Civil news: providers given financial eligibility tool to trial

News story

We are making a caseworker spreadsheet tool available to providers on a trial basis as support guidance when calculating client eligibility for legal aid.

Man making notes while working on laptop

Providers checking client financial eligibility for legal aid can now access a spreadsheet tool used by our caseworkers when looking at applications.

This spreadsheet should only be used as a guidance support tool. It is not a replacement for the resources available on our GOV.UK means testing page.

You should also note that we are only recommending the spreadsheet for legal aid providers and not wider members of the public. Clients should continue to use the public-facing ‘legal aid checker’ tool.

Why is this happening now?

We recently removed the online civil legal aid calculator used by providers to assist with eligibility calculations. The online calculator was a legacy tool which we were unable to update. So, we are trialling the spreadsheet to see how well this works as a substitute.

How do I find the spreadsheet?

The caseworker spreadsheet is available on our online training site where you can submit feedback on how well it is working for you.

How do clients check financial eligibility?

Your clients will continue to have access to the ‘legal aid checker’ set up for members of the public to use.

The old civil legal aid calculator was never designed for client use. It was a tool specifically for legal aid providers carrying out civil work.

Further information

Training site link – to access caseworker spreadsheet tool

Civil legal aid: means testing – resources for providers

Legal aid checker – external tool for members of the public to check their

Published 20 October 2021

Ensuring information assurance to provide data advantage for UK Defence

In our era of accelerating technological change, we have become dependent on the pervasiveness of information and digital technology. We have to adapt and remain agile to disruption by enhancing cyber defence capabilities, to ensure the security of UK Critical National Infrastructure and Defence.

To help secure our data and provide information advantage to UK Defence, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Innovation Focus Area (IFA): Military Systems Information Assurance (MSIA).

This Innovation Focus Area aims to identify, develop and accelerate novel technical solutions for Information Assurance, as an alternative to cryptology, which is the traditional solution for information assurance or novel uses of existing cryptographic techniques.

Can you help? Read the competition document now and submit your idea

How much funding is available?

Funding for this IFA will be split by Technical Readiness Level. Less mature, lower TRL (2 – 4) proposals will be considered an Emerging Innovation while more developed, higher TRL (4 – 6) proposals will be considered a Rapid Impact:

Lower TRL, emerging innovation proposals should bid for funding up to £150K to provide a proof of concept within a 6 month contract.
Higher TRL, rapid impact proposals should bid for funding up to £350K to provide a concept demonstrator within a 12 month contract.

Read the full competition document to find out more

Seeking novel technical solutions for Information Assurance demands within the military operating environment

What is MSIA?

Military Systems Information Assurance (MSIA) is a project element within the Cyber Defence Enhancement through Life Project, funded as part of the UK Government’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy (IR).

The Defence Enterprise is expansive, comprising many Operational Technologies which are legacy. This presents a large and varied cyber-attack surface, increasing the increasing cyber threat to UK.

What solutions are we looking for to enhance information assurance?

The Military Systems Information Assurance (MSIA) IFA seeks alternative technologies and approaches that may not use cryptography or novel uses of existing cryptographic techniques. Proposals will need to account for the unique and hostile demands placed on information systems functioning under the challenging conditions of military operations. Examples include:

innovative ways to provide assured information flow across both enterprise level architecture network and low bandwidth, intermittent comms channels
innovative ways of securing data at rest
innovative methods for authentication
securing information in a Cloud environment, i.e. to secure data at rest and whilst being processed; this will focus on end user/system implementation as opposed to relying on the underlying cloud infrastructure
novel key management solutions

Do you have a novel idea to address information assurance demands within the military operating environment?

If you have an in-depth understanding of emerging capabilities, technologies, initiatives and novel approaches that may help prevent bolster the UK’s ability to secure data, we want to hear from you.

The closing date for proposals of this IFA is 05 January 2022 at midday BST. A second cycle will run from 05 January 2022 to 02 March 2022.

UK supports integration of women in the armed forces and OSCE Code of Conduct

Mr Chairperson, the UK strongly supports the Code of Conduct and considers it a key component of the OSCE’s politico-military acquis.  We welcome the discussion today on the integration of women in the armed forces – which is an important aspect of the wider Women, Peace and Security agenda. I would like to thank the presentations by the five esteemed speakers on their various experiences of this issue, including the practical examples of including women in the Armed Forces.

