will build a 5G network designed to benefit local NHS and social care services, and other public bodies. It will use private 5G networks to develop affordable connectivity for remote health and social care – improving future resilience and helping to reduce inequalities in the system.

But that’s just one example. The opportunities provided by 5G are endless. The 5G Testbeds and Trials programme is yet another example of the way the government is committed to the levelling up agenda.

But if we want to make our digital infrastructure truly world class, we have to ensure that the security and resilience of our networks is at the forefront of their development both now and in the future.

That’s why we are introducing legislation this autumn to safeguard the security of our telecoms infrastructure and provide the UK with one of the most robust telecommunication security frameworks in the world.

It will raise the height of the security bar, and will require telecoms operators, overseen by Ofcom and Government, to design and manage their networks to fight existing and future threats to our network security. And it will provide the government with powers to limit and control the use of high risk vendors.

I’m confident that this legislation will give us one of the most secure telecoms networks in the world, and I will be working closely with the sector to understand and guard against any future security risks.

It’s also crucial that we diversify our telecoms supply chain – so that we’re not overly reliant on a small number of vendors. But also because a growing and innovative market is good for competition and ultimately resilience.

With that in mind, we are developing an overarching strategy to increase and accelerate diversification.

I am pleased to announce today that the government has put together a Telecoms Diversification Taskforce to provide expert advice and challenge to the Government, with members from across industry and academia. Some of them are speaking here, at Connected Britain – Professor Dimitra Simeonidou from the University of Bristol, Ros Singleton, Chair of UK5G and Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach.

We’ve also got Scott Petty, CEO of Vodafone UK, and Professor Rahim Tafazolli from the University of Surrey. And members from the security and standards world.

I am also delighted that Lord Ian Livingston of Parkhead has agreed to take on the role of chair. I know that, under his guidance, the Taskforce will drive our strategy forward – ensuring it finds solutions to challenges where we find them and delivers sustainable and lasting change in the supply chain.

I truly believe that we have set up a taskforce that will bring the very best of industry and academic expertise to our diversification work.

As part of the task force’s work, we are collaborating closely with operators, UK and global vendors and new and emerging suppliers. And we’re looking for opportunities to cooperate with vendors who are not present in the UK market.

In fact – all six of the first 5G Create projects demonstrate our commitment to diversification.

The majority will be working with new entrants or emerging vendors in the UK telecoms market, and those six projects alone have the involvement of 17 UK small and medium sized businesses. It gives me great pride that 5G Create is driving British enterprise, and helping to create opportunities for new vendors to enter the UK market in a competitive way.

In doing so, they are making the most of the UKs vibrant telecoms sector.

Underpinning all of this work is our new digital strategy, which the Secretary of State announced we will be publishing this Autumn.

The Strategy will set out how we will drive growth in the tech sector and economy, and ensure we maximise the benefits of a tech-led economic recovery.

And to bring us full circle, at the strategy’s heart will be our vision for providing world-class digital infrastructure to all, in a way that is safe, secure and built for the future.

The world is in the middle of a digital revolution. COVID has accelerated this process, digitising almost every part of our everyday lives and making the infrastructure that connects us more important than ever. That’s why it is at the top of the government’s agenda.

Anyway, that’s a little bit about what the government is doing to support the industry, but I know you’ve got lots of other exciting and insightful events to enjoy during the next two days. I look forward to hearing all about them.

Ex-BT CEO and former trade minister Lord Ian Livingston is to chair a new task force to drive forward ongoing work to diversify the UK’s telecoms supply chain and reduce reliance on high-risk vendors.

Later this year the government will publish its Telecoms Diversification Strategy to address a market failure where mobile companies are limited to using just three major suppliers in their telecoms networks. This restricts choice and poses a risk for the security and resilience of the UK’s future digital networks.

The forthcoming strategy will set out the key areas for boosting competition and innovation in the UK market by building an open, sustainable and diverse telecoms supply chain.

