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Legislation / Legal
MoJ: Justice Minister Maria Eagle has announced new proposals that all images of child sexual abuse, including drawings and computer-generated images of child abuse will be illegal and offenders holding such images will face criminal charges and up to three years.
The proposals were announced as part of the Government's response to a public consultation on the possession of non-photographic visual depictions of under-aged children engaged in sexual activity.
Press release ~
ScotParl: The recommendations on new pension and grants rules for MSPs & office-holders have been published by the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme Committee. The committee has made a number of detailed recommendations and set out proposed new rules updating the Pensions Order and the Grants Order.
Parliamentary debate of the report and the proposal for a committee bill is expected before Parliament rises at the end of June. If the report is approved by Parliament a committee bill can be introduced to give effect to the recommendations. Once the Parliament has considered the committee's report and concluded consideration of any committee bill that follows, the SPPS will be disbanded. Changes require an Act of the Scottish Parliament to implement and it must be made by April 2011.
Press release ~ Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme Committee ~ 1st Report, 2008: Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme
DCSF: The Government has published its formal response to the recent consultation on the Independent Safeguarding Authority scheme for vetting & barring those who wish to work, either paid or unpaid, with children or vulnerable adults.
The response document, which has been produced jointly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Home Office and Department of Health, sets out the Government's evaluation of stakeholders' responses to the consultation and next steps.
Press release ~ Independent Safeguarding Authority ~ Consultation and Government Response ~ Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 ~
