The Common Platform has gone live in further “early adopter” sites at Bristol Crown and Magistrates’ Courts, representing a major step forward for the Criminal Justice System in making the best use of digital technology. It has already been well established in Derby Crown and Magistrates’ Courts, and Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court and delivers a single, seamless source of information for participants in a criminal case from the initial point of arrest and throughout.

Designed to be used by court staff, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), defence professionals, police and other justice agencies, it provides secure, tailored access to information, so users can only access the information appropriate to them.

Once fully rolled out in England and Wales, Common Platform will enable greater efficiency across the Criminal Justice System. Today is the latest step in the first stage of introducing it to a series of selected early adopter courts across England and Wales, and progress has been made despite the uniquely challenging context of COVID-19.

Christine Murray, Delivery Director for the south-west region, said:

HMCTS staff in the south-west region, and colleagues from partner agencies across Bristol and the wider Avon and Somerset area, have worked exceptionally hard together to bring the Bristol early adopter sites to a stage of readiness, in spite of the challenges being presented by the pandemic.

It is a fantastic achievement, and great testament to the strength of our local relationships and the value of truly collaborative working. A huge thank you to everyone involved.

Common Platform cuts down the need for manual document handling and improves how criminal cases are accessed, managed and processed. It removes the need to copy information from one system to another, ensuring the integrity of crucial information and minimising duplication of effort. A range of features ensure cases are progressed effectively – for example, the system will automatically alert users when new case documents are available, or when tasks are outstanding.

The next courts due to go live with Common Platform will be in the north-east and south-east regions:

• North Tyneside, Mid and South-East Northumberland Magistrates’ Courts, and Newcastle Crown Court
• Guildford and Staines Magistrates’ Courts and Guildford Crown Court

Watch our webinar introducing Common Platform
Learn how defence professionals can register for an account
View guidance and learning materials for defence professionals

Thank you Chair. I would like to thank Ambassador Çevik for briefing us today and Ambassador Grau for providing her update through her representative, Daniel Ricco. We are very grateful to both of you and your teams for the work you do to promote the peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict.

While we welcome the significant reduction in violence and casualties since the 27 July, Ambassador Çevik, your report shows us that we cannot be complacent. During the reporting period, the daily average of ceasefire violations was almost double the daily average between the 27 July to the 16 September 2020.

The Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) also continues to observe new and extended trenches, improvements to fortifications, and heavy weapons located in and near residential areas, in violation of the measures agreed to strengthen the ceasefire. In this context, we note that once again the overwhelming majority of heavy weapons observed by the SMM were in non-government controlled areas. This activity exposes civilians and civilian infrastructure to heightened risk of armed violence.

Your reports have highlighted the ongoing plight of civilians affected by this Russian-fuelled conflict. Sadly, the burdens faced by civilians have been increased by the restrictions placed on their freedom of movement. Ukrainians rely on crossing the line of contact to access jobs, education, pensions, medical care and to see their families. It is unacceptable that the Russian-backed armed formations are still refusing to fully open the new crossing points at Shchastia and Zolote. We commend Ambassador Grau for her continued efforts to resolve this issue.

Women have been particularly affected by these restrictions. Ambassador Çevik, we welcome the inclusion of their stories in your written report, as well as the accounts of the challenges faced by women working for peace and security across Ukraine. It is essential that women are included in official decision-making and conflict resolution efforts for those efforts to be effective.

We also highly appreciate your ongoing work to ensure the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission continues its important work, whilst ensuring duty of care for all staff remains a priority. We commend the numerous measures you have taken to protect SMM staff and, by extension, host communities in light of COVID-19, including regular PCR and antigen screening of Mission members and enhancing telecommuting capabilities.

Unfortunately, restrictions on the SMM’s freedom of movement continue to pose an additional challenge to the mission’s activities. We noted that during the reporting period 94 per cent of all restrictions faced by the SMM, including those imposed under the pretext of COVID-19, occurred in non-government-controlled areas.

We call on Russia to use its influence over the armed formations it backs to ensure full, safe and unimpeded access for the Mission’s personnel and assets, in accordance with its mandate. We reiterate again that the Mission’s mandate applies to the entire territory of Ukraine, including Crimea and the uncontrolled segment of the Ukraine-Russia State border.

The SMM’s ability to monitor is further impeded by mines and other explosive objects. The presence of these mines on roads frequently used by the SMM poses a serious threat to the Mission. Moreover, they continue to endanger the lives of civilians. Between 17 September and 21 December 2020, the SMM corroborated 38 civilian casualties due to mines, unexploded ordinance and other explosive devices. Ambassador Çevik, sadly your report also makes clear the heavy price that civilians continue to pay for the failure to mark, fence and clear such explosive material. We thank you and Ambassador Grau for your continued efforts in the TCG on a demining plan. It is appalling that Russia and the armed formations it backs still will not agree to its implementation.

We are grateful to Ambassador Grau for her work in the Trilateral Contact Group towards improving the situation for Ukrainian civilians and achieving peace and stability in eastern Ukraine. It is unacceptable that political issues in the TCG have been repeatedly used to block progress on vital security and humanitarian issues. We call on Russia to act constructively in the TCG, and in its Working Groups, to ensure that progress can be made.

The UK reiterates our strong support to both Ambassador Çevik and Ambassador Grau. Where there has been failure to make progress on the issues I have highlighted today, it is not for lack of hard work or dedication on your part, but rather a lack of political will, particularly from Russia who continues to fuel the conflict.

We reiterate our support for the Minsk agreements to deliver a peaceful resolution to the conflict in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the work of the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Four in this regard.  Russia must play its part and fulfil the commitments it made at the Paris Summit in December 2019 (many of which I have touched upon today) and under the Minsk agreements; and reverse all unilateral measures that undermine them. 

