Consultations

OfstedPlans to ensure that good is the only acceptable standard of education & care provided by nurseries, pre-schools & childminders for our youngest children were unveiled for consultation recently by Ofsted.  

Inspection evidence shows nurseries, pre-schools & childminders are not improving fast enough. Poor quality early years care & education is a particular problem in the poorest areas, where Ofsted has found that providers are less likely to improve between inspections than those in more prosperous areas.
 
Under the proposed changes that will come into force from September 2013, only a good or better standard of early years provision will be deemed good enough by Ofsted. The proposals will raise expectations and tackle weaker settings.  The consultation closes on 24 May 2013.
Press release & links
 
BISPubs struggling to pay rent or beer prices could save thousands of pounds a year each, thanks to a new Code of Practice and the backing of a powerful Adjudicator, under proposals announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable.  

The Code would contain mandatory rules for all pub companies who own a certain number of pubs.  In particular it would stop pub companies abusing the beer tie, which obliges tenants to sell certain types of beers often at high prices. Consultation closes on 14 June 2013.
Press release & links
 
DfE: The Government has ‘underlined its commitment to high-quality vocational & occupational education’ by announcing a new Technical Baccalaureate measure. The TechBacc will be a performance measure marking achievement by young people aged 16 to 19 in 3 areas.
 
The Government is currently consulting on a process for identifying vocational qualifications that are genuinely ‘high value’. Consultation closes on 10 May 2013.
Press release & links ~ Consultation identifying vocational qualifications ~ IfL comments on plans for technical baccalaureate ~ CBI - TechBacc will lead to more rigorous vocational qualifications
 
WAG: Carl Sargeant, the Minister for Housing & Regeneration, has welcomed a report by the Law Commission, recommending improvements to the legal framework governing rented housing in Wales. The Commission’s report recommends replacing many different forms of rental contract with just 2 types of contract.  
 
Under the proposals, Welsh Ministers would ensure the use of model contracts that would set out clearly the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and the circumstances under which either party can bring the contract to an end.   The proposals will also help when people are faced with cases of domestic violence or housing-related anti-social behaviour.
 
The Minister has launched the Renting Homes White Paper, which has been informed by the Law Commission’s report.  Members of the public are encouraged to give their views during an open consultation on the Paper. Consultation closes on 17 August 2013.
Press release & links ~ A White Paper for Better Lives and Communities
 
FSA: Two companies have asked the FSA's expert advisers on novel foods to consider applications for chia seeds to be approved for use in the European Union (EU) under the simplified approval procedure.  A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the EU before 15 May 1997.
 
Any comments on either, or both, of the applications, should be emailed to the ACNFP Secretariat by 9 May 2013.
Press release & links
 
EU News: Millions of Europeans catch up with their favourite TV series on a smartphone on the way to work, watch online content on their living room TV, or put their own user-generated content online.  There are more than 40.4m ‘connected TVs’ in Europe, and they could be in the majority of EU households by 2016.
 
These changes are sweeping away traditional boundaries between consumers, broadcast media and the internet.  The Commission wants to explore what this convergence of technology & content could mean for Europe's economic growth & innovation, cultural diversity, and consumers (especially those that may need protection, such as children).  

A Green Paper adopted by the Commission recently invites stakeholders and the wider public to share their views by 31 August 2013.
Press release & links
 
ScotGov: A consultation on how best to manage Raasay’s sporting rights to maximise community benefits in future has begun. All islanders on the electoral register will receive a copy of the consultation by post to be asked for their views on 3 options. The consultation closes on 7 June 2013.
Press release & links
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story