As the great Sir Harold of Webb had it: we’re all going on a summer holiday, Hancock says that he’s coming to, but Schapps bans all summer holidays, so we don’t have a *******clue, for an hour or two.  Until one of the other ones pitches up on telly and says the complete opposite.

 

LIIB a message

 

You may remember last year we suggested you might like to complete Post Magazine’s survey on the performance of trade associations during Covid – safe in the knowledge that we would find out if you dissed us and we know where you live.  Some of you may even have gone as far as to wonder whatever became of the results of the survey and who had won.  Well, it turns out that what became of the results is that Post lost them – or “encountered technical difficulties” as they have put it.  So they are doing it again.  So why not turn off Married At First Sight Australia and give it a whirl?  You can access it here.  And it really won’t take long to complete – especially since for the first 15 questions you only need to read the first answer (apart from 9, 10, 14 & 15 where the answer is “No”).  16 and 17 you don’t even have to answer although we all know you want to see more of James shirts and less of Jackie’s bit in these emails (you are welcome this week by the way).  And that is it.  All you will be left with is a warm glow of pride at doing the right thing.

 

Livett let die

 

I may have resisted Jack the strife this week, but that has just left an opening for James to move into.  So here are his latest ramblings.

 

DXC – Corrections (Thursday at 8pm Eastern on NBC)

 

This week we published the first report on the usage of the new CRF (ancients of mu mu?).  This report is high level and anonymised.  Usage of the new form was first reviewed in December and 65% of corrections were submitted using the new form, we are pleased to advise that this has increased to 78%.

 

We would like to remind you that towards the end of Q1 this form will be mandatory and corrections will be rejected if it is not used.

 

Lloyd’s BREXIT

 

  • Disputes process:
    • Detailed process has been discussed with Brokers and Carriers.
    • Meetings are scheduled with DXC next week.
    • It is hoped that this process can finalised and be shared with the market very soon.

 

  • Operations:
    • Master List:
      • All master lists yet to be downloaded have been re-issued.  Please ensure you download this list as the data will not be available forever.
        • Lloyd’s will be following up with the firms that have no so far downloaded their list (when did you become Scottish?).
  • MDD v7:
    • A new Master Design Document with updated information on the disputes process, complaints handling and finance updates amongst other things will be issued today.
      • Lloyd’s will be issuing a v7.1 to cater for the finalised disputes process in due course.

 

If you want a copy of the CRF report or the MDD (as in I hit the east side of the MDD, on a mission to try and find Mr Warren G?) please feel free to contact us.

 

Changing Rooms 2021

 

In which Carole Smiley and Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen do a make over of the Underwriting Room.

 

Lloyd’s is now well underway with its work to design the room of the future.  And you can have your say.  There is still time to sign up to one of their focus groups and get involved in the conversation.  There are, genuinely, some really exciting ideas emerging in this area.  The room should remain the focal point of a hybrid digital marketplace once vaccines kick in.  But it will only do so if we get this right.  So chip in.

 

Closing the Barnier door after the horse has bolted

 

Former terse, petty minded Eurocrat turned terse, petty minded Eurocrat Michel Barnier was back in the news this week.  He was warning that “City”  firms were using “brass plaque” companies in EU to access the single market.  And he was threatening that EU regulators would be clamping down on the outrage.  Much to dislike about this, as so often with Mbar.  Firstly, the it “brass plate” or “letterbox”.  “Plaque” is what you get on your teeth.  And second, who do you think approved these business models in the first place, Micky?  Yes, well done – EU regulators.  And what was the hardest point of discussion that everybody had with their new EU regulator?  Substance in the EU end – right again.  So pipe down and get back to counting your vaccines.  Should keep you busy for about ten minutes.

 

In reality though this shows that the possibility of politically motivated interference in our dealings with EU clients is still very real.  Not a whole lot we can do about, it but forewarned is at least something.

 

In other Brexity stuff, encouraging rumours abound that EU will take the necessary adequacy decision under GDPR to allow data flows from EU to UK.  This comes in an article from Politico for which I have no link and which Isabelle BIPAR may well have transgressed the terms of her subscription by sharing with me.  But I won’t tell anyone.  Decision is expected to be announced sometime next week.

 

Me, me, me

 

Just because I know you don’t like to miss out, here is a link to my latest Insurance Business Magazine column.  This time on the future of our market.

 

I have a stream

 

Just to remind you of our upcoming webinar series which is proving very popular.  We have:

 

17th Feb: SCAP refresher training with LMA – see attached (I wouldn’t have opened with this one but I felt chronologically compelled)

18th Feb: A session on client money rules with Grant Thornton.  Register here for that one.

23rd Feb:  Morgan Lewis on the employment law challenges around lockdown and any return to the office – including the question of whether you can require staff to have had a vaccine.  Register here for this.

3rd March: A session with our friends from Luther Pendragon on communications and social media strategy for firms that do not have a comms team.

22nd March: A session on how to make an impact in online meetings.

 

At least they won’t be boar-d

 

And finally…news that you have all been waiting for.  Scientists have proved that pigs can play computer games.  Yes, by moving a joystick with their snouts so that they drove the cursor into a wall, four pigs managed to qualify for so many treats that the experiment had to be aborted when they got too fat to fit in the games pen anymore.  Thi swill prove a ground breaking discovery.  Think of it.  Just as you fancy swineding down for the day, you will find Babe hogging the X-box.  Bacon liberties.

 

 

That’s it.  Let’s hope something more interesting happens in the next week and this email could go back to being fun.