Consultations
DBIS: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has highlighted that the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) has launched a consultation (closes on 31 July 2009) on the future of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund.
The SSRB is an independent body which advises the Government on the remuneration of senior positions in the public sector, including parliamentarians, the judiciary, senior military officers, senior civil servants and some senior NHS managers. The SSRB intends to report to the Prime Minister by the end of 2009.
In 2008 the House of Commons agreed to a recommendation by the SSRB that parliamentary pensions should be reviewed if the costs to the Exchequer appeared likely to rise above 20% of members' payroll. The most recent valuation (March 2009) estimated that, as at April 2008, the underlying cost had reached 23.1%.
Press release ~ Consultation document ~ Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) ~ Written Ministerial statement and link to valuation
CQC: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has outlined the scope of its review of the provision & commissioning of out-of-hours GP services run by Take Care Now. The work was triggered by the tragic case of a patient who was treated by a locum doctor from Germany and died following the administration of 100mg of diamorphine.
The CQC will look at the service generally, focusing on current systems, including contractual & monitoring arrangements between primary care trusts (PCTs) and Take Care Now, as well as changes made after recent incidents.
As part of its work, the CQC will conduct telephone interviews with people who have used services provided by Take Care Now, and also current & former Take Care Now and PCT staff. People interested in talking to the CQC can email mark.tempest@cqc.org.uk, or telephone 0207 448 9207, if they think that they might have relevant information to contribute.
Press release ~ Related News item ~ Take Care Now ~ Terms of reference for the ‘Take Care Now’ enquiry ~ Care Quality Commission (CQC)
WAG: Young people from across Wales are being given the opportunity to have their say in what the world’s decision-makers decide to do to tackle climate change when they meet for crucial talks in Copenhagen later this year.
‘Countdown to Copenhagen’ is an event being held at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea on 1 July 2009 for young people in Wales to get together, learn about climate change and make their opinions heard about what should be done in Wales and across the world to face up to this real and serious problem.
Environment Minister Jane Davidson is looking for 300 under 25s to attend so their views can be passed on to world leaders in December at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in the Danish capital.
The event will include the producer of the popular climate change film ‘Age of Stupid’, introducing key parts of the film, workshops, a graffiti wall and video booths where youngsters will be able to record their views. There will also be talks from young people who are already taking action on climate change.
DWP: A national consultation (closes on 30 September 2009) that could dramatically change the way every disabled person their lives has been launched. Right to Control is a shake up of the way disabled people can use the funding they receive from the state.
Under the new scheme, disabled people will be able to choose who delivers their services and how they receive them. They can have as much or as little control as they wish and they could choose to spend the money on a wide range of support to help them to live their lives with greater independence and freedom.
The Right to Control is a major part of the Government's goal to achieve equality for disabled people by 2025. The scheme will be tested in a limited number of trailblazer areas, before a decision is made on whether to implement the policy nationally. Pilots in a small number of public authorities will run in England from 2010 for an initial period of 2-3 years.
Press release ~ Right to Control ~ RADAR ~ Chapter 3 of the White Paper: Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future
DSA: The Driving Standards Agency has unveiled plans for consultation (closes on 3 September 2009) to ‘improve’ the test for drivers of lorries and other large vehicles which tow trailers. At present, learner lorry drivers in Great Britain are tested in vehicles which do not carry a load - but heavier vehicles & trailers have different driving characteristics to those of unladen vehicles.
The new proposals will require that the weight of lorries & trailers used in tests should be similar to the vehicles which candidates will use on the roads after they have passed their test.
In addition, the new rules will also affect those wishing to tow whilst driving a minibus, coach or bus. The new test rules will not apply to car drivers unless they tow trailers weighing over 750kg. Drivers who already hold a licence allowing them to drive a lorry or tow a trailer will not be affected.
GEO: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has set out its proposals for consultation (closes on 30 September 2009) for the new single Equality Duty, which will require public bodies to tackle discrimination & advance equality of opportunity, including reporting annually on their gender pay gap and considering using procurement to drive equality.
The Equality Duty, a key part of the Equality Bill introduced in April, will build on the existing gender, race, and disability duties, and extend it to also cover age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment in full, and religion or belief.
The Equality Duty will also require public bodies with 150 or more employees to report annually on their gender pay gap; black and minority ethnic employment rates; and their disability employment rates.
The aim is for the new Equality Duty to come into force in April 2011. Enforcement of the new Equality Duty will be by judicial review or through the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Press release ~ Equality Duty Consultation ~ Government Equalities Office ~ Equality and Human Rights Commission
Defra: Smarter eco-design for energy using products could save £900m for the economy, as well as protect the environment according evidence to be given to a new consultation (closes on 4 September 2009). The consultation seeks views on how to implement minimum energy standards and energy labelling of high street products.
The European Union (EU) Framework Directive for the Eco-design of Energy Using Products (EuP) has already begun to introduce minimum energy standards and labels for televisions, washing machines & fridges and more products are to follow.
The EU estimates that implementing these standards effectively will reduce EU energy use by 10%. It is estimated that 15% of products across Europe do not comply with standards and that non-compliance costs £30m pa.
The consultation will help ensure that manufacturers can compete in a fair environment while consumers are guaranteed that the products they purchase meet the mandatory minimum energy performance standards and their declared energy label.
Press release ~ Consultation on EuP ~ European Union (EU) Framework Directive for the Eco-design of Energy Using Products (EuP) ~ Energy using products: Market Transformation Programme ~ Energy Labelling Framework Directive
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced that, following consultation with stakeholders on the economic model that underpinned NICE’s 2006 guidance on the use of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the resulting draft guidance remains unchanged.
NICE guidance on the use of donepezil, galantamine & rivastigmine and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease therefore remains unchanged and the drugs continue to be recommended only for people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Consultees now have a chance to appeal against this decision.
The Appraisal Committee has prepared a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) on donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine (review) and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and submitted it to the Institute. The FAD has been sent to the formal consultees for this appraisal who have 15 working days to consider whether they wish to appeal against it (Closes on 1 July 2009).
