WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
UK/EU/World financial Services & international customs declarations could not really happen without Data Transfers! |
How will the exchange of personal data be affected by the UK-EU future relationship? Conversation around the UK/EU trade deal has mostly focused on how goods will be exported & imported in the future. However, UK trade with the EU is also conducted away from customs locations at sea, rail & airports, particularly when it comes to the trade in services which make up a majority of the UK’s trade with the EU. The UK is a major data hub, while the UK makes up around 3% of global GDP, 11.5% of global cross-border data flows pass through the UK, 75% of this traffic is with the EU. Data will therefore be a major component in the future relationship with the EU, with both the trade in goods & services underpinned by exchanges of data. During the transition period there will be no change to UK data protection rules, it will be business as usual as set out here in a notice from the ICO. However, at the end of the transition period the U.K. will be a third country, no longer part of the EU’s data protection regime and as a result there will be no intrinsic entitlement to allow data to be transferred between the U.K. and the EU. To facilitate the future exchange of data, such as personal data, these exchanges will need to be governed either under an agreement between the U.K. and the EU known as an adequacy agreement or through special clauses known as appropriate safeguards. Detailed information on these clauses can be found here from the ICO. A positive adequacy decision between the UK and the EU is overwhelmingly in the interests of both sides, as well as the thousands of UK & EU individuals, businesses and civil society groups that exchange data every day. An adequacy decision also does not place legal restrictions on the autonomy of either the UK or the EU, and supports the objectives of both sides for achieving a new and beneficial trading relationship. The below FAQs set out the circumstances under which personal data will be able to be exchanged between the U.K. and the EU in the event of a positive adequacy decision being granted as well as in the case where a decision is not reached.
For further information ICO guidance on international transfers can be found here, while techUK has also produced webcasts and FAQs to help businesses plan for a no adequacy outcome. |
Researched Links: |
techUK: How will the exchange of personal data be affected by the UK-EU future relationship? EU promotes digitalisation of freight transport information EU and global securities regulators welcome agreement on data transfer |
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The ‘North’ is capable of ‘doing things’ if it is given the resources |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GCMA) outlines its five digital priorities in its refreshed Digital Blueprint. Councillor Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council and GMCA Digital Portfolio Leader recently launched a refreshed digital strategy and blueprint for Greater Manchester. It sets out a 3 year approach to the regions digital priorities with a clear focus on delivering benefits that help the city region’s people lead healthier, happier lives with the aims of:
To achieve its ambition, Greater Manchester will take an ecosystem approach. This means supporting & enabling private, academic and not-for-profit sector work & identifying where there are gaps and initiatives needed at a pan-GM level. |
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techUK: Greater Manchester digital blueprint launch |
Well, we certainly need one! |
Ministers have announced that the government is minded to appoint communications watchdog Ofcom as the regulator to enforce rules to make the internet a safer place. The announcement comes as the government publishes its initial response to the public consultation on the Online Harms White Paper. The move is part of plans to protect children & vulnerable people online and give consumers greater confidence to use technology. It will provide the certainty technology businesses need to flourish and innovate while creating a fair & proportionate regulatory environment. Ofcom will get new powers to carry out its extended responsibilities. This will include making sure online companies have the systems & processes in place to fulfil the duty of care to keep people using their platforms safe. The government has set out how different approaches to legal & illegal content will be taken and freedom of speech will be protected, as well as the businesses that are likely to be in scope. It will publish a full consultation response in Spring 2020. This will set out further details of the potential enforcement powers Ofcom may have. The government will carefully consider the full impacts of this potential change both for Ofcom and to inform broader work on the regulatory landscape. |
Researched Links: |
Government minded to appoint Ofcom as online harms regulator Ofcom response to Government announcement on online harms regulation ICO: Statement regarding the government’s initial response to Online Harms White Paper consultation IEA: Govt response to Online Harms consultation threatens freedom of speech & innovation techUK supports #SaferInternetDay 2020 as we seek to build a better and safer internet for all techUK: Staying Safe Online Campaign Week techUK supports #SaferInternetDay 2020 as we seek to build a better & safer internet for all NCFE: Key ways to address online safety BCS responds to the appointment of Ofcom as online harms regulator |
Editor’s choice of other ICT items of note: |
Defra: Access to Government Gateway is changing for users of older technology NCSC: Development days open for CyberFirst Girls |
SME Supplier Locator update... | ||||
UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. Against this ambitious backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers.
