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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Court orders ‘cynical’ fraudster, Salih Ozhot, who abused Covid support scheme to repay loan in full [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Court orders ‘cynical’ fraudster, Salih Ozhot, who abused Covid support scheme to repay loan in full [February 2024]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 5 February 2024.

    A fraudster from North London has been sentenced after using a government-backed Bounce Back Loan for his own personal use.

    • Salih Ozhot applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan to support his business, but ended up using the money for his own personal gain
    • His actions were described by Insolvency Service investigators as “cynical”, “sophisticated” and “pre-planned”
    • Ozhot, who was declared bankrupt in 2021, will have to repay the loan in full

    A North London man who admitted cheating taxpayers out of £50,000 by fraudulently applying for a Covid loan has been ordered to pay the money back in full.

    Salih Ozhot, 41, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday 2 February.

    The Insolvency Service also successfully applied for a compensation order, meaning Ozhot will have to repay the £50,000 he fraudulently obtained.

    Julie Barnes, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Salih Ozhot abused a scheme designed to offer genuine support to businesses through the pandemic. His actions were cynical, sophisticated and pre-planned.

    He cheated the taxpayer for personal gain when the loans specified they were only to be used for the economic benefit of the business.

    The Insolvency Service will not hesitate to take action against those who so flagrantly steal from the public purse.

    Ozhot, of The Bourne, Southgate, London, who claimed to run businesses as a courier and a shisha cafe, applied for a Bounce Back Loan in September 2020.

    He withdrew £19,000 within one week of receiving the loan. Insolvency Service analysis of Ozhot’s transactions between September 2020 and February 2021 indicated he used the loan for personal rather than business purposes.

    Ozhot was declared bankrupt in October 2021 and accepted an eight-year bankruptcy undertaking in May 2022, restricting him from being able to borrow more than £500 without disclosing his bankrupt status.

    He also cannot act as a company director without permission from a court.

    Ozhot pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation when he appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in December 2023.

    The court ordered Ozhot to pay the loan back at a rate of £500 a month.

    Further information

  • PRESS RELEASE : Half-masting of flags following the death of The President of Namibia, Hage Geingob [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Half-masting of flags following the death of The President of Namibia, Hage Geingob [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 5 February 2024.

    It is with great regret that we learn of the death of The President of Namibia, Hage Geingob.

    Union flags will usually be half-masted on all government buildings in the UK on the day of death of a ruling Head of State. Flags will therefore be flown at half mast on UK government buildings from Sunday 4th February until 20.00hrs on Monday 5th February.

    Other organisations and local authorities may follow suit.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee announced [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee announced [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 5 February 2024.

    LORD JANVRIN, former Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, has been appointed as Chair of the newly established Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, the Deputy Prime Minister has announced.

    The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee will be an independent body responsible for considering and recommending proposals for a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II. It will be jointly supported by the UK Government and the Royal Household .

    The Committee will develop proposals for both a permanent memorial, and a national legacy programme that will allow everyone in the UK to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s life of service.

    The UK Government will support the proposals, and will consider funding options as proposals develop.

    The committee will consider Her Late Majesty’s life of public service throughout her long reign and the causes she supported. The Committee will also engage with the public to ensure ideas and suggestions from across the UK are captured.

    The plans will be unveiled to coincide with what would have been Her Late Majesty’s hundredth birthday year in 2026.

    A range of senior figures and experts will be appointed to develop ideas and bring recommendations to The King and the Prime Minister. These further appointments to the Committee will be announced in due course.

    Commenting on his appointment Lord Janvrin said:

    It is an honour to be asked to chair the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. It will be a unique challenge to try to capture for future generations Her Late Majesty’s extraordinary contribution to our national life throughout her very long reign.

    Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said:

    Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning Monarch and greatest public servant. Lord Janvrin will now begin the important work of designing a fitting tribute to her legacy of service to our nation and the Commonwealth.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Six members appointed to the Civil Justice Council [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Six members appointed to the Civil Justice Council [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 5 February 2024.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointments, for 3 years from 1 January 2024, of John Cuss, Daniel Hoadley, Amrik Kandola, Sue Prince, Laurence Shaw and Elizabeth Smart as members of the Civil Justice Council.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of the following members of the Civil Justice Council for 3 years from 1 January 2024:

    • John Cuss, Solicitor member
    • Amrik Kandola, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) member
    • Daniel Hoadley, Digital, Technology and Information member
    • Laurence Shaw, Legal Executive member
    • Sue Prince, Lay member
    • Elizabeth Smart, Advice Sector member

    The CJC is a statutory advisory body established by the Civil Procedure Act 1997.

