The report covers a broad range of political and economic developments and an overview of UK-Hong Kong bilateral activity over the reporting period.

Writing in his foreword, the Foreign Secretary, The Rt. Hon Dominic Raab MP reflects on events since 1 July not covered in the report itself.

He encourages all parties to:

look ahead to the path towards de-escalation and political resolution. Protesters must end the violence. The police response must be proportionate in their handling of protesters and safeguard the right to peaceful protest. And there must be a meaningful dialogue between all parties, with a credible political track to protect the rights and freedoms set out in…the Joint Declaration.

The Foreign Secretary concludes by writing:

Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rule of law is what guarantees its future prosperity and success. It is incumbent on all sides to respect it.

Further information

Read the report in full: Six monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2019

Follow the British Consulate-General Hong Kong on Facebook and twitter @UKinHongKong

Published 31 October 2019

The MOD is investing £3 billion in nine state-of-the-art jets which will enhance the UK’s tracking of hostile maritime targets, protect the British continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and play a central role in NATO missions across the North Atlantic.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The arrival of the world-class Poseidon aircraft marks a step-change in the UK’s maritime patrol capability.

Using the world’s most advanced sensors and operating for long periods, these aircraft will transform the quality of intelligence available to our armed forces and protect our vital nuclear deterrent.

Following an unveiling ceremony in Seattle, the aircraft was flown to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida where RAF personnel are being trained to operate the aircraft.

On arrival Michelle Sanders, DE&S Delivery Team Leader, signed the paperwork to formally transfer the aircraft, named Pride of Moray, to UK ownership.

Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, Chief of the Air Staff, said:

Poseidon is a game-changing maritime patrol aircraft, able to detect, track and if necessary destroy the most advanced submarines in the world today.

With Poseidon MRA1, I am delighted and very proud that the Royal Air Force will once again have a maritime patrol force working alongside the Royal Navy, securing our seas to protect our nation.

First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, said:

Poseidon marks a superb upgrade in the UK’s ability to conduct anti-submarine operations. This will give the UK the ability to conduct long range patrols and integrate seamlessly with our NATO allies to provide a world-leading capability.

This will maintain operational freedom for our own submarines, and apply pressure to those of our potential foes. I look forward to working with the RAF and our international partners on this superb capability.

The Poseidon MRA1 is designed to carry out extended surveillance missions at both high and low altitudes. The aircraft is equipped with cutting-edge sensors which use high-resolution area mapping to find both surface and sub-surface threats.

The aircraft can carry up to 129 sonobuoys, small detection devices which are dropped from the aircraft into the sea to search for enemy submarines. The systems survey the battlespace under the surface of the sea and relay acoustic information via radio transmitter back to the aircraft.

The aircraft will also be armed with Harpoon anti-surface ship missiles and Mk 54 torpedoes capable of attacking both surface and sub-surface targets.

Michelle Sanders, DE&S Delivery Team Leader, said:

Seeing the first Poseidon MRA1 handed over to the Royal Air Force is an incredibly proud moment for all of the team at DE&S.

Close, collaborative working with colleagues in Air Capability, the US Navy and industry has helped us deliver this very capable aircraft.

As leading members of NATO, the UK has signed agreements with both the US and Norwegian militaries to cooperate closely on operating their Poseidon fleets across the North Atlantic.

In August this year, Defence Minister Anne Marie-Trevelyan hosted Norwegian State Secretary Tone Skogen at RAF Lossiemouth to deepen the two country’s partnership on the Poseidon programme.

To maintain the skills required to deliver this vital capability, the RAF has embedded aircrew within MPA squadrons in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

The first aircraft will arrive in Scotland in early 2020, with the fleet to be based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray. All nine aircraft will be delivered by November 2021.

The aircraft will be flown initially by 120 Squadron which was originally stood up on 1 January 1918 and was the leading anti-submarine warfare squadron in WWII. 201 Squadron will also join the programme in due course.

The Poseidon MRA1 programme is bringing significant economic benefits to the communities near RAF Lossiemouth. A total of £460 million is being invested in the station to prepare for the arrival of the new aircraft, including the construction of a £132 million strategic facility for the fleet to be completed next year.

The programme will also bring around 700 additional personnel to Moray, taking the total number of employees there to approximately 2,500.

While climbing to 19,000 feet, the pilots received an ‘altitude mismatch’ message and returned to Exeter Airport. An inspection after landing found a small white crystalline deposit covering three of the four static pressure holes on the left primary static probe. Primary static probes are used to measure pressure, which along with other data allows the Air Data Units to calculate parameters such as altitude, indicated and true airspeed and temperature.

