Lieutenant General Robert Magowan assumed his post as Strategic Command’s Deputy Commander (DComd UKStratCom). He brings an abundance of knowledge and experience from more than 30 years’ service in the Royal Marines, for which he has been appointed CB, CBE, and awarded the United States Legion of Merit.

Lieutenant General Magowan has served in a variety of operational roles, worked widely across Whitehall; been the Commodore Naval Personnel Strategy; and Commanded the Joint Forces Intelligence Group. On promotion to Major General in 2016 he became Commandant General Royal Marines and Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces.

He also took over as the Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia. He then took up the post of Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Capability) and Chief of Staff Navy Command HQ in late 2017 before assuming the post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability and Force Design).

In his new role his responsibilities will include:

• leading multi-domain integration
• developing and delivering the Command Plan, the UKStratCom Strategy, programmes and policy
• leading the Command’s Health, Safety and Environment Protection activity; and
• be Strategic Command’s Principal Personnel Officer by representing the command’s interest with Chief of Defence People on all aspects of the Defence People Programme.

General Sir Patrick Sanders said:

I welcome Lt Gen Rob Magowan to UKStratCom. With the leadership and experience he will bring to the role as Deputy Commander, I know we will continue the positive momentum as we embed the transition to Strategic Command.

Lieutenant General Rob Magowan said:

I am delighted to be joining UKStratCom. This is truly an exciting time for the Command as we continue our transformation and assume greater responsibilities across defence. As we drive forward, I firmly believe that our people are what makes this Command the success it is, and I am proud to be representing and working alongside you all.

• Announcement made on Holocaust memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps.

A £1m donation to help preserve the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and ensure the lessons of Auschwitz live on for generations to come will be confirmed today.

The funding will come from the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed.

The announcement comes ahead of a speech by the Foreign Secretary at a Holocaust Memorial Event on Wednesday, in which he will emphasise the importance of Holocaust remembrance and education as a means of ensuring such atrocities never happen again.

The Communities Secretary attended the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem on Thursday at which leaders from over 50 countries assembled to mark the anniversary.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation endowment fund supports the consolidation, restoration and long-term maintenance of the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps.

Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Dominic Raab said:

I remember as a young boy the regular heart-rending laments by my grandmother for the family lost to Auschwitz and the other death camps.

The Government is supporting the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, because we must never forget history’s darkest moment, and we must educate future generations so it can never be repeated.

Communities Secretary, The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick said:

I was honoured to attend the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem last week. It was heartening to see leaders of all faiths and nations come together to remember the Holocaust and renew our promise to the victims and survivors.

This £1m funding for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is part of delivering on that promise. Today on Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the camps, the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish countrymen and women.

As the father of children whose great-grandparents endured and survived the concentration camps of the Holocaust, I know how important it is that future generations are aware of the stories of survivors.

This donation will help to support the preservation of the site so that we can never forget the horror of the Holocaust. We cannot, and will not, let such evil happen again.

A new, fast-track visa scheme to attract the world’s top scientists, researchers and mathematicians will open on 20 February.

This follows a commitment by the Prime Minister last summer to put science, research and innovation on the top of the Government’s agenda.

The bespoke Global Talent route will have no cap on the number of people able to come to the UK, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to supporting top talent.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said:

The UK has a proud history of scientific discovery, but to lead the field and face the challenges of the future we need to continue to invest in talent and cutting edge research.

That is why as we leave the EU I want to send a message that the UK is open to the most talented minds in the world, and stand ready to support them to turn their ideas into reality.