    The CJC brings together members of the judiciary, civil servants, legal professionals and others representative of the varied perspectives, sectoral interests, specialist and professional expertise found across the civil justice system.

    The CJC has a statutory role in keeping the civil justice system under review. It advises the judiciary, government, and rule makers on the development of the civil justice system, especially how it can be more accessible, fair and efficient. It is empowered to make proposals for change and propose and undertake research.

    Appointments to the Civil Justice Council are made by the Secretary of State for Justice and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. These appointments have  been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    Biographies

    John Cuss

    John Cuss is a solicitor and works for Hudgell Solicitors as Head of Corporate Services and Strategic Partnerships. Supporting the next generation of aspiring lawyers is very important to John, and he also leads on the firm’s early careers and work experience programmes and was very pleased to be recognised as Mentor of the Year at the Hull and East Yorkshire People in Business Awards 2023. John is also Vice-Chair of the National Law Society Dispute Resolution Committee and a Senior Advisor to the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO).

    Mr Cuss has not declared any political activity.

    Daniel Hoadley

    Daniel Hoadley is Head of Data Science and Analytics at London law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP specialising in the application of artificial intelligence and data science to legal information and processes. Daniel was called to the Bar, in 2009, and worked as a law reporter for The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales (ICLR). Between 2015 and 2020. Daniel played a leading role in the modernisation of ICLR, co-designing the ICLR Online-series of legal research platforms, devising a substantial expansion in the coverage of The Weekly Law Reports, and building the first open-source deep learning model for processing English legal information, Blackstone.

    Mr Hoadley has not declared any political activity.

    Amrik Kandola

    Amrik Kandola is a full-time commercial Mediator. After joining Eversheds LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland LLP) in 1991 as a trainee, Amrik became a partner in 2002. He specialised in technology, engineering, construction, and energy infrastructure disputes. He was an elected Board member of the firm between 2011 and 2014. In 2016, Amrik left private practice to become a full-time commercial mediator. He now mediates complex, high value and multi-party disputes across a wide range of commercial sectors. Amrik is a Centre for Effect Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Panel Mediator and Lead Faculty trainer on the CEDR Mediator Skills Training course. He was named Civil/Commercial Mediator of the Year 2023 at the National Mediation Awards (NMA) in 2022.

    Mr Kandola declared he was a Change UK candidate in the 2017 European Parliament election.

    Sue Prince

    Sue Prince is a Professor in the Law School at the University of Exeter. She has held several senior roles in the University, including Associate Academic Dean for Students and Associate Dean Education for the Faculty of Social Sciences. She was also the Interim Head of the Law School for a long period. She sits on the University Council.Sue set up the first law clinic at the University of Exeter, based at Exeter Combined Court, which won the LawWorks Attorney General Award for Best New Student Pro Bono Activity.  She also received an award from the Attorney General for a debt literacy project with local schools.  She has carried out evaluations of court-connected Alternative Dispute Resolutions for the Ministry of Justice across fast-track, multi-track, and small claims mediation, and has researched mandatory mediation in Canada, Florida, and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Sue was a member of the CJC Advisory Group on Online Dispute Resolution. Sue is an accredited civil and commercial mediator and a community mediator.  She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Authority.

    Ms Prince has not declared any political activity.

    Laurence Shaw

    Laurence Shaw is a freelance legal consultant/qualified Chartered Legal Executive. He worked in the Before The Event and After The Event market for a short time for a well-known firm of Legal Expense providers. He has over 40 years’ experience dealing with Personal Injury claims on behalf of the Claimant and, in the latter years, specialised in foreign jurisdiction litigation arising out of accidents abroad. He was an active member of APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) and PEOPIL (Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers). He sat on the council of CILEX (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) for 15 years during which time he chaired the Investigating Committee looking into possible members’ misdemeanours, as well as chairing the Law Reform Committee for Contentious business. He is currently a Special Reference Group adviser for CILEX in Civil Litigation and, through that role, he represented CILEX on the Civil Justice Council Costs Committee on Guideline Hourly Rates.

    Mr Shaw has not declared any political activity.

    Liz Smart

    Liz Smart is a Professor of Legal Education and a practising solicitor. She is currently Head of the School of Law and Society at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and is a National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Liz is a non-Executive Solicitor Director of the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) and serves on the Independent Ethics Panel for the Police and Crime Commissioner in South Yorkshire advising on equality, diversity, and inclusion. Liz created a unique innovative law provision which was the only law degree in the UK which provided placement opportunities for all students embedded at all levels and removed the barriers to entry in the legal profession realising the ambition that we should reflect the communities we serve.

