Consultations
HO: A public consultation (closes on 3 July 2009) on the European Commission's proposal for a new Directive to strengthen the regulation of the use of animals in scientific experiments has been launched by the Home Office.
The Commission published its proposal to revise Directive 86/609/EEC, which currently regulates the use of animal experiments in the UK through the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, last November. The purpose of the revision is to harmonise the regulation of animal experiments across the European Union, to create a level playing field for both researchers & industry.
Press release ~ Consultation on protecting animals used in scientific research ~
DECC: All homes in Britain will have smart meters installed by 2020 under plans just published. Smart meters enable meter readings to be taken remotely and, together with a display device, give householders real time information on their energy use. They will mean the end of estimated bills, no more having to stay in for home readings, quicker & smoother switching between suppliers and cheaper, easier prepayment.
The Government has set out the different options for consultation (closes on 24 July 2009) of rolling out the revolutionary kit across Great Britain and on what the smart meters should be capable of doing.
HM Treasury: Financial Services Secretary Paul Myners has published a report setting out the Government's initial thinking on reforms to strengthen the UK's ability to deal with the failure of an investment bank. The report outlines the Government's thinking on the changes to market practice, regulation and insolvency law that might be needed to deal with any future failure of a major investment bank.
The report considers the treatment of investment banking clients after default, the future of their assets and the treatment of their open or un-reconciled trading positions. It also examines what can be done to make the process of insolvency more effective and to limit the damage that may be done by a failing investment bank. The Government welcomes responses to the issues & questions raised in the paper by 10 July 2009.
These reforms are part of a package of steps aimed at renewing the financial services sector, other aspects of which will be laid out in the Government's forthcoming paper on financial regulation.
PCS: The PCS union is assisting a research project into the public sector currently being carried out under the auspices of Durham University. The researcher has asked for the help of their members by getting them to complete an online questionnaire with 28 questions across 3 themes: performance, accountability and values.
It will only take between 5-10 minutes to complete the whole questionnaire. If you wish to participate, please respond by 5pm Friday 22 May 2009.
It will only take between 5-10 minutes to complete the whole questionnaire. If you wish to participate, please respond by 5pm Friday 22 May 2009.
SAP: Criminals who burgle homes are committing offences against the person – not just property – and they should face robust sentences, the Sentencing Advisory Panel has proposed in a consultation paper (closes on 5 August 2009) dealing with sentencing for burglary of a dwelling.
The Panel’s proposals closely follow the approach taken in a recent judgment in the Court of Appeal, in which the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said that sentences should reflect the anguish suffered by the victims of domestic break-ins. Only in cases where a burglar has caused minimal loss or damage and the harm caused to the victim is shown to be low should the starting point for sentencing fall below a custodial sentence.
Press release ~ Consultation paper on sentencing for burglary in a dwelling ~ Sentencing Advisory Panel
CLG: Park & mobile home residents will get more protection from rogue site owners and get easier access to justice if they have a dispute with their site owner under new proposals published for further consultation (closes on 9 June 2009) by Housing Minister Iain Wright.
The proposals aim to make sure that the 200,000 park home residents across the country have reputable licensed site owners or managers and are able to easily challenge them on issues such as pitch fee increases, without having to go through the costly courts system. The aim is to transfer the jurisdiction on appeals & applications under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 from county courts to Residential Property Tribunals.
Press release ~ Dispute resolution under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (as amended): Summary of responses and further consultation ~ Closed consultation: A new approach for resolving disputes and to proceedings relating to Park Homes under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (as amended) ~ CLG Fact Sheets and related documents ~ CLG – Park Homes ~ Residential Property Tribunals
CLG: A major new package of measures to ‘strengthen consumer protections for tenants living in private rented accommodation’ has been announced for consultation (closes on 31 July 2009) by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett. The Government claims that it wants to ‘improve the quality of the private rented sector, by increasing professionalism, driving out bad landlords, and strengthening protections for tenants affected by repossessions’.
The Government has also announced its intention to change the law to ensure that tenants have a minimum two months' notice if they have to leave their home because their landlord has been repossessed. Changes to the rules for informing tenants if their landlord is due to attend a court repossession hearing have already come into effect. Since April 2009, tenants get up to 7 weeks notice of a hearing (previously 2 weeks).
Press release ~ Rugg Review ~
CLG: Businesses, charities, voluntary groups and local authorities who have not already contributed to the Government's new race equality consultation are asked to come forward and make their views known. This is the final chance for contributions to be heard and Communities Minister Sadiq Khan has urged as many people as possible to seize the opportunity before the consultation ends on 18 May 2009.
Press release ~ Tackling race inequalities: A discussion document ~ Video footage & interviews with roadshow participants
HO: A ban on irresponsible drinks promotions including ‘all you can drink for £10’, speed drinking competitions and ‘dentist's chairs’ (pouring alcohol directly into people's mouths) are included in a proposed new mandatory code on alcohol sales launched for consultation (closes on 5 August 2009), as part of Government's plans to tackle alcohol-related crime & disorder and harm to health which costs the UK up to £13bn every year.
The proposals take a two-tiered approach with a small number of mandatory conditions for all alcohol retailers, alongside new discretionary powers for local authorities to tackle problem premises where irresponsible drinking could put individuals at risk and lead to crime & anti-social behaviour.
Any premises that breach the mandatory code or local discretionary conditions that have been imposed will face a range of possible sanctions including losing their licence, having additional tough conditions imposed on their licence or, on summary conviction, a maximum £20,000 fine and/or six months imprisonment.
Press release ~ Consultation on how alcohol is sold and supplied ~ 'Safe. Sensible. Social. - The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy' ~ Home Office – Alcohol related crime ~ Crime reduction toolkit ~ Crime Stoppers - Alcohol ~ Alcohol Concern ~ Alcohol Health Alliance (UK) ~ Pilot scheme to restrict sales of alcohol
WAG: A national Welsh-medium Education Strategy has been launched for consultation (closes on 5 August 2009). The strategy meets the Assembly Government’s One Wales commitment to; ‘create a national Welsh-medium education strategy to develop effective provision from nursery through to further and higher education, backed by an implementation programme’.
The strategy builds on WAG’s commitments under Iaith Pawb outlining how the Welsh Assembly Government will work towards creating a truly bilingual Wales.
Press release ~ Welsh-medium Education Strategy ~ Iaith Pawb ~ Welsh language commitments from the One Wales document
HO: The Home Office have announced new rules to tackle rogue immigration advisers. The proposals would give greater powers to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) to tackle unscrupulous as well as untrained & unqualified advisers. Poor advice can cause distress to individuals, delay hearings and slow down casework & decision making.
The measures are set out in the 'Oversight of the Immigration Advisers Sector Consultation' (closes on 6 August 2009), giving users & stakeholders an opportunity to give their views on how immigration advisers can be better regulated. It is the OISC's role to ensure that those giving immigration advice are qualified. It currently regulates over 1,600 organisations (around 4,000 individuals) and it has received over 3,500 complaints about advisers.
As part of a toughening up of the system, the consultation proposals include:
* tightening restrictions on individuals who have provided immigration advice illegally so they cannot own or participate in an immigration advice business
* strengthening the rights of the OISC to access & inspect immigration advisers
* issuing businesses with 'yellow card' warnings to say that their practices are not up to scratch
