Legislation / Legal
MoJ: Public legal education is vital in providing access to justice by making people aware of their rights and responsibilities, according to Legal Aid minister Lord Hunt, who was speaking during the launch of the report Developing Capable Citizens: the role of Public Legal Education by the Public Legal Education and Support Task Force.
Lord Hunt commented knowledge about the law can change lives, improve life chances and enable active participation in democracy, saying that: "The Task Force has set out the case for increasing the availability of public legal education, developing good practice, improving evaluation, and longer-term funding. I will now discuss with colleagues in government how best we can overcome the obstacles to effective public legal education".
Press release ~ Developing Capable Citizens: the role of Public Legal Education ~ Public Legal Education and Support (PLEAS) Task Force ~ Ministry of Justice ~ Advice Services Alliance ~ Citizens Advice ~ Citizenship Foundation ~ Legal Action Group ~ Disability Rights Commission ~ Bar Council ~ Office of Fair Trading ~ Legal Services Commission
DfT: Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has announced new regulations, laid in Parliament & introduced under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which are meant to enable local authorities to minimise the impact roadworks have on motorists, pedestrians, businesses and local residents. In addition, from early next year councils will be able to use additional powers to impose conditions and co-ordinate all roadworks.
The following Regulations have been laid;-
* The Street Works (Registers, Notices, Directions and Designations) (England) Regulations.
* The Street Works (Fixed Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations
The proposed maximum fee for a permit will be £240, but fees would be set by local authorities and would depend on the scale of the works and the predicted disruption. All fees revenue will be used by an Authority to run the utility side of the permit scheme.
Press release ~ DfT - Street works ~ HAUC(UK) ~ Traffic Management Act 2004 ~ Streetworks ~ The Street Works (Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway) (England) Regulations 2001 ~ National Joint Utilities Group ~ Energy Networks Association ~ VISTA ~ DNF - The Digital National Framework
Defra: New regulations to reform game licensing in England and Wales have been announced by Defra, which it is claimed will remove restrictions for those shooting & dealing in game. The Regulations which come into force on 1 August 2007 will remove the:
* restriction on dealing in game birds and venison during the close season
* requirement for a licence to kill or take game, and
* requirement for two licences for game dealers to sell game
The legislation relating to the shooting & dealing in game ("game" covers pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath or moor game, black game, woodcock, snipe, hares, rabbits and deer) dates back to the 19th Century - the principal Acts being the Game Act 1831 and the Game licences Act 1860.
