Legislation / Legal

ScotGov: Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson has confirmed that new legislation on aquaculture & freshwater fisheries will be introduced in autumn 2012. The Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill Consultation received over 1,200 responses.
Press release & links
 
CSJ: UK businesses will be required to disclose all their efforts to end slavery, under a Bill launched in Parliament recently. The Transparency in Supply Chains Bill, drafted by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Labour MP Fiona MacTaggart, will demand that businesses investigate whether their supply chains are slave-free.

As part of landmark measures to raise awareness about the nature and scale of human trafficking, businesses will be encouraged to conduct an audit of their suppliers to check that they comply with anti-slavery laws. An estimated 27m people are enslaved worldwide and this latest legislation will prompt all UK businesses, with a turnover of over £100m or more, to take responsibility to end this appalling abuse.
Press release ~ Eradication of Slavery (UK Company Supply Chains) Bill
 
LGA: The Government needs to act now and ensure the country's last chance of tackling scrap metal theft – a Private Member's Bill– is urgently taken forward in this Parliamentary session, council leaders have said.  Metal theft is estimated to cost the economy £700m a year and the LGA, which represents over 370 councils, believes that the Scrap Metal Act 1964 needs updating urgently as it currently requires councils to register dealers without the ability to refuse the application.   
 
The Local Government Association is holding a national event for councils on 15 June 2012 entitled ‘Licensing scrap metal dealers: councils' role in fighting metal theft’.
Press release & links
 
HO: Red tape will be cut through a raft of reforms unveiled by the home secretary last week. As part of the red tape challenge, members of the public, businesses and industry experts were invited to scrutinise the equality act. They put forward recommendations for regulations which could be simplified, scrapped or clarified – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
Press release & links
 
CLG: Nightmare tenants whose persistent antisocial behaviour causes misery & fear for their local communities will face swifter justice. Housing Minister Grant Shapps said that proposed powers would significantly speed up the eviction process and, for the first time, tackle riot related offences even if they are committed away from home.
 
The Minister said that the powers proposed - part of a wider package of measures in a new Government White paper - would make it easier to evict tenants if they or any member of their household has previous convictions for anti-social behaviour - cutting out repeated & expensive court proceedings and achieving a better balance between the rights of tenants and the needs of their victims.
Press release & links
 
ScotGov: A report which recommends prosecutors should be able to use previous convictions as evidence in criminal trials will be considered by the Scottish Government.  As the law stands, the prosecution in Scotland cannot rely upon previous convictions to help prove their case against an accused person.
Press release & links
 
DfE: Outdated & confusing child performance rules are to be overhauled, under sweeping changes published by Children’s Minister Tim Loughton. The requirements for licensing under-16s to take part safely in public performances – including television, radio, films or stage – have not been reformed since 1968.
Press release & links
 
ScotGovCut-price alcohol will become a thing of the past after the Scottish Parliament recently passed the Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill. This will pave the way for the introduction of a preferred minimum price of 50p per unit as a condition of licence.  It also sets the formula for calculating the minimum price (based on the strength of the alcohol, the volume of the alcohol and a price per unit of alcohol).
Press release & links
 
ScotGov: Amendments to ensure police & fire reform plans are as robust as possible have been announced by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill recently.   The series of Stage 2 amendments to the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill have been tabled by the Scottish Government, listening to recommendations from the service, staff associations, the Justice Committee and others.
Press release & links
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story