    Ms Smart has not declared any political activity.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Shetland [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Shetland [February 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 February 2024.

    The King has been pleased to appoint Mr Lindsay William Tulloch QPM DL as His Lord-Lieutenant for Shetland, to succeed Mr Robert Walter Hunter CVO following his retirement on 3rd April 2024.

    Background

    Mr Tulloch was born and educated in Shetland. On leaving High School he obtained a vocational apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery. He remained in the building industry for 4 years before joining the police service in 1992. During 30 years in the police service, Mr Tulloch served across the Highland and Islands area. He was Senior Investigating Officer on a number of serious and high profile criminal investigations, rising through the ranks, serving for six years as Police Area Commander for Shetland, and finally as Superintendent within the Highland and Islands Division of Police Scotland.

    In January 2020, Mr Tulloch was awarded the Queens Police Medal by Her Majesty the Queen and he is currently a Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for Shetland.

    Mr Tulloch retired from the Police Service in June 2022 and now lives with his wife on the island of Bressay, Shetland. They have one daughter. He is involved in many local charities and has a keen interest in local history, culture and genealogy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK reaffirms trade, investment, and economic commitments to Ghana [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK reaffirms trade, investment, and economic commitments to Ghana [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 February 2024.

    The UK reaffirmed its commitment on strengthening trade, investment, and economic transformation in Ghana at the nineth UK-Ghana Business Council in Accra on 31 January 2024.

    • signs bilateral Communique with Ghana on economic commitments from the ninth UK-Ghana Business Council
    • signs MOU agreements to further partnerships in automotive sector, animal systems, science technology, and innovation with Ghana
    • commits to continued partnerships in line with the United Kingdom’s International Development White Paper

    The council, which was co-chaired by the Vice President of Ghana, His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister for State for Development and Africa, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, agreed specific actions to accelerate greater trade and investment to bring mutual prosperity for both countries.

    Minister for Development and Africa, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, said:

    I am immensely proud of the UK-Ghana Business Council and what we have delivered together. Today we celebrate the success of a new partnership in the automotive sector, and a new Green Cities and Infrastructure programme, which will help mobilise climate finance and of course, exciting ambitions for our relationship on science, technology, and innovation.

    This is a testament to the enduring friendship between our two countries. Our collaborative efforts in the past 5 years have chartered a course for economic prosperity, innovation, and shared growth.

    I look forward to our commitment to continue to create opportunities for our nations.

    The Minister recognised the significance of the £5 million multi-country ODA funded bilateral technical partnership on animal health between the UK and countries in Africa, including Ghana. This was during a meeting with the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong.

    The project aims to strengthen terrestrial and aquatic animal health systems to better prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks, increasing the productivity and resilience of the farming sector and working towards ending preventable deaths in vulnerable communities. To date, over 228 communities in Ghana have benefited from the project.

    He also expressed the UK’s continued support and commitment for Ghana’s economic recovery and discussed progress on the IMF programme in a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Finance Hon. John Ampontuah Kumah. Andrew Mitchell also used the opportunity to engage on the Climate Vulnerable Forum’s priorities with President Nasheed and how the UK can support Ghana as chair.

    Further to his engagement with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Andrew Mitchell also met with the Minister for National Security, Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah. The two discussed regional security developments, including the situation in Niger, and Ghana’s role in bilateral and multilateral responses through ECOWAS and the Accra Initiative building off the back of the third Security Dialogue held in Accra recently.

    Minister Mitchell also met with MPs from both sides of the political divide, and used the opportunity to express the value the UK government places on Ghana’s democracy and the importance of free, fair, and peaceful elections.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ensuring crime doesn’t pay: New Economic Crime Unit to tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ensuring crime doesn’t pay: New Economic Crime Unit to tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 5 February 2024.

    The Environment Agency launches Economic Crime Unit to address serious financial offences in the waste sector.

    The Environment Agency has launched a new Economic Crime Unit to boost its efforts to tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations in the waste sector, ensuring crime doesn’t pay.

    The unit will help to ensure those working in waste management do the right thing and gangsters are unable to operate in the sector.

    The new unit builds on the work of then Environment Agency Financial Investigations Team, which has had significant success in seizing money and assets. Working with partners across law enforcement, the Environment Agency has now expanded this team into the Economic Crime Unit.

    The unit will be made up of highly skilled staff including Accredited Financial Investigators, Accredited Financial Intelligence Officers and a Financial Crime Analyst. Conducting crime analysis enables the Environment Agency to understand the bigger picture around financial crime, as well as to identify proactive opportunities for investigation.

