Essential flood prevention work to close Matlock Bridge for 12 hours

Press release

Matlock Bridge will be closed to all traffic from 7am until 7pm on Thursday 24 March to enable preparations for essential flood prevention work to be carried out.

Matlock Bridge as seen from the river bank

Trees near Matlock Bridge need removal to allow space for essential work

The Environment Agency, Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council are working together to manage the risk of flooding from the River Derwent following the collapse of a privately owned wall behind businesses in Crown Square, Matlock last month.

The first stage of work to protect the Environment Agency’s flood wall, which sits next to the damaged wall, subject to final ecological checks, involves the removal of trees nearest to Matlock Bridge to create a safe working area for contractors to carry out essential work next month.

The essential repair work planned for early April will reinstate the flood protection to Matlock which reduces flood risk for around 50 homes and businesses.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

We only fell trees where there is no other option. In this case we need to remove trees from the area near to Matlock Bridge to allow our contractors to carry out vital work to repair the flood defences. These flood defences reduce flood risk for around 50 homes and businesses in Matlock.

The felled trees will be used to create additional habitat for wildlife. In addition, for every tree felled, we will be donating a minimum of 5 more so we can support Derbyshire County Council’s million trees project and help Derbyshire become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Each small step will help nature to recover as set out in the recently published Nature Recovery Green Paper.

While the tree felling takes place, a crane will be situated on Matlock Bridge to allow safe access for tree surgeons to carry out work, and pedestrians are advised to use the footbridge in Hall Leys Park for alternative access across the River Derwent.

The Environment Agency’s work to limit further damage to the flood wall will happen next month and will see contractors lifting 100 rock-filled bags into the River Derwent to reduce erosion and limit damage to the Environment Agency flood wall. This wall sits next to the privately owned wall that has collapsed.

Following the collapse of the privately owned wall in February this year, the Environment Agency instructed Jackson Civil Engineering to complete an immediate repair by placing over 50 rock-filled bags in the River Derwent using a large crane situated on the A6. These emergency works were completed within 24 hours of the wall collapsing due to a forecast of further high water levels on the River Derwent.

Published 23 March 2022
Last updated 23 March 2022 + show all updates

  1. First published.



Growing communities not just crops: Fiji ginger presented at UK’s leading food and drink event

World news story

Eljap BV presented their organic ginger harvested from the nutrient rich volcanic soils of Fiji at the International Food and Drink Event in London from 21 to 23 March 2022.

Under the banner of the United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP), funded by UKAid and delivered by the International Trade Centre, more than two dozen companies from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific brought a range of delicious products to the International Food and Drink Event in London from 21 to 23 March 2022.

Eljap BV presented their organic ginger harvested from the nutrient rich volcanic soils of Fiji. The ginger is hand-picked, and processed into a variety of products including powders and syrups.

Similar international trade events have generated significant new business opportunities and created confirmed new sales for UKTP participant companies. And importantly, these companies are growing communities in developing countries, not just crops.

In Fiji, UKTP has supported an industry-wide revival in the ginger sector bringing new jobs, increased productivity and higher incomes across the entire agricultural value-chain.

The food and beverage industries show remarkable resilience as industries recover from the pandemic. Attention has turned to high-quality, bespoke offerings that connect communities of producers and consumers through shared values and tastes.

Published 23 March 2022



UK emergency medical team on COVID-19 response ready for provincial deployment in Solomon Islands

Seven members of the UK Emergency Medical Team currently in Solomon Islands have been discharged from quarantine this week and are ready for provincial deployment as of today 23 March 2022. Three other members are still in quarantine and will join the team once cleared later in the week.

The team comprised foreign critical care doctors and nurses, epidemiologists and risk communication experts who will be supporting COVID-19 response at the provincial level and more importantly with their wealth of knowledge and experience in COVID-19 response and other health pandemics, build capacity of local health workers.

Tuesday this week, the team was greeted in person by the Health Permanent Secretary Mrs. Pauline McNeil and officials from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health including the National Referral Hospital (NRH) Senior Management Team.

At the brief meeting, Mrs. McNeil highlighted that one of the main focus of health at the moment is to support COVID-19 response at the provincial level.

She said:

The virus is transmitting in our rural communities in the provinces. These areas continue to report increasing number of COVID cases and in recent weeks, COVID-19 related deaths are reportedly from our rural areas. As such much of our efforts and resources have been geared towards further enhancing the capability and capacity of health facilities and our workers serving rural communities.

Therefore, it is indeed a pleasure to have you all in country to support in this regard and sincere thank you for accepting the request for deployment to this part of the world. Your wealth of knowledge and experience in COVID-19 response and other health pandemics will greatly benefit our provincial and rural health workers but also in the long run, enable us to better respond to public health emergencies.

She thanked the British High Commissioner and High Commission team for swiftly mobilizing and deploying the team and acknowledged the ongoing commitment and support of the UK Government at this difficult time of COVID-19 community transmission.

His Excellency Thomas Coward, British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru in his brief remarks highlighted that the UK Government is very pleased to support current efforts against COVID-19 community transmission in Solomon Islands.

He said:

It is indeed a pleasure to get the team over in just only two weeks after holding initial discussions with the health officials and very exciting to see them out of quarantine and ready for deployment. We remain committed towards the partnership and friendship between our countries and the support provided is only but one example of this commitment.

He assures, the UK Government will continue to work with the Solomon Islands government and the Ministry of Health and where possible, continue to provide support with the current COVID-19 response.

