Each IFCA needs members who will take a balanced approach to caring for our seas, assessing the priority and importance of all users and stakeholders. The Devon and Severn IFCA is seeking three proactive individuals with good communication skills and a demonstrable ability to disseminate IFCA regulations, policies and guidance through their network of contacts to serve as a member. Applications will be particularly welcome from those with experience in the environmental sector and/or recreational angling sector to help maintain balance of membership.

Andrew Wareing, Director of Business Development and Transformation for the Marine Management Organisation, which is responsible for appointing local people with relevant expertise to the IFCAs, said:

“These are rare, exciting opportunities for people with experience and a passion for their inshore marine area to play a major part in shaping how their local area is managed. If you want to make a positive difference and help balance economic, social and environmental needs, we would be pleased to hear from you.”

The deadline for applications is 12:00 Friday 15 November 2019.

The role is on a voluntary basis although relevant expenses may be reimbursed.

More information on the vacancies and how to apply click here

You can email ifcarecruitment@marinemanagement.org.uk or telephone 0208 225 6659 for more information.

There are 10 IFCAs around the English coastline and they are responsible for sustainably managing sea fisheries and conservation within 6 nautical miles from shore. They have the power to make byelaws to protect resources and the environment in their area as well as also enforcing national and European fisheries legislation.

IFCAs are either committees or joint committees of the local authorities that fall within an IFC district. They are tasked with sustainably managing inshore sea fisheries and conserving their local marine environment. They are made up of representatives from local councils along with people from across the different sectors that use or are knowledgeable about the inshore marine area, such as commercial and recreational fishermen, environmental groups and marine researchers, who offer their time voluntarily.

The Marine Management Organisation, Environment Agency and Natural England also each has a statutory seat on the IFCA. Through their local management and funding structures, IFCAs help put local councils, communities and businesses, and individual citizens in the driving seat, allowing them to play a bigger part in the protection and enhancement of their inshore marine environment.

Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA)

The MMO is responsible for appointing local people with relevant expertise to IFCA committees. Appointees make up roughly half of IFCA committees and are appointed on a voluntary basis.

The members of the IFCA contribute their knowledge and experience to provide sustainable management of the inshore marine area of their IFCA district. They guide the IFCA to deliver its mandate under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and in line with Defra guidance.

We seek to achieve a balanced membership across various interest groups, including those with commercial, recreational and environmental interests. We are also keen to appoint people who represent the economic, social and environmental needs of their IFCA district and who, collectively, bring a variety of relevant interests such as fishing groups (commercial and non-commercial), conservation groups and other parties interested in the work of IFCAs.

Each appointment is made for a period of 3 to 5 years, with the possibility of reappointment up to a maximum of 10 years. It is conditional upon the member following terms and conditions for the appointment. Appointments are made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and guidance issued by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Appointees must follow relevant IFCA codes of conduct as well as abiding by the terms and conditions of appointment.

We are currently looking to appoint three members to the Devon and Severn IFCA

The MMO is looking to recruit three members to the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA).

To apply for this vacancy, you will need to return a completed application form to the MMO by 12:00, Friday 15 November 2019.

Application form and information for candidates

IFCA Recruitment Application Form (PDF, 291KB, 9 pages)

IFCA Recruitment Information for candidates (MS Word Document, 586KB)

More information on the work of the IFCAs is available from the Association of IFCAs website and from Devon and Severn IFCA website.

A new guide will help join together data on the country’s infrastructure and natural features – from housing and railways to roads, rivers and forests.

Published today by the government’s Geospatial Commission, the Linked Identifiers Best Practice Guide recommends that every geographical object in the UK – be it a building, waterway or road – should have a unique identifier or code.

Any data produced by other organisations responsible for different objects at the same location would then be linked together using that unique identifier.

Following the guide’s instructions will make it quicker and easier to get an exact overview of the information connected to a particular location. This saves time and money for people or organisations accessing information typically spread across different datasets, when, for example, buying a house, managing a road network or responding to an emergency.

Minister for Implementation, Simon Hart MP, said:

This guide makes gathering together different pieces of information relating to one place or object easier and quicker.

Organisations that follow the guidance will really help to start unlocking the value of this data for the benefit of users, innovators, businesses, and ultimately the wider UK economy.

Thalia Baldwin, Director of the Geospatial Commission, added:

This guide is part of the Geospatial Commission’s £5million investment into our partner bodies to make the data held by them more easily discoverable, simplifying their licensing landscapes and identifying ways of linking data from different agencies.

The UK has consolidated its place as one of the best places in the world to do business, according to the World Bank’s latest ‘Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) 2020’ report.

Published today, the report shows the UK ranking 8th in the world for its business environment, rising from 9th last year.

The UK’s latest ranking means the UK is the 2nd best place to do business in the G7 after the United States and the 2nd best in Western Europe after Denmark.

