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Consultations
WO: Secretary of State for Wales, Paul Murphy, is urging everyone to have their say on the proposed Welsh Language Order from the Welsh Assembly Government. Addressing MPs at the annual St David’s Day Welsh Debate, Mr Murphy said he wanted to see the biggest public debate on the Welsh language in recent years, to ensure the draft Legislative Competence Order (LCO) meets the needs of all the people of Wales.
Mr Murphy said the comments & opinions received by the Wales Office over the next two months would inform both his deliberations and the scrutiny of the Order being undertaken in Parliament and the National Assembly.
Defra / NE: People are being asked for their views on 2 different approaches to enhancing farmland wildlife habitats and the natural environment in a consultation paper (closes 27 May 2009) published by Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn.
Although set-aside was originally introduced as a way of controlling production, it also resulted in a range of environmental and biodiversity benefits for our countryside. Set-aside has now been abolished and the consultation asks how best to regain these benefits.
Natural England welcomed Defra’s recognition of the environmental importance of set-aside - especially its role in reversing the long-standing decline of some of our farmland birds, such as the skylark, corn bunting and lapwing - and the commitment shown to recapturing these and other environmental benefits that it produced.
Press release ~ NE press release ~ GAEC Consultation ~
DfT: A new scheme to cap aviation emissions will be supervised in England & Wales by the Environment Agency, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband have announced.
The EU Emissions Trading scheme - which caps net CO2 emissions from aviation at average 2004-06 levels - will come into force for flights arriving & departing EU airports from 1 January 2012, following agreement in Brussels in late 2008.
The Department for Transport and the Department of Energy & Climate Change, in partnership with the Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive have begun a consultation (closes on 14 May 2009) on the regulations under which EU ETS for aviation will operate in the UK.
Press release ~ Consultation on Transposition of EU Directive (EC/2008/101) to include Aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
OFT: The OFT has launched a market study into the supply of local bus services. This sector has become increasingly concentrated by takeovers, with nearly two-thirds of services now controlled by 5 operators.
The study will consider whether concentration in the market has a positive or negative impact on the prices consumers pay & the services they receive, and whether or not there is competition between operators bidding for tendered services. The OFT will be contacting key parties directly. Other interested parties can submit written views, by 8 May 2009.
HO: The Government & police are also concerned about the use of deactivated firearms in crime. The concerns are on two fronts: the reactivation of deactivated firearms and the misuse of firearms while in their deactivated form to threaten and intimidate people. A new consultation paper (closes 25 May 2009) seeks views on which of several possible options represent the best way forward - ‘See ‘General News’ for more information.
HMRC: Modernising the UK's direct tax law has taken another step forward, as two new draft bills rewriting corporation tax and international tax legislation were published by the Tax Law Rewrite project. The consultation period ends on 29 May 2009 – See ‘Legislation / Legal’ for more information.
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