    It will comprise two teams: the Asset Denial Team and the Money Laundering Investigations Team. The Asset Denial Team will focus on account freezing orders, cash seizures, pre-charge restraints and confiscations. Where we suspect a bank account is being used for illegally made funds, we can freeze the money in it and the onus is on the account holder to prove the money is legitimate. If they are unable to do so the money will be forfeited.

    The Money Laundering Investigations Team will enable the Environment Agency to conduct dedicated money laundering investigations targeting environmental offences. A conviction for money laundering offences can result in 14 years in prison, acting as a strong deterrent for criminals considering offending in this way.

    Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

    Waste crime is a blight on communities and our environment. By undermining legitimate business investment, it costs our economy an estimated £1 billion every year – money being taken away from other essential services to deal with the damage caused by waste criminals.

    The Environment Agency is committed to taking tough action and the launch of our dedicated Economic Crime Unit shows we will not tolerate organised criminals moving into the waste sector and using it to facilitate other crimes.

    Emma Viner, Enforcement & Investigations Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

    Waste crime is financially motivated so we know investing our efforts in making sure it doesn’t pay will make it far less attractive to criminals.

    That’s why we are excited to have launched our new Economic Crime Unit, which will bolster our efforts to carry out financial investigations and tackle money laundering.

    Environment Minister Robbie Moore said:

    We are all victims of waste crime – criminals leave a trail of both environmental damage and ill-gotten gains, while gangsters’ misdeeds can even include drugs, trafficking and firearms.

    The establishment of the Economic Crime Unit provides another powerful tool in our fight against waste criminals who undermine legitimate business and blight communities.

    We are going further to remould the waste industry and combat cowboy operators, including by introducing mandatory digital waste tracking and reforming the waste carriers regime, meaning those transporting or making decisions about waste must demonstrate they are competent to do so.

    Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), Jacob Hayler, said: 

    From fly-tipping to landfill tax evasion, waste crime is fundamentally a financial crime predicated on avoiding the cost of proper waste treatment in pursuit of maximum profit – leaving society and the natural environment to foot the bill while undermining legitimate business.

    For too long, criminals operating in our sector have viewed enforcement and criminal penalties as an acceptable cost of business, so the ESA and its members very much welcome the Environment Agency’s new financial investigatory efforts, alongside tougher asset-denial measures to demonstrate that crime in our sector doesn’t pay.

    The Environment Agency’s third national survey on the extent and nature of waste crime found 18% of all waste in England was perceived to be illegally managed – that’s approximately 34 million tonnes across England every year, enough to fill 4 million skips.

    The Environment Agency continues to take the fight to criminals with coordinated operations. In January, a man who was jailed for persistently importing and burning waste on a large scale at two sites in Essex was ordered to pay costs of £85,000 following a successful conviction.

    Last year, a man found guilty of running an illegal waste site in Kent was ordered to pay fines, costs and compensation of more than £20,000 after magistrates said the offence was committed for “greed and profit”.

    Following an Environment Agency prosecution, operators of a quarry near Stevenage were given prison sentences in November 2023 after storing and burying enough illegal waste to fill the Royal Albert Hall nearly three times over.

    Last September, a director and his waste company were ordered to pay nearly £110,000 following a case brought by the Environment Agency for illegal waste activities in Worcestershire.

    Elsewhere, a prolific waste crime offender was ordered to pay nearly £367,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in January 2023 after the Environment Agency pursued confiscation proceedings.

    Wider action

    The Economic Crime Unit will utilise all the working relationships the Environment Agency has already established with partners such as the police and HMRC.

    Beyond the Economic Crime Unit, the Environment Agency continues to go further in its efforts to end waste crime. Since April 2022, the Environment Agency has had access to the Police National Computer, Police National Database and National Automatic Number Plate Recognition Service. The Environment Agency is one of three non-police law enforcement agencies with permission to access these databases. This strong working with the police has led to waste criminals being shut down faster.

    Action has been backed up by changes in government policy to beef up the powers that regulators have to take on waste criminals, including commitments to reforming the carriers, brokers, dealers system and the introduction of mandatory waste tracking to improve regulation and enforcement of operators in the waste industry.

    The Environment Agency has also begun innovative new ways of working with partners across Government and industry to stop waste crime. For instance, customs export data is now shared regularly by HMRC to help identify illegal waste exports. This data helps to give a much better picture of what is being exported where and by who to increase the intelligence picture and help identify and target criminality.

