The MTMC delivers crucial pre-deployment training for approximately 12,500 personnel every year and has recently trained a battlegroup heading out to Afghanistan on Operation Toral. This operation sees British personnel training, advising and assisting their Afghan colleagues and providing protection and security.

The project includes the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings at Bassingbourn Barracks including accommodation blocks, social facilities, offices, classrooms and training areas. The existing medical and dental centres will also be refurbished together with the construction of 2 new training facilities. The work associated with this contract will provide infrastructure that will allow MTMC to train effectively in one location.

The works are part of Project Hercules and follows on from the first phase of work to bring the barracks back into use by the British Army. Project Hercules supports the MOD’s continuing optimisation of the defence estate by co-locating capability and enabling the disposal of sites that the military no longer needs.

The first stage of the MTMC move saw its Kent-based elements relocate to Bassingbourn in December 2018. Work to be completed under this contract will allow the relocation of the other elements of MTMC from Chilwell Barracks in the Midlands. It will also allow the MTMC to be fully operational at Bassingbourn, with up to 1,000 staff and troops on site at peak times.

Gillian Naylor, DIO’s senior project manager said:

We are pleased to announce the award of this contract to Kier Graham Defence Ltd to refurbish and improve existing facilities at Bassingbourn Barracks to enable the MTMC units to train effectively in one location. This is a great example of how DIO supports our armed forces by providing the places they need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.

Commander MTMC, Colonel Neil Unsworth OBE said:

I am delighted to see the contract award for the next phase of development here in Bassingbourn. The Armed Forces have long and proud linkages with the local community which we have already started to redevelop, and I look forward to seeing the growth of this in line with our development in Bassingbourn.

Mark Dady, Managing Director of Kier Regional Building Eastern, said:

We’re extremely proud to continue our working relationship with DIO delivering crucial infrastructure at Bassingbourn Barracks to allow effective pre-deployment training in one location. This project builds on our extensive expertise in the defence sector, where we are currently on-site delivering new infrastructure to ready MOD Lyneham for the move of 5 Battalion REME as part of the Army Basing Programme.

Work is expected to start this month and complete in summer 2021.

Properties in Godalming will be better protected from flooding thanks to a brand new flood alleviation scheme. The construction of the scheme cost approximately £4.5 million and the Environment Agency contributed approximately a third of the cost, through government grant-in-aid.

Godalming flood alleviation scheme, which will protect 90 properties, was officially unveiled today, Friday 11 October 2019, by the chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd, and South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt.

A 525-metre flood wall has been built along the banks of the Hell’s Ditch to reduce flooding in the Meadrow and Catteshall area. The new defence is built to withstand a flood with a 0.5% probability of one occurring in any year, plus a provision for climate change. This is part of the Environment Agency’s long-term approach to be better prepared for the increased level of risk that climate change will bring.

Godalming has a history of flooding, with 4 notable events in 1968, 1990, 2000 and 2013. During the most recent 2013 flood, Meadrow and Catteshall Road area were flooded, with access from Meadrow to Godalming severely restricted.

A removable flood barrier will complete the defence across Catteshall Road, put up only when flooding is predicted and the road needs to be closed. Two pumping stations have also been installed to pump out a combined total of 84 litres per second. The pumps catch water fed by the surface water drainage system and ground water and will pump water back to Hell’s Ditch during times of high river levels.

The opening ceremony saw Environment Agency officers demonstrate the removable flood barrier on Catteshall Bridge. This flood barrier is customised for the scheme and can be put up quickly to stop flood water flowing from Lammas Land towards Meadrow.

Emma Howard Boyd, the Environment Agency’s chair, said:

This innovative flood scheme project is an example of how partnership working at all levels can achieve fantastic results. As the impacts of the climate emergency become more apparent, making communities like Godalming more resilient is the Environment Agency’s top priority and builds on the Government’s £2.6 billion investment in flood and coastal defences up and down the country.

The scheme has been developed as a partnership project between the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council, Godalming Town Council, Thames Water, Scottish and Southern Electricity and the local Godalming Flood Group supported by Jeremy Hunt MP.

In addition to building and maintaining flood defences the Environment Agency also runs a free flood warning service. You can sign up for free flood warnings on GOV.UK or you can call Floodline free on 0345 988 1188.

As running enthusiasts from across the North head to the Manchester half marathon this weekend, a major brand in the region is seeing growing demand for its high-quality running clothing and equipment.

Ronhill Sports in Hyde, owned by The Bollin Group as part of a portfolio of outdoor brands, was founded in 1970 by Dr Ron Hill MBE, a former European, Boston and Commonwealth marathon champion and world record holder.