The global market for communications network equipment is currently dominated by three vendors – Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia. The government wants to bring more players into the market to make networks more secure and deliver higher quality products and services.

The Telecoms Diversification Task Force will provide independent expert advice to the government as it works towards diversifying the network so that telecoms companies do not have to use high-risk vendors like Huawei or rely on individual vendors to supply equipment in their networks.

This follows the government’s commitment, informed by advice from the National Cyber Security Centre, to ban the use of new Huawei 5G equipment from the end of this year, and remove all existing Huawei kit from 5G networks by 2027. The forthcoming Telecoms Security Bill will turn these commitments into law after being introduced this autumn.

The task force, which includes senior representatives of Vodafone and Openreach alongside industry and academic experts, will support the development and implementation of the strategy. The full membership includes:

• Lord Ian Livingston of Parkhead (chair)
• Rosalind Singleton, Chair of UK5G Advisory Board
• Clive Selley, CEO, Openreach
• Scott Petty, CTO, Vodafone UK
• David Rogers, CEO, Copper Horse
• Professor Rahim Tafazolli, Head of Institute of Communication Systems, University of Surrey
• Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Professor of High Performance Networks, University of Bristol
• Dr Scott Steedman, Director of Standards, British Standards Institute

Dr Ian Levy, Technical Director of NCSC and Simon Saunders, Director of Emerging Technology at Ofcom will also be available to the task force to provide technical advice.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“To deliver the revolutionary benefits of 5G networks for people and businesses, we need to be confident in their security and resilience. A more diverse supply chain is essential to reducing our dependence on individual suppliers and improving telecoms security – as well as a great economic opportunity for the UK.

“Under Lord Livingston’s leadership, this task force will use industry expertise to turbo charge the delivery of our Diversification Strategy. Together we will push ahead with bold ideas to break through the barriers stopping suppliers from entering the UK and put us at the forefront of innovative new mobile technologies.”

Lord Livingston, Chair of the Diversification Task Force said:

“The UK is already a leading nation in the adoption and use of digital communications.

“It is vital that we position ourselves for the next generation of technology, particularly 5G, by having a wide choice of secure, innovative and high quality suppliers.

“I look forward to chairing this team of experts from industry and academia who can provide advice to government as to how it can best achieve these aims”

Through the Diversification Strategy, the task force will look at creating targeted measures to attract new vendors alongside the current pool of incumbent, non-high risk suppliers. The government is talking to a range of vendors – large and small – about how it can support them to enter the market and accelerate diversification.

The task force will also look at ways to develop the capability of the UK’s vibrant and innovative telecoms sector. It will explore how to incentivise research and development in the sector, including accelerating the development of open and interoperable equipment which can be used by multiple vendors, such as OpenRAN.

The government is working closely with its international allies to develop solutions that will result in lasting change in the global telecoms market, and secure the UK’s position as a world leader in 5G networks.

Alongside the Diversification Strategy, the Telecoms Security Bill will give new powers to the government to control the presence of high risk equipment vendors, and to Ofcom to drive up security standards. The Bill will enshrine in law one of the strongest regimes for telecoms security in the world.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Lord Ian Livingston of Parkhead (Chair)

Lord Ian Livingston serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Dixons Carphone plc. He joined the Board as Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director in 2015. He was previously Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2013 to 2015 and Chief Executive Officer at BT Group plc from 2008 to 2013. Prior to that he was Chief Executive Officer, BT Retail and group Chief Financial Officer of BT. He is a chartered accountant and previously held the position of chief financial officer of Dixons Group plc between 1996 and 2002, having served in a number of roles over more than a decade with the company.

Rosalind Singleton

Rosalind Singleton is Chair of the UK5G Advisory Board. UK5G is the national innovation network dedicated to the promotion of research, collaboration and the commercial application of 5G in the UK. She is a telecoms exec with over 30 years of experience in the sector and a Board chair, advisor and angel investor. She joined UK Broadband in 2013 and was Managing Director from 2017 to 2019. She has previously held senior roles at BT Openreach, Cable and Wireless, Vodafone, various VNOs, and other international operators from start-ups to incumbents. She also sits on Ofcom’s Spectrum Advisory Board.

