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In 1997 and 1998 British Coal was found negligent in relation to vibration white finger and respiratory damage respectively.  The liabilities were subsequently transferred to the DTI under the terms of the Coal Industry Act 1994 and the judges ordered DTI to work with solicitors representing miners to formulate schemes to handle the payment of compensation.

Nearly 750,000 claimants have been registered under the schemes and it is estimated that around £5 billion in compensation awards will be paid out by the Government to settle all claims.

Press release ~ External Review of the Coal Health Compensation Scheme ~ BBC article: Record payout for sick miners ~ TUC article: Sick miners are dying before receiving payouts ~ TUC information sheet ~ Times article ~ Times article re alleged legal fees mystery

FSA:  The Financial Services Authority has confirmed that its detailed rules on training & competence (T & C) will not apply from next year to those individuals in financial firms who deal only with wholesale or non-private customers.  However firms will still need to ensure that their employees are competent, and remain competent, to carry out the roles assigned to them.

The FSA will also conduct this year a wider review of its T & C regime which will take account of the impact of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) due to be implemented in the UK in November 2007. The removal of detailed T & C rules for wholesale business, together with any further changes resulting from the wider review, will be made at the time MiFID is implemented.

Press release ~ Reviewing our Training and Competence regime’ ~ Consultation paper 05/10 ‘Reviewing the Handbook’ ~ Policy Statement 06/1 Reviewing our Money Laundering regime: Feedback on Chapter 2 and made text ~ MiFID Directive

National Statistics:  About 2,000 submissions from around 500 census users have created a much larger than expected response to the consultation over questions for the 2011 Census of England and Wales, published by the Office for National Statistics.

A report gives details of the responses received and provides an updated view on the likely content of the 2011 Census questionnaire.  Of the topics strongly supported, ONS is not intending to include a question on sexual orientation in the 2011 Census.

Progress of the census is subject to sufficient funding being made available and decisions will be informed by the programme of question development & testing that is underway.  The emerging results of this testing will determine the choice of questions for the 2007 Census Test. The Test questionnaires will be finalised in September 2006.

Press release ~ National Statistics - 2011 Census ~ The 2011 Census: Assessment of initial user requirements on content for England and Wales ~ 2007 census test

DH:  Tens of thousands of residents across the East End and Thames Gateway are hoping to benefit from a £1 billion redevelopment of two London hospitals - St Bartholomew's and the Royal London – which would create Britain's biggest hospital and the largest A&E in Europe by 2016.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has given the go-ahead for the scheme which, when complete, will include up to 1,248 beds on two sites.  The government claims that the agreed re-development will save nearly £650m over the 35 year life of the contract.

Press release ~ Barts and The London NHS ~ 'The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2006/7' ~ BBC News item on PFI Bankruptcy ~ Unison and PFI ~ HM Treasury - PFI ~ NAO - PFI

DWP:  From April the maximum weekly payment from the Independent Living (1993) Fund will increase from £420 per week to £455 per week (£23,660 per year) and for the Independent Living (Extension) Fund from £715 per week to £785 per week (£40,820 per year).

The Independent Living Funds make grants to people with high support needs who wish to live independently in the community and currently support over 17,500 people.

Press release ~ Independent Living Funds ~ Directgov Disabled website ~ Independent Living

Electronic letters are being sent by the Scheme's regulators to all the 1,000+ installations covered by Phase I of the EU ETS as well as a number of new installations.  The vast majority of operators will not be required to provide additional data if their data remains unchanged, but it is likely that operators of around a quarter installations may have to submit data, which must be confirmed by independent verifiers.

A series of seminars to assist operators in complying with the data requirements will be held in late March/ early April. Details will be available on the Defra, Scottish Executive and regulators websites.

Alongside this request, the Government has published detailed guidance on the Phase II allocation methodology and definitions of activities to be covered following expansion of the scope of the second phase of the EU ETS.

Press release ~ Detailed Guide to Phase II Allocation Methodology ~ Defra EU ETS website ~ DTI EU ETS website ~ Environment Agency ~ SEPA website ~ EHSNI website ~ Offshore installations

Defra:  Every year a number of significant new pest or disease risks are identified as a result of findings in other countries, or interceptions by Defra's Plant Health & Seeds Inspectors on imported plants and produce.