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Widening the scope of planned precautions |
The DHSC is evaluating the potential impact of coronavirus on the supply of medicines & medical goods. The Chinese government continues to impose further restrictions on movement within China in response to the coronavirus outbreak, including on flight and rail travel. To relieve potential pressures on global supply chains, suppliers have been asked to carry out a risk assessment on the impact of coronavirus on their business. As an extra precaution, companies have also been asked to retain existing stockpiles of medical supplies, compiled as a contingency measure ahead of our exit from the EU, where possible. There are no current medicine shortages in the UK linked to the situation in China but the UK government is taking precautionary measures to help continue the uninterrupted supply of medicines to patients in the UK. The latest information on coronavirus is available at gov.uk/coronavirus. |
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DHSC: Government to monitor impact of coronavirus on UK medicine supply DHSC: Coronavirus: Health Secretary's statement to Parliament PHE novel coronavirus diagnostic test rolled out across UK Statement from NHS England & NHS Improvement on Coronavirus Secretary of State makes new regulations on Coronavirus ScotGov: Novel coronavirus testing being established in Scotland DIFD: New UK aid to help stop the spread of coronavirus around the world |
The odds are stacked against them in the ‘lottery of life’ as it is |
Putting children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation will become illegal, under plans announced to drive up the quality of children’s social care. Proposals to stop children in care from being placed in inappropriate accommodation will be published as part of a consultation, tackling growing concerns about the number of under-16s being left at risk of exploitation. Minimum standards will also be introduced for unregulated accommodation, which provides accommodation but not care. Under the strict new proposals, the Government would also introduce national standards for unregulated accommodation to improve the quality & security of the placements. This will mean that where this is used appropriately for young people aged 16 & over, safety and quality is prioritised. The consultation also proposes new legal powers for Ofsted to crack down on illegal unregistered providers – those providing care for children without being registered to do so – and new measures requiring councils and local police forces to work together before placements in unregulated settings are made out of area, putting the interests of young people at the heart of decisions. More than 6,000 looked-after children & young people in England are living in unregulated accommodation, with up to 100 under 16s living in unregulated provision at any one time. Under the plans, legislation will be amended so that Ofsted can take legal action before prosecution and issue enforcement notices, which will result in illegal providers either being forced to close, register or face a penalty. |
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DfE: Strict new measures to protect vulnerable children in care Unregulated provision for children in care and care leavers consultation LGA responds to government consultation on unregulated children's homes |
Not helped by storms & endless rain |
Loneliness and social isolation are often thought of as issues that affect older people however, they are increasingly becoming issues that can be experienced by us all. The Welsh Government’s 2017-18 National Survey for Wales showed 16% of the population aged over 16 years said they felt lonely - with younger people more likely to report feeling lonely than older people. The Deputy Minister for Health & Social Services, Julie Morgan, has launched Wales’ first ever Loneliness & social isolation strategy, called Loneliness and social isolation: Connected Communities. The strategy will be supported by a £1.4m loneliness & social isolation fund over 3 years. The fund will support community based organisations to deliver & test out, or scale up, innovative approaches to tackling loneliness and social isolation. The strategy is the first step in helping to change how people think about loneliness & social isolation. It sets out our vision for a connected Wales and has 4 priority areas:
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WAG: Tackling loneliness & social isolation through connected communities NHS Confed: NHS Wales doing all it can to address the challenges of loneliness & social isolation “Loneliness and isolation in rural Wales is a ticking time bomb” – Huw Irranca-Davies Winter is often the loneliest time Looking for solutions to a growing problem |
