Consultations
DCSF: The government has re-announced their £21bn cash injection over the next three years to build new schools and launched a national debate & consultation (closes 19 October 2007) about how children's services could be improved during the next ten years.
Mr Brown and Mr Balls kick-started the national discussion - Time to talk - at the official opening of the Bristol Brunel Academy, the first of 180 new or newly refurbished schools that will open during the next six months.
The debate was the first in a series of public events & consultation exercises that will take place during the next two months. In addition to the public consultation there will be three expert groups chaired by Children, Schools and Families Ministers.
DSA: The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is carrying out a public consultation (closes on 23 November 2007) on modernising arrangements to take driving tests. The Agency also proposes to consult over the price of driving tests. It intends to increase the fee of theory tests for car drivers and motorcycle riders by a further £1.50 on 1 April 2008.
It proposes to increase the practical car test by £8. This will see the cost of the theory test set at £30 and the practical test at £56.50. It is also proposed in the consultation that the fee for the practical motorcycle test will increase by £20 to £80 on 1 October 2008 when the new & more demanding manoeuvres are introduced to the test.
In addition, the theory test fee increased from £21.50 to £28.50 for theory tests taken by car and motorcycle candidates on 3 September 2007, when the number of questions in the test rose to 50 from 35.
