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Legislation / Legal
OFT: The OFT recently sent a clear warning to businesses that consumer contracts must be clear & have no unwelcome surprises buried in the small print. In publishing its market study into consumer contracts, which found that 1 in 5 people had experienced a problem with such contracts in the last year, the OFT has set out its framework for prioritising future enforcement in this area.
Press release and links
ScotGov: The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) is to be allowed to directly recruit police officers into its ranks, under new regulations being considered by the Scottish Parliament. The new arrangements are intended to provide a more flexible & sustainable workforce for the agency which currently uses seconded officers from Scottish forces.
IfG: The government has announced it is backing down on legislation in the Public Bodies Bill that would have given ministers wide-ranging powers to merge or abolish quangos. The Institute for Government's briefing note about the Public Bodies Bill expressed serious concerns about Schedule 7 of the Bill, which gave ministers the power to merge or abolish or modify 150 quangos that operated at arm's length from government.
The recommendations in the IfG's report Read Before Burning set out the why the whole landscape of quangos was muddled and needed to be more logically classified so that for example public bodies that were set up to be independent of government were clearly identified.
ScotGov: The Scottish Parliament's Health Committee has passed the legislation that will result in prescriptions for all patients in Scotland being free from 1 April 2011.
FSCS: Customers of Welcome Financial Services Limited (WFSL) may be entitled to receive compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in relation to advice on or the arranging of payment protection insurance (PPI) by the firm on or after 14 January 2005. The FSCS does not cover claims for compensation in relation to PPI business conducted prior to that date.
Press release and related links
OFT: The OFT has received a super-complaint from Citizens Advice relating to marketing & charging practices which CAB suggests may be used by businesses offering credit brokerage & debt services.
Press release and general links ~ Cold-calling & upfront charging - 3 March 2011 ~ Related CAB press release
ScotGov: The Scottish Parliament has given its backing to the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill which modernises laws, some of which are almost 200 years old, and improves protection for wildlife.
Press release and related press release
ScotGov: While identifying several necessary changes, the Scottish Parliament committee examining the Scotland Bill has fallen far short of shaping a Bill that will benefit the people of Scotland, External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop said in response to the committee's report published last week. However, the Minister noted that the committee has recognised that the incoming Scottish Parliament will need to examine the Bill again before giving its final consent.