For better or (possibly) worse! |
PM Boris Johnson has confirmed HS2 will go ahead, alongside radical improvements to local transport networks across the country. In a statement to Parliament he set out that, after careful consideration of the independent Oakervee review, the decision has been taken to proceed with HS2. With the right reforms in place, HS2 will become the spine of the country’s transport network, bringing our biggest cities closer together, boosting productivity and rebalancing opportunity fairly across the country. Alongside this, the PM outlined his vision for a revolution in local transport to ensure that towns & cities in every region have the modern, joined up network needed to fire up economic growth. A multi-£bn package to transform buses & cycling will deliver at least 4,000 new Zero Emission buses, higher frequency services (including evenings and weekends), more affordable, simpler fares, and new priority schemes to make routes more efficient. The £5bn in new funding will also help build over 250 miles of new, high quality separated cycle routes, and dozens of ‘Mini-Holland’ schemes to make town centres safer for cyclists & pedestrians. The PM also pledged further upgrades for local connections including:
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DfT: PM confirms HS2 will go ahead alongside revolution in local transport 10DS: PM statement on transport infrastructure: 11 February 2020 CBI responds to HS2 statement from Prime Minister The Wildlife Trusts: HS2 decision will destroy precious wild places TUC: HS2 is a vital upgrade and can create thousands of good jobs DfT: Major boost for bus services as PM outlines new vision for local transport APM responds to announcement from Government about HS2 IEA: The decision to go ahead with HS2 is “highly unlikely to transform the North” DfT: A new chapter for northern transport NIC: Armitt: Government’s infrastructure strategy can’t stop at HS2 Spend the money where it is needed; in the Midlands and North! APM: You have to ‘take people with you, not just direct them’ |
Editorial Commentary; I can understand the EU not mentioning them, but why does the UK media never do a detailed analysis of how the EU will suffer if we move to WTO tariffs? |
One has been watching the EU Parliament on the BBC Parliament channel discussing how the UK is a Third Country and how we will never get a FTA unless we accept terms that will turn Brexit into BRINO and how all our goods will be tariffed – so making the more difficult to sell – when it suddenly struck me that there was never any mention of the tariffs that the EU countries will have to pay to export to the UK. From the UK side, here is the Temporary tariff regime for no deal Brexit published - GOV.UK. Readers should also ensure they read the informative ‘Notes to editors’. The above will soon be superseded by the results of the Public Consultation on the UK Global Tariff, which closes on the 05 March 2020. The UKGT will apply to goods imported into the UK on 1 January 2021 and thereafter unless an exception such as a preferential arrangement, e.g. under a free trade agreement, or a tariff suspension applies. This tariff will not apply to goods coming from developing countries that benefit under the Generalised System of Preferences, or to goods originating from countries with which the UK has negotiated a Free Trade Agreement. The Northern Ireland / Ireland Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement provides for certain specific arrangements as regards Northern Ireland. The EU is threatening to ban / tariff fish transported from the UK if their fishermen are excluded from UK waters. They should bear in mind that:
Given that European fishermen have been selling ‘our’ fish to us for the last 47 years, one suspects that (after an initial hiccup), UK fishermen will be able to make a good living selling UK fish on the UK market. Editorial Commentary; Foretaste of the EC’s concept of a ‘Fair Trade Deal’? Equivalence for Fish? Err, that’s not a deal One also wonders if the French & other foreign trawlers who land their catch at Peterhead (to avoid sailing back to France, etc. to unload) and then immediately load it into lorries for transport to the EU will have to pay tariffs upon crossing the Channel, as they will be importing it? |
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Are the EU 27 fully prepared for Brexit? One notes that the Commonwealth population is over 5 times the size of a post Brexit EU! B4B: Fact Checking the BBC Fact Checkers |
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