Consultations
CLG: Local authority pay policies must be open to public scrutiny with senior pay packets put to a full council vote, Local Government Minister Bob Neill said last week. The Localism Act requires local authority pay policies to be openly approved by democratically elected councillors. The Act was formally enshrined in law last week when granted Royal Assent.
The associated guidance on 'Openness and accountability in Local Pay' sets out the requirement for councils to publish their remuneration arrangements, including for chief officers and approve large salary packages in an open session of full council. This guidance is published in draft and the deadline for submitting comments is Friday 16 December 2011..
FSA: The Food Standards Agency is launching a consultation (closes on 8 February 2012) to seek views about whether to remove all post-Chernobyl controls & associated regulation on sheep farms in the UK.
The controls were put in place because some radioactive contamination was deposited on some upland areas of the UK. 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, controls remain on 334 farms in North Wales & 8 farms in Cumbria.
The controls were put in place because some radioactive contamination was deposited on some upland areas of the UK. 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, controls remain on 334 farms in North Wales & 8 farms in Cumbria.
HMT: Exchequer Secretary, David Gauke has set out the Government’s vision for a ‘more transparent, open, & easier to understand personal tax system’. The Consultation closes 24 February 2012.
In parallel, and as part of its ongoing reform of the UK tax system, the Government is publishing a paper setting out the next steps in its work on looking at the options to integrate the operation of income tax & National Insurance contributions (NICs).
DfE: Free early education will be extended to 140,000 disadvantaged 2-year- olds and parents will be able to access the free entitlement more flexibly, under plans published by the Government recently in a consultation (closes on 31 January 2012) on changes to free early education.
OFT: The OFT is seeking comments on its draft Annual Plan for 2012-13, which sets out the organisation's proposed objectives & priorities for the next financial year (consultation closes 3 February 2012).
ScotGov: Staff, students, parents, unions & businesses are being given their say on how best to deliver college education across Scotland through a consultation paper with specific proposals on planning, funding & delivering college learning on a regional basis (closes 5pm on Friday 23 December 2011).
Monitor: Monitorhas published a document which encourages stakeholders to contribute (by 12 December 2011) to its early thinking on one element of its proposed future role. Developing the new NHS provider license framework document intended to contribute to the debate & understanding of the proposals relating to Monitor in the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
EU News: The Commission has launched a public debate on the right to family reunification of third-country nationals living in the EU (closes on 1 March 2012)
TIS: The Government would like to see improved access to bank accounts for undischarged bankrupts. Proposals have been published asking for evidence (by 9 February 2012)about the effect bankruptcy has on the ability of individuals to access a bank account and inviting views on possible measures to improve access.
