Author Archives: HM Government

Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland:

I welcome today’s Labour Market Statistics, which demonstrate continued stability in the Northern Ireland economy.

The unemployment rate is down to 5.4 per cent, the lowest since the great crash in 2008 and those claiming unemployment related benefits has fallen again, with a drop of 52 per cent since the series peak in 2013.

Almost 10,000 new jobs were created in Northern Ireland over the year, meaning more people with the security of a job and a regular pay packet for themselves and their family.

Political stability is a fundamental basis for economic success and securing devolved institutions in Northern Ireland is vital to keep this momentum going as we continue to build an economy that works for everyone.

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The IPO is inviting fresh bids for research into the effectiveness of the UK’s enforcement framework.

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The three day event was titled ‘inspire, enable, connect’ and featured 28 sessions on subjects ranging from international growth and security, to launchers and Mars exploration.

More than 180 speakers took to the stage, including UK Space Agency CEO Graham Turnock, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) Jan Woerner and British ESA astronaut Tim Peake.

The conference included an exhibition hall, where a record 109 organisations took stands, and a parallel event of hands-on interactive exhibits and educational activities that welcomed 1,500 visitors.

See official pictures from the conference on Flickr

Graham Turnock, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said:

The UK Space Conference was a fantastically successful three days. I’m confident it will have sparked collaborations and partnerships that will strengthen our sector and our community. I’m sure we will all look back on the conference as one of the milestones on the road to a very bright future for space in the UK.

New for 2017 was a ‘Space 101’ programme, a series of informative sessions for newcomers to the sector intended to offer a chance to learn all the details needed to operate effectively.

There was also an opportunity for the young winners of the UK Space Agency’s SatelLife Challenge competition to give presentations on their ideas, which looked at how satellite data could be used to improve life on Earth.

The overall winner, 13-year-old James Pearson, even got to meet his hero Tim Peake.

This years’ Sir Arthur Clarke Awards for outstanding achievements in space activities were presented at a gala dinner. Kathie Bowden, the UK Space Agency’s National Space Skills and Career Development Manager, was presented with the Individual Award for Education and Outreach in recognition of her work helping young people get their foot in the door of the space industry.

Kathie won the award for her work on SPIN (Space Placements In Industry), linking industries and organisations working within or alongside the space sector, with talented undergraduates to undertake a funded project or to work alongside industry colleagues for at least eight weeks.

The Agency’s Chris Lee, Head of International Space Partnerships, was a finalist for The Award for International Space Achievement while the CMIN 2016 Team made the shortlist for the team Award for Space Achievement – Industry or Project.

There was also a posthumous Special Lifetime Space Achievement award for British-born NASA astronaut, Piers Sellers, who died in December from pancreatic cancer.

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The Scottish unemployment rate has fallen to 4.0 per cent, which is below the rate of 4.6 per cent for the whole of the UK.

The labour market statistics also show that employment in Scotland increased by 14,000 over the three months to April 2017. The number of those in employment in Scotland now stands at 2,624,000.

The Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said:

Today’s figures show that Scotland’s labour market continues to improve and I am pleased that the unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest rate on record. But a number of significant challenges remain and I want to see Scotland’s economic performance improve, catching up with the rest of the UK.

This is why it is more important than ever that Scotland’s two governments work together to help ensure Scotland’s prosperity.

Headline statistics for the February to April 2017 quarter:

• Employment in Scotland increased by 14,000 over the quarter, and increased by 44,000 over the year, to stand at 2,624,000.

• The Scots employment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points over the quarter to 74.1 per cent. The rate is below the UK average of 74.8 per cent.

• Unemployment in Scotland fell by 17,000 over the quarter and is down 49,000 over the year. The level now stands at 109,000.

• At 4.0 per cent, the Scottish unemployment rate is below that of the UK at 4.6 per cent.

• Economic activity fell by 3,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,733,000. The economic activity rate decreased over the year to stand at 77.3 per cent.

• In May 2017, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance was 48,200 and claimant count, including Universal Credit, was 80,300.

Latest Data for Scotland:

Employment

The Labour Force Survey indicates that the number of people in employment in Scotland from February to April 2017 was 2,624,000. Employment was up by 14,000 compared to the previous three months, and up by 44,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The employment rate was up 0.3 percentage points on the previous quarter, and up by 0.9 percentage points compared the same quarter last year. By comparison, the Scottish employment rate is 74.1 per cent below the UK average of 74.8 per cent.

Unemployment

Unemployment in Scotland was down by 17,000 over the quarter February to April 2017 at 109,000. The level was down 49,000 on the same quarter last year. The unemployment rate was down 0.6 percentage points on the previous quarter at 4.0 per cent, which is down 1.8 percentage points over the year.

Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit

The number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) fell by 200 to 48,200 in May 2017. The level is down by 8,900 on May 2016. The claimant count level (JSA and Universal Credit) is unchanged over the month and up 3,700 over the year at 80,300. The rate is unchanged over the month and up 0.1 percentage points over the year to 2.9 per cent.

Economic Activity

The number of economically active (defined as those in employment or ILO unemployed, and seasonally adjusted) in Scotland in the February to April 2017 quarter was 2,733,000. This was down 3,000 on the previous quarter, and down by 5,000 on prior year levels. Among those aged 16-64 the economic activity rate was 77.3 per cent, down 0.2 percentage points on the previous quarter, and down 0.4 percentage points over the year.

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Remember to include justification for any travel when submitting claims through the Client and Cost management System (CCMS).

The requirement for this detail is uniform across both the old paper-based claiming system and CCMS. Under CCMS, 13% of all secondary requests for information on billing issues are because we have not received an appropriate travel justification.

How to justify your claim

Here are some reasons you can use to justify your claim:

1. There is no local bar

Where there are no local chambers, or the number of chambers is small, counsel must provide details that there is no local bar.

‘There is no local bar’ would be an acceptable justification.

2. Continuity of counsel

The use of counsel already familiar with the case or the client will be considered reasonable justification for counsel to travel provided the nature of the hearing requires it.

‘Continuity of counsel’ with further details is an acceptable justification.

3. Counsel specialism

You should explain counsel’s specialism and why this case required such a specialist.

4. This list is not exhaustive

If none of these reasons apply you should detail the reasons why you were instructed instead of a more local counsel.

How much to tell us

Reasons provided only need to be two or three sentences long. They do not require a detailed description.

However, they must satisfy our billing requirements as laid out in the Electronic Handbook – see link below.

The justification can be handwritten in the response to the document request CCMS will send out or attached as a document within the task.

This does not change LAA’s rules on ‘local travel’ at chapter 3.15 of the Cost Assessment Guidance – see below.

Further information

Family Graduated Fee and Family Advocacy claim forms – to download documentary evidence checklist for CIV CLAIM5A

Legal aid guidance to download:

• ‘electronic handbook’ – chapter 6.8 for specific details
• ‘cost assessment guidance’ – general guidance on travel claiming

Civil news: local travel claims from 1 September 2014 – what is and is not allowable for ‘local travel’

CCMS training website – guidance on how to submit CCMS claims

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