    This intelligence-led approach means the Environment Agency has more information to focus on the worst criminals and the biggest environmental harms and threats across the country. This new sharing agreement with HMRC will enable efficient deployment of our resources through increased understanding of export routes and patterns so field officers can be sent out to intercept illegal shipments before they leave the country.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Unlocking the potential of quantum – £45 million investment to drive breakthroughs in brain scanners, navigation systems, and quantum computing [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Unlocking the potential of quantum – £45 million investment to drive breakthroughs in brain scanners, navigation systems, and quantum computing [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 5 February 2024.

    The government is today investing a total of £45 million in the UK’s quantum sector – as part of its commitment to transforming into a quantum-enabled economy by 2033 – seizing this technology’s potential to overhaul healthcare, energy, transport and more.

    • the government is today investing a total of £45 million in the UK’s quantum sector – as part of its commitment to transforming into a quantum-enabled economy by 2033 – seizing this technology’s potential to overhaul healthcare, energy, transport and more
    • £30 million investment will go to developing and delivering world-leading prototype quantum computers, providing scientists and engineers with a controlled environment for experimentation
    • winners of the £15 million Quantum Catalyst Fund announced to accelerate the adoption of quantum solutions by the public sector, on projects from optimising power grids through to improving diagnosis of dementia

    Accelerating the use of quantum technology to improve healthcare, energy, transport and more has received a major boost as Science Minister Andrew Griffith announces £45 million of investment today (Monday 5 February).

    The projects receiving funding include the development of a high-tech brain scanner using quantum technology, aiming to improve the diagnosis of disorders such as epilepsy and dementia, and a smart navigation system for trains, using quantum sensors to save costs and enhance safety in tunnels. These initiatives represent cutting-edge advancements, being developed here in the UK, that could revolutionise healthcare and transport.

    Quantum technologies hold the potential to tackle intricate problems that currently surpass the capacities of even the most advanced classical computers and will allow us to reach new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications.

    During a visit to Cerca Magnetics, a University of Nottingham spin-out company supported through the National Quantum Technologies Programme, Minister Griffith will outline how this £45 million funding supports the government’s vision to transform into a quantum-enabled economy by 2033.

    The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Missions Fund and the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) have invested £30 million through a competition to develop and deliver world-leading quantum computing hardware prototypes. Another £15 million from the Quantum Catalyst Fund is set to accelerate use of quantum in government. Both initiatives will enable quantum technologies to be used in real-life applications, both in the private and public sector.

    Science Minister, Andrew Griffith MP, said:

    As we steer towards an economy benefitting from quantum, this further £45 million in funding underscores our commitment to support bright UK innovators who are pushing boundaries and seizing the potential of this technology to transform our public services.

    Cutting-edge work on a quantum enabled brain scanner, which will be a beacon of hope for those battling neurological conditions, is just one example.

    The UK is already one global leader in quantum and to maintain that position this government will continue to invest in this transformational technology propelling the UK into a new era of technological prowess and economic growth.

    Quantum technologies are recognised as one of the government’s five critical technologies as set out in the UK Science and Technology Framework. They already offer possible solutions to some of society’s greatest challenges and provide future capabilities that are yet to be explored.

    Over the next ten years, quantum technologies are expected to revolutionise many aspects of life in the UK and bring enormous benefits such as helping to grow our economy and create well-paid jobs across the country – one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities.

    UKRI, in partnership with NQCC, is investing in projects to create world-leading quantum computing testbeds based on various technologies. These testbeds will speed up the development of scalable quantum computers and provide a practical way to test and validate their performance, moving beyond just theoretical approaches.

    By running quantum algorithms on different hardware, the projects aim to identify which technology is most effective for specific types of problems. The winning companies will gain direct access to the expertise within the NQCC and its user community. Seven projects will set up testbeds using different quantum computing platforms, including trapped-ion, superconducting, photonics, and neutral atoms.

    The £15 million Quantum Catalyst Fund aims to fast-track the integration of quantum solutions in the public sector, strategically positioning the UK Government to leverage the diverse advantages of quantum technologies across different policy areas – from healthcare where quantum sensors could be used to look for the signs of dementia, to energy where quantum computers could help manage the electricity grid.

    During an initial 3-month phase 1 of the competition, feasibility studies were conducted to explore the application of quantum technologies in addressing governmental challenges. The six most promising concepts selected for phase 2 will now receive funding to develop prototypes and demonstrate their solutions.

    The competition is being delivered by Innovate UK, part of UKRI, in conjunction with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). It is part of the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme which has been running since 2014 to put the UK at the forefront of quantum technologies globally.