The team leaves for Malaita today (23 March 2022) where they will operate out from Kilu’ufi Hospital to support other Area Health Centres, Rural Health Clinics and Nurse Aid Posts.

After Malaita, the team will be deployed to Western Province and should there be any urgent need that arise from other provinces, the team will be on standby to support.



Lord (Tariq) Ahmad visits Poland as UK delivers humanitarian aid on the Poland Ukraine border

Press release

FCDO Minister Lord (Tariq) Ahmad visits Poland to support the UK’s efforts in delivering humanitarian aid through the Poland-Ukrainian border

Lord Ahmad is visiting Poland today (Wednesday 23 March) to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Jablonski, representatives of key humanitarian aid organisations, and staff delivering frontline services on the Poland Ukraine border.

While in Warsaw, Lord Ahmad will meet Foreign Minister Jablonski, where they will discuss the UK and Poland’s close engagement to deliver vital humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad will also meet representatives from humanitarian agencies and NGOs that the UK is working closely with to deliver a coordinated humanitarian response. Lord Ahmad will visit the Poland-Ukrainian border and a refugee reception centre, meeting the UK rapid deployment team working on the frontline to deliver critical support for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Lord (Tariq) Ahmad said:

Poland is one of the UK’s closest and oldest allies. We stand ready to provide further humanitarian aid to support those fleeing Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

My visit to Poland is an important opportunity to strengthen our coordinated response as I meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Jablonski, representatives from vital humanitarian agencies, and staff on the front line providing assistance to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

Eleven UK flights have so far delivered over 3.7 million medical items to Ukraine via Poland, including resuscitator masks, gloves, hand sanitiser, wound-care packs and medicine.

Published 23 March 2022



Joint Statement on U.S./UK Dialogues on Future of Atlantic Trade

Secretary of State shaking hands with US Trade Representative

On March 21 and 22 United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan and United States Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai hosted the first joint U.S./UK Dialogues on the Future of Atlantic Trade in Baltimore, Maryland. Following President Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement last year of a new ‘Atlantic Charter’, the U.S./UK Dialogues on the Future of Atlantic Trade are exploring how the United States and United Kingdom will collaborate to advance mutual international trade priorities rooted in our shared values, while promoting innovation and inclusive economic growth for workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the two-day period, Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Ambassador Katherine Tai, and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jayme White, visited the Port of Baltimore and a local technology incubator, Fearless Tech; hosted a series of roundtable discussions with a diverse group of national and local workers, business and civil society stakeholders; and met bilaterally. In addition, USTR and UK Department for International Trade staff discussed opportunities for the United States and United Kingdom to advance the U.S.-UK trade relationship and advance an inclusive trade policy.

The stakeholder roundtables identified areas of consensus where the UK and U.S can build and deepen their cooperation on trade. This includes protecting labour rights and the environment; promoting supply chain resilience; supporting the low-carbon transition; making it easier for SMEs to export; and ensuring the benefits of trade are evenly distributed across our countries.

Ambassador Katherine Tai and Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan committed to:

  • Reestablish the UK-US SME dialogue to continue to bring together SMEs from both sides of the Atlantic to identify ways to further support trade and investment;
  • Harness the benefits of an open and competitive digital economy, with appropriate safeguards for workers, consumers and businesses;
  • Build on the G7’s first ever set of Digital Trade Principles during UK presidency, such as working towards the digitisation of paper-based customs and other border agencies’ requirements to cut red tape;
  • Build strong, durable supply chains that can withstand future global shocks;
  • Strengthen the protection of labour rights and the environment, with one another and our other trading partners;
  • Tackle forced labour globally;
  • Create incentives through trade to transition to a decarbonised economy and protect our environment;
  • Advance trade policy to consider gender, underserved and marginalised communities as workers, consumers, entrepreneurs, and producers; and
  • Address third party market-distorting practices.

Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Ambassador Katherine Tai will use these Dialogues and their ongoing engagement with stakeholders to identify further steps to move forward our important U.S.-UK bilateral trade relationship and address our shared challenges and opportunities over the coming months. A second joint U.S./UK Dialogue on the Future of Atlantic Trade is being planned for the UK in late April, 2022.

Organisations attending Baltimore dialogue:

  • American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
  • Arnold and Porter
  • Baltimore Development Corporation
  • Baltimore Manufacturing
  • Blue Green Alliance
  • British Telecoms
  • BritishAmerican Business
  • Center for American Progress
  • Cindy J Cosmetic Labs
  • City of Baltimore
  • City of Baltimore Minority & Women’s Business Development
  • CityWide Youth Development
  • Constellium
  • Council Fire
  • Diageo
  • Ecolab
  • Environmental Investigation Agency
  • Food Opportunity
  • Google
  • IBM
  • InterDigital
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 24
  • International Longshoreman’s Association, Local 333
  • MakeUK
  • Maryland Chamber of Commerce
  • Maryland Department of Commerce
  • McCormick & Company
  • Morgan Stanley
  • National Association of Manufacturers
  • National Foreign Trade Council
  • Oceana
  • TechUK
  • TheCityUK
  • Trades Union Congress
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Under Armour
  • United Steelworkers
  • World Resources Institute
Published 22 March 2022
Last updated 14 June 2022 + show all updates

  1. Added the list of organisations that attended the first U.S.-UK Trade Dialogue in Baltimore

  2. First published.