Commenting on the publication of today’s ranking the Secretary of State for International Trade said:

Today’s report shows the UK continues to be one of the best places to do business in the world as we get ready for Brexit on 31 October. This is why Britain continues to be the number one destination for attracting foreign direct investment in Europe, and third globally after the USA and China.

My department is committed to supporting businesses in the UK and across the world to attract investment to boost our economy, now and after we leave the EU. And if we leave under the Prime Minister’s new deal we will be able to secure new free trade deals covering services for the benefit of all of the UK, meaning our country will be an even more attractive place for doing business after Brexit.

Published 24 October 2019

Government housing agency Homes England has agreed funding deals worth £38.2 million with six local authorities to speed up the construction of at least 2,072 homes across the country.

The deals are the latest to be awarded through the Government’s £350 million Local Authority Accelerated Construction (LAAC) programme, which was launched to help unlock public land and increase the speed of delivery on local authority housing schemes.

The funding will be used by the local authorities to invest in infrastructure and enabling works to get 13 sites – from Somerset to Cheshire – ready for the development of new homes. Local authorities awarded funding are encouraged to use both local SMEs and modern methods of construction (MMC) – from factory fabricated components to 3D modular construction – on their sites, to reflect the Government’s commitment to investing in infrastructure and widening the use of smaller builders on publicly owned land.

New sites set to benefit from LAAC funding include land at Locking Parklands, Weston-Super-Mare, where North Somerset Council will receive over £9.8 million of LAAC funding for infrastructure to bring forward 425 new homes, at least 30% of which will be affordable. Another of the sites, in Winsford, Cheshire, will benefit from over £4.5 million LAAC funding to accelerate the construction of 310 homes, including a 60-home extra care scheme.

Today’s announcement includes deals with local authorities in both the North and South of England:

South

North Somerset Council Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council Bristol City Council Hastings Borough Council

North

Hull City Council Cheshire West and Chester Council

Stephen Kinsella, Chief Land and Development Officer at Homes England, said:

“This funding will enable local authorities to prepare their sites for development and to bring forward the construction of homes. New homes will then be built out at pace using modern methods of construction.”

Homes England is looking to work with other ambitious local authorities where LAAC funding can help unlock sites for development and bring much-needed new homes to market. Local authorities interested in the Local Authority Accelerated Construction programme should contact AcceleratedConstruction@homesengland.gov.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information contact media@homesengland.gov.uk or 0207 874 8262

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued its provisional findings as part of a Phase 2 merger investigation of the proposed $1.2 billion takeover by Illumina, Inc. (Illumina) of Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc (PacBio).

The companies are both global suppliers of Next-Generation DNA sequencing systems to organisations across the world, including UK universities, laboratories and research institutes. DNA sequencing systems are vital to the study of genetic variation in humans and other species, for purposes such as essential disease research and drug development.

The CMA’s provisional conclusion is that the merger will result in a significant loss of competition between the 2 companies, with few alternative providers of DNA sequencing systems remaining.

DNA sequencing is a highly concentrated industry and Illumina holds an approximately 80% share of the market globally and 90% in the UK. The CMA’s investigation has found that PacBio is one of Illumina’s closest competitors and vice versa.  The companies’ internal documents often refer to each other as competitive threats and this is consistent with the views of customers and the remaining competitors.

PacBio also recently released new, innovative technology and is well-positioned to be a stronger competitor in the future. The CMA is therefore concerned that the deal would remove a significant competitive threat to Illumina.

DNA sequencing is a dynamic and rapidly developing sector where innovation is key.  The CMA considers that competition is one of the main factors that drives innovation and is concerned that the loss of PacBio as an independent competitor will lead to a reduction in overall levels of innovation in the market.

Stuart McIntosh, the Inquiry Chair, said:

DNA sequencing is a highly concentrated industry and given the strength of Illumina in this market, and the limited number of alternative providers, the removal of an innovative competitor like PacBio is likely to have a significant impact on competition.

This could harm critically important innovation in the systems created to support DNA sequencing and lead to less choice, higher prices or lower quality as a result of the merger.

For more information, visit the case page.

Notes to editors:

1. Next-Generation Sequencing underlies the study of all organisms, and informs knowledge spanning basic biology to complex human diseases such as cancer. Next-Generation Sequencing is a dynamic industry, with new sequencing platforms and updates to technology being released frequently.
2. All the CMA’s functions in phase 2 merger inquiries are performed by inquiry groups chosen from the CMA’s panel members. The appointed inquiry group are the decision-makers on phase 2 inquiries.
3. The CMA’s panel members come from a variety of backgrounds, including economics, law, accountancy and/or business; the membership of an inquiry group usually reflects a mix of expertise and experience.
4. The members of this inquiry group are Stuart McIntosh (Chair), Humphrey Battcock, Colleen Keck and John Thanassoulis.