WIREDGOV

New post-graduate artificial intelligence (AI) drive to boost productivity and create high skilled jobs as part of the modern Industrial Strategy.

• New industry-funded AI Masters, and 16 dedicated Centres at universities across the country to train the next generation of AIPhDs
• prestigious Alan Turing Institute AI research fellowships now open - allowing Britain to retain & attract the very best global talent
• new figures show that inward investment to the UK AI sector has increased by 17% over the past year, more than the whole of Europe combined

The CEO of Porchlight, tells us why their research into women who are rough sleeping in Kent has prompted the charity to do more to meet the very specific needs of this vulnerable group.

Kent, South East England has one of the highest percentages of people sleeping rough who are female in the country.  Last year, 1 in 5 of the people we found sleeping on our streets were women.

We spoke to 40 women who were either sleeping rough or had experience of rough sleeping to gain more understanding about the needs of this very vulnerable group and what we can do to better support them.  Our findings showed very high levels of vulnerability:

• 83% of the women we asked had experienced mental ill health
• 66% had experienced violence before they became homeless
• 54% had experienced violence when they were homeless
• 27% had been sexually assaulted or raped while rough sleeping)
• 66% had felt suicidal while sleeping rough
• 61% experienced physical health problems

The government launches a series of consultations to overhaul the waste system.

• Government launches consultations to overhaul the waste system, cut plastic pollution, and move towards a more circular economy.
• Packaging producers set to pay the full cost of dealing with their waste, more consistent household recycling, and a Deposit Return Scheme for cans and bottles, subject to consultation.
• Consultation also launched for a world-leading tax on plastic packaging which does not meet a minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content.
• New analysis published shows the net benefit to UK economy of the changes will run into £ms

New drone safety partnership with business launched as government sets out plans to limit drone misuse.

• extended ‘no-fly zone’ banning drones and model aircraft from 5km of runways to come into force next month
• government to give police new anti-drone misuse stop & search powers
• new partnership with retailer as part of a national campaign ahead of new law

The CAA’s Dronecode provides advice on how to fly your drone safely & follow the rules. (www.dronesafe.uk). 

It’s time for the Government (preferably by means of a properly ‘independent’ evaluation) to make clear by just how much the taxpayers of England subsidise Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.

A common theme of many press releases since the Brexit referendum issued by ScotGov & WAG has been ‘Promise to keep giving us the same (or more) EU grants, Barnett formula revenue, Support for North Sea Oil industry, etc. after Brexit.’  

PC&PE:  Scottish Affairs Committee demands a future deal to support oil & gas industry

ScotGov:  Brexit farm compensation

WAG:  Devolved administrations call for clarity on future funding post-Brexit

Now there is nothing wrong with these ‘demands’ while the UK remains one entity, sharing the ‘wealth of the Union to support the less ‘well off’ areas of the UK.  But during the same period we have also seen (from some vociferous sections of those communities) demands for increased ‘independence’.

Currently the UK as a whole pays the EU £bns per year to be a full member of the EU, of which we get less than 50% ‘back’ in grants, CAP payment, University research grants, etc. and (in the short/medium at least) the UK government can (following an eventual) clean break continue that funding, until different UK arrangements are made, which better suit the UK (rather than EU) priorities.

However, if in the future, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland vote to leave the UK, they will ‘lose their entitlement’ to that funding, so one wonders how they will manage their budgets.

For example, Scotland has seen the oil price effectively half since their last independence referendum and ScotGov would also do well to remember that Venezuela (which has the world’s largest reserves) is currently producing about 1% of its potential output, but if a proper democratic government is elected it may soon be in a position to resume a much higher production rate.  What price North Sea oil then?

As for a ‘Border Vote’ in NI, would English voters even consider contemplating an Irish ‘Backstop’ if they realised just how much they were subsiding NI by each year? A December 2018 article in the Irish Times concluded with the following possible ‘side of a bus’ slogan;   “We (the UK) send NI £204 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead. Vote Leave”?

Post-Brexit Britain may not want to pay for Northern Ireland

While an item in the Belfast Telegraph raised the question of whether the RoI could afford to absorb NI into a United Ireland and whether the ‘Backstop’ is really just their way of getting the UK to fund a 20-30 year transition period to unity and nothing to do with maintaining the Peace Process.

'Republic can't really afford united Ireland now, but if they could get ...

Edit Commentary; The HoL needs to explain why they haven’t apparently highlighted these points of negotiation in their debates!

ScotGov and WAG (with no ‘sitting NI Assembly, they have not had a ‘united voice’ for the last 2 years) have proposed an ‘interim’ alternative to independence which is an overall ‘Federal’ governing body which gives them an ‘equal combined say’ over how England’s revenue is disbursed over the UK and what ‘UK-wide’ policies should be implemented.  But why should England agree to that even if they can ‘agree’ on how a voting balance could be achieved?

Edit. Commentary; By how much should England ‘subsidise’ Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland?

Edit commentary; Some questions to ‘Remoaners’ and the SNP to inform voters before a 2nd Referendum

They want all the powers and for England to provide most of the subsidies

But do they expect English taxpayers to subsidise their plans?

One wonders how the SNP would finance an independent Scotland without Barnett formula

A lot of ‘promises’, but little detail on how they would be funded; especially in an independent Scotland

One final thought; if we are going to become an ‘Atlantic Singapore’ following a WTO Brexit on 29 March 2019, perhaps England should unilaterally ‘discard’ the ‘independence seeking’ ScotGov and WAG who keep demanding ever increasing English taxpayer subsidies?  They would then be free to re-join the EU, which they claim is what they want and England could flourish as a low tax Free Trade area!

This week MP’s vote on the EU’s Withdrawal Agreement.

For those of you who haven’t read the 500+ pages of the EU’s ‘offer of Vassalage’, Briefings for Brexit explains why it would create a trading environment worse than a UK exit based on WTO rules.