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Legislation / Legal
BERR: Twelve employment agencies in Plymouth have been issued with warnings for failing to comply with the law. The warnings follow an investigation in Plymouth by the Government's Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. Between these 12 agencies, inspectors found 68 infringements of the law. Many of these offences were relatively minor, however the worst practices identified included:
* failing to inform workers sufficiently about the type work they would be doing
* agencies failing to confirm the identities of staff they were planning to supply to employers
* risking workers safety by failing to ensure their awareness of H&S issues relevant to their assignments
The Department for Business has also launched a campaign to raise awareness of the Employment Agency Standards inspectorate, particularly among vulnerable agency workers. People can report employment agencies they suspect of breaking the law by contacting the inspectorate.
Press release ~ Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate ~ Vulnerable Worker Enforcement Forum ~ Frequently asked Questions - agency workers ~ Complaint about an employment agency ~ Agency workers: know your rights leaflet ~ Directgov – Agency workers
MoJ: A study into the funding & provision of local legal advice has been announced by Ministers. The Government is keen to assess how recent legal aid reforms and any wider changes to the way in which local advice agencies are funded, have affected the provision of services. The aim is to identify, bring together and analyse the available evidence across England & Wales. The group will submit its report in March 2009.
Press release ~ MoJ – Legal Aid ~ CAB - Help with Legal Costs ~ Community Legal Advice ~ Legal Services Commission
HO: A new power to close premises involved in persistent anti-social behaviour came into force last week. Police and local authorities can now apply to magistrates' courts to close privately owned, rented, commercial and local authority premises.
The new Premises Closure Order extends crack house closure powers, which have been used successfully to close over 1,000 crack houses and bring respite to hundreds of local communities since they were introduced in 2004, to other premises associated with persistent nuisance.
