Consultations
Scottish Executive: Consultation (closes 31 October 2007) has begun on a new Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in Scotland, which is designed to be affordable & sustainable, as well as fairer for employers, scheme members and tax payers.
Following the consultation, final decisions will be taken on the new scheme outline and these are likely to be announced at the end of 2007.
BERR: Reducing on-site waste, using sustainable materials and increasing skills in the workforce are just some of the targets set out for the construction industry in a draft Government and Industry Sustainable Construction Strategy, recently launched for consultation (closes 30 November 2007) which aims to help the industry deliver more sustainable construction methods & products.
The draft strategy's key areas include:
* Reducing the carbon footprint of activities within the construction sector
* Production of zero net waste at construction site level
* Developing voluntary agreements & initiatives between the construction industry and its clients with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint and use of resources within the built environment
* Creating a safer industry by improving skills, boosting the numbers of workers taking part in training programmes, and retaining more skilled workers.
Press release ~ A Sustainable Construction Strategy - consultation ~ DTI: Review of Sustainable Construction and related documents ~ Housing Green Paper: 'Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable' ~ Strategic Forum for Construction ~ Sustainable Development Commission
CLG: The Government is seeking views on plans to beef up powers for local authorities to tackle illegal or botched construction by cowboy builders.
Proposals in the consultation paper (closes on 23 October 2007) would increase the time limit in which a prosecution can be brought from 6 months to 2 years. Within this period, a prosecution can be brought within six months of discovery of sufficient evidence to prosecute.
Press release ~ Consultation: Longer time limits for prosecution of breaches of Building Regulations - Consultation ~ Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 ~ Find A Builder – Federation of Master Builders ~ How To Avoid Cowboy Builders ~ TrustMark
Sport England: Jennie Price – Sport England’s Chief Executive – has announced that Sport England will undertake, with its partners, a short focused review of its No Limits Policy, saying: “In order to realise our ambition of getting 2m people doing more sport by 2012, we have to reach out to women, people with disabilities and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The purpose of the review is two-fold; to update & review and to make sure the Equality Standard is an effective tool in driving up participation in community sport.
The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) and Sporting Equals Limited (SEL) have pledged to support the review and will be key partners during the process. For more information or to take part in the review, email: tim.woodhouse@sportengland.org(Before 30/11/07)
Press release ~ No Limits ~ Equality Standard ~ English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) ~ Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) ~ UK Sport ~ Youth Sport Trust
BERR: Smart meters in every home & business will play a key part in reducing our carbon footprint and cutting our energy bills, according to Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, as the Government launched its consultation on metering & billing (closes 31 October 2007).
The consultation looks at how to implement the Government's proposals to cut energy use through the roll out of state of the art smart meters and real time visual display units to households & businesses.
The consultation will also seek views on the Government's expectation that, over the next ten years, all gas & electricity customers will be given smart meters with visual displays.
Press release ~ Energy Billing and Metering - Changing Consumer Behaviour consultation ~ Article 13 of the Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive ("Energy Services Directive (scroll down) ~ Energy white paper: meeting the energy challenge - DTI ~ DTI – Metering and Billing: Changing Customer Behaviour Energy Saving Trust Response ~ Energy Efficiency Commitment ~ Ofgem: Towards effective energy information – Improving consumer feedback on energy consumption ~ National Energy Action (NEA) – smart metering