The investigation found that a non-approved product was probably used to improve the seal between a testing device and the probe during maintenance immediately before the flight, and this may have resulted in the blockage of the static holes, leading to the altitude mismatch message. Two Safety Recommendations have been made to prevent similar incidents. The maintenance organisation has taken safety action to introduce tighter controls on the test kit equipment.

Read the report.

Published 31 October 2019

Shortly after reaching cruise at 36,000 feet, the commander’s attitude indicator malfunctioned affecting numerous aircraft systems, and the aircraft climbed 600 feet. After a significant time delay an inertial reference system (IRS) caution was displayed. The IRS calculates an aircraft’s position. The crew followed the actions detailed in the quick reference handbook, but erroneous information continued to be displayed to the pilot in command and other systems were also affected. The aircraft was flown manually to Edinburgh where it landed safely.

The investigation found that the left IRS suffered a transient fault which had led to an erroneous calculation of position. False position information led to the incorrect attitude information on the commander’s primary flight display and the autopilot responded by initiating a slow climb.

One Safety Recommendation is made to Boeing and safety action has been taken as a result of the investigation.

Read the report.

Published 31 October 2019

Public Health England (PHE)’s latest English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report shows that there were an estimated 61,000 antibiotic resistant infections in England during 2018 – a 9% rise from 2017.

The Keep Antibiotics Working campaign is back to alert the public to the risks of antibiotic resistance, urging people to always take their doctor, pharmacist or nurse’s advice on antibiotics.

Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. They also help to ward off infections during chemotherapy, caesarean sections and other surgeries.

However, while antibiotics are vital to treating life-threatening infections, they are frequently being used to treat less serious illnesses such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves.

Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant, meaning that antibiotics may not work when they are really needed.

When an infection – such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or skin infection – doesn’t respond to an antibiotic, it has the potential to cause serious complications, including bloodstream infections and hospitalisation.

The threat of antibiotic resistance continues to grow and the ESPAUR report shows that antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections – which can be very serious – rose by a third (32%) between 2014 and 2018.

As well as urging the public to always take their doctor’s, pharmacist’s or nurse’s advice on antibiotics, the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign provides effective self-care advice to help people and their families feel better if they are not prescribed antibiotics. The campaign includes TV, radio and digital advertising.

Dr Susan Hopkins, AMR Lead, Public Health England said:

We want the public to join us in tackling antibiotic resistance by listening to your GP, pharmacist or nurse’s advice and only taking antibiotics when necessary.

Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them is not a harmless act – it can have grave consequences for you and your family’s health, now and in the future.

It’s worrying that more infections are becoming resistant to these life-saving medicines, and we must act now to preserve antibiotics for when we really need them.

The ESPAUR report highlights that changes in antibiotic use are associated with changes in antibiotic resistance. There has been a 17% drop in antibiotic prescriptions written and dispensed in general practice since 2014.

There is no evidence that reduced antibiotic use in primary case has led to more people being admitted to hospital with serious infections.

Dr Hopkins also commented:

We have seen positive steps taken to reduce antibiotic use without affecting people’s recovery when they are unwell, and GPs should be congratulated in their ongoing work to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said:

Antibiotics are one of the most powerful tools we have against infection. Resistance to these drugs therefore places much of modern medicine in jeopardy. A key component of our response to this problem is to ensure people use antibiotics appropriately.

The decrease in consumption of antibiotics is good news but the rise in resistant infections shows the threat is increasing and so there is more to be done.

Antibiotic resistance is not just a matter for clinicians – the public also have a crucial role to play in helping to preserve these vital medicines.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs said:

Antibiotics can be lifesaving drugs, but when bacteria become resistant to them – as they increasingly are – they will cease to work, and in many cases we will then have no viable therapeutic alternative, which could be disastrous for the patients affected.

GPs are already doing a good job at reducing antibiotics prescribing, but it can’t be our responsibility alone – we need the public to understand that antibiotics are neither a cure nor an appropriate treatment for many minor self-limiting conditions and viral infections, and if a GP advises against antibiotics, they are doing their best for the patient’s own good, and that of wider society.

The ESPAUR report is available online.

Antibiotic-resistant infections rose from 55,812 to 60,788 between 2017 and 2018.

Antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections increased from 12,972 in 2014 to 17,108 in 2018.