Clive Selley

Clive Selley is CEO of Openreach, the UK’s largest digital infrastructure company, and previously served as chief information officer for BT Group and as the chief executive of its technology division. He is one of Europe’s leading telecoms and digital infrastructure experts. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the sector, including senior roles across the BT Group in engineering, technology innovation and implementation, and network operations. He has a deep understanding of the complexity and challenges of building and managing telecoms infrastructure, and a proven track record of constantly improving customer service performance.

Scott Petty

As Chief Technology Officer Scott is responsible for defining and implementing Vodafone’s Technology strategy and driving forward key initiatives, including the use of artificial intelligence, 5G and full fibre broadband, all of which will power the new digital economy. Prior to this, he worked in a range of senior roles at Vodafone Group, having joined the business in 2009 as Business Products and Services Director. In 2012, Scott was appointed Group Technology Enterprise Director, and in this role he led product development across connectivity, IoT and converged communications.

David Rogers

David Rogers is CEO of a mobile and IoT security consultancy – Copper Horse. He also chairs the GSMA Fraud and Security Group and sits on the Executive Board of the IoT Security Foundation. He has expertise in mobile communications, the Internet of Things and connected autonomous vehicle security. He lectured in Mobile Systems Security at the University of Oxford from 2012-2019 and served as a Visiting Professor in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics at York St John University.

Professor Rahim Tafazolli

Rahim Tafazolli is Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering, Professor of Mobile and Satellite Communications, Founder and Director of 5GIC and ICS (Institute for Communication System) at the University of Surrey.. He has over 30 years of experience in digital communications research and teaching. He has authored and co-authored more than 1000 research publications and is regularly invited to deliver keynote talks and distinguished lectures to international conferences and workshops. He was advisor to Mayor of London (Boris Johnson) on London 2050 Infrastructure.

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou

Dimitra Simeonidou is a Professor at the University of Bristol, the Co-Director of the Bristol Digital Futures Institute and the Director of Smart Internet Lab. Her research is focusing in the fields of high performance networks, programmable networks, wireless-optical convergence, 5G/B5G and smart city infrastructures. She is also working with Social Sciences and Humanities on topics of digital innovation for inclusive and prosperous societies. She has been the Technical Architect and the CTO of the smart city project “Bristol Is Open”. She is currently leading the Bristol City/Region 5G urban pilots. She is the author and co-author of over 600 publications, numerous patents and several contributions to standards. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (FIEEE), and a Royal Society Wolfson Scholar.​

Dr Scott Steedman

Scott Steedman joined the British Standards Institution in 2012 where he is the Director of Standards. He was a Non-Executive Board Member of the Port of London Authority from 2009 to 2015 and served as Vice-President (Policy) for the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) from 2013 to 2017. He is currently Vice-President (Policy) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Simon Saunders (technical advisor)

Simon Saunders is Director of Emerging and Online Technology at Ofcom. He joined the telecoms watchdog from Google, where he was Head of Connectivity Partnerships for Europe, Middle East and Africa working with mobile operators globally on improving wireless connectivity through advanced technology. He is a specialist in communication technology, with a technical and commercial background, having worked in industry, including at Motorola and Philips, in academia at the University of Surrey and Trinity College Dublin, and as an advisor on communication systems for business users, operators and technology vendors. He is also a Visiting Professor at King’s College London.

Dr Ian Levy (technical advisor)

Ian became Technical Director of the National Cyber Security Centre in October 2016, prior to which he was Technical Director of Cyber Security and Resilience at GCHQ. He leads on developing defences to manage cyber threats. This involves fostering technical innovation to find solutions that can protect the UK from large scale cyber attacks, and day-to-day malicious cyber activity.