Looking ahead: December 2012 – February 2013
The table below gives an overview of the publications or policy announcements we expect in the coming months, presented by
policy area and in order of expected timing.
Policy Area
Crime and
Justice
Title/ Subject
Consultation on
Crime
Outcomes
Crime and
Justice
Consultation on
future
regulatory
regime for the
private security
industry
Police & Crime
Commissioner
key dates
Alcohol
Strategy
Consultation
Local Authority
Pension funds
to be invested
in infrastructure
Civil
enforcement
remedies –
consultation
Chartered
status for the
further
Crime and
Justice
Crime and
Justice
Economy
and
Business
Economy &
Business
Economy &
Business
Contents
This consultation contains proposals for revising the current framework for recorded crime
outcomes. It proposes adding new categories with the aim of improving transparency of
crime data and supporting police officer discretion in choosing most appropriate disposals
in response to crime.
To seek views on the Government's preferred option for reforming the regulation of the
private security industry through a transition to a business regulation regime.
Date expected
Consultation
closes 7th
December
Police and Crime Commissioner required to inform Police and Crime Panel of their
proposed precept.
1st February
This consultation seeks views on a number of measures to cut crime, save lives and reduce
alcohol consumption, set out in the government's alcohol strategy consultation document.
A 6 week consultation has been launched. Councils could be free to put as much as £22bn
more of pension fund investments into infrastructure supporting the Government's plan to
build more homes, roads or high speed railway.
Consultation
closes on 6th
February
Consultation
closes on 18th
December
The Government is consulting on extending the range of remedies available to public
enforcers of consumer law, with the aim of increasing business compliance with the law,
improving redress for consumers affected by the breach, and raising consumer confidence.
Consultation
closes 31st
December
The Government is consulting on proposals to create chartered status for further education
(FE) institutions. The proposals aim to drive an improvement in quality of provision and help
prospective learners and the UK Border Agency recognise legitimate FE Colleges and
Consultation
closes 16th
January
Consultation
closes 15th
January
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
1
Policy Area
Economy &
Business
Title/ Subject
education
sector –
consultation
Employer
Ownership Pilot
Education &
Children
English
Baccalaureate
Education &
Children
Consultation on
schools
attendance
matters
Draft Children
and Families
Bill
Summer
School
Evaluation of
Pupil Premium
Education &
Children
Education &
Children
Education &
Children
Education &
Children
Energy &
Climate
Change
Energy &
Climate
Consultation on
national
definition of
Child Poverty
Economics of
Climate
Change
Resilience
Environmental
Framework
Contents
training providers
Date expected
Department for Business Innovation and Skills has announced a second round of the
Employer Ownership Pilot. Businesses can bid for a share of £150m to create the training
schemes they need to grow their companies
Consultation on proposals to reform the examination system at Key Stage 4, replacing
GCSEs with new qualifications, English Baccalaureate Certificates.
28th February
This consultation relates to revised departmental guidance on school attendance.
Consultation
closes on10th
December
Consultation
closes on13th
December
The draft Children and Families Bill was expected to be published for pre-legislative
scrutiny this summer, before the final version is presented to Parliament early 2013. It is
expected imminently.
Evaluation of first summer schools for disadvantaged pupils moving from primary to
secondary
Department for Education to evaluate initial findings from Year 1 of pupil premium.
Expected to include measures of the attainment and progress of children known to be
eligible for the Pupil Premium, and expect schools to be accountable to parents for how it is
used (source: positive for youth).
Measuring Child Poverty: A consultation on changing the measures of child poverty
The Government has launched a public consultation on better measures of child poverty.
Early 2013
This report is expected to give the case for climate change adaptation and give cost/benefit
figures for adaptation work at sub-national level.
Consultation
closes in
December 2013
The Government will review the Environmental Regulatory Framework and publish a report.
This follows feedback in the recent Red Tape Challenge suggesting that the Environmental
Consultation
closes in
January 2013
February 2013
Consultation
closes on15th
February
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
2
Policy Area
Change
Energy &
Climate
Change
Title/ Subject
Energy &
Climate
Change
Ensuring a
better deal for
energy
consumers discussion
document
Tackling water
pollution from
the urban
environment
Delivering
services for
people with
learning
disabilities
Performers list
consultation
Energy &
Climate
Change
Health &
Social Care
Health &
Social Care
Renewable
Heat Incentive
Health &
Social Care
Pricing for NHS
services
consultation
Health &
Social Care
Care and
Support
implementation
Public health
Health &
Contents
Framework is overly complex and could benefit from rationalisation.
The Government has published 3 consultations on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
scheme. The first is on proposals for long term support for householders who install
renewable heating kit such as biomass boilers, heat pumps and solar thermal. The other
two consultations concern the expansion of the RHI scheme for commercial, industrial and
community customers to increase uptake of renewable heating kit in this sector.
This discussion document sets out a package of proposed measures that are designed to
ensure consumers get the cheapest tariff offered by their supplier that meets their preferences.
The package will also enhance overall consumer protection and enable consumers to compare
different suppliers’ tariffs and to switch more easily. Views are sought from stakeholders
Date expected
December 2013
Consultation
closes on7th
December
The Government will publish a national strategy in 2013 on urban diffuse pollution (of rivers
and waterways) which will require co-operation and input from urban local authorities. This
consultation seeks views from interested parties to inform the strategy.
Consultation
closes 8 February
2013
The Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb has asked for information on good practice to
improve the quality of services for people with learning disabilities and their families from
Directors of Social Services and Primary Care Trust Chief Executives, amongst others. This
follows publication of the Department of Health’s interim report on the Review of
Winterbourne View Hospital (published 25 June 2012).