    Dr Michael Cuthbert, Director of the National Quantum Computing Centre, said:

    My congratulations to the lead providers of our seven awarded quantum testbeds. Over the coming 15 months these prototype quantum computing platforms will be deployed into the newly established NQCC facility providing us with a valuable insight into the maturity, characteristics and capabilities available across a range of hardware architectures.

    This next phase of the NQCC will be one of huge promise establishing a unique state of the art facility with on-premises access to a range of qubit modalities at scale.

    Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director, Cross-Council Programmes at UKRI, said:

    We are on the brink of a quantum technology revolution that is poised to transform diverse industries from the financial sector to healthcare, and UKRI is committed to ensuring the UK’s place at the forefront of this.

    We are providing our world-leading businesses and institutions the resources and tools needed to build a strong foundation in quantum computing with the potential to scale their activities for long-term competitive advantage.

    This investment will help our researchers and innovators develop the blueprint for quantum computing hardware and software and secure the UK’s place in this developing field.

    Professor Will Drury, Executive Director, Digital and Technologies at Innovate UK said:

    Quantum technologies have the potential to meet some of the greatest challenges society faces. By unleashing computing power that goes far beyond existing digital technology, we can reach new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications.

    This could be transformative for life in the UK and will create new, well-paid jobs that will boost our future economy.

    The National Quantum Strategy, published in March 2023, commits £2.5 billion to developing quantum technologies in the UK over the ten years from 2024 – more than doubling current public investment, which will aim to generate an additional £1 billion of private investment into the programme.

    The strategy sets out a bold and ambitious approach to supporting quantum technologies in the UK across the broad spectrum of quantum computing, sensing, timing, imaging and communications. It sets out how the UK will develop its strengths across different hardware platforms, software and components, and reinforce our capabilities throughout the supply chains.

    More detail on the announcements:

    • Quantum Computing Testbeds competition

    UKRI Technology Missions Fund and the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre are investing £30 million to drive forward projects that will deliver quantum computing testbeds, based on diverse hardware architectures by March 2025. The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition, delivered by Innovate UK, accelerates the development of scalable quantum computers by enabling detailed characterisation and benchmarking of early-stage machines.

    A quantum testbed provides a controlled environment where scientists and engineers can manipulate and study quantum bits (or qubits), which are the basic unit of information in quantum computing. It enables testing and validation of new quantum algorithms, devices, or technologies as a part of the scaling-up process for practical use.

    This approach seeks to bridge the gap between academic experimentation and proprietary commercial quantum computers. These testbeds will provide a crucial experimental framework, facilitating the refinement of methodologies for testing, validating, and enhancing the performance of quantum computers.

    • Quantum Catalyst Fund

    The £15 million Quantum Catalyst Fund, also delivered by Innovate UK, looks to explore the benefits of using quantum technologies in the government’s work across areas like health, transport and net zero. The competition aims to accelerate the adoption of quantum solutions by the public sector and will ensure the UK government is well-placed to fully harness the benefits of using these technologies across a range of policy areas.

    The first round of feasibility studies under the fund, 30 projects explored how quantum technology can provide new capabilities in public services, such as quantum-enabled brain imaging in healthcare to tackle epilepsy, concussion, and dementia, or quantum computing that can solve optimisation problems in energy grids, helping us to reach net zero. The winners of the second phase of the competition will receive funding from the SBRI fund to build physical prototypes for their sponsoring government agency/department.

    The Quantum Catalyst Fund is funded by DSIT and Innovate UK. SBRI offers organisations the opportunity to work directly with the public sector to develop new technologies and processes, helping to meet efficiency targets and improving public services. It supports the research and development of solutions to solve public sector challenges.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints to be accelerated [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints to be accelerated [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 5 February 2024.

    New measures will mean EV owners benefit from easier and more convenient access to chargepoints.

    • new grants for state-funded schools, nurseries and more to help with EV chargepoint costs
    • new proposals to ensure chargepoints can be installed even faster
    • five more local authorities set to receive funding for local chargepoints
    • measures delivered as part of our Plan for Drivers – making it easier for drivers to make the switch

    New measures to support electric vehicle drivers from the government’s Plan for Drivers have launched today (5 February 2024), including grants for schools, cash for councils and new proposals to boost chargepoint numbers.

    Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, will launch support for greener schools in Nottinghamshire today, with a new grant providing up to 75% of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket, up from the previous £350.

    Paid for by the Department for Transport, the grant forms part of the Workplace Charging Scheme and is available for state-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies to boost the chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors. This could also help schools to generate revenue by making their chargepoints available to the public.

    The school’s grant is for state-funded schools and education institutions, which must have dedicated off-street parking facilities – applications can be made online. Independent schools may apply for funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for SMEs.