Mr Chair, the UK’s position on the Code of Conduct remains the same. We continue to support the Code and its fundamental principles. As a reminder, all participating States agreed to the full, faithful and effective implementation of the Code of Conduct.  Such implementation of commitments under the Code of Conduct would be transformative in the Euro-Atlantic area today – including in the case of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and its illegal annexation of Crimea. 

Mr Chair, I will now focus on the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The UK remains committed to the full implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the subsequent resolutions related to WPS. This includes through the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the UK’s Armed Forces. Over 20 years ago, UNSCR 1325 acknowledged the critical importance of women in peace and security efforts, including in conflict prevention and resolution, in the delivery of relief and recovery efforts and in the forging of lasting peace. It also highlighted the need to prevent against and protect women and girls from gender-based violence, including in armed conflict and in post-conflict settings. At the Tirana Ministerial Council fifty-two participating States made clear their desire to see concrete action at the OSCE, and the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) in particular, to further the full implementation of UNSCR 1325.

In that context, I welcome the Swedish Chair-in-Office’s hosting of a Code of Conduct event in Stockholm last month focused on actions which can be taken to safeguard the full and equal participation of women in the Armed Forces. The event explored different perspectives, challenges and solutions and how possible obstacles could be avoided or overcome, in order for women to serve on equal terms.

Another important element is the voluntary information-sharing on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the framework of the replies to the annual Questionnaire on the Code of Conduct on Politico Military Aspects of Security. The UK sees its return as an important way of sharing national efforts and best practices in implementation of the WPS agenda. It is particularly encouraging to see that the number of participating States reporting on implementation of UNSCR 1325 is increasing over time – from 33 last year to 40 in 2021. To help facilitate returns from all participating States, I am delighted that the UK and Belgium are hosting a side event today to explore how we can make the voluntary returns process easier, as well as more meaningful, to help States identify shared challenges and best practice. I hope that your delegations and capitals will participate in the discussion to help make this process better and more helpful for us all.

Mr Chair, the OSCE Code of Conduct remains a key document because it clearly establishes the fundamental principles of State behaviour required to ensure security and stability in the OSCE area.  We should live up to the commitments we all undertook, and rediscover the constructive and collaborative spirt that made agreement of the Code of Conduct possible over a quarter of a century ago.  We particularly value the Austrian FSC Chair’s commitment to ‘mainstream’ Women, Peace and Security in the work of the FSC this trimester. This remains an issue with overwhelming support amongst participating States and hope we can build on that with further practical cooperation.

National Apprenticeship Awards 2021 regional winners announced

Tuesday 19 October marks the start of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2021 regional finals, with virtual ceremonies taking place to recognise apprentice employers, apprentices, Rising Stars and Champions up and down the country.

Back for their 18th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards highlight the benefits apprenticeships bring to individuals, businesses, and local communities, and celebrate the successes of those that have gone above and beyond to make a difference.

Over 1,000 entries from apprentice employers, apprentices, and apprenticeship champions have been received this year from all over England. The breadth of industries and sectors recognised highlights the broad appeal of apprenticeships, and how employers and individuals are continuing to build business and career success through apprenticeships.

Minister for Skills Alex Burghart said:

As the new Minister for Skills, I’m a major believer in what apprenticeships can do for employers, the economy, and the apprentices themselves, so a huge congratulations to everyone taking part in these regional finals.

Apprenticeships are incubators of greatness. These nominees are showing just how much potential apprenticeships have to offer opportunities and skills on the job. Good luck to everyone involved.

I very much hope you all enjoy a fantastic ceremony and celebrate the achievements and successes of apprenticeships in your region, and I thank you very much for all you do.

Director of Apprenticeships, Education and Skills Funding Agency Peter Mucklow added:

Apprentices and apprentice employers are really flying the flag for apprenticeships at this time, and I admire that commitment to rebuild our economy and drive change.

I am also delighted to see the ‘Apprentices in Action’ mini-series, which has been supported by EY, and I cannot wait to see some of the amazing stories that have and will be shared.

This year the Apprentices in Action series, presented by EY, follows on from the success of last year’s ‘Apprentices on the Frontline’ campaign where we celebrated and recognised employers who retained apprentices and supported them to do outstanding things throughout the pandemic.

For 2021, we will be focussing on how employers and apprentices are contributing to business recovery and highlighting those who have shown their ongoing resilience.

The Special Recognition Award winner will be selected from a short list of the most inspirational ‘Apprentices in Action’ stories and will be announced at the National Ceremony.