In future the most significant pest risk analyses will be placed on the plant health pages of Defra's website, and comments will be invited on the best risk management options; whether there should be any statutory controls and, if so, what those should be

Press release ~ Defra Plant Health website ~ Central Science Laboratory ~ A short guide to pest risk analysis ~ Invite to comment on PRA  ~ EU Plant Health ~ European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)

DfES:  Children's Minister Beverley Hughes has announced that young people from 13 to 19 will have ‘responsibility’ for deciding how a £115m fund is spent.  The funding will be available over two years through the Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund (from April 2006) - ring fenced money that young people will be able to bid for from their local authorities to improve facilities & activities in their neighbourhood. 

In addition, all 13-19 year olds will be eligible for a youth opportunity card giving them access to a range of discounts on things to do and places to go as well as from high street stores.

Press release ~ Youth Matters: Next Steps ~ Russell Commission ~ Youth Opportunity card

Home Office: Volunteering For All is a two-year strategy led by the Home Office to identify & remove barriers to volunteering and to promote these opportunities to potential volunteers. It will specifically target three groups less likely to volunteer, as identified by the biennial Home Office Citizenship Survey (HOCS):

·         people with disabilities or limiting long-term illness

·         people with no formal qualifications  and

·         people from black and minority ethnic communities

Press release ~ Encouraging Volunteering and Charitable Giving website ~ Russell Commission ~ Volunteering for All? - Exploring the link between volunteering and social exclusion ~ Volunteering England ~ TimeBank

The consultation sets out proposals to offer fathers the opportunity to choose to take up to 26 weeks Additional Paternity Leave to care for children under one. This additional leave could only be taken if the mother has chosen to return to work and both parents will not be entitled to take leave at the same time.

Press release ~ Consultation Document ~ DTI - Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility ~ DTI - Paternity Leave

DCMS:  The DCMS has launched a consultation (closes 10 May 2006) on whether the United Kingdom should bring in anti-seizure laws to protect items lent from abroad for exhibition in our museums and galleries, and if so, what form such legislation should take.

Unlike many other European countries, the UK does not have legislation granting immunity from seizure to items lent to exhibitions held here, which places the UK at a serious competitive disadvantage compared, for example, to New York, Paris and Berlin. The issue of immunity from seizure rose to prominence in 2005 when a number of Impressionist works from the Pushkin Museum in Russia were seized in Switzerland but later released.

Press release ~ Consultation paper on Anti-seizure Legislation ~ Telegraph news item

DCA:  Significant changes to law and how care is provided to people lacking mental capacity are set out in a draft Code of Practice published for consultation (closes 2 June 2006).  The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is intended to provide a legal framework and clear safeguards for acting & making decisions on behalf of people who are unable to do so for themselves and for those wishing to make provision in the event they lack the capacity in the future.

The Code provides guidance & information for those working with or caring for those who cannot make decisions for themselves, or who have a limited capacity to do so without assistance. It sets out good practice and covers an extensive range of different roles, circumstances & decisions that might need to be taken.

The readers are reminded that the consultation on Lasting Powers of Attorney forms and guidance, which will replace Enduring Powers of Attorney as the main way of choosing a decision-maker to act in the event of loss of mental capacity, closes on 14 April 2006.

Press release ~ Consultation paper, "Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice" ~ DCA Mental Capacity Act website ~ Public Guardianship Office ~ Consultation paper: Lasting Powers of Attorney - forms and guidance ~ FAQs on Lasting Powers of Attorney, etc. ~ Planning ahead - a guide for people who wish to prepare for possible future incapacity ~ Mind website

DfES:  Ruth Kelly has launched a programme to refurbish half of all primary school buildings with additional investment of £1.15 billion.  The proposals for consultation (closes 14 June) will involve demolishing or rebuilding over 900 of the worst condition primary schools and significantly improving a further 8,000 primary schools across the country by 2022.

Press notice ~ School building programme website ~ Consultation  documents ~ Primary capital programme ~ Building Bulletin 99: Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects (slow to download) ~ Extended schools website

The scheme is part of a wider campaign to encourage the development and improvement of employee involvement practices and follows the introduction of new laws in 2005 to encourage employers to inform & consult employees on issues that affect them.

Around 20,000 businesses will be invited to take part in the scheme and a new website will provide supporting information including case studies and frequently asked questions on Information & Consultation.

Press release ~ The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 DTI Guidance (January 2006) ~ New I&C website (includes details of company visits) ~ DTI – I&C website (Employment relations ~ Confederation of British Industry (CBI) ~ Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) ~ British Retail Consortium (BRC)  ~ Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) ~ Advisory booklet - Employee communications and consultation ~ Acas – Information & consultation website

HSE:  In catering and hospitality industry kitchens there are many tasks that, without proper controls, can cause back pain or upper limb injuries.  Aimed at raising awareness amongst employers, new guidance from the HSE offers practical information on good manual handling techniques and lifting aids that will be useful to any section of the hospitality industry.

