Consultations
EU News: The Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 1 June 2012) to gather views on the 7th EU Environmental Action Programme (7th EAP), which will set out priority objectives to be pursued up until 2020.
The results of the public consultation, together with the views of the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, will inform the further development of the Commission's proposal for the 7th EAP, which it plans to present before the end of 2012.
Press release & links
EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 21 June 2012) on modernising EU rules governing insolvencies. The existing rules (the Insolvency Regulation) date from 2000 and set out how bankruptcies – of companies or individuals – should be coordinated between several EU countries.
The results of the consultation will help determine whether and how the existing Regulation needs to be revised in order to bolster businesses and strengthen the EU's Single Market. It forms part of the EU's efforts to preserve jobs & to promote economic recovery, sustainable growth and a higher investment rate, as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy.
Press release & links
WAG: The Minister with responsibility for Transport, Carl Sargeant, has launched a consultation (closes on 15 May 2012) to examine ways of improving the drink-drive rehabilitation scheme (DDRS) in
Press release & links
ACE: Creative & Cultural Skills, Arts Council England and NESTA have joined forces to commission new independent research into the influence of publicly funded theatre on commercial theatre, with a view to gaining a greater understanding of the role of public investment in the arts.
The 10-minute anonymous online survey, which launched last week, will track the careers of people in the industry, and the talent that has emerged from it, in order to better understand the impact that public investment in the theatre sector makes.
The aim is to collect the views of a range of theatre professionals currently or previously working in the sector, as well as those who have aspired to do so, on how their careers have developed. Findings from the research will be published in the summer of 2012.
Press release & links
CLG: Housing Minister, Grant Shapps and Economic Secretary, Chloe Smith have published a consultation (closes on 27 June 2012) seeking views on how to encourage more private investment into the social housing sector through Real Estate Investment Trusts - vehicles for those wishing to invest in property.
Press release & links ~ Consultation on reforms to the real estate investment trust (REIT) regime ~
OFT: The OFT has today issued a Call for Evidence to understand whether the home insulation market is working well for consumers. The OFT is interested in hearing from manufacturers, distributors, trade bodies, consumer groups and others, to understand whether there are aspects of this market which may be restricting the entry of new competitors, limiting consumer choice or keeping prices artificially high (closes 2 May 2012).
Press release & links
WAG: A consultation (closes on 25 June 2012) has begun on a Welsh measure that will place a duty on local authorities to ‘assess the provision of play and recreational opportunities for children in their areas’. The consultation covers draft regulations & statutory guidance for play ‘sufficiency assessments’ – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
