Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani has this weekend (5 to 6 October 2019) attended the world’s largest roads event to promote and champion the UK’s highways expertise.

The World Road Congress, which is being held in the Middle East for the first time, provides an opportunity for the UK to highlight its role as a forerunner in the building, design and maintenance of roads.

It also looks to spark discussion between nations about how new technologies are changing how we use our roads and how this can be used to drive down accident rates.

During the visit the minister met with key stakeholders representing the UK highway industry including private sector partners, SMEs and academics to discuss cutting edge technology and developing techniques which are revolutionising the way that road networks are developed.

She also met senior officials responsible for transport in several nations, to discuss how best practice can be shared to benefit the international community.

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

There are few people who can say they do not rely on the UK’s roads – whether commuting to work, school, or meeting friends and family, our road network is crucial for modern life.

The UK is a world leader in understanding, managing and maintaining highway networks, which is why it is so important that we draw on our global networks to share best practice.

I was delighted to be able to attend the World Road Congress to promote the sector and to meet with so many industry leaders to discuss our shared vision for fantastic highway networks across the globe.

The 26th World Road Congress is a 5 day event discussing the over-arching theme of ‘Connecting Cultures, Enabling Economies’.

The event will see Abu Dhabi welcome thousands of road transport professionals and more than 300 exhibitors from the private and public sectors across the world.

The location also reflects the growing profile of the region in the highways sector, with new and innovative thinking and the commitment to lead advances in this field.

The minister was delighted to host His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Transport, along with Claude Van Rooten, the President of the World Road Association at the UK stand. The UK organised the largest exhibitor stand of any of the visiting countries at the congress, designed to showcase the UK at its best.

Nearly 4,000 troops, 58 aircraft, 16 ships and three submarines from 12 NATO nations as well as Japan and the United Arab Emirates, will participate in the exercise until 17 October.

This autumn’s exercise will also mark the first of five in which the Anglo-French military force, the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), will be able to test itself before confirming it is fully operational by next summer.

Joint Warrior is a biannual exercise that allows the UK’s Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and their allies to conduct joint operations involving different forces and units and against a range of current and future threats.

Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:

As we look ahead to the December NATO Leaders’ meeting in London to mark the Alliance’s 70th anniversary, Exercise Joint Warrior provides a timely demonstration of why it is the bedrock of our defence.

A wide spectrum of allies and friends will come together, build understanding and sharpen our collective defence. We are stronger and safer together.

Since 2010, the UK and France have been working together to develop the CJEF to be an early intervention able to deploy land, air and maritime components together and number over 10,000 people with a range of capabilities. It is designed to take on any future crisis that is of common concern to France and the UK.

The CJEF is complementary to NATO and it will conduct a maritime exercise – Exercise Griffin Strike – as part of the wider NATO exercise Joint Warrior.

Although run by the UK, Joint Warrior is closely aligned to NATO training aims and is included in the NATO exercise programme.

The following NATO nations are taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey the UK and the US. Japan and the UAE are also taking part in the exercise.

The call for evidence is a critical element of the review methodology set out in a Ways of Working document published on 30 September. It seeks to gather a wide range of written responses through our online survey tackling the questions set out in the review’s terms of reference published on 16 September.

Lord Carlile says:

The review is an important opportunity to take stock of the UK’s strategy to safeguard those vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. It will allow us to consider what is working and what isn’t, and to identify what improvements need to be made. Nothing is off the table.

I want to hear from a wide range of people. This includes academics and those working in think tanks, community and religious organisations, those involved in schools, colleges and higher education, and people working with local government and the police. I also want to hear from members of the wider public. I invite you all to share your ideas and thoughts on your experience of Prevent and how things might change and improve.

The call for evidence will remain open for 2 months, until 11:45pm on 9 December 2019 and the review will report to Parliament by August 2020.

Help us improve GOV.UK

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

Email address

Send me the survey

It’s wonderful to be here in such august surrounds.

And it feels fitting that this house of historic international accord is the stage for another – and another of immense importance to us all.

Net-zero emissions

In November of last year, I was one of 50 Tory MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister and urged her to set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

We felt then as we do now – that that we could decarbonise through science, not economic sacrifice…

…That our method would not be hair-shirted self-denial, but innovation and investment driven by the right incentives.

Our past should give us confidence.

This country’s ingenuity has kept the UK at the forefront of science and engineering for hundreds of years.

And, provided we keep our ambitions high, we will lead the world for hundreds more.

And the goal of net zero emissions will inspire us all to great heights of achievement.

Entrepreneurs will see opportunities in new industries, and create jobs all around the UK.

And the new technologies they create will clean the air we breathe, and cut the bills in our homes.

In June this year, the government became the first major economy in the world to adopt the Net Zero 2050 target, which is fantastic news.

I was made a minister a month later and – while this is possibly slightly less momentous – I can assure you all I will do everything I can to make sure the government keeps its promise.

Why we’re here today

The danger, as ever, with targets that lie 30 years in the future is that they are pushed to the bottom of the pile by the concerns of today.

The trick, then, is to make constant, incremental progress – and celebrate it when it happens.

To make sure that we keep chipping away at our long-term ambitions.

That’s why today is so important.

CIIF

The Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund is in many ways emblematic of our approach to Net Zero.

Our philosophy isn’t that government can solve everything.

Of course, we have an important role to play – but we have to do it in partnership with the energy and expertise of the private sector.

Our approach is therefore to set up the right incentives and conditions, and then allow a powerful green market to flourish.

In this case, we wanted to encourage more people to buy and use electric vehicles, or EVs, which are far less polluting than traditional cars.

We set up grants for cars, taxis, vans and motorcycles.

But we realised that people looking at buying EVs were wary of getting marooned, without any battery in their car left and miles away from home or the nearest charging point.

And handouts wouldn’t cut it – we needed to unleash the power of the market.

So, with Zouk Capital, we set up the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund as a catalyst, with government money matching any private capital that comes in to maximise impact.

And we were delighted that Masdar chose to invest £35 million in the fund – which the government topped up to £70 million – for the installation of 3,000 rapid chargers across the country.

This more than doubles the UK’s number of rapid chargers, producing a dense network of stopping points where family cars can be charged in 20 minutes flat – the time it takes for a sandwich and a coffee on the way to the seaside.

And, further, it shows Masdar’s continued participation in the UK’s clean energy commitments.

Masdar has invested more than £3 billion in the UK in the past ten years, predominantly in offshore wind.

It’s a pleasure to welcome Mohamed Al Ramahi here today for the signing ceremony and to talk more about how we can work together.

I hope you continue to discuss with my colleagues at the DIT to find strategic partnerships that work for both our countries.

Together, we’re showing that change is possible. And providing leadership to governments and private companies around the world that by working together, we can effect real change.

Thank you.