The Global Talent route replaces the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route and for the first time UK Research and Innovation will endorse applicants from the scientific and research community. The route will:

• Provide for a brand new fast-track scheme, managed by UKRI which will enable UK-based research projects that have received recognised prestigious grants and awards, including from the European Space Agency and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, to recruit top global talent, benefitting higher education institutions, research institutes and eligible public sector research establishments. This will enable an individual to be fast-tracked to the visa application stage.
• Double the number of eligible fellowships, such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the European Research Council and Human Frontier Science, which also enable individuals to be fast tracked.
• Continue to ensure dependents have full access to the labour market.
• Preserve the route’s flexibility by not requiring an individual to hold an offer of employment before arriving or tying them to one specific job.
• Provide an accelerated path to settlement for all scientists and researchers who are endorsed on the route.
• Provide for an exemption from our absences rules for researchers, and their dependants, where they are required overseas for work-related purposes, ensuring they are not penalised when they apply for settlement.

The changes are part of the initial phase wider reforms to enable those with world class skills in science and research to come to the UK as soon as possible.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

The UK is a world leader in science, with research and innovation that changes lives being undertaken every day in this country.

To keep the UK at the forefront of innovation, we are taking decisive action to maximise the number of individuals using the Global Talent route including world-class scientists and top researchers who can benefit from fast-tracked entry into the UK.

The reforms to the Global Talent route coincide with ambitious government investment of up to £300 million to fund experimental and imaginative mathematical sciences research by the very best global talent over the next five years.

With around £60 million funding available per year, the investment will double funding for new PhDs, as well as boost the number of maths fellowships and research projects – increasing the pool of trained mathematicians in the UK and providing more freedom for researchers to develop new ideas.

This funding will make sure the UK remains at the cutting-edge of maths research, underpinning real-world technological developments, from smoother traffic flow, crime prevention, safer air travel, and smarter phone technology to the use of Artificial Intelligence and creating greener energy systems.

Business and Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom said:

Leaving the EU gives us new freedom to strengthen research and build the foundations for the new industries of tomorrow.

By attracting more leading international scientists and providing major investment in mathematics, we can make the UK a global science superpower and level up our country.

The funding forms part of the Government’s ambitions to considerably boost R&D spending and establish the UK as a global science superpower, changing the way people live, work and travel.

To ensure the UK is the best place in the world for research and development, the Government is launching a major review of research bureaucracy and methods, including unnecessary paperwork, arduous funding applications and research selection processes. This will free up and support the best researchers to focus on groundbreaking, ambitious and meaningful research that goes on to cure diseases or improve our transport networks.

UKRI is already taking steps to reduce bureaucracy, and in the coming weeks the Government will be consulting world-leading scientists, researchers, academics and industry figures on what more can be done. As part of this, UKRI will simplify the process to apply for funding, removing the unnecessary requirement to precisely forecast the long-term benefits of projects with unpredictable results.

An ambitious Place Strategy for UK R&D will also be published in the summer to ensure funding builds on strengths of the regions. In addition, this year the government will examine how the UK’s catapult centres can strengthen R&D capacity in local areas, improving productivity and contributing to greater prosperity across the UK.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport, said:

Today’s announcements further underline the importance of research and innovation to the future success of the UK and the government’s continued commitment and investment.

Working with the government, UK Research and Innovation is ensuring that the UK remains a globally leading environment for research and innovation.

Our ambition is clear, to create a stronger research and innovation environment that is focussed on supporting talented people and realising the full potential of their work.

Professor Julia Buckingham, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London, said:

We share the Prime Minister’s vision to position the UK as a magnet for global science and research talent. The Global Talent visa is a positive step towards this for UK universities. The visa route will help to ensure that universities can attract the brightest scientists and researchers to the UK with minimal barriers.

Universities are globally connected and this announcement signals that the UK remains open to talent from around the world. Our universities carry out life-changing research and our knowledge base, economy, and wider society will benefit from the international staff we can attract through this visa route.

The Government continues to work closely with the scientific community in developing its proposals and to ensure the UK immigration system attracts the sharpest minds and scientific talent.

The Immigration Rules to bring the visa changes into effect will be made on the 30 January 2020 and come into effect on the 20 February.

The government has acted to give police forces across the country new powers to tackle the misuse of unmanned aircraft, including drones, as the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Bill has its second reading in Parliament today (27 January 2020).