    The government is also delivering the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to local authorities across the country. The first capital payments for charging projects have been approved to 3 local authorities from East Sussex to North Yorkshire, and 2 London boroughs, bringing the total funding for these areas to more than £ 14.2 million. The funding will support the installation of thousands of new chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers in every area of the country.

    Through our LEVI capability funding, almost 100 dedicated EV officers have been newly recruited to support chargepoint procurement. To aid local authorities in building a skilled workforce and delivering their charging projects, the government is also launching the electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course for their officers, which will open to all local authorities from mid-March following a successful trial.

    Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

    We’re getting on with delivering our Plan for Drivers, and this latest set of measures will mean EV owners everywhere benefit from easier and more convenient access to chargepoints.

    This government has already spent over £ 2 billion to ensure a smooth switch to EVs, and we’re committed to supporting drivers as we transition towards net zero in a proportionate way that doesn’t burden working people.

    More and more drivers are making the switch to electric vehicles, with fully electric vehicles accounting for over 16% of the new UK car market in 2023, according to industry statistics. The number of plug-in vehicles in the UK has also risen to over 1.2 million, of which 770,000 are fully battery-electric, meaning more and more drivers are making the switch.

    As this number continues to grow, government is investing alongside industry in EV infrastructure to ensure we meet our climate change commitments, while charting the fairest path to net zero which does not unnecessarily burden families.

    New laws recently came into force to provide EV drivers with easier and more reliable public charging, mandating that prices across chargepoints are transparent, easy to compare and that a large proportion of new public chargepoints have contactless payment options. This comes as over 53,000 public chargepoints have been installed across the UK, demonstrating the progress that has been made in the switch to electric.

    Minister for the School System and Student Finance at the Department for Education, Baroness Barran, said:

    This is an exciting opportunity for schools across the UK to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector. Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments.

    Developing a greener education estate is a key element of our sustainability and climate change strategy. The expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero.

    In addition, the government is today launching a consultation to look at ways to speed up chargepoint installation across the country. The proposals would give EV chargepoint operators the right to carry out street works using a permit rather than a licence.

    Permits can be issued much faster, taking days instead of months, and are significantly cheaper to obtain than licences, reducing costs for operators and speeding up the chargepoint rollout for drivers.

    While the consultation runs, a new good practice guide has been published by the government to improve consistency in processing licence applications across different areas.

    These are the second package of measures delivered from the government’s Plan for Drivers and follow last month’s announcement of a crackdown on disruptive roadworks and better digital information to boost sat-nav accuracy.

    To further deliver on our Plan for Drivers’ commitments, we have published a list of common questions and answers on the transition to EVs, including battery range and chargepoint availability across the country.

    To provide further flexibility to individuals and organisations wishing to install EV charging outlets, we will shortly consult on removing the 2-metre limitation so that wall-mounted outlets and upstands can be installed anywhere within an area lawfully used for off-street parking.

    Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said:

    Through initiatives like the Electric Vehicle Cable Channel Pilot Programme and improving local electric vehicle infrastructure, we’re working hard to help residents without off-street parking, along with road users in Nottinghamshire, to charge their electric vehicles.

    We are continuing with our ambition to make Nottinghamshire healthier, more prosperous, and greener. Initiatives like this are a step closer to achieving these ambitions.

    As a county, we must do all that we can to protect the environment, and that’s why we welcome this continued government support, which helps us to roll out electric vehicle infrastructure more widely across Nottinghamshire.

    These measures come following the UK’s world-leading path to reaching zero emission vehicles by 2035 coming into effect earlier this year. The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030, providing certainty to consumers and industry – helping speed up the rollout of chargepoints.

    The government’s approach to EVs has already attracted record investment in gigafactories and EV manufacturing, including:

    • Nissan’s recent investment of over £3 billion to develop 2 new electric vehicles at their Sunderland plant
    • Tata’s investment of over £4 billion in a new 40 GWh gigafactory
    • BMW’s investment of £600 million to build next-generation MINI EVs in Oxford
    • Ford’s investment of £380 million in Halewood to make electric drive units
    • Stellantis’ £100 million investment in Ellesmere Port for EV van production

    Last year, the UK and EU agreed to extend trade rules on electric vehicles, saving manufacturers and consumers up to £4.3 billion in additional costs and providing long-term certainty for industry.

    In addition, the On-street residential chargepoint scheme (ORCS) is open to all UK local authorities.