We repeat our call on Russia to withdraw its military personnel and weapons from the territory of Ukraine; to cease its support for the armed formations it backs; and to stop access restrictions and intimidation of the SMM in areas held by Russia-backed armed formations. 

The UK continues to strongly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, including its territorial waters. We do not and will not recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. The UK has consistently stood with Ukraine in opposing all instances of Russian aggression towards Ukraine and we will continue to do so, including through sanctions, together with our international partners.

• Test turnaround times continue to rise, with 97.2% of in-person test results returned the next day after the test was taken
• In-person test results received within 24 hours is at 82.7%, the highest since July 2020
• 93.6% contacts reached – the highest percentage since NHS Test and Trace was launched

NHS Test and Trace has recorded another record-breaking week, with turnaround times for most testing routes returning to levels not seen since the middle of 2020, when testing demand was around a quarter of its current level.

In this reporting week, NHS Test and Trace returned 97.2% of in-person test results the next day after the test was taken, compared with 93.7% the week before.

Not only are people able to receive a test result more quickly and conveniently, but the service continues to reach a high proportion of cases and contacts.

NHS Test and Trace has successfully reached 86.4% of the people who received a positive test result, and 93.6% of their contacts, making a real impact in breaking chains of transmission. In total during the week of 21 January to 27 January, 507,692 people who had either tested positive or been identified as a recent close contact were reached and told to self-isolate – people who might otherwise have gone on to unknowingly spread the virus.

NHS Test and Trace’s test site network continues to expand. With more than 850 test sites in operation, including 474 local test sites, people are travelling a shorter distance than ever before to get a test. The median distance travelled for a test is just 2.1 miles, compared with 5.1 miles as recently as September.

NHS Test and Trace has also delivered one of its best turnaround times for home test kit results since the service launched last May, with a median turnaround time of 35 hours. More than 280,000 ordered a home test kit during this reporting week, with the service ensuring that those who are required to take a COVID-19 test are able to access one without visiting a test centre and meeting demand despite the current weather conditions.

More than 300 local authorities have joined forces with NHS Test and Trace to launch local tracing partnerships, combining specialist local expertise with the data and resources of NHS Test and Trace. These strong partnerships enable NHS Test and Trace to go further in supporting people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and tracing their recent contacts.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said:

NHS Test and Trace is continuing to deliver record-breaking results. Thanks to the hard work of all those involved, we have been able to improve turnaround times for most testing routes to record speeds. These numbers are hugely impressive and have an enormous impact on the spread of the virus.

We are also continuing to carry out a significant number of LFD tests, identifying people who are infectious but not showing symptoms. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not display symptoms. This means every positive LFD test helps us break a chain of transmission we wouldn’t have identified otherwise.

Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection Baroness Dido Harding said:

In a few months we have built NHS Test and Trace from scratch, creating a service where tests are easily available, results are received quickly, and those who test positive – and their recent contacts – are reached successfully in the vast majority of cases. This has all been delivered at speed, against a backdrop of continued demand. The impressive performance of NHS Test and Trace during this reporting week is a continuation of the programme’s strong start to the year.

I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved in NHS Test and Trace who is working non-stop to help us combat the spread of the virus.

Testing

As of 2 February, more than 71 million tests have been processed in the UK in total since testing began, more than any other comparable European country.

In the latest reporting week, 1,782,807 lateral flow device (LFD) tests have been carried out, with 5,716,248 conducted in total since first introduced in October.

Pillar 1 test results made available within 24 hours have increased to 95.1%, compared with last week’s total of 94.8%. This has remained broadly consistent since Test and Trace began. 96.5% of satellite tests were received within 3 days after the day they were taken, compared with 94.8% the previous week.

Over the past months, the government has put in place the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in British history. NHS Test and Trace now has the capacity to carry out more than 790,000 tests per day, compared with 2,000 just 9 months ago.

Tracing

So far, more than 8.2 million cases and contacts have been reached and told to self-isolate by contact tracers.

Tracing performance has remained high with 86.4% of cases and 93.6% of contacts reached last week. The proportion of contacts reached within 24 hours once identified as a contact was 98.0%.

198,874 positive cases were transferred to contact tracers between 21 January and 27 January, with 171,847 reached and told to self-isolate.

Between 21 and 27 January, 358,959 people were identified as recent close contacts, with 96.6% of those with communication details provided reached and told to self-isolate. Since Test and Trace launched, 89.6% of close contacts for whom communication details were provided have been reached.

Background information

The weekly statistics from the 35th week of NHS Test and Trace show in the most recent week of operations (21 to 27 January):

• the proportion of contacts reached by the tracing service has increased to 93.6%
• 86.4% of people who tested positive and were transferred to the contact-tracing system were reached and asked to provide information about their contacts, compared with 86.9% the previous week
• 96.6% of contacts where communication details were given were reached and told to self-isolate, compared with 96.5% the previous week
• 97.2% of in-person test results were received the next day after the test was taken, compared with 93.7% of tests the previous week (England only)
• 95.1% of pillar 1 test results were made available within 24 hours, consistent with last week’s percentage
• 82.7% of in-person test results were received within 24 hours after the test was taken, compared with 70.7% the previous week
• 96.5% of satellite tests were received within 3 days after the day they were taken, compared with 94.8% the previous week

Last month, the government announced an additional £20 million to local authorities to cover the cost of the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, to ensure people continue to have access to the support they need to stay at home and reduce the transmission of COVID-19. This includes an additional £10 million to enable local authorities to continue making discretionary payments to people who fall outside the scope of the main scheme, but who will still face hardship if required to self-isolate.

As of 27 January, the NHS COVID-19 app has been downloaded 21,629,902 times and 788,859 QR posters have been generated.