The company specializes in offering the highest quality equipment for running in all seasons and weather conditions, meaning their products are in demand from around the world. Its winter range and merino wool thermals are particularly popular with customers in Canada, while sales of its lightweight, breathable products are rising in humid areas such as South East Asia.

The company’s pioneering fabrics and materials are testament to its founder Ron, who has a PhD in Textile Chemistry and has been instrumental in developing synthetic fabrics for running. He was the first to use reflective trim and invented the side-split running short. Innovation is still a key part of the design process today.

Following support from the Department for International Trade (DIT), Ronhill has seen its exports grow from 5% of turnover in 2009 to 25% today, and it now sells its products in over 30 countries.

The company is aiming to grow exports to reach 50% of its business in the coming years, as Brand Director, Graham Richards explains:

Exporting has been an incredibly important part of our brand’s development, which has enabled us to grow our business in line with the increasing popularity of running worldwide.

Since our initial engagement with the Government over 15 years ago we’ve received a range of support, and DIT’s services have been key to our continued export development.

While we don’t have the marketing spend of global giants in the sports industry, our strong heritage and high-quality products are gaining recognition around the world, and we’re confident that this will provide the foundation for continued success in the years ahead.

And it’s not only UK running clothing that is in high demand. In the 12 months to the end of June 2019, sales of trainers and sports footwear from the UK reached £433 million, a 13.7% increase on the previous 12 months.

The most popular export destination was Germany, where UK exports were worth £80 million. Exports to other economies also raced up; Australia by 119% to £9.1 million, Hong Kong 85% to £8.7 million and China with exports growing by 216% to £3.8 million.

Paul Stowers, Head of the North West region at DIT, commented: > It’s great to see the success of British sport translating into benefits for the local economy, especially here in the North West where we have such a fantastic sporting culture.

The world increasingly looks for UK expertise in sport, whether in competition, recreational pursuits or the goods and services which make sport at all levels possible.

I’m delighted to see Ronhill tapping into growing global demand for running equipment and attire. I would encourage those looking to start their export journey, or indeed build upon their existing strategy, to get in touch with their local DIT office.

The Environment Agency worked with its regional partners to embrace Rural Crime Week of Action -Sunday 6th and Sunday 13th October 2019 – a national campaign aimed at identifying, tackling and putting rural and wildlife crime in to the spotlight; and encouraging increased support for the important issues will hopefully ensure communities across rural Britain are safe and feel safe.

The Environment Agency joined forces with Cleveland Police and The Angling Trust to deliver a host of different activities across Tees Valley. This included foot and boat patrols of rivers and river banks in the area, rod licence checks and awareness exercises with local anglers and food sellers.

Kevin Summerson, Technical Specialist Fisheries Enforcement Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

Rural Crime Week was a great opportunity for us to highlight the crucial work we deliver with our partners all year around, and step up the activity using Operation Checkpoint.

“We commonly experience reports of illegal fishing, game poaching, theft of livestock and agriculture machinery and criminal damage. Being able to deter the offending at a lower level tends to be the best way to alleviate higher risk crimes from being committed.

“This can come down to beneficial awareness campaigns that help to target residential, business, angling and fisheries communities. Rural Crime Week allowed us to create a bigger enforcement footprint and a wider physical presence in rural areas.”

The Rural Crime Week activities included foot and river enforcement patrols in and around Tees Valley including Scaling Dam and Lockwood Beck in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the Tees Barrage, Hemlington Lake in Middlesbrough and Bowesfield in Stockton, all looking for evidence of serious fishing offence.

Throughout the week Cleveland Police had approximately sixty officers and staff taking part in Rural Crime Week covering the whole of the Cleveland Force area.

Paul Payne, Rural Crime Prevention Officer for Cleveland Police, said:

Rural Crime Week was a great success with something happening every day throughout the force area.

“Without partnership working we cannot make the difference to our rural communities that they deserve. Our partners have the knowledge to assist us and we can return the favour, hopefully to put a good prosecution case together or run proactive operations.”

Giles Evans, VBS (Voluntary Bailiff Service) Manager for The Angling Trust, said:

The members of the VBS who have been involved are all trained to report matters to a high standard. Whilst they are the eyes and ears of the water’s edge, they also have a raised awareness of rural and wildlife matters, which can assist the police. It’s key that multi-agency working is the way forward and long may these patrols continue.

In particular on Thursday 10th October there were coastal enforcement patrols of Seaton Carew and Hartlepool coastlines using the Environment Agency’s ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) this exercise involved Cleveland Police’s rural team, British Nuclear Police, Border Force Police, Natural England, Hartlepool Coast Watch and Hartlepool Borough Council.