    Grants are also available to help businesses make the transition through the government’s Workplace charging scheme (WCS), as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the Electric vehicle chargepoint grant.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New teaching apprenticeship set to transform pathway to classroom [February 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : New teaching apprenticeship set to transform pathway to classroom [February 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 4 February 2024.

    New teacher degree apprenticeship will support schools to recruit and retain the excellent teachers they need in vital subjects including maths.

    A new teaching apprenticeship will launch this autumn revolutionising the way schools recruit teachers while supporting more people to earn while they study for a degree.

    The teacher degree apprenticeship will offer a high-quality, alternative route for people to become qualified teachers. This includes people who may not be able to take time out to study full-time for a degree such as teaching assistants or staff already working in schools, to access this route to a rewarding profession.

    Trainees on the new teacher degree apprenticeship will spend around 40 per cent of their time studying for their degree with an accredited teacher training provider, gain qualified teacher status and all tuition fees are paid for, so trainees won’t be saddled with the student debt.

    The announcement coincides with national apprenticeship week. Apprenticeships are a brilliant way for people of all ages and backgrounds to build successful careers in a huge range of professions from nursing to medical doctors and space engineering to fusion technology, with opportunities available at all levels up to a degree level.

    Since 2010, over 5.7 million people have started their apprenticeship journey and the government is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, ensuring businesses have a pipeline of talent to grow the economy.

    Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of the government’s plans to provide people with an excellent route into some of the best careers and contributing to a high-skill, high-productivity economy.

    Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, said:

    The teacher degree apprenticeship will open up the profession to more people, from those who want a career change to those who are looking for an earn and learn route without student debt.

    It will be a game-changing opportunity for schools to nurture and retain talent from the ground up, helping apprentices to gain the knowledge and skills they need to teach future generations.

    There are record numbers of teachers working in schools – up by 27,000 since 2010. To attract the brightest and the best teachers, the government is investing £196 million this academic year to get more teachers across key subjects.

    The TDA will build on this by diversifying the route into teaching and ensuring schools across the country can continue to recruit the teachers they need so young people have access to the top teaching talent they need to succeed. There are almost 400,000 individual teaching assistants in state funded schools in England. The TDA will provide a new route for teaching assistants who do not have an existing degree to train to become a teacher and continue their career progression in the classroom.

    By the end of 2022 almost 90 per cent of 16-17 year olds were in education or apprenticeships. The latest figures show an 11% increase in the number of young people starting their apprenticeship journey compared to the same point last year, with young people continuing to make up over half of all apprenticeship starts.

    As the government prepares to introduce the new advanced british standard, which will see all young people study some form of English and maths to the age of 18, it will be more important than ever for schools to attract and retain teachers in these vital subjects.

    To support schools to offer the new apprenticeship, the government will launch a pilot scheme working with a small number of schools and teacher training providers to fund up to 150 apprentices to work in secondary schools to teach maths. Training providers will bid to partake in the pilot and trainees will be recruited from this autumn and start their training the following year.

    Degree level apprenticeships have grown in popularity in recent years with a wide range of opportunities already available including construction, accounting and law.

    The Department for Education and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) are working with an employer-led trailblazer group to develop the teacher degree apprenticeship to ensure it is high quality and meets the needs of schools.

    The South Farnham Educational Trust, the chairs of the trailblazer group, said:

    The TDA presents an ideal opportunity for talented professionals without a degree to pursue their dream of teaching.

    The opportunity to gain QTS and a degree through the new TDA would enable our Trust to invest in talented individuals early in their career and grow them into outstanding teachers of the future.

    The TDA allows individuals to earn a salary while completing their teacher training, supporting those who may not have the financial means to pursue a traditional university-based teacher training programme.

    The Stoke and Staffordshire Teacher Education Collective, together with Staffordshire University, said:

    This new route to qualification will offer a potentially powerful combination of reflective and on the job learning within and for our local communities.

    It will enable us to widen opportunities for people committed to the transformative role that education plays in society.

    Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), said:

    Having this alternative quality route into teaching should make a big difference with encouraging people from wider backgrounds into the profession, helping with social mobility and making sure schools get all the talented teachers they need.

    I think it’s also really important that this will provide extra support for brilliant teaching assistants and other people working in schools, who want to be teachers, to make that next step.

    The teacher degree apprenticeship is a four-year training programme and will be available for people to train as primary or secondary teachers. It will build on the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship (PGTA) by offering a work-based route to attaining degree and qualified teacher status (QTS).

    The teacher degree apprenticeship grant funding pilot will be a one-cohort pilot and evidence will be used to inform the future of the programme. Providers and employing schools will be able to develop and run teacher degree apprenticeship courses without additional funding within the same timeframes as the pilot.