Consultations

NICE: NICE has launched a consultation (closes Friday 22 July 2011) on its draft quality standard for end of life care for adults. NICE quality standards (QS) are a set of specific, concise statements & measures that act as markers of high-quality, clinical & cost-effective patient care.  It also covers support for the families and carers of people in these groups.
Press release & links
 
IS: The Insolvency Service has launched a 6-week consultation with its staff on ‘potentially reshaping the way in which it carries out the bulk of its business and delivers its services going forward’.  

The ‘Delivery Strategy – Shaping our future’ consultation will close on Friday 5 August 2011. The Service recognises that any changes to service delivery will impact on key stakeholders and therefore the Delivery Strategy consultation will be shared with some external organisations.
Press release & links
 
MPA: The MPA is launching the ‘Have Your Say’ consultation to find out Londoners’ policing priorities. By completing a short online questionnaire Londoners can tell the MPA what are the most important issues for them and what they believe the police should be focusing on.  The closing date is 25 November 2011.
Press release & links
 
DCMS: The Film Policy Review panel recently began seeking industry views on how to better support the UK film sector. The panel last week published a detailed survey (closes on 9 September 2011) to collect views on where film policy needs to be changed. The Review is expected to report to Mr Vaizey by the end of 2011.
Press release & links
 
HSE: The Government and the Health & Safety Executive are calling for the people of Wales to give their thoughts on red tape. The Red Tape Challenge is seeking views about regulations from the public, business and others like industry bodies and volunteers.  
 
H&S regulation is 1 of 6 cross-cutting themes on the Red Tape Challenge website and the public will be able to give comments on health & safety throughout the whole of the Red Tape Challenge campaign.  But, from 30 June to 21 July 2011, there will be a special focus on health & safety regulation to encourage people to get involved and have their say.
Press release & links
 
CfPA: Sir David Normington, the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments, has launched a consultation on the way Ministerial appointments to public bodies are regulated.  The consultation, which will run until 28 September 2011, sets out proposals for reform which aim to simplify the current regulatory system and encourage wider fields of applicants.
Press release & links
 
HMRC: A consultation (closes on 30 September 2011) to examine how the European VAT cost sharing exemption might be used by UK businesses & organisations was published last week by HM Revenue & Customs.  It will also explore a framework for its possible implementation.  

This follows from the statement in the March 2011 Budget that consultation would continue. If implemented the exemption could remove the VAT charge preventing institutions such as universities and charities from gaining efficiencies by sharing costs with each other.
Press release & links
 
BIS: ‘Putting students at the heart of England's higher education (HE) system’ is the central theme of the Government’s reforms announced last week.  The proposals contained in the White Paper - ‘Students at the Heart of the System’ cover 4 broad areas:
* reforming funding
* delivering a better student experience
* enabling universities to increase social mobility
* reducing regulation and removing barriers for new providers
Press release & links ~ Students at the Heart of the System (See website for closure dates on the various consultations) ~ CBI comment
 
EU News: Arranging a cross border emergency rescue, preventing major environmental damage or comparing energy consumption of buildings in different countries will soon be faster & easier thanks to proposed improved data sharing in the EU.
 
With INSPIRE – Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe – the European Union is creating a common standard to make environmental information quickly and easily accessible.  This will translate into clear benefits for European citizens, ranging from improved emergency services to a healthier everyday environment.  Common standards will help to cut costs and & the basis for decision making at all levels. Views are now being sought on the suitability of the proposed standards (by 21 October 2011).
Press release & links
 
EU News: With up to 49% of Europeans living in areas where EU air quality objectives are still not met, air pollution is one of the main environmental worries facing EU citizens.  

As part of a comprehensive review of Europe's air policies intended to set new long-term objectives beyond 2020, the European Commission is launching a public consultation on its current policy in this area.  This web-based consultation is part of a broader process of reflection that will feed into a review due no later than 2013.
 
The public consultation (closes on 30 September 2011) invites all interested parties to share their views on the best way to improve the EU's air quality legislation.  It is divided into two parts – a short questionnaire for the general public and a longer section for experts & practitioners from national administrations, regional or local authorities, researchers, businesses, stakeholders, health, environmental and other groups involved in the implementation of EU air quality legislation.
Press release & links
 
HMT: The Government has published proposals (consultation closes on 22 September 2011) for reforming the UK’s Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules, as part of its ambition to create the most competitive tax system in the G20.
Press release & links ~ CBI comment
 
HSE: Outdoor activity providers, sports clubs & teachers are among those being asked for their views (by 21 September 2011) on proposals to change the health & safety requirements for young people's adventure activities. The Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) will be abolished and a 12-week long public consultation on its replacement with a code of practice began last week.
 
The recommendation to abolish AALA and the associated regulations was made in the Government-commissioned report Common Sense, Common Safety. The current licensing regime operates under the Activity Centres (Young Persons' Safety) Act 1995 and the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 2004.
Press release & links ~ Common Sense, Common Safety
 
WAG: New guidance aimed at improving the pre-application stage of the planning application process has been launched for consultation (closes on 28 September 2011) by Environment Minister, John Griffiths. 

The consultation is aimed at ‘honing & improving the draft pre application process guidance, which will be issued in final form later in the year’The guidance outlines the many benefits of discussing a development proposal prior to submitting an application.
Press release ~ Realising the potential of pre-application discussions
 
CO: New steps voters will be required to take to be included on the electoral register were set out last week by the Government.  The Individual Electoral Registration White Paper details the process for moving to individual voter registration, replacing the existing system of household registration.  The change is designed to modernise the electoral system and tackle fraud.
 
Britain is almost alone in retaining a system of household registration, which is now widely considered to be outdated & vulnerable to fraud.  Under the proposals, voters will be asked to register individually from 2014, by providing their date of birth & national insurance number, all of which will be verified before they are added to the register.
 
In addition to publishing the White Paper, the Government is also currently in the process of commencing a series of data-matching pilots as part of its commitment to make the electoral register more accurate & complete.
 
The White Paper is open for consultation (closes on 14 October 2011) before legislation is introduced in the first part of 2012.  The Government plans for the first IER canvass to begin on 1 July 2014 and conclude when the revised register is published by 1 December 2014.
Press release & links
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