Consultation proposing that in future, there is one national list of general practice doctors,
dentists and ophthalmic practitioners approved to provide NHS primary care services.
Information
required by 13th
December
This consultation looks at pricing for NHS services. It seeks views on which providers can
formally object to Monitor’s way of calculating prices, and what level of objections would
require Monitor to reconsider how it calculates prices or refer its way of calculating prices to
the Competition Commission.
An implementation plan for the Care and Support White Paper is expected, to take forward
the reforms.
Confirmation of the amount of public health funding allocated to each Local Authority is
Closes 4 January
2013
Consultation
closes on 14th
December
Consultation
closes on 21st
December
December
December
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
3
Policy Area
Social Care
Health &
Social Care
Health &
Social Care
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Title/ Subject
allocations
Health Select
Committee
New
safeguards to
protect patients
Planning
Practice
Guidance
review
Planning
Appeals
process consultation
Single Housing
Ombudsman
scheme
Strategic
Environmental
Assessment of
the Revocation
of the East
Midlands
Regional
Strategy
Permitted
Development
rights consultation
Progress
Report on
Contents
expected.
The Health Select Committee is expected to publish a report on social care and a report on
the Care Quality Commission.
This consultation looks at new measures to protect the services that patients need, for
example if an organisation providing the service becomes insolvent.
Lord Matthew Taylor will lead an external review of existing 6,000 pages of planning
practice guidance which supports the implementation of the National Planning Policy
Framework. The aim is to move to a smaller, more accessible and effective set of
guidance. It will report in December.
The Government is consulting on options to make the appeals process for small
developments faster and more transparent, improve consistency and increase certainty of
decision timescales, reducing wasted time and expense for all parties, and lead to quicker
development where the appeal is upheld.
The Housing Ombudsman has published a draft scheme for a Single Housing Ombudsman
for consultation – under the Localism Act the Housing Ombudsman will assume
responsibility for all social housing tenants, whether council or Registered Provider, to
commence April 2013.
This Environmental Report is a consultation document on the likely significant
environmental effects of revocation of the East Midlands Plan and the Regional Economic
Strategy (which together form the Regional Strategy). This report succeeds the previous
environmental report on the revocation of the East Midlands Plan which was consulted on
between October 2011 and January 2012.
Date expected
December
Consultation
closes on 4th
January
December 2012
Consultation
closes 13th
December
Consultation
closes 15th
December
Consultation
closes 19th
December
The Government is proposing to relax requirements for planning permission for some
domestic and commercial single storey extensions for 3 years.
Consultation
closes 24th
December
The Government is expected to report on progress against the Housing Strategy, Laying
the Foundations, A Housing Strategy for England including work to reinvigorate the Right to
December
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
4
Policy Area
Housing &
Planning
Housing &
Planning
Political
Reform
Political
Reform
Political
Reform
Political
Reform
Public
Finances
Public
Finances
Title/ Subject
Housing
Strategy
Large Scale
Development
Prospectus
Nottingham
Tenancy
Strategy
Improving local
government
transparency:
Consultation
Independent
Review of
Barriers to
Choice
Contents
Buy, progress on the NewBuy scheme, the Government’s land release programme, the
public land auction pilot, and use of the New Homes Bonus.
The Government want to see locally planned large scale developments e.g. new
settlements and urban extensions, where there is community support and private sector
appetite. It will issue a prospectus with more details and run a competition to encourage
larger scale projects to come forward.
Nottingham City Council is developing a tenancy strategy, as required by the Localism Act.
Date expected
December
January
Following the publication of the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on
Consultation
Data Transparency in September 2011, Ministers are now minded to make the Code a legal closes 20th
requirement via regulations, subject to consultation.
December
The Government has appointed David Boyle of the New Economics Foundation to conduct
an independent view on fair opportunities to exercise choice over services they use that are
publicly funded for example, schools for their children or their hospital or their social care
package, particularly for vulnerable and disadvantaged people. It is due to report to the
Government by December.
New Town and The Government wants to make it easier to set up new town and parish councils. This
Parish Councils discussion paper presents a range of proposals that would help achieve this. The paper
sets out 3 options for a simpler process.
Freedom of
The Government is consulting on new guidance for public authorities on how to handle FoI
Information(FoI) requests for the release of datasets. The guidance is linked to new requirements governing
data release
the release of data in the FoI Act.
deadlines
Autumn
The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement will provide an update on the Government’s plans for
Statement
the economy based on the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Local
The Government will publish the Local Government Finance Settlement 2013/14 for
Government
statutory consultation, after the Autumn Statement.
Finance
Settlement
2013/14
December
Consultation
closes 9th January
Consultation
closes 10th
January
5th December
December
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
5
Policy Area
Transport
Title/ Subject
HS2 route
Transport
Local Transport
Bodies
Welfare
Sickness
absence review
Welfare
Establish a
Child Poverty
and Social
Mobility
Commission
Contents
Government is due to announce the outcome of the consultation on High Speed 2 (HS2)
and – if relevant – the proposed route
Local Transport Body areas to be confirmed by the end of 2012, with assurance
frameworks to be agreed by end of February 2013 and local major scheme priorities to be
agreed by July 2013.
The Government commissioned an independent review of how the sickness absence
system can be changed to help more people stay in work and reduce costs. This reported
in November 2011 and the Government response to the recommendations is due in
December 2012.
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission are now on track to become fully
operational following the formal appointment of the final Members of the Commission.
Date expected
December
December
December
December
NB This table includes the main policy developments expected to be of interest to local government over the next 3 months; it is not a comprehensive list
of all forthcoming policy. Prepared by Corporate Policy, Nottingham City Council. Please send any feedback to [email protected]
Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 87 63415.
6