RPC launches new e-learning material for policymakers

News story

The RPC is pleased to publish its first e-learning course on Effective Consultations for Gathering Evidence.

The RPC is pleased to publish its first e-learning course on Effective Consultation for Gathering Evidence as part of its ambition for better evidence-based regulation.

The RPC seeks to establish strong collaborative relationships with government departments to allow it to support the best possible regulatory policy making. RPC support is offered to departments and regulators throughout the policy development process and, while the submission of consultation stage impact assessments for RPC scrutiny remains voluntary, departments are encouraged to engage with us at the earliest stage possible.

The process of consultation is a key part of gathering high-quality evidence for making decisions on whether to regulate. This new e-learning course introduces policymakers to the basics of who to consult at the appropriate times and how to ask effective questions that will help acquire the most effective evidence to support decisions that benefit UK economy and society.

The RPC believes that more effective consultation helps to produce more accurate analysis of the costs and benefits of regulation (including impacts on business) before final decisions are made.

The RPC will be developing further e-learning courses. Meanwhile, we welcome feedback on the this very first course.

Published 3 June 2021



PM call with President Moon Jae-in: 3 June 2021

News story

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in.

The Prime Minister spoke to Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in this morning ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit, which President Moon will attend as a guest.

The leaders discussed their ambitions for the Summit, including working together to lead a global recovery from coronavirus. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that attending countries will make ambitious commitments to increase global access to coronavirus vaccines.

They also discussed the importance of using the G7 to agree action to tackle climate change and support green growth ahead of the COP26 Summit, and to increase support for access to education in developing countries, via the Global Partnership for Education.

The Prime Minister underscored the importance of the UK-Republic of Korea relationship in areas including trade, investment and security. He said the visit of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group to South Korea later this year would be an exciting opportunity to deepen that relationship.

The leaders also discussed the importance of stability in the Korean Peninsula.

They looked forward to meeting in person in Cornwall next week.

Published 3 June 2021



Surge testing to be deployed in Derbyshire

News story

Surge testing being deployed in Derbyshire following the identification of a small number of confirmed cases of the variant first identified in India, B1.617.2

NHS Test and Trace – in partnership with the local authority – is launching additional testing and genomic sequencing in Gamesley Ward, High Peak in Derbyshire.

This surge testing is being deployed following the identification of a small number of confirmed cases of the variant first identified in India, B1.617.2. All the confirmed cases have been instructed to self-isolate and their contacts have been identified.

Everyone aged 5 and over who lives or works in this area is strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 PCR test from today, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern (VOC). This is where contact tracers look back over an extended period to determine the route of transmission.

By using PCR tests, positive results are then sent for genomic sequencing at specialist laboratories, helping us to identify COVID-19 cases with a variant of concern and prevent their spread.

If you have symptoms you should book a free test online or by phone. You can then go to a testing site or have a kit sent to your home. If you have no symptoms, you should visit the local authority’s website for more information.

People in this local area should continue to make use of free twice-weekly rapid tests, commonly known as lateral flow devices or LFDs, alongside the PCR test as part of surge testing.

Published 3 June 2021



Crime duty rota guidance

Rota Approach

The LAA are making this announcement now as the deadline for submission of CRM12s for the October rotas is 12 July 2021, to ensure that providers have as much notice as possible of our intended approach for the October rotas.

The agency recognises it is possible the situation with regards to the COVID-19 outbreak may not go as planned. If this is the case and it looks to affect the October rota period, we will amend the guidance accordingly.

April 2021 duty rotas

The duty solicitor contingency arrangement will now finish at the end of the current April duty rotas on 30 September 2021.

Under this scheme, the LAA will not take contractual action where a duty solicitor is unable to comply with the engaged requirements because of the impact of COVID-19.

Providers should inform their contract manager immediately if a duty solicitor gives notice of leaving their employment or ceases to be engaged by them.

Engaged requirements include 14 hours per week criminal defence work and a minimum number of police station and court attendances.

Guidance on the duty solicitor contingency arrangement can be found through our schedule of processes restarting after the COVID-19 contingency.

October 2021 duty rotas

New guidance sets out that CRM12 applications to add duty solicitors to the October rotas should only be made where there is a reasonable expectation the engaged requirements for the duty solicitor will be met from 1 October.

