Civil news: means, merits and billing update for CCMS users

News story

Change of look aims to improve the user experience for means, merits and billing work in the Client and Cost Management System.

Image of a Client and Cost Management System screen

Providers carrying out means, merits and billing work will benefit from new features in the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS), which has now been released.

The styling changes mean navigation and presentation will look visually different with the aim of making the system easier for assessment work in CCMS.

What is different?

Among changes users will notice are:

  • back and next buttons placed more intuitively
  • partially completed assessments can be restarted where you were last working

The ability to restart partially completed assessments applies when ‘proceedings and costs’ or ‘opponents and other parties’ are unchanged.

Remember also that you have the option of revisiting your answers to completed questions before completing the assessment. This is explained in a new Quick Guide available on Legal Aid Learning.

Is the content changing?

The aim of these styling changes is to improve the user experience. Content and questions remain the same since the software update was released.

Download our Quick Guide on CCMS means and merits assessments and billing new look and feel

For more training resources visit Legal Aid Learning

Published 14 January 2021



Travel from South American destinations, Portugal, Panama and Cape Verde banned to prevent spread of new variant

  • entry to the UK banned for passengers arriving from destinations across South (and Central) America, Portugal, Panama and Cape Verde from Friday 15 January at 4am
  • British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights in the UK who arrive after 4am and have travelled from or transited through these destinations in the last 10 days will have to self-isolate immediately along with their household
  • move is in response to new evidence highlighting the likely spread of a new coronavirus variant in South America and to countries with strong travel links with Brazil

The government has taken the urgent decision to ban travel to the UK from several South American destinations, Portugal, Panama and Cape Verde in order to prevent the spread of a new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) into the UK.

From 4am Friday 15 January 2021, passengers who have been in or transited through Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela in the last 10 days will no longer be granted access to the UK.

This does not include British and Irish Nationals, or third country nationals with residence rights in the UK, who will be able to enter the UK but are required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household.

There will also be a flight ban on any countries with direct flights to the UK. These are Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde and Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores). This excludes cargo and freight without passengers.

The decision to ban travel from these destinations follows the discovery of a new coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil, that may have spread to countries with strong travel links to Brazil.

The UK does currently not have travel corridors with Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, and the travel corridors with Chile, Madeira and the Azores will be closed. Anyone returning from these countries from 4am on Friday will be legally required to self-isolate for 10 days.

Any exemptions usually in place – including for those related to employment – will not apply, although hauliers who have been in or transited through Portugal (only) in the last 10 days will be exempt to allow transport of essential goods.

Passengers arriving in the UK from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama, Portugal, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela after 4am on 15 January cannot be released from self-isolation through Test to Release.

People who share a household with anyone self-isolating after returning from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama, Portugal, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela will now also need to self-isolate until 10 days have passed since anyone they live with was last in those countries.

From Monday 18 January at 4am, passengers from all destinations will also be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before travelling to England, to help protect against new strains of coronavirus circulating internationally and to identify those who may currently be infectious.

National restrictions for England introduced on 6 January 2021 remain in place meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work. This means people can no longer travel to take holidays or travel internationally unless for work or other legally permitted reasons. Those in breach of the rules face penalties starting at £200, rising to a maximum of £6,400.

The UK government is working closely with international partners to understand the changes in the virus that have been reported in these countries and we are conducting a programme of further research here in the UK to inform our risk assessments.



More than a third of over 80s vaccinated against COVID-19

Press release

More than one third of people aged 80 and over in England have received at least one dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine as of 10 January.

More than one third (34.6%, 1,036,605) of people aged 80 and over in England have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of 10 January, new surveillance data from Public Health England (PHE) shows.

Older people are more likely to die from COVID-19, which is why they are being prioritised for vaccination. Over 80s are in the second priority group after care home residents and staff, as recommended by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

A further 960,699 (1.7%) people under 80 have also had the first dose.

As well as uptake by age, PHE’s new weekly report includes a breakdown of coverage by region – which is the percentage of all eligible people who have been vaccinated. More high-quality data will become available in the coming weeks to provide further insight into groups where uptake of the vaccine can be increased.

Coverage is an important public health measure as it helps us to determine how well the population is protected as a whole and to look at where we should be focusing our efforts to increase uptake.

PHE will continue to monitor the long-term safety, uptake and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. Data on under-vaccinated groups, the impact of vaccination on cases, hospitalisations and death, the effectiveness of the vaccine at preventing disease and transmission as well as the duration of protection will be published in future reports.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said:

To have vaccinated over a third of all over 80s by this point in the programme is a great achievement and I want to pay tribute to all those across the health system who have made this happen. Although this sets us on the right path to getting back to normal life, we are not there yet and people must continue to follow the guidance that is in place to protect themselves and their loved ones.

These data will help us to evaluate the protection from the vaccine and to effectively target the roll-out of the programme to help control the virus and save lives.

Published 14 January 2021



National Crime Agency Remuneration and Review Body remit: 2021 to 2022

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Carillion – directors’ disqualification proceedings

News story

The Insolvency Service has issued directors’ disqualification proceedings against the directors and former directors of Carillion

Following an investigation by the Official Receiver, the Insolvency Service, acting for the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has applied to the High Court for director disqualification orders against eight directors and former directors of Carillion.

An Insolvency Service spokesperson said:

We can confirm that on 12 January 2021 the Insolvency Service, acting on behalf of Secretary of State, applied for director disqualification orders against eight directors and former directors of Carillion. The application was made in the public interest.

  • Officials at the Insolvency Service issued the proceedings on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in accordance with his powers under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. Pending the outcome of the proceedings, we cannot comment further.
  • Carillion plc was wound up by the court on 15 January 2018 and the Official Receiver was appointed as the Liquidator. The Official Receiver has a duty to investigate the causes of the failure and the promotion, formation, business, dealings and affairs of a company which has been wound up by the court.
  • Following a report about the conduct of each director submitted by the Official Receiver, who is a statutory office holder and officer of the court within the Insolvency Service, the Secretary of State determined it to be expedient in the public interest that a court makes an order disqualifying the directors on the grounds that their conduct, whilst acting as a director of Carillion, makes them unfit to be concerned in the management of a company
  • Persons subject to a disqualification orders and disqualification undertakings are bound by a range of restrictions, including not being able to be a director of any company registered in the UK or an overseas company that has connections with the UK and being involved in the promotion, formation or management a company. Further guidance on GOV.UK

Published 14 January 2021