Press release ~ HSE Better Backs ~ 'Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff' ~ Catering/ hospitality related leaflets ~ HSE Catering website 

Press release ~ IMF report and papers ~ The UK and the IMF: Reporting to Parliament

CSPL:  Launching the Committee on Standards in Public Life's Annual Report for 2005, Sir Alistair Graham pledged that the Committee would continue to press for changes to the system for inquiries into allegations of breaches of the Ministerial Code and also announced a review of the Seven Principles of Public Life.

Speaking at the Committee's first open annual meeting in central London, Sir Alistair Graham said:

“As we have seen, a very small number of incidents can have a disproportionate impact on public confidence in the procedures.  I am puzzled why the Prime Minister has not acted on this issue.

 At regular intervals he has been faced with allegations of breaches of the Ministerial Code in which he and his Government have become the centre of a media storm. This leads to immense pressure on a Minister whose future will often depend on the vagaries of an ad hoc investigation. There must be a better system and there is one.

Press release ~ Annual report 2005 ~ Seven Principles of Public Life

In the report the NAO makes a number of recommendations, in the event of a large-scale company failure, to improve decision-making, contingency planning and the delivery of training & support

Press release ~ The closure of MG Rover: - Full report (1.4Mb) ~ Summary ~ Pension Protection Fund ~ Statutory redundancy ~ Advantage West Midlands

NAO:  The National Audit Office has reported that since 2003-04, savings of some £2.5 million have been made each year from expenditure on food and some £1.7 million a year on catering staff – mainly through civilianisation of catering staff posts. Other savings have arisen from more efficient procurement and reduced stockholdings of food. In addition most prisoners are offered full & varied programmes of physical education activities.

The average is £1.87 for three meals a day but there are wide variations ranging from £1.20 at an open prison to £3.41 at a young offenders’ institution (because juveniles eat more than adults).

Press release ~ Serving Time: Prisoner Diet and Exercise: Full Report (1.6Mb) ~ Executive Summary

DWP:  Research published by the Department for Work and Pensions presents the findings of a review of Action Teams for Jobs.  Action Teams were introduced in June 2000 in three pathfinder areas and currently operate in 64 areas.  They operate in disadvantaged areas with particular problems of labour market disadvantage and aim to increase the employment rate amongst disadvantaged groups.

The report was commissioned to examine the current operation and efficacy of Action Teams and gather together the lessons learned from the Action Teams experience in order that the best practice can be taken forward in future provision for disadvantaged areas.

Press release ~ Research Report 328: Review of Action Teams for Jobs ~ Summary version ~ Action Teams for Jobs

DWP:  New research explores the extent to which current employment policies & practices accord with equal opportunity with respect to age.  The report sets a baseline to evaluate the effects of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, as well as providing information on practices relating to equal opportunities, pay & benefits, retirement, recruitment, appraisal, training, promotion and redundancy as well as attitudes & awareness.

Press release ~ Research Report 325 - Survey of employers' policies, practices and preferences ~ Summary version ~ Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

ODPM:  England's cities have the best chance since the end of the 19th century to join Europe's top performing cities, according to a report - State of the English Cities - an independent report to ODPM, which focuses on 56 major towns and cities in England.  The report looks at their performance, the challenges they face and their potential

A second round of City Summits led by ODPM, to include smaller urban areas, will take place from March to May this year.  In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister has also announced that the third Sustainable Communities Summit will be held in Manchester, during the week commencing February 5, 2007, and will focus on the role of cities in the global economy.

Press release ~ ODPM – State of English Cities website ~ Our cities are back ~ Our Towns and Cities: the Future ~ Sustainable communities plan ~ 5-year strategy ~ State of the Cities: A Progress Report ~ Tale of Eight Cities ~ City summits ~ Sustainable Communities Summit 2005 ~ Sustainable Communities Summit 2007

CC:   The Competition Commission (CC) has today confirmed its provisional conclusions reached in September 2005 that there is an adverse effect on competition in connection with the supply of consumer credit through store cards and associated insurance in the UK. It is imposing remedies to address specific problems.