The legislation will give the police new powers to land, inspect and seize drones if an offence has been committed and a warrant is secured.

Drone users could also face an on the spot fine for certain offences such as failing to provide evidence that they have the correct permissions and exemptions if found to be flying their device too high or too close to buildings, or failing to provide evidence of competency or registration.

The bill will also grant the Transport Secretary new powers to ensure that airports modernise their airspace, delivering quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys. Modernising flight paths and the infrastructure of the sky will help reduce CO2 emissions from aviation, minimise noise for those near flight-paths and improve punctuality for passengers.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said:

Drones have incredible potential, whether that’s by transforming how we move goods around or saving lives in search and rescue missions.

Most people using drones want to do so responsibly, and we encourage them to familiarise themselves with the law.

We are confident these police powers will be used proportionately to both deter careless drone use and to tackle serious, malicious criminal activity.

The bill will also give the police new stop and search powers around airports, prisons and other restricted areas. It will amend the Police Act 1997 to allow the police and senior prison authorities to authorise the use of counter-drone measures to combat illegal drone use.

This is just the latest action from government to ensure drones and other unmanned aircraft are used safely and responsibly. In October 2019, the government published its Counter-drone strategy and in November 2019 it became mandatory for operators of small unmanned aircraft to register themselves and take an online competency test, with 80,000 having registered so far.

Security Minister Brandon Lewis said:

This bill is a vital part of the government’s strategy to tackle the illegitimate use of drones and protect the UK’s growing drone industry.

For the UK to establish itself as a global leader in this exciting technology it is vital that police have the powers to crack down on those who intend to use drones to cause harm or disruption.

The government is also reviewing the UK’s approach to tackling the malicious use of drones, including testing and evaluating counter-drone technology.

The Prime Minister has today unveiled the government’s full plans to commemorate Brexit day on the 31st January.

The historic moment will be marked through:

• The commemorative 50p coin will come into circulation on the day the UK leaves the EU. The public will see 3 million of these coins enter their banks, shops and restaurants from the 31 January, with a further 7 million entering circulation later this year. The Prime Minister will be one of the first to receive the new Brexit coin, which reads ‘Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’. 13,000 people have already registered their interest in the coin with The Royal Mint.
• On 31 January, the Prime Minister and all of his Cabinet will begin the day in the North of England for a special Cabinet. They will discuss the PM’s levelling up agenda and how best to spread prosperity and opportunity across all corners of the UK, as the country looks ahead to the next decade.
• Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will deliver a special address to the people across the United Kingdom at 10pm. No10 is set to mark the hour itself with a commemorative light display in Downing Street. This will take place ahead of 11pm, which is the hour that the UK will officially leave the European Union. A countdown clock will be projected onto its black bricks from 10pm and the light display will symbolise the strength and unity of our four nations.
• On 1 February, the new GREAT ‘Ready to Trade’ campaign will launch in 17 cities across 13 countries outside the EU, as the UK seeks to deepen our relationships with future global partners. Here at home, from Monday 27 January, a new short campaign aimed at businesses and citizens will launch with the message ‘This Friday the UK leaves the EU’. It will urge them to check for any changes they need to make ahead of January 2021.
• Union Jack flags will also line Parliament Square and the Mall on 31 January and the public will see government buildings in Whitehall lit up in red, white and blue colours throughout the evening.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

Next Friday marks an important moment in the history of our United Kingdom. No matter how you voted in 2016, it is the time to look ahead with confidence to the global, trail-blazing country we will become over the next decade and heal past divisions. That is what I will be doing on 31 January and I urge everyone across the UK to do the same.

Throughout next week, the Prime Minister and ministers across government will meet with people and businesses across the UK encouraging the whole country to look ahead.

The Prime Minister will host a ‘People’s PMQs’ session on Wednesday 29 January and children will be invited to Downing Street on Thursday, giving them the chance to ask the Prime Minister questions about the future he intends to build for the next generation. Ministers will continue to focus on the Government’s domestic priorities in the run up to 31 January.

Published 26 January 2020