This is because the October rotas are not anticipated to cover a period of either COVID-19 lockdown or restrictions. Should that change, the LAA will amend the guidance accordingly.

CRM12s will need to be submitted by 11.59pm on 12 July 2021. The police station and court duty rotas will run for the usual 6 months.

Providers submitting a CRM12 for a new duty solicitor will need to provide a copy of their Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) certificate. But the LAA are making exceptional arrangements for new duty solicitors completing their CLAS accreditation in July 2021.

Providers may submit a CRM12 for these duty solicitor candidates for the 12 July 2021 deadline, but will have up to 6 August 2021 to submit the CLAS certificate. These exceptional arrangements will not apply to any future rotas after the October rotas.

Guidance on the process that will be followed for these applications is set out in the additional guidance document on the October 2021 duty rotas. This is published alongside the CRM12 form.

Further information

Schedule of processes restarting after COVID-19 contingency

CRM12: duty solicitor application when moving firm – form

Email crm12@justice.gov.uk to submit CRM12 applications by 11 January 2021

Duty solicitors: rotas, information and guidance – for the standard guidance on CRM12s for October 2021 rotas



UK Government funding available for Northern Ireland

News story

UK Government funding available for Northern Ireland

The UK government is committed to supporting communities across Northern Ireland to ensure that no community is left behind and to seek to build a more prospectus and stable future as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A number of new funds were announced at Budget to help build local economic growth and strengthen communities across the whole of the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland). Each of these funds has been designed to account for Northern Ireland’s unique place within the United Kingdom.

Funds open for bids now

Levelling Up fund

Levelling Up Fund
£4.8 billion investment across the UK in infrastructure and capital programmes that improves everyday life, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets up to 2024-2025.
Bids requiring less than £20 million of funding welcome from businesses, voluntary and community sector organisations, district councils, the Northern Ireland Executive and other public sector bodies as part of a competitive process.
Capital-only fund: no limit to the number of bids that an organisation can submit, with at least £800 million made available across Northern Ireland Wales and Scotland over four years from 2021-2022 to 2024-2025.
Application deadline is midday Friday 18 June 2021. Note: Bidders who are not local authorities will need to demonstrate they have the capacity and capability to deliver capital projects.
Application form here.
More info here.
UK Community Renewal Fund
£220 million investment across the UK in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.
Bids welcome from a range of local applicants including but not limited to: business, voluntary and community sector organisations, universities, colleges, district councils and other public sector bodies.
90% revenue fund: no limit to the number of bids that an organisation can submit, up to the total value of the Northern Ireland allocation of £11 million.
Application deadline is midday Friday 18 June 2021.
Application form here.
More info here.

Funds launching soon

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

PEACE PLUS

Community Ownership Fund
A new £150 million fund to help ensure that communities can support and continue
benefiting from the local facilities, community assets and amenities most important to them.
From summer 2021, community groups will be able to bid for up to £250,000 matched-funding to help
buy or take over local community assets at risk of being lost.
Projects could include community-
owned sports clubs, sporting and leisure facilities, cinemas and theatres, music venues, museums, galleries, parks, pubs and shops.
Full bidding prospectus to be published at the end of June 2021.
More info here.
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Replacing EU structural funding (e.g., European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund) with a fund that is better tailored to the UK economy and helps to level up and create opportunity across the UK for people and places.
Will target places most in need, including ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities.
A portion of the Fund will target places most in need across the UK, prioritising investment in people, investment in communities and place and investment for local business. A second portion of the Fund will be targeted differently to people most in need through bespoke employment and skills programmes that are tailored to local need.
Funding will ramp up following the launch of the fund in 2022 so that total domestic UK-wide funding will at least match EU receipts reaching around £1.5bn a year.
More info here.
PEACE PLUS
PEACE PLUS is the new EU cross-border programme that will contribute to a more prosperous and stable society in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland. It will build upon previous PEACE and INTERREG Programmes.
The programme will fund activities that promote peace and reconciliation and contribute to the cross-border economic and territorial development of the region.
The UK is the majority contributor, committing to providing over £500m to PEACE PLUS between now and 2027.
PEACE PLUS is the biggest PEACE programme yet bringing the total budget to approximately €1bn.
More info here.

Published 3 June 2021