Press release ~ CC Store Cards inquiry website ~ OFT’s referral

DTI:  The UK materials industry must continue moving up the value added chain and discover new markets & opportunities in order to continue as a world class player was the message to the industry from the Minister for Industry & the Regions, The Rt Hon. Alun Michael MP speaking at the launch of - A Strategy for Materials - produced by the Materials Innovation and Growth Team (MatIGT).

The MatIGT has produced a list of priority topics for materials Research & Development that the Technology Strategy Board can use and have also identified energy generation, efficiency, conservation & supply as a major driver for new materials activity in the UK.

Press release ~ A strategy for materials ~ The Materials Innovation & Growth Team ~ Materials UK ~ The Materials Knowledge Transfer Network ~ National Composites Network ~ National Metals - Technology Centre

DTI:  Post Office Limited has recently published a report on Rural Pilot Activity, which was commissioned by the Government to report on the findings of their trials of new ways of delivering post office services to rural areas.

Press release ~ The Post Office Ltd. Rural Pilot Activity report ~ NAO report – DTI: Financial Support for Post Offices ~ DTI – Post Office Network ~ Post Office portal ~ National Federation of Sub Postmasters ~ Postwatch

Cabinet Office:  The actions proposed in Consent Regimes: Reducing Unnecessary Bureaucracy are intended give local authorities more freedom to take local decisions and free up valuable staff time.

Across government, departments have agreed to:

·         remove 21 consent regimes

·         consult externally on whether to remove or improve 11 consent regimes

·         consult internally on a further 14 and

·         modify one consent regime to simplify the requirement

Press release ~ Consent Regimes – Reducing Unnecessary Bureaucracy ~ Making a Difference: Reducing burdens caused by the consent regime process - some questions and answers ~ Making a Difference documents ~ BRE website ~ Unification of consent regimes (VLF 2.4Mb) ~ Unification of Consent Regimes - Summary

Overseas doctors and dentists will still be able to come and train in the UK. However, they will now be considered as being in employment for immigration purposes and will therefore need to meet the requirements of an employment category of the Immigration Rules, such as the work permit system.

Press release ~ BMA: International medical graduates : a fairer future ~ Modernising Medical Careers ~ International Recruitment ~ Overseas qualified staff

DTI:  The final measures to outlaw age discrimination in the workplace have been published by Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson.  Age discrimination is the most frequently cited form of discrimination by employees.

These final regulations include transitional provisions to ensure that employers can manage the process of retirement effectively in the first six months of the regulations coming into force.  They are the last major stage of the European Employment Directive. Subject to parliamentary approval they will come into effect in October.

Press release ~ Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 ~ European Employment Directive (2000/78/EC) ~ See also DWP research report 325 in ‘General reports section above ~ Age positive ~ CIPD

Gillian McIntyre, HMRC Business Support Team Manager, said: "Online filing is a quicker, convenient way for employers to send their Employer's Annual Return (P14s and P35). Employers who have fewer than 50 employees can get up to £575 tax-free over four years if they file their 2005-06 Employer's Annual Tax Returns electronically”.

To book an appointment and for more information employers should call 028 9053 2755 or 028 9053 2528 Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00pm or e-mail BST.NorthernIreland@ir.gsi.gov.uk

Press release ~ Business Support Team

Pensions Regulator:  Two draft codes of practice, Reporting late payments of contributions to occupational money purchase schemes and Reporting late payments of contributions to personal pensions have been laid before Parliament. The legislation on late payments is expected to be effective from April 2006.

The codes of practice include examples of when late payments should & should not be reported and:

·         give guidelines about reporting to the Regulator and to members the late payment of contributions; and

·         clarify the obligations of trustees and pension scheme managers to report to the Regulator the late payment of contributions into the pension scheme. They only need to do this where it is likely to be of material significance.

Also available on the regulator's website is a consultation report for each code summarising the Regulator's responses to the helpful feedback received from stakeholders during the consultation period.

Press release ~ Reporting late payments of contributions to occupational money purchase schemes ~ Reporting late payments of contributions to personal pensions ~ Briefings

HMRC:  VAT Business Brief 03 /06

Contents:

·         Implications of the Court of Appeal Judgement in IDT

·         Hydrocarbon Oils: Introduction of the Hydrocarbon Oil (Registered Remote Markers) Regulations 2005

·         New version of form VAT 1614 " Option to Tax Land and Buildings" notification form

·         Beauty procedures performed using class 3B or 4 lasers and/or Intense Pulse Light (IPL) machines -Clarification of liability

Press release ~ Business Briefs 2006 (it sometimes takes time to appear here)

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