Author Archives: HM Government

Venturefest Scotland gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet, collaborate and share expertise with other businesses and investors. It will take place on Wednesday 20 September 2017 at the Glasgow Science Centre.

Innovate UK is supporting the event. Entry is free.

Free business advice

Delegates at Venturefest Scotland can access a meet the expert programme to help them progress their innovation. You can book appointments with experts in tax, intellectual property, design, marketing, training, digital and finance.

There will also be expert speakers and workshop sessions on topics such as:

• uncovering the R&D tax relief hiding in your business
• how to hire for growth
• prototyping and making your idea come to life
• extracting value from your data
• legal basics, including corporate and intellectual property
• ways to raise finance or access grant funding
• how to protect your brand, including trade marks, designs and logos
• how the circular economy can unlock your potential for sustainable business growth

Innovate UK’s Deputy Chief Executive, Kevin Baughan, is a keynote speaker.

You will also have the chance to view Innovate UK’s infocus women in innovation photographic exhibition. This highlights female role models and aims to change perceptions of what it looks like to be a female innovator.

About the Venturefest Network

Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network launched the Venturefest Network in 2014. Its aim is to strengthen connectivity between innovators, investors and entrepreneurs.

You should start sending your bills for defendants’ costs order (DCO) Fastrak work to this email address from 11 September 2017: dcofastrak@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk.

Using this mailbox will allow us to assess your claim more quickly.

What to include with your claim

In order for us to assess your claim the electronic bundle must include:

1. Fastrak POCA cover sheet
2. certified and signed 5911 claim form
3. copy of DCO made by the court
4. copies of relevant travel or disbursement receipts e.g. expert invoices, counsel fee notes, travel or parking receipts where the total exceeds £20
5. appropriate evidence of retainer’s contract i.e. client care letter and any amendments
6. client’s authority to pay costs to solicitors

An electronic DCO Fastrak cover sheet will be sent by email to all providers who have previously made DCO claims.

Copies of the form may also be obtained by emailing: dcofastrak@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk

Advocates and litigators should use a new address from 11 September for notices of appeals to a cost judge relating to graduated fee scheme work.

Your appeal papers should in future go to this address instead of the graduated fee team in Nottingham:

Notices already sent to Nottingham will be forwarded to Petty France.

What the regulations say

These appeals are covered by the Criminal Remuneration Regulations. Advocates and litigators are allowed to challenge a redetermination decision on their fees under the Graduated Fee Scheme to a cost judge.

Regulations 29(3) and 29(4) require the appellant to serve a copy of the notice of appeal and any relevant supporting documents on the LAA.

In cases where electronic evidence is in dispute this would include a copy of the disc(s) or USB(s) containing the evidence being claimed for.

Electronic claim forms are being introduced on 11 September 2017 for all Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) bills.

This change will allow POCA claims to be assessed faster. It follows on from the introduction of email submissions for POCA work in January 2017.

The introduction of the electronic claim forms will reduce the number of supporting documents required with your claim and improve the quality of determination notes you receive from us.

Email addresses will remain the same:

• poca@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk
• pocafastrak@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk

Fastrak and non-Fastrak forms

There are separate claim forms for Fastrak and non-Fastrak claims. Copies of the claim forms and guidance on their completion will be sent to all providers who have previously made claims by email.

Copies of the claim forms may also be obtained by emailing: poca@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk

The company already held a permit to drill the exploratory borehole and manage wastes arising from that process. This variation allows them to drill a new borehole, drill a side track from the original borehole and carry out flow testing to understand the long term economic viability of the oil and gas reserves. No hydraulic fracturing will take place as part of this activity.

The company has also been issued with an environmental permit to allow them to store oil on site following production.

The company will need to adhere strictly to the conditions set out in these permits, which will ensure the local community and environment are protected.

The Environment Agency considered the opinions raised by local people during the 4 week consultation with communities, interested groups and other professional organisations before reaching this decision.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

We would like to thank all those people who responded to the consultation. Since the consultation period closed, Horse Hill Developments Limited has provided additional information to clarify some of the aspects of their application for flow testing.

After considering all of the information available and completing our assessment we are confident that the environment and people will be protected. Environment Agency officers will now ensure compliance with these operating conditions during the next phase of works.

For all media enquiries please contact 0800 141 2743 or email Southeastpressoffice1@environment-agency.gov.uk.