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Consultations
HO: Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker has published a consultation (closes on 8 December 2008)that seeks views on increasing the fixed penalty from £30 to £60 for failure to comply with seat belt legislation. Whilst educational campaigns and publicity have made considerable differences in behaviour, some drivers & passengers are still ignoring the risks. In a crash from 30 to 0 mph, seat belts reduce the risk of dying by 60%.
Views are also being sought on increasing the fixed penalty for the misrepresentation of vehicle registration marks from £30 to £60. The use of illegal number plates can have a significant impact on criminal investigations and crime detection - in particular the effective use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras in helping the police fight crime.
Press release ~ Proposal to increase the fixed penalties for two types of driving offences ~ Wearing a seat belt and exemptions ~ Child Car seats – the law ~
Defra: The Government is seeking further views (by 14 November 2008) on draft guidance for local authorities wishing to pilot schemes to cut household waste through financial incentives. Defra consulted informally on six pieces of guidance in June this year, covering application & designation, technical issues, finance, coverage & disadvantaged groups, fly tipping prevention and recycling service.
Further formal consultation is now taking place on the recycling service guidance. This has a different legal status to the other guidance, since the legislation makes it a precondition that any authority running an incentive pilot has a ‘good recycling service’ in place.
Press release ~
DfT: The Department for Transport (DfT) has begun a consultation (closes on 9 November 2008) on how airport development at Heathrow might affect different demographic groups living near to the airport. The Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) forms part of the Impact Assessment underpinning the 'Adding Capacity at HeathrowAirport' consultation document and seeks to establish the impact of airport development on different groups in terms of race, disability, age and social deprivation.
Almost 70,000 individuals and organisations, from all sides of the debate, responded to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation, which the DfT is currently analysing. The Equalities Impact Assessment will form part of the final Heathrow Impact Assessment, which will be published alongside final Ministerial decisions on Heathrow later this year.
WAG: The Welsh Assembly Government are holding exhibitions to seek the public’s views on the problems and issues that should be addressed when looking at improving transport in the Builth Wells area of mid Wales.
The exhibitions are being held at the Antur Gwy Centre, Builth Wells on the following dates:
Thursday 25th September – 10am to 8pm
Friday 26th September – 10am to 6pm
Defra: The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has set up a Working Group to examine how education and communication can positively affect the welfare of farmed animals. This working group will identify & critically review mechanisms for:
* Promoting responsible attitudes amongst schoolchildren & students in higher education
* Better informing consumers & policy makers about welfare issues
* Promoting application of existing knowledge amongst producers
Comments are now being sought (by 24 October 2008) from interested parties.
Press release ~ Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) ~ Defra – Animal Welfare ~ England Implementation Group ~ 2004 Great Britain Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and related documents ~ Animal Welfare Act 2006 ~ Guidance on Animal Welfare Act in Scotland ~ PET Care Trust ~ RSPCA ~ FAWC Report on the Welfare Implications of Animal Breeding and Breeding Technologies in Commercial Agriculture ~
ScotGov: The Scottish government has launched a public consultation (closes 11 December 2008) on options for modernising Scotland's jury system – See ‘Legislation / Legal’ section for more information.
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