Consultations
Defra: Defra has launched a consultation (closes on 28 November 2008) to decide the future status of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), specifically whether it should remain a Defra Executive Agency or be merged with another body in accordance with Hampton Principles.
The VMD is one of 31 regulatory bodies that Philip Hampton in his report 'Reducing Administrative Burdens: effective inspection and enforcement', recommended be consolidated into seven thematic regulators. Defra committed to consult stakeholders to seek their views on the future status of the VMD in 2008.
Press release ~ Consultation on the future of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate(VMD) ~ Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) ~
Cabinet Office: The Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is an entirely new legal form for charities and the Office of the Third Sector and the Charity Commission have published draft details of what the new form might look like and the rules it will have to follow. The next step in developing the CIO is to consult with the charity sector and those who will do business with these new organisations. The consultation closes on 10 December 2008.
Currently, most charities can only incorporate as a company limited by guarantee, meaning they are regulated by both the Charity Commission and Companies House. The CIO is designed specifically for charities and will be regulated solely by the Charity Commission, significantly reducing this regulatory burden.
The consultation seeks responses from those who will use the CIO model and those who will work with them, including grant funders, contractors and suppliers, ensuring the new legal form is effective & useful in practice.
Press release ~ Consultation - The Charitable Incorporated Organisation ~ Office of the Third Sector ~ Charity Commission
LLUK: Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) are currently consulting (closes 7 November 2008) on the revision of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the community development workforce. This revision will produce the third set of standards and they will be reflective of changes in legislation & working practices within the sector.
They will also be designed to support the community development workforce (CDW) in a variety of ways, including the underpinning of any subsequent qualification development.
DfT: Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has called on motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, highway authorities and road organisations who are keen to have a say in how our streets will look in the future, to take part in the biggest review of British road signs for 40 years. The review's aims include:
* To consider new powers to reduce street clutter - and ensure out of date signs are removed
* Look at using new traffic sign technologies that can provide new ways of managing traffic flow
* Provide better road information - such as up-to-date travel news
* Demonstrate how effective signing can provide safer roads & reduce accidents
* Improve road users' understanding of traffic signs & signals.
The first meeting of the traffic signs policy review steering group is expected to take place in October 2008 and the group is expected to deliver an action plan for the review by the middle of 2009. DfT will then work directly with specialist working groups to develop policy proposals for consultation.
Press release ~ Vienna Convention for road traffic ~ Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (2002) ~ DfT – Traffic Signs & signals ~ DfT - Traffic Signs Manual ~ DfT's Manual for Streets and LTN 1/08 - Traffic Management and Streetscape
DH: The Government has set out further details for tackling poor performance in NHS hospitals and trusts, while protecting services for patients. The 'Consultation on a Regime for Unsustainable NHS Providers' (closes December 3 2008) picks up at the point where an organisation has failed to turn its performance around. The regime is the last step for providers who are subject to previous recovery actions by Monitor or the NHS performance regime – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