The main aspect to come out of the patrols were signs of illegal netting being found on Crimdon beach, which consisted of anchor ropes for illegal nets buried in to the sand.

Throughout Rural Crime Week the Environment Agency and The Angling Trust have also been working with other police forces across the North East including Northumbria Police, Durham Constabulary, North Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police.

For further information about Rural Crime Week of Action

If you are aware of any illegal fishing or rural crime activity, you can report it by contacting the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The United Kingdom has the honour to report to the Committee on the state of play in the P5 Process of dialogue between the five Nuclear Weapon States recognised by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States – as the co-ordinator of that Process for 2019/20. The UK assumed that role following the third meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference in May, after China’s productive co-ordination of the Process in 2018/19. We express our sincere gratitude to China for their efforts during that time.

Mr Chair

Let me first once again reaffirm the commitment of all five of the Nuclear Weapon States to the NPT, in all its aspects, as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of its entry into force in 2020.

This landmark Treaty has provided the essential foundation for international efforts to stem the threat that nuclear weapons would spread across the globe, and has thereby limited the risk of nuclear war. It has provided the framework within which the peaceful uses of nuclear technology –for electricity, medicine, agriculture and industry, for example – could be promoted and shared, to the benefit of humanity. And by helping to ease international tensions and create conditions of stability, security and trust among nations, it has allowed for a vital and continuing contribution to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

We remain committed under the Treaty to the pursuit of good faith negotiations on effective measures related to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. We support the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all. We are committed to working to ease international tension, which will be conducive to further progress on nuclear disarmament.

We pledge our full and continued support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which plays a critical role in NPT implementation, both in promoting the fullest possible cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and in applying safeguards and verifying that nuclear programmes are exclusively for peaceful purposes. We emphasise the need to further strengthen the IAEA safeguards system, including the universalisation of the Additional Protocol.

We urge all States to commit to the continued success of the NPT: to ensure compliance, to promote universalisation, to ensure the highest standards of non-proliferation, and to respond to ongoing and emerging proliferation challenges, wherever they occur. In this context our five countries reiterate our commitment to continue our individual and collective efforts within the NPT framework to advance nuclear disarmament goals and objectives.

Mr Chair

In that spirit, the Principals of the P5 delegations met in New York on 8 October to discuss prospects for the NPT Review Conference, and the contribution the P5 could collectively make to its success.

We had an in-depth exchange of views on the strategic security environment, and on the key issues facing the NPT in all its aspects at its Review Conference next year.

We also reviewed progress on the five areas of work agreed at our last meeting at this level, under the co-ordination of China, in the margins of the third PrepCom.

First, we reaffirmed the importance of in-depth dialogue on our respective nuclear doctrines and policies, for enhancing both mutual trust and confidence between the five Nuclear Weapon States, and the transparency of our nuclear doctrines with respect to the wider NPT community. We welcomed the productive discussions that have taken place between officials from P5 Defence and Foreign Ministries, and agreed that they should continue. We also discussed ways in which the P5 could work together on strategic nuclear risk reduction. We restated our commitment to present on our nuclear doctrines at a side event at the 2020 Review Conference. Second, we reviewed our engagement with the ASEAN countries on the Protocol to the Treaty establishing a South-East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, which we agreed to continue. We welcomed the constructive meeting between P5 delegations and the Secretary-General of ASEAN in Geneva on 25 June, and the renewed commitment by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bangkok on 31 July to ongoing discussions with the Nuclear Weapon States on this issue.

Third, we welcomed China’s ongoing leadership of the second phase of work on the Glossary of Key Nuclear Terms. The Glossary is both a valuable contribution to the technical basis for arms control and disarmament, and an important tool for promoting mutual understanding. Two meetings of the expert-level working group have been held in Beijing since the third PrepCom, and another is scheduled for December.

Fourth, we commended the discussions that have taken place between P5 delegations in Vienna on ways to strengthen our co-operation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, nuclear security and nuclear safety in the run-up to next year’s Review Conference.

Fifth, we welcomed France’s initiative to convene a first meeting of P5 experts on FMCT-related technical issues in Paris on 19 September, and looked forward to further discussions at that level that would contribute to efforts to make progress on an FMCT at the Conference on Disarmament.

Noting the publication by China and the UK of draft NPT National Implementation Reports at the third PrepCom, we also reaffirmed the commitment of all our countries to submit national reports to the 2020 Review Conference, once again using the common template agreed in 2013. We appreciate our continuing dialogue with the countries of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative, which continued with a meeting on 9 October.

Finally, Mr Chair, we committed ourselves to continuing and deepening our dialogue and our collective work, with the aim of promoting a successful Review Conference in 2020. We will meet again in London in February 2020 for the ninth P5 Conference