.gif)
Consultations
FSA: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has begun a consultation (closing date Monday 14 March 2011) on proposals to reduce the frequency of hygiene inspections on dairy farms in England & Wales. The proposals could result in an annual saving of £1.2m for taxpayers and more than £130,000 for farmers. It is proposed changes in Scotland will not occur until the Food Law Code of Practice is reviewed in 2012. A similar consultation is being launched by the FSA in Northern Ireland.
DECC: Nuclear operators will be expected to take on liability of €1.2bn for each of their sites, an increase on the current level of £140m, under proposals outlined for consultation by Chris Huhne last week (closes on 28 April 2011). The proposal follows the changes to the Paris & Brussels Conventions on nuclear third party liability and is a 7-fold increase on the current level of £140m. It is also more than the €700m minimum required under the revised Conventions.
There will also be an increase in the categories of damage for which operators are liable to include damage related to the environment. The geographical scope of those eligible to claim compensation will be widened, and any liabilities will be channelled automatically to the nuclear operator.
Press release ~ Paris and Brussels Conventions consultation ~ Related written parliamentary statement
FSA: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published a discussion paper to open a public debate about how the FSA, and in future the proposed Consumer Protection and Markets Authority (CPMA), should pursue the objective of consumer protection and specifically the issue of product intervention. The consultation ends on 21 April 2011.
WAG: New plans to encourage pregnant women in Wales to follow healthier lifestyles were announced last week as part of a fresh Welsh Assembly Government strategy to improve maternity services. Wales has the highest rates in the UK of expectant mothers who smoke or are obese. The consultation on the draft strategy closes on 11 April 2011.
Press release ~ Consultation on the draft document ‘A Strategic Vision for Maternity Services in Wales’
Defra / PCS: England’s best known historic forests ‘will be protected for future generations’ under proposals announced by Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman. The proposals are contained in a consultation document on the ownership & management of the 18% of England’s woodland currently run by the Forestry Commission.
The document lays out different approaches for different types of woodlands. Any forest or wood for which a suitable offer cannot be achieved will continue to be part of the publicly owned forest estate. The consultation will close on 21 April 2011.
Meanwhile the PCS union commented: ‘The public body responsible for managing the UK's forests costs less than the price of a packet of crisps a year for each person in England….. Public ownership ensures the commission carries out a wide range of functions that the union does not believe can be provided by the private and voluntary sectors….. In 2009 the commission conducted a detailed study of the long-term role of public forests that concluded public ownership was essential in supporting the forestry estate.
Press release ~ The future of the Public Forest Estate in England ~ PCS response press release ~ The Study of the Forestry Commission Estate in England ~ HoC Briefing
EU News: Public procurement accounts for roughly 17% of the EU’s GDP. In times of tight budgets & economic difficulties in many Member States, public procurement policy must ensure the most efficient use of public funds, with a view to supporting growth & job creation. The European Commission has launched a consultation which will focus on the modernisation of the rules, tools & methods for public procurement to deliver better on these goals. The deadline for responses to the Green Paper is 18 April 2011.
