HM Government

PICTURES AND FOOTAGE: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8mjosL6ucd7TkRhdTgwT2s4aXM

More than 20 tonnes of UK aid shelter kits and solar lanterns are on their way to the Caribbean to provide immediate relief to people who have seen their homes destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

RFA Mounts Bay has already delivered six tonnes of emergency aid to Anguilla, the British Overseas Territory devastated by Hurricane Irma, and has now arrived in the British Virgin Islands to provide further support.

The ship has been deployed in the Caribbean since July in preparation for the hurricane season, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice. Tasked by the Royal Navy, she was the UK’s first military response to the Caribbean.

Today (Friday, 8 September):

• three trucks were loaded with 19 tonnes of UK aid buckets with lids for washing clothes, and solar lanterns at DFID’s Disaster Response Centre at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire. This is a total of 10,000 UK aid buckets and 5,000 solar lanterns

• a C17 RAF flight heading for Barbados took off from RAF Brize Norton with a further 2.2 tonnes of UK aid shelter kits on board – a total of 192 kits.

The UK was the first to arrive in Anguilla and a team of British humanitarian experts have been in place since last week to work with authorities and direct the humanitarian response.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

More than 20 tonnes of urgently needed UK aid shelter kits, buckets and solar lamps are being sent to areas of the Caribbean devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Today, I have also doubled the number of UK aid experts deployed in the disaster zone and our expert humanitarian teams are working at pace to ensure the aid reaches those who need it.

UK aid is already on the ground, providing emergency relief, with more on its way.

Three DFID humanitarian experts were sent to the region ahead of Hurricane Irma to assess needs on the ground and help prepare for the disaster. A fourth expert has also been sent, arriving yesterday, to provide vital expertise to help co-ordinate the response. An extra four are on their way to the region today.

These experts are working with the British Red Cross, and national and regional disaster management agencies, to urgently assess need and ensure that the UK’s help reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by the destruction wrought by Hurricane Irma.

DFID has also been involved in important work ahead of this crisis to make sure this region is better prepared to deal with the effects of natural disasters.

Hurricane Irma continues to move through the Caribbean toward the Turks and Caicos, and it is expected that Hurricane Jose will reach the British Virgin Islands soon. Last night the Governor of the British Virgin Islands declared a state of emergency.

Yesterday the PM pledged £32m of disaster relief to the area. The UK Government deployed Royal Navy vessel, Mounts Bay ahead of the disaster in preparation.

On arrival in Anguilla, the crew worked to clear the airport runway and restore power and communication services. In the British Virgin Islands, Mounts Bay will assess the extent of the damage to the island and work to restore essential services.

All British nationals in the affected areas, which now includes Cuba and Florida, should refer to FCO travel advice and social media for updates.

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I’ve just chaired the government’s emergency committee COBR, looking at the further support we can provide to the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean with these terrible hurricanes and the devastating impact they’re having.

I heard direct from Governors in the region including the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, where Hurricane Irma, the eye of the hurricane ran directly through the capital of the British Virgin Islands.

I also heard about the work that RFA Mounts Bay and the troops and military personnel on Mounts Bay have undertaken already and will be doing in the future.

In Anguilla they have made the airfield serviceable, they have restored power to the hospital, they have rebuilt emergency shelters. Our military personnel, our troops, have been working around the clock there and we owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Those troops from RFA Mounts Bay are now assisting the Governor of the British Virgin Islands who has declared a state of emergency there. They are also working to ensure that the airfield there is serviceable so that military aircraft can be flown in with further supplies.

Every effort is being made to ensure that as much as possible can be done in advance of Hurricane Jose which is the next hurricane reaching that area.

At the COBR, I also heard directly from our Consul-General in Miami about the support that is being given to British nationals living in Florida and also British tourists in Florida, and we are of course working with the US authorities to ensure that every support is available and everything can be done before Hurricane Irma reaches Florida.

And we are also working in the region, in the Caribbean, internationally with other partners – with the French and with the Dutch – and we are responding to a French request that we provide British military support to their efforts.

But I also know that many families are finding it very difficult to find information and hear from and contact loved ones in the region. The Foreign Office has set up a specific hotline that people can contact to get information and support. And I would encourage anybody who is worried about families in the region to contact that Foreign Office hotline.

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The Environment Agency has joined forces with expert anglers to collect valuable fisheries data for the River Tees.

The fifth annual River Tees Championship – a fishing survey match organised by the Environment Agency – saw 46 anglers take part.

Areas of the middle River Tees not normally fished were surveyed during the competition last Sunday, 3 September, from Croft to upstream Piercebridge.

The results were good, with all sorts of species caught and recorded during the valuable event.

Phil Rippon, Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist said:

Despite low river levels making fishing conditions difficult, a variety of species were caught, including dace, chub, perch, bream and trout, with all sizes and numbers logged.

The data alongside our own surveys, will help us and our partners to better target habitat and fisheries improvements as well as helping us to understand about the distribution of fish species in the Tees.

Our thanks to the angling clubs and landowners who supported the survey, and to the organisers.

The winner of this years’ championship was Ant Smith who caught 21lb 7oz of Bream, Dace and Chub. All fish were safely returned to the river.

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2015 to present FCO, Head of Northern and Central Europe Department 2014 to 2015 Washington, Counsellor (Foreign and Security policy) 2014 FCO, Head of Sanctions and Economic Diplomacy, Prosperity Directorate 2012 to 2014 FCO, Deputy Head, Internationa… read more

For the academic year 2017 to 2018 and beyond, Ofqual will release publications based on data for England only.

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