Fast track entry for professional users available at all court and tribunal sites

News story

The professional users access scheme is now available across all our sites in England and Wales, allowing fast track entry for members holding an ID card.

For legal professional court users who routinely enter courts and tribunals, we offer fast track entry through the popular Professional Users Access Scheme (PUAS).

The membership scheme, first piloted in 2018, allows quicker access through security in our buildings for registered members.

How does the scheme work?

The scheme allows members to enter our buildings with a registered ID card, without needing a routine security search on each visit.

The scheme helps reduce delays on entry, with separate fast-access lanes for members available during the busiest times of the day. The scheme now has nearly 9,000 active users.

The PUAS has been introduced in sites that require an enhanced level of security clearance and we’re working with legal organisations to complete the required processes.

Who runs the scheme?

Smart Citizen run the scheme and have maintained 100 per cent service availability. They make sure that any enquiries raised are answered or resolved within 24 hours.

We also work closely with professional organisations – including the Bar Council, Law Society, Criminal Law Solicitors Association and London Criminal Court Solicitors Association – whose members or staff participate in the scheme. They help us understand the needs of the legal profession and provide joint communications about membership requirements.

The scheme continues to run effectively, and we intend to extend the contract with Smart Citizen for the future.

Find out more about the scheme and how to register.

Published 2 March 2022

IPO statement on Ukraine

News story

Information relating to sanctions and operational matters.

The UK government’s position is clear, and like everyone in the UK, we are appalled by Russia’s despicable actions and stand unequivocally behind Ukraine and its people. The UK’s economic sanctions against Russia include intellectual property, and we are enforcing these sanctions robustly. We will not be providing services to those on the sanctions list, either directly or through their agents.

We know that for the majority of our Ukrainian customers and rights holders the last thing on their minds, at this time, is their IP. We have, however, been working to put in place a package of immediate measures. This will provide the fullest support to our customers in Ukraine in relation to their UK intellectual property rights and applications.

We want to assure our Ukrainian customers that we will support them to safeguard their IP Rights when they are ready or able to contact us. We will use the maximum flexibility available to us in law to consider requests for extensions of time, reinstatements and restorations. We want to make it as simple as we can for customers to make such requests, and we will be happy to talk through the process whenever an applicant or agent contacts us.

We recognise communications are difficult, and in some cases impossible, at this time in Ukraine. We will continue to send all of our communications electronically when possible. For those customers where we only hold a postal address we can arrange an alternative method of communication when those customers are able and ready to contact us. Customers who would like us to arrange this should get in touch when they are able to.

Where a customer has files or records relating to UK intellectual property rights or applications that may have been lost, damaged or destroyed in Ukraine, we will be providing all the assistance we can to reconstitute these.

Published 2 March 2022

New DVLA campaign highlights the risks for drivers who evade vehicle tax

DVLA has launched a new advertising campaign in the highest evading areas across the UK reminding motorists of the real risk of failing to tax their vehicles on time.

The message is clear to motorists – if you do not tax your vehicle on time, DVLA will take action – ‘tax it, don’t risk it’.

The adverts are running on radio, poster sites, social media, digital channels and in print. The table below shows the areas across the UK where some of the highest numbers of enforcement actions took place in 2021:

Area	Total enforcement actions (includes fines, penalties and clamping)
London	97,013
Birmingham	52,073
Manchester	28,703
Glasgow	25,304
Sheffield	24,962
Cardiff	24,159
Nottingham	21,810
Bristol	20,018
Newcastle	18,890
Swansea	18,220
Leeds	14,930
Reading	14,573

Alongside automated enforcement penalties for registered keepers of untaxed vehicles, DVLA’s enforcement teams and wheelclamping partners also travel around the UK as part of their day-to-day activity taking action against untaxed vehicles. Over 98% of vehicles are correctly taxed but it’s right that we take action against those who continue to break the law.

This year’s campaign focuses on the clear message that untaxed cars are ‘hard to hide, easy to tax’ and for those that continue to flout the rules, the consequences include financial penalties, court action, clamping and even the loss of a car.

It’s never been easier to tax a vehicle – DVLA offers a range of options including the online vehicle tax service which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or taxing at the Post Office and even spreading the cost using direct debit.

DVLA Chief Executive Julie Lennard said:

This campaign has a clear message for anyone that delays or avoids taxing their vehicle.

It really has never been easier to tax a vehicle, from using our 24/7 online service to direct debit options. We want motorists to understand that’s it not worth taking a risk and always tax their vehicles on time.

Motorists can go online, 24 hours a day, to tax a vehicle or check whether their vehicle tax is up to date.

PM call with President Zelenskyy: 2 March 2022

Press release

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy this morning.

The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy this morning to condemn the abhorrent attacks on Ukraine in the recent hours and days.

The Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that the UK was rallying UN General Assembly members today, to ensure the strongest possible condemnation of Russia at this afternoon’s UN meeting in New York.

Sharing his disgust at the attacks on Ukraine, the Prime Minister said the UK was doing everything possible to support the Ukrainian people and their resistance.

President Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s support and leadership in ensuring defensive aid reached Ukraine and said it had been vital in holding back Russian forces.

Both leaders agreed on the need for sanctions to go further to exert maximum pressure on President Putin in the coming days.

The Prime Minister said his thoughts and prayers, and those of the UK, were with the Ukrainian people.

Published 2 March 2022

Government launches consultation on national Cyber-Physical Infrastructure

Today (Wednesday 2 March), the government has launched a consultation on a national Cyber-Physical Infrastructure, an ecosystem of increasingly connected digital and physical systems with the potential to help accelerate innovation and secure the UK’s status as an innovation nation and a science superpower.

Advanced cyber-physical systems that sit across the digital and physical worlds are increasingly part of our everyday lives and economy.

Uses range from autonomous agriculture drones and collaborative robots working with factory operators, to reducing congestion in our urban traffic systems and planning responses to extreme weather events for our critical infrastructure.

This consultation explores the opportunities and challenges presented by the increasingly connected application of these systems, and how ecosystems of this technology could help UK innovators to reduce cost and risk to rapidly prototype, test, develop and implement ideas.

Through this consultation, the government is seeking challenge and insight from stakeholders including industry, academia, institutions and the wider public sector.

Science Minister George Freeman said:

The UK is emerging from the last few turbulent years with a more resilient and sustainable economic model – putting science, research and innovation at the heart of our post-Brexit vision for Global Britain’s role in the world.

Increasingly, advanced and connected digital and physical technologies are providing us with new tools to help us better predict and respond to future global challenges; drive UK leadership in science and research; and better commercialise innovations.

This consultation is a key step to realising these benefits for the UK, and I look forward to receiving guiding challenges and insights from the community.

The consultation has been informed by engagement with over 100 organisations to date supported by Digital Catapult, and builds upon the Robotics Growth Partnership’s recently published independent Vision for Cyber-Physical Infrastructure.

A national capability in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure would build upon and complement several other national strategies including the National Data Strategy, National Cyber Strategy 2022, the AI Strategy, Innovation Strategy and 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

The consultation will be open for 10 weeks, closing on 11 May 2022.