Consultations
ScotGov: Patients & members of the public are being asked for their views on plans for them to receive more treatment closer to home as a consultation (closes on 31 July 2012) on the integration of health & social care launched last week.
The integrated approach aims to cut unnecessary hospital admissions, reduce the number of people being delayed in hospital longer than they should, and to meet the target of a 4-week maximum wait for discharge to be achieved by April 2013, and a 2-week maximum delay by April 2015.
HEFCE: Yesterday the Higher Education Funding Council England launched a consultation on the introduction of a more risk-based approach to quality assurance in higher education in England, in response to the Government’s White Paper, ‘Students at the heart of the system’.
Higher education & further education institutions, students & other interested parties are invited to respond to the consultation by 31 July 2012. Consultation events will be held on 18 June in London and 21 June in Birmingham.
WAG: A Welsh Government Green Paper seeking views on proposals to legislate in relation to issues affecting the public service workforce in Wales has gone out to consultation (closes on 31 July 2012). Proposals within the Green Paper aim to ‘secure public service workforce expertise and deliver a fair deal for public service workers’.).
Press release & links
Press release & links
EU News: The European Commission is calling on citizens all over the European Union to help set the policy agenda for the next years and shape the future of Europe in the biggest ever EU public consultation on citizens' rights (closes on 9 September 2012), during which time the public will be asked about the obstacles they face in exercising their rights as EU citizens, be it when travelling in Europe, when voting or standing as a candidate in elections or when shopping online.
The public consultation comes ahead of the 2013 European Year of Citizens and the input received from the public will feed directly into the Commission's policy agenda and form the basis for the 2013 EU Citizenship Report, to be presented on 9 May 2013..
WAG: Health Minister Lesley Griffiths has launched Together for Mental Health, the Welsh Government’s strategic approach to mental health & mental wellbeing (consultation closes 31 July 2012).
It aims to accelerate the momentum & achievements of recent years and will help to deliver the wider ambitions outlined in the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government and Together for Health and Sustainable Social Services for Wales; A Framework for Action.
It aims to accelerate the momentum & achievements of recent years and will help to deliver the wider ambitions outlined in the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government and Together for Health and Sustainable Social Services for Wales; A Framework for Action.
A quarter of the population in Wales will experience mental health problems or mental illness at some point. It can affect anyone at any time of life and can have an enormous effect on family members, friends and work colleagues.
FSA: A Swiss company has applied to the Food Standards Agency for approval to market a carbohydrate derivative known as methylcellulose as a novel food ingredient for use in a range of foods. Views are wanted on this application. Any comments on this draft opinion should be emailed to by Friday 25 May 2012. .
EU: News: The European Commission is inviting stakeholders to submit their views (by 27 July 2012) on ‘the future of the guidelines on the application of the EU antitrust rules to maritime transport services’. These guidelines will expire in September 2013.
The Commission's competition department takes the preliminary view that specific antitrust guidelines in the maritime transport sector are no longer needed.
Press release & links
The Commission's competition department takes the preliminary view that specific antitrust guidelines in the maritime transport sector are no longer needed.
Press release & links
WAG: Wales is set to lead the way in encouraging people to walk & cycle more with the launch of the White Paper for the Active Travel (Wales) Bill. The Bill, which is a key transport commitment in the Programme for Government, will make it a legal requirement for local authorities to plan fully integrated transport networks.
The key aim of the Bill is to see local authorities enabling & encouraging more people to walk & cycle in Wales by connecting key sites such as hospitals, schools and shopping areas with traffic free routes & cycle lanes. The consultation closes on 14 August 29012..
LC: The Law Commission has published a consultation paper with their provisional proposals for reform of the legal framework relating to taxis & private hire vehicles. Consultation closes on 10 August 2012..
WAG: The Welsh Government is seeking views (by 18 July 2012) on proposals for a Sustainable Development Bill which would place a legal requirement on organisations delivering public services in Wales to ‘ensure their decision making is informed by sustainable development principles’. The proposals would also require organisations to report annually on how they have complied with that duty.
FSA: A Canadian company has applied to the Food Standards Agency for approval to market a baker’s yeast rich in vitamin D2 as a novel food ingredient. Views are wanted on this application. Any comments on this application should be sent to the ACNFP Secretariat by Thursday 31 May 2012. .
NE: Proposals for an improved coastal access route between South Bents in Sunderland and Seaton Carew in Hartlepool have been published for consultation (closes on 3 August 2012), marking the first stages of the England Coast Path in the north